5 Things No One Tells You Will Happen Once You've Sent Your Save-the-Dates

There are a few universal wedding planning experiences and feelings that tend to come up for just about every couple the moment they pop those save-the-dates in the mail. We've rounded them up for you here.

Photo by Carrie Patterson Photography

 

1. Friends and family will start to reach out.
While it may seem like a teeny task, sending your save-the-dates to your friends and family is one of those this-is-happening wedding planning moments -- for your guests that is. You may have gone over the details with your aunt on the phone or chatted with one of your bridesmaids about the dresses, but there's something that clicks as soon as a friend or family member gets your save-the-date. You'll start to get text messages, Facebook messages, Instagram posts and even phone calls from friends and family once they have their save-the-dates in hand. Expect there to be very specific questions at this point too, because this is the time your guests are most likely to start booking their flights and reserving their hotel rooms. (By the way, if you haven't already, now's a great time to reserve a block of hotel rooms.)

2. Your bridal party will get questions.
Same as above goes for your bridal party, especially if you happen to have a maid of honor who is known for her accountability. Some friends and family won't want to overwhelm you, so they'll go to those closest to you. To make it easy on everyone, send your bridal party and close family (aka your wedding VIPs) a quick email, giving them all the details they might need. Include a link to your wedding website, registries, and any pertinent travel and hotel information. All of this should already be on your wedding website, but trust us, they'll want to arm themselves with info just in case the questions come up.

3. Wedding planning will probably start to get more intense.
With all of the questions and details that come to light during this time, you'll probably start to feel a little more pressure around planning. Don't freak out -- it's completely normal. The best approach is to stay calm, refer to your wedding checklist often and keep it all in perspective (it's just one amazing day!).

4. You might be nervous...
This is also the point at which some couples start to question everything. Did we choose the right colors and theme? Should we have invited plus-ones? What will happen if it rains on the day of? Stop right there. Your wedding is going to be special no matter what. How can we be so sure? Because it's yours -- you two, your family and your friends. It's the people and the fact that you're bringing them all together for your wedding that's important (not the fact that you didn't upgrade the linens).

5. ...but you will most definitely feel excited.
Now's the fun part. Sure there will most likely be a few more panicky moments, and maybe even arguments between you and your fiance (or your mom!). But there will also be lots of late nights with your fiance and friends working on ceremony programs, cute signage for the ceremony, seating charts and escort cards that are filled with fun conversation. There will be cake tastings and talk of flowers and colors and all sorts of registry gifts arriving to your door. All of those little moments along the way are what make wedding planning so special. So have fun with it and get excited! You're almost there.