We are continuing our series in sharing tips from recent brides!  These following tips were given by Devin Gertkin.  Devin and Nic's day was absolutely beautiful from the outdoor ceremony to the sparkler send off after the evening was through! Devin was kind enough to share a few tips to the engaged couples out there that are planning their big day, in hopes that these tips are helpful to you!

TIP I.  "Remember it's YOUR day: Even if your families are chipping in and helping you pay for things, it's okay to remind them that in the end it should be all about you. It's easy for them to start to live out their dream wedding in yours, but once you kindly remind them they (usually) are brought back to reality! Just because "everyone else does it this way", doesn't mean you need to! We didn't do a lot of the "traditional" things like throwing the bouquet, dollar dance, cake, and really tailored our day to us. I couldn't have imagined it any other way!"

TIP II.  "Give yourself time to plan the wedding: We had 14 months to plan our wedding and it was amazing. We didn't feel rushed, we secured the big things right away (ie. place, DJ, food, photograhper/videographer) but then gave ourselves some time to just enjoy being engaged."

TIP III.  "Skip out on real flowers: It's a huge budget eater. After pricing out flowers and having a mini heart attack, we went with babies breath and dried hydrangeas. You can buy bulk flowers from somewhere like Sam's Club for cheap cheap. We had a jar full on each table, about 20 else where, made 3 bridesmaids bouquets and had flowers to spare for around $300."

TIP  IV.  "Spend the money on a photographer/videographer: These will be your only true keepsakes from your wedding besides your memories and it's so worth finding true professionals to capture it. As I look back at our photos, and especially our video, there are so many moments I had forgotten. The day flies by and it's impossible to remember it all. I still cry every time I watch our video and I look forward to sharing it with our kids in the future and re-living that perfect day."

TIP V.  "As everyone says, don't stress the small stuff: You have NO control over things like weather on your day, and if you're planning an outdoor wedding you risk rain, wind, too hot, or too cold. We took the risk, and although it was misting through most of our pictures and pouring during our first dance - I never let it bother me. Because in the end all that matters is that you get to marry your best friend." 

I hope you find that these tips were helpful to you and that you found a tip that you can incorporate into your wedding!  Something that immediately stood out to me while watching Devin and Nic's wedding video was the smile she had her face the whole day!  She exuded pure joy!  She mentioned in her tips to let the little things go because you can't control everything.  It seems like such simple advice, but when you actually think about it and take in what that would actually be like, it's a little scary.  Giving advice to let go of some things when they don't go as planned on the day that is supposed so be perfect and the most magical day ever, is not just advice that can easily be taken.  This advice may not be easily grasped but it's worth a shot, especially if it helps you smile more than worry on your big day, because it is going to be the happiness you had that you will remember more than any rain or clouds. 

It's very true, your wedding day is huge and, yes, there is a lot of pressure that goes along with that.  However, as far as having the perfect day, it will be perfect for you and your future spouse because of what you made of it and because of the words of commitment you shared on that very special day.  As far as those little bumps that may arise, they will give you a good story to tell!  So as much as you can, fight to let those little things go and laugh about it because after all, you are getting married!  How awesome is that?!?  

Don't waste your energy or one second of the one day that is ALL ABOUT YOU worrying about things you can't change.  Instead, try your hardest to focus on the constant that is in your life now and will be forever starting on that very special day.  Give that commitment and future spouse all your attention, because they sure deserve it! In taking Devin's advice I hope you will have the most happy day, just like she did!  

Thank you Devin for your contribution to this series!  

Thank you for reading!

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Watch Devin and Nic's beautiful wedding video!