I was met with some disappointment this week. Unlike Shawn, whose family is massive, mine is quite small. I have three brothers and it meant a lot to me to have each of them play a role in my wedding day. My baby brother Trevor is enlisted in the United States Army. We had him slated to be a groomsman in the wedding party. However, because of an upcoming deployment to Afghanistan, not only will he be unable to be in the wedding, but his leave request was denied to even attend. While I know it is out of his control, I can’t help but be a little sad that he wont be there. I love that boy so much. With that said, stiff upper lip, disappointments happen; you deal with them and carry on.

I have been reminded of that lesson quite often during this process. Planning a wedding on a tight budget will surely teach you to be flexible and resilient.  It is easy to get caught up in all the bells and whistles of the bridal magazines and websites. Everything looks so beautiful. Not to mention the well-meaning friends and family with their “you should do this” opinions.  Before you know it you can become very much like a kid in a candy store wanting everything you see. But when budget is King, choices must be made.

My advice for any budget conscious bride is to choose her “deal-breaker” must haves carefully. If it’s an item that you will be noticeably disappointed about if it’s absent from your wedding then get it. After that though, no matter how hypnotizing the glossy magazine pages are be willing to compromise on the other things. If you allow yourself to want everything you see and be disappointed if you don’t get it, wedding planning will be a very miserable experience for you. Give and take, push and pull, compromise it is not only good advice for planning a wedding; but also for maintaining a happy marriage.

Are you planning to incorporate your siblings into your weddings day, as well as your fiance’s  siblings? Why/why not?