In our Anniversary Check-In series, we’ll be checking in on some of our former couples to see how they look back on their wedding days. Would they make changes with the gift of hindsight? Was the stress of wedding planning really worth it? What advice would they give to those just beginning their own marriage journey? We’ll get their thoughts as they approach the celebration of another year of marriage (whether that’s one year or ten). And of course we’ll ask them questions separately in order to compare their answers.
Ashley & Jason – 1.5 Years of Marriage (because why not?!)
How long have you been married to your spouse?
Ashley: We’ve been married exactly one and a half years!
Jason: We were married on September 28, 2019, so approximately one and a half years.
Looking back what was your favorite moment from your wedding day?
Ashley: I have so many! Spending all of those hours with my bridal party before the wedding, being able to call my fiancé my husband, and of course dancing with everyone at the reception.
Jason: My favorite moment was when we were named husband and wife, and we turned around and saw all of the people who had helped and had guided us to that moment.
In hindsight, is there anything specific that you wish you would have done differently in regards to your wedding day?
Ashley: I would have worried less. I never worried about the logistics or the planning – I worried if family would get along, if we would have enough money to pay for everything, if I would lose friendships over not being able to invite certain people. But everything works out anyway, and I wish I had told myself that more.
Jason: No. It was absolutely perfect.
What was the biggest source of stress while wedding planning? And was that stress warranted?
Ashley: First, the guest list, and second, the finances. The stress wasn’t warranted. The people who care about you the most will understand if you aren’t able to invite them. And financially, it’s amazing how much you can do with less (if that’s your situation). There are workarounds and creative ways to do things, and your wedding planning is the perfect person to help you work through that.
Jason: The overall cost; it’s a lot of money for anyone to spend. It was a constant juggling act between deciding what you want and what you can afford.
If given the chance to redistribute your wedding budget, is there something that you would now spend more/less money on for your wedding day?
Ashley: I would have spent less on hair and makeup for myself.
Jason: I didn’t think that our wedding was that over the top. I think the money was all well spent and I wouldn’t change a thing.
What one piece of advice would you give to a newly married couple today?
Ashley: Don’t forget about the point of planning a wedding. It’s not about anything or anyone other than the person you’re marrying. Invest in that.
Jason: Go to some sort of pre-marriage counseling or some sort of class where you actually sit and spend time really ironing out what your expectations for marriage are. I knew without a doubt that I wanted to marry Ashley, but those two days that we spent in this class gave us the opportunity to discuss things we never thought about. It was very helpful and actually brought us closer together.
Special thanks to Willow & Birch Photography for all the gorgeous images!
leave a comment