top of page

It's A Curvy Thing

Welcome to the Ivory & Main blog.  Intended for the Curvy Bride, This blog will serve as a positive resource to help our fellow curvy beauties navigate the sometimes rocky waters of Bridal gown shopping.  We will also post some fun and interesting interviews and insight, along with stories from other brides like yourself,  you have options.  Looking and feeling beautiful isn't about size, it's a mindset.  

​

Home of the

Curvy

God Mothers!

​

Follow the ladies here for all their fun tips and Advice!

Search

The Curvy Godmothers’ Guide to Surviving Your Wedding Planning Era

Writer: Missy
Missy
4 days ago
6 min read

White fluffy bride slippers beside a white beaded BRIDE case on a shelf, with soft neutral wedding décor in the background.

Congratulations, bride-to-be!


You got the ring. You told your people. You took approximately 847 pictures of your hand.


And now? You have to plan a wedding.


Cue the Pinterest boards. The spreadsheets. The vendor emails. The family opinions. The seating chart. The budget. The dress appointments. The “Have you picked a first dance song yet?” questions.


Suddenly, something that was supposed to be fun starts to feel like a second full-time job.


But here's the thing the Curvy Godmothers want you to know:

Wedding planning is an era of your life. It is not your entire life.


You are allowed to be excited. You are allowed to be overwhelmed. You are allowed to change your mind. You are allowed to take a weekend off from talking about centerpieces.


And most importantly, you are allowed to take care of yourself while you're planning one of the biggest celebrations of your life.


So grab your emotional-support beverage, put down the seating chart for a minute, and let's talk about how to survive your wedding planning era without losing yourself in the process.

1. Remember: You Are Planning a Wedding, Not a Personality Makeover


Let's start here.


Wedding planning can make you suddenly question everything.

  • Your body.

  • Your hair.

  • Your skin.

  • Your clothes.

  • Your home.

  • Your relationship.

  • Your entire existence because you saw one TikTok bride who apparently has her life together 24/7.


Stop. You do not need to become a different person to get married.


And you absolutely do not need to change your body to wear a wedding dress.


Your wedding gown should be chosen for the body you have, not the body you think you need to have on your wedding day.


Eat the cake. Take the photos. Wear the dress. Be the bride.


You are already enough.

2. Get Organized Before the Chaos Gets Organized for You


Now for the less glamorous, but extremely important, part.


Wedding planning involves approximately 4,927 tiny details. Don't keep all of them in your brain.


Create one central place for your wedding information. That could be:

  • A wedding planning app

  • A spreadsheet

  • A physical binder

  • A shared Google Drive


Keep track of:

  • Vendor contacts

  • Contracts

  • Payment schedules

  • Appointment dates

  • Guest list

  • Important deadlines

  • Wedding inspiration

  • Dress information

  • Questions for vendors

  • Things you've already paid for


Future You will be very grateful.

3. Know Your Budget and Actually Track It


Before you fall madly in love with something, know what you're working with.


Create a realistic wedding budget and break it into categories.


And don't forget about the expenses that sneak up on you:

  • Alterations

  • Accessories

  • Tips

  • Marriage license

  • Transportation

  • Vendor meals

  • Postage

  • Beauty appointments

  • Emergency “OMG WE FORGOT ABOUT THAT” expenses


Leave yourself some wiggle room because there is always an “OMG WE FORGOT ABOUT THAT” expense.

4. Give Yourself Permission to Have Wedding Dress Opinions


This is your wedding dress.


Not your mother's. Not your bridesmaid's. Not your future mother-in-law's. Not the woman who commented on your Facebook post.


YOURS.


You are allowed to love something they don't.

You are allowed to hate something everyone else loves.

You are allowed to try on a dress and immediately say, “Absolutely not.”

And you're allowed to walk into a bridal appointment with no idea what you want.


That's what trying dresses is for!


At Ivory & Main Curvy Bridal Boutique, we want you to have the freedom to explore your options and find what makes you feel like a bride.

5. Schedule Self-Care Like It's an Appointment


Here's where we're getting serious.


Don't wait until you're completely burnt out to take care of yourself.


Put self-care on your calendar.

  • Go for a walk.

  • Get a massage.

  • Have dinner with your friends.

  • Take a bath.

  • Read a book.

  • Watch something that has absolutely nothing to do with weddings.

  • Go on a date with your fiancé and ban wedding talk for the entire evening.


Yes, really.


You can schedule time to plan your wedding.


You can also schedule time not to plan your wedding.


Both are important.

6. Put the Phone Down Sometimes


Pinterest is useful. Instagram is inspiring. TikTok can give you approximately 8,000 wedding ideas before breakfast.


But social media can also make you feel like your wedding isn't enough.


Someone else's flowers are bigger. Someone else's venue is fancier. Someone else's dress cost more. Someone else's engagement photos look like a magazine.


You're comparing your real life to someone's highlight reel.


Close the app. Your wedding does not need to look like anyone else's.

7. Protect Your Relationship


This one is HUGE.


It can be very easy for your relationship to become:

“Did you email the florist?”

“Did you call the DJ?”

“What did your mom say about the guest list?”

“Did you pay the photographer?”


You were partners before you became wedding planners. Remember that.


Go on dates. Have conversations that have nothing to do with wedding logistics. Laugh together. Do something spontaneous. 


And occasionally look at each other and say: “Hey. We're getting MARRIED.”


Because underneath all the contracts and spreadsheets is the reason you're doing all of this in the first place.

8. Delegate. Delegate. DELEGATE.


You do not have to do everything. Seriously. Let people help.


Your bridal party can help with certain tasks.

Your partner should absolutely be involved.

Family members can take on appropriate responsibilities.

Your vendors are professionals, let them do their jobs.

And if you have the budget for a planner or coordinator? USE THEM.


Being capable of doing everything yourself does not mean you should have to.

9. Learn to Say “No”


Wedding planning comes with a lot of opinions.


Everyone has a suggestion. Everyone has a tradition. Everyone knows someone who did something this way. But you don't have to say yes to every idea.


You can say:

“That's not really our style.”“We're going in a different direction.”“Thank you for the suggestion!”


And sometimes the simplest response is:

“No.”


You don't owe everyone a detailed explanation of your wedding decisions.

10. Don't Let Wedding Planning Scare You Into Making Decisions


Feeling overwhelmed does not mean you need to make a decision immediately.

  • Take a breath.

  • Ask questions.

  • Sleep on it.

  • Read the contract.

  • Talk to your partner.

  • Get another opinion if you want one.


But don't let panic make the decisions for you.


And if a vendor makes you feel pressured, uncomfortable, or dismissed? That's information.


You deserve vendors who make the planning process easier, not harder.

11. Your Wedding Day Outfit Does Not Need to Be a “Goal”


We're going to repeat this because we think it's important:

Your wedding dress is not a reward for losing weight.


You don't need to earn the right to wear the dress you love.

You don't need to wait until you are a certain size.

You don't need to apologize for your body.

You don't need to spend your engagement obsessing over how you'll look in photographs.


You deserve to experience the joy of being a bride right now.


Find a dress that makes you want to twirl. Find a dress that makes you want to dance. Find a dress that makes you look in the mirror and think: “Oh. There she is.”

12. Celebrate the Little Things


Wedding planning isn't just the big moments.


Celebrate when you:

  • Book the venue

  • Find your photographer

  • Say yes to your dress

  • Mail the invitations

  • Finalize the menu

  • Choose your flowers

  • Finish the seating chart without crying


Okay, that last one might deserve a parade.


But seriously, don't rush from one milestone to the next without acknowledging them. You're creating something really special. Pause and enjoy it.

13. Accept That Something Probably Won't Go According to Plan


We're not trying to scare you. We're just being realistic. Something may go wrong.


It might rain. A centerpiece might not look exactly like the Pinterest picture. Someone might be late. Your timeline might shift. Someone might forget the boutonniere.


And you know what? Your wedding can still be amazing.


Don't let the pursuit of perfection steal the experience from you.


Your wedding isn't a performance, it's a celebration.

14. Have a “Wedding-Free” Day Every Once in a While


No Pinterest. No spreadsheets. No vendor emails. No talking about napkin colors. No “Wait, what if we…”


Nothing.


Take an entire day and just be yourselves.


Go somewhere. Order takeout. Watch movies. Sleep in. Go shopping. Do absolutely nothing.


Your wedding will still exist tomorrow. We promise.

15. Remember What This Is All About


At the end of all of this, the flowers will be gone, the cake will be eaten, the DJ will pack up, the dress will be carefully stored, the centerpieces will go home with guests and the Pinterest board will become a distant memory.


What will still be there? You and your person.


That's the part that matters.


So yes, care about the details. Have fun choosing your dress. Get excited about the flowers. Obsess over the seating chart if that's your thing.


But don't sacrifice your happiness, your relationship, your mental peace, or your self-worth in the pursuit of the “perfect” wedding.

The Curvy Godmothers' Final Advice


Your wedding planning era doesn't have to be perfect.


It doesn't have to look like Instagram. It doesn't have to make everyone happy. You don't have to lose yourself in the process.


Stay organized. Ask for help. Protect your budget. Take breaks. Love your body. Love your partner. Say no when you need to, and every once in a while, put the spreadsheet away, look at your ring, and remember:


You're getting married!


That's pretty damn exciting.


When the wedding planning gets a little too chaotic? You know where to find your Curvy Godmothers.


We've got you, bride.

Comments

bottom of page