I have a special guest today – New York Times and USA Today bestselling writer Catherine Bybee. Catherine is celebrating her new release Married by Monday, book two in her Weekday Bride series, and I’m thrilled to have her here to visit. Over to Catherine and her wedding advice…
13 Wedding Do’s and Don’ts
1. If money is tight, invite only people you plan on being friends with on your 10th wedding anniversary.
2. Don’t get married at a county office with bullet proof glass separating you from the person signing the paper.
3. Have who you want standing up with you…not who your family ‘thinks’ are the right people.
4. Don’t compromise. It’s your day.
5. Don’t get drunk.
6. Brides: Wear a button up shirt when getting your hair and makeup done, easy to get out of before getting into your dress.
7. Take a moment throughout your wedding day to run down everything that has happened…Helps you remember everything long after the day is only a picture.
8. Don’t have a full mass if you’re 8 months pregnant…people laugh at that shit.
9. Pick a wedding day away from other holidays…no need to group in all the presents for the rest of your life!
10. Grooms: Send flowers to your bride the morning of your wedding. Let her know she has made you the luckiest man in the world.
11. Don’t put your wedding on a credit card.
12. Put your maid of honor or best man to work. Have them watch out for ‘Great Aunt Drinks A lot’, or the clock so you don’t miss your flight. They can party after all the work is done.
13. Take a look at #4 – Use what I have here only if it works for you and throw away the rest.
Oh…one more thing…make sure you’re truly in love with the one you’re saying ‘I Do’ to… Unless he offered you millions of dollars for a one year contract…then WTF, do what you want!
Do you have any wedding advice to add?
Carter Billings:
Sandy blond hair and Hollywood good looks, Carter Billings could have any woman he wants. However, when he makes his bid for the Governor’s seat in the state of California, he needs to settle down and become a family man. Eliza, the woman he secretly adores, embodies the perfect amount of spice and passion to suit his marital needs, but she’s not interested in becoming Mrs. Billings. She can’t even stand to be in the same room with him.
Eliza Havens:
It’s much easier to drive Carter away than to give into desire. Matching couples is how she earns a living, but getting married isn’t an option. The secrets she carries are too dangerous to entangle anyone else. When her hidden identity and past threaten her future, she’s left with little choice. Carter is quick to offer solutions to both their problems, but saying yes could mean endangering the man she’s growing to love.
Author of New York Times Bestseller, Wife by Wednesday presents, Book Two in the Weekday Bride Series
Purchase Married by Monday – Barnes & Noble / Amazon / Smashwords
New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal Bestselling Author Catherine Bybee has been addicted to romance since her teens. After spending a decade of her life working as an RN in urban emergency rooms, Catherine is now dedicated to writing happily-ever-afters for the world to love. Catherine is married and raising two sons in Southern California.
She loves hearing from her readers so feel free to visit her at:
Those are the greatest tips. This should be a mandatory reading list for all brides-to be! I love Catherine’s book cover and blurb.
Hi Brinda,
I agree. This is sound advice I’ve collected over the years.
Don’t. Get. Drunk.
Seriously. And advice for people IN a wedding. Never, ever take anything the bride says during the insanity of wedding planning personally. It isn’t.
For the bride, remember that planning a wedding can skew your perspective.
Amen, Jennifer. Brides get crazy.
Don’t overspend. Two years from now you’re going to feel mighty foolish wasting all those thousands of dollars on a wedding when you can barely make house payments.
And if you made your parents pay for it–shame on you. That’s their retirement funds you’re taking.
Overspending is silly in this economy.
Some great tips. I think people are so set on having the big wedding and such they end up killing themselves to do so.
It’s an important day that can be made special with less money.
Elope and save the money. I wish I had!
LOL
Makes me wonder what you spent on your wedding…?
Great practical tips.
My tip is this: It’s the marriage that matters, not the wedding. The wedding is only one day (a few hours, really). Marriage is your life. Keep it in perspective.
To me, a wedding is like a graduation. It’s a major milestone and should be recognized, but what happens afterward is far more important.
I’ve NEVER understood why a young couple who want to buy a house will spend the equivalent of a down payment on a wedding and then go live in a rented apartment.
Cara… I think it’s all the fairy tales we’ve read and watched all our lives that make it sound so romantic. It can be done well without spending a ‘down payment’ on it.
The money I see spent on some of the wedding reality shows really shocks me. Some weddings would fund a small country!
I suppose if I had more money than brains, I’d keep the industry afloat, but alas… I don’t.
Great TT! Congratulations on the book!
*hugs*
Paige
My TT is at http://paigetylertheauthor.blogspot.com/
Thanks, Paige.
What a great list!
Does anybody know what’s up with the T-13 site?
Thanks, Nicola. Not sure about T-13.
No, I’ve no idea, Nicola. :(
Some interesting tips–particularly number two, LOL.
LOL – My hubby saw people doing this a couple weeks ago when trying to get one of our kids birth certificate. Nothin’ says love like bullet proof glass.
Ooh, I’m late to the party. Welcome, Catherine. Do you know that if I had my time over I’d elope? I found the entire wedding process very stressful and juggling families is horrid. :(
I hear ya. You can’t keep the family happy. It’s not possible.
Those are some some smart Wedding Do’s and Don’ts. Although love was there, the only smart thing about my wedding was that it was paid off before we had it since it was a port-side wedding on the ship before leaving for a cruise. Otherwise, our wedding was a “shouldn’t have happened.” lol!!! Viva la divorce!
Oh, ouch, Angela… but that does happen. Life happy regardless.
I was glad I did it but glad when it was over. And I didn’t get drunk!
Thanks for stopping by, Colleen.
I like the idea of putting the maid of honor and best man to work.
That’s their job. My Maid of Honor reminded me of that often and she was amazing at running interference with people.
Make sure when giving a toast not to use his old girlfriends name…lol
When making a toast to the bride and groom don’t say things like…Hope you’ll be happy with your first wife..implying there will be a second wife…lol
My aunt said to me… “Well, you gotta get the first husband out of the way.” LOL Been married for 19 years. grin