As a bride, every single wedding decision you make seems like the most important decision you will ever make in your life. But when it comes down to it, there are some decisions that are more important than others. Yes, I know — even picking out your shoes is a hard decision to make, but stay calm and hear me out.

Your wedding will more than likely be one of the most expensive days of your life. It will also be one of the very few days where all (or at least most) of your loved ones will come together to celebrate you and the person you are choosing to spend forever with. This is a huge deal and so very special. I know that you want to make every single detail stand out, and you should!

While every decision does have significance, there are a few that stand out just because they have the potential to make your day stressful, or ruin it completely. These decisions are critical factors to making your wedding as magical as you hope it will be, such as choosing the perfect venue, finalizing the guest list, choosing your bridal party, deciding who cooks your food, and more!

Because these decisions are so important, I want to take the time to explain why they are because if you are not a wedding planner, or if you have never planned your own wedding before, it’s hard to see that these decisions can have such big impacts on your other decisions. Let’s jump into just a few of the biggest and most important decisions that you will make during the wedding planning process:

Your Guest List

There are two aspects of your guest list: who you invite and where you seat them (if you are doing a seating chart). The most important aspect out of those two is who you invite. Please remember that this is a day that you will remember for the rest of your life. This is a day about you and your future family — do not let it become a day about your parents, your bridal party, or your siblings. Just because your bridesmaid wants to invite her mother does not mean that you have to send out an invitation. Each guest that is invited to your wedding has the potential to make or break your day and can make it into your wedding photos and wedding video. Invite who you want to invite and never make any exceptions to this. Tying the knot is a very special moment, so only invite people who you really want to share that moment with.

The second aspect of your guest list is where to seat them, that is, if you have a seating chart for the reception. If you invite two people that do not get along, that is okay — just don’t seat them next to each other and it will be okay as long as they know how to act like civilized adults (which they should). Just don’t stress too much about your guests’ personalities clashing and remember that everyone who is at your wedding is there to celebrate your special day with you!

Your Vendors

Now, we are getting into the nitty gritty. Your vendors are an extremely important aspect when it comes to your wedding. These are the people that you need to trust 100% because if they don’t show up, or if they do not do their job(s) properly, your wedding will not run as intended. For example, if your wedding DJ does not show up, it throws a wrench in the entire day. This is why I always recommend searching vendors online before booking them. Read lots of reviews from past brides and take the recommendations that your venue gives you, if they offer such a thing.

Most venues will have ‘preferred’ vendors and may even require you to choose from their vendor list. This is not to limit your options at all, which it may feel like. Instead, this ensures that you are using vendors that they have worked with in the past and have formed a trusting relationship with. They know that these vendors will show up to your wedding day on time and do what they need to do to make your day perfect. So, if they offer you a list, take advantage of that!

Your Venue

Speaking of reviews, make sure your wedding venue has phenomenal reviews, as well. For example, there is a wedding venue just a few miles away from me in Hendersonville, NC called Jeter Mountain Farm. Jeter Mountain Farm has a 4.7 star rating on Google, a 4.9 star rating on Facebook, and a 4.8 star rating on WeddingWire. That’s an insanely good start and exactly what you need to look out for when you are choosing your wedding venue. After you narrow down your event or wedding venue by reviews, you can then look at all of the other details, such as location, seating arrangement, number of guests allowed, their contract, etc.

We visited the Jeter Mountain Farm website to see if we could find out all of this information and luckily, we did. Their reception hall can hold up to 300 people, they offer a recommended vendor list, but if you wanted to use your own wedding vendors, you can. Lodging is plentiful within 15-20 minutes from the farm and they have a rain contingency plan (which is definitely necessary for an outdoor wedding venue). The best part is that they go out of their way to make your wedding day as stress-free as possible.

Jeter Mountain Farm is just one gorgeous example of what you need to look for when it comes to searching for a wedding venue. Located in Hendersonville, NC, Jeter Mountain Farm would be a great wedding venue for any bride-to-be!

Your Bridal Party

Remember when we talked about your guests being in your wedding pictures and video? Well, take that thought and increase it by 1000. The people in your bridal party are guaranteed to be in all your formal photos and video footage. Do not choose people to be in your bridal party just because they put you in theirs, or because you feel bad for them. This is your special day so choose only people who you know will be a huge part of your life, forever!

Your Spouse

Last but not least, choosing your spouse is the most important decision you will ever make. You prepare so much for your big day, but I want you to also think about what life will be like with your future spouse. It is much more important to prepare for your life together rather than focusing solely on your wedding day. The person you choose to be your spouse should be able to keep his or her vows for life. Marriage has its ups and downs and it can be easy to walk away, so make sure the person to whom you are saying “I do” can withstand the test of time. And remember, your relationship is what stays with you after the glitz and glam of your wedding day is through. Make sure this is the person you are excited to be with for the rest of your life!