Been There, Done That Bride: Heather LaMont

John Lennon once wrote- Life is what is happening when you're busy making other plans. Well I'd like to revise that a bit today- Life is what keeps happening while you're busy planning your wedding!

This story particularly holds true for today's Been There, Done That bride. I've enjoyed getting to know Heather over the last few years through mutual friends. Heather is fresh off her Big Day, and is here to share with us how she managed to stay calm while balancing plans as well as taking on a new career.

Take it away Heather--

Why are you a “Been There, Done That” Bride?
I consider myself a “Been There, Done That” Bride because of the big year I had. Not just in planning my wedding, but because I just started a new job as the company’s trainer for an industry I’d never worked in. There were so many new people to meet and a whole industry to master. Usually after a stressful day at work, a girl can come home, prop her feet up, and have a glass of wine. Not me! I came home and picked up right where I left off in my wedding planning. Vendor appointments, phone meetings, and planning were in order!

What surprised you most about your wedding planning?
How stressful it really can be. I can’t imagine doing it on your own. Or in a short amount of time. My fiancee and I were engaged 18 months, so we had plenty of time to choose our vendors carefully. I don’t know what I would have done if I felt pressed for time with my decision-making.

What caused you the most stress during your wedding planning? How was it handled?
I am originally from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. I’ve lived in the Richmond area only a couple of years. It was difficult for me to plan everything for the biggest day of my life in a city that I knew so little about. I was able to trust in a few close friends for guidance in choosing vendors, locations, and even little details. I just wanted everything to be perfect, of course. Once I had all of my vendors in place, the stress level went down significantly. Well, that is, until the last few weeks before the big day!

What could you have absolutely not lived without during the planning?
MY MOM! Without a doubt. It just so happened, for my dad’s job, my parents moved to Richmond 6 months before my wedding. My mom worked day and night making phone calls, sending emails, and taking care of all the little details and last minute issues for the wedding while I was at work. I was so lucky to have her! Oh yeah, another thing I couldn’t have lived without: notebook tablets. I made lists of my lists… haha!

What would you have done differently?
That’s a tough one. Honestly, everything went so well! Like most brides, I would say just to enjoy every waking moment of the day. From the second you get up, to getting your hair done, getting ready in the bridal room, to the actual wedding and reception. I took this advice from many and it made all the difference. The day goes by so fast!!

If you had one piece of advice to share with our brides, what would it be?
If you want something so badly, GET IT! In my case, I thought a unique and interesting detail for the wedding would be the use of a Photobooth at our reception. My mom thought it was too much money, but I convinced her to see my side (with just a little begging!) It ended up being one of the highlights of the reception. Our guests LOVED it. We had unlimited use of the Photobooth and so many of my favorite, silly, and crude pictures from the evening were from the Photobooth. If you really want something, trust in your instincts! I couldn’t have asked for a better way to spend that money.

Heather teaches us that sometimes giving yourself a little extra planning time during one's engagement really can make all of this difference. Plus- if you want something bad enough, try your best to make it happen.

Interested in being featured? Simply email me at meghan {at} ofdconsulting {dot} com. Have friends trying to plan their Big Day? Then join us August 15 at Wedology 101!

Cheers,
Meghan

Photo credit: dm foto

Meghan Ely is one part of the Wedology 101 team, and owner of OFD Consulting, a niche Marketing/PR firm servicing the wedding industry and the Managing Director of the Richmond Bridal Association. She is a contributing writer with Virginia Bride magazine, and has been published in Premier Bride Richmond. She and Jennifer write a Wedology 101 column for the Richmond Times Dispatch's Celebration section. She loves late harvest sauvignon blancs, letterpress anything and cakes shaped like Death Stars.