I am the type of girl that had her wedding virtually all planned out by the age of 12. Sure, some things have changed since then, and now I have the essential groom to complete the picture, but for me, wedding planning has proved to be just as fun in reality as it is in daydreams.

I decided to write this column to share some tips and advice to brides that are planning their big day. My wedding is happening on April 24 so I’m still in the planning stages myself.

My first piece of advice would be to expect the unexpected. Yes, planning is great. It’s good to be organized. But not everything is going to go according to plan! Just last month my fiancé and I had the entire wedding planned out and had to change almost everything to hold it in Winnipeg instead of Dauphin due to some personal conflicts. It was hectic trying to find a caterer and a venue at so late in the game, but we made it work.

Another important thing to keep in mind is to try new things. Don’t paint yourself into a corner based on your past likes and dislikes – planning a wedding is a perfect time to break out of your comfort zone and really try something new. I learned this first hand when I bought my wedding dress! I purchased it over a year ago, but at the time I didn’t even want to shop for a dress yet. I had gone to the local store All Occasions with my sister to look for her prom dress. One thing led to another and we starting perusing the racks of wedding dresses. I have to thank my sister (who is also my maid of honour) because she is the one who brought my dream dress to my attention. The only thing is, I didn’t think it was my dream dress when I first saw it! I imagined myself wearing a big, princessy ball gown at my wedding. But when my sister pulled a sleek, vintage-looking gown off the rack and convinced me to try it on, I was shocked with how much I loved it and how perfect I felt it was.

My next piece of advice – and this is a hard lesson to learn – is allow yourself to compromise with relatives but, in the end, stick to your guns. Now, I have an amazing future mother in law. She has been such a help with the entire wedding planning ordeal. But I’m not going to lie – there are times when I felt pressured to do things her way instead of my way for the big day. It really taught me to stand up for myself. Whether you’re like me, and you have to justify why you don’t want a bridal shower, or explain why you only have so much room on the guest list, you’re going to run in to someone who is just so excited about your wedding that you’re going to have clashing opinions. But when it comes down to it, “to thine own self be true.” Compromise with your loved ones, sure, but make sure your day is what you and your fiancé want, and that you’re not making decisions you’re not really comfortable with to make someone else happy. It’s your day!

But the most important piece of advice I could give to brides and grooms that are planning a wedding is to have fun! This is a (hopefully) once in a lifetime experience, and the fact that it’s your first step on your journey together as husband and wife is truly exciting. I wish you all the wedding of your dreams!