Happy first day of March! Here is a little mint inspiration to get you through your day!

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We’re Kinda Famous, again!

Posted on February 11, 2013 by The Undomestic Bride

I normally hate Monday’s. But this morning, I received an email from Floridian Weddings, a fabulous wedding blog that highlights real weddings in Florida, that our wedding was published on their blog! What a great way to start the week! It’s super exciting to see your event showcased and thanks to our amazing photographers, we have graced a few blogs! You can check out our wedding here, and our engagement session here!

I am still in love with every detail of our wedding and I can’t believe it has been exactly nine months since we got married. I also can’t get over the fact that we pulled off an amazing wedding while I was actively searching for a job – I had an interview the day before my wedding and received a job offer the same day from a different company, started grad school – 20-page research papers are nothing compared to picking out the perfect pair of shoes to walk down the aisle in, and without a wedding planner – crazy but totally doable! I am not sure how we managed but we did and it was amazing. It’s proof that anything is possible!

So how did we do it? Check out three of my recent posts to help you manage stress, stay on budget, and walk down the aisle in style! enjoy! Ooh! and don’t forget to check out our wedding on Floridian Wedding!

The “B” Word- Sticking to a budget is definitely not the most exciting part of planning a wedding and the idea of cutting corners on your special day can be disappointing. But with a little organization and self-control, sticking to a plan doesn’t have to be constricting.

WED – Without Wedding Designer I’m not against hiring a planner by any means but as a bride on a budget it was too hard to part with valuable wedding money when there were so many other details to worry about and pay for. If you are considering coordinating your own event without the help of a planner here are a few tips to make sure your day is worry free.

With These Shoes I Thee Wed-I’m not sure what was going through my head when I walked into Nordstrom and walked out with a pair of shoes that I will be paying off for the next ten years. It just felt natural. I tried on other shoes but these…just made me feel magical…and really tall! With the extra height I added to my petite frame (thanks to the five-inch heels) I felt like I could conquer the world….then again – The aisle is my runway!

Happy planning! xoxo

Trash the Dress 101

Posted on February 8, 2013 by The Undomestic Bride

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Last minute location changes seem to be the norm when my husband and I plan our photo shoots but luckily, we have a creative photographer that can turn ordinary fields into beautiful meadows.

With my love for horses and my husband’s laid-back attitude, we put on our fancy clothes and headed to the barn. Literally.

The photo shoot started with a tire swing hanging from an old tree in the yard of an unsuspecting homeowner and ended with the sun setting by the horse stables. With my cowboy boots in tow, we posed and smiled as the photographer snapped away. Even though I cringed at the dirt and feared for my freshly pressed wedding dress, I took a deep breath and enjoyed the experience. A little dirt never hurt anyone, right?

To our surprise, the finished product looked more like a magazine spread and less like a manure filled paddock and we were really happy with the results.

As for my dress, I am happy to report; no dirt or stains were found.

Three tips to trash your dress with out actually trashing your dress.

1) Plan ahead: Scout your location before the shoot to determine what you need to bring with you. Knowing the environment before you go will help ease your fear of ruining your dress.

2) Bring protection: More than likely, you will be sitting on the ground. Possibly in dirt. Stop by your local fabric store and grab a yard or two of burlap or fabric that will blend well with the location. In all of my “on the ground” shots, I was placed on top of burlap. But you would probably never know from looking. With a little styling and strategically placed fabric, you can enjoy the experience without worrying if you gown is getting dirty. I held the end of my long dress in my hands the whole time and when we did a full length shot with the train of the dress down, our photographer helped delicately place my dress down.

3) Leave your heels at home: Since your photo session is supposed to be more fun than formal, leave your fancy heels at home and pose in a pretty pair of rain boots instead. Can’t live with out your Louboutins? Don’t worry, you can don your pretty duds with the help of painters tape and heel guards. But please remember, heels and dirt don’t mix, so plan accordingly.

Baby Got Back

Posted on January 17, 2013 by The Undomestic Bride

Before you pick the dress of your dreams consider this – The back of your dress will be with be the focal point for a good portion of your wedding. Take a look.

1) Ceremony

2) First Dance

3) Father – Daughter Dance

4) Bouquet Toss

5) Cake Cutting

Which means, your photographer will probably snap a few shots of you from behind. To ensure your backside is ready for its close up, pay attention to one important detail that sometimes gets forgotten. The back of your dress.

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Happy Planning. xoxo

Smart and Sassy

Posted on November 15, 2012 by The Undomestic Bride

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WED: Without Event Designer

Posted on November 14, 2012 by The Undomestic Bride

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When I was planning my wedding I toyed with the idea of hiring an event planner. The thought of hiring someone to take care of all the little details seemed like a dream until I contacted a few local companies and received a few not-so cheap quotes. At roughly one thousand dollars for a day-of coordinator (also known as eight hours of service) I decided to forgo the planner and build my own mini team to ensure the day would be a success. I’m not against hiring a planner by any means but as a bride on a budget it was too hard to part with that amount of money when there were so many other details to take care of. If you are considering coordinating your own event without the help of a planner here are a few tips to make sure your day is worry free.

Have a vision: Build a vision board on Pinterst or put together a scrapbook of magazine clippings. This will help you communicate with your vendors more clearly and help eliminate any design confusion. Sometimes talking to creative people is a little more difficult than your average person…Your perfect pale pink might be someone else’s bright fuchsia.

Stay Organized: They sell wedding organizers everywhere and if you are planning your wedding solo having one on hand is a good idea. Some organizers can be a bit overwhelming. So if you are looking for something simple try designing your own notebook here or here.

Build a Mini Team: If you are getting married at a hotel or restaurant, you will probably have the honor of working with a catering manager. My catering manager was amazing and helped with everything a wedding coordinator would have done. The only difference I didn’t have to shell out any additional money. He was included in my venue fee! If you are planning your wedding without a catering manager or venue manager, utilize your friends and family and even your vendors! For example, if you are hiring a photographer – Sit with her/him and go over the wedding timeline. If the company you are using has been in the business for a while then they are probably wedding pros and can give you some tips on what they have seen work in regard to timing the cake cutting, garter toss, etc… Having a clear timeline will also help keep the wedding moving and if you pick one person to be the ring leader, that timeline will definitely be an asset.

Don’t Worry: With a vision and a plan you will be surprised how things fall in to place. I was recently at my best friend’s wedding and she had no help and a very tight budget. She was stressed up until the morning of her wedding and luckily everything went perfectly…It usually does. And if it doesn’t, the hiccups will make for some good stories later on!

Happy Planning! xoxo

From Inspiration to Reality

Posted on October 4, 2012 by The Undomestic Bride

Wedding planning may be over but party planning is in full swing. For the past few months I have been planning my husbands last weekend in his twenties. The 30th birthday bash has gone from a Roaring Twenties Party to a full-blown Fiesta! But not cheesy fiesta – modern fiesta. Almost complete with a mechanical bull until legalities got in the way. (Add lawsuit to the list of things I never want to deal with.)

To gather ideas for the party, I searched my favorite social media site, Pinterest for inspiration and got to work creating some DIY crafts. So without further ado…Here is my first project.

Inspiration: I found this “Bar” sign and fell in love with vintage feel and look. I thought it would be easy to create since the background is simple and chic and the red gives it a pop of color.

To recreate without breaking the bank I headed to the local craft store and found cardboard letters – each about 12″ high and priced at $3 each (with a coupon) and one small bottle of red paint, priced at about $0.59. A bargain!