Tag Archives: Wedding Planner

We’re Kinda Famous, again!

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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!


Florida Wedding inspiration

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

Sealed With A Kiss: Wedding Invitations

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I must confess I sometimes wait until last-minute to do things because I feel like I have tons of time to get them done. Case in point – my wedding invitations. I have yet to order them and my wedding is in less than three months.  So what’s a bride-to-be to do?

Panic, freak out and blame my mother.

It’s not that I have put off looking for the perfect invitations.  It’s just that I have been spending all my time looking for the perfect invitations.

Typically, you should order your invites at least six months before the wedding and send them out between eight to twelve weeks before the big day.  If you are planning a destination wedding, the times will differ.  Be courtesy to your guests and give them ample time to book a flight and hotel.

For the past day I have been scrambling to get everything put together to a designer I found by way of Etsy and anxiously waiting by my computer to approve proofs.  I am about three weeks behind schedule. But luckily I’m having a small wedding and I sent out Save the Dates.

Etsy has been a life saver during the wedding planning process and I have found some really interesting items that will add some personality and a DIY feel to the reception.(Check here for some of my finds.)

The main thing I was striving for when looking for invitations was clean and modern with a splash of whimsical glamour.  Way harder to find that it sounds.  I was lucky to come across Ink and Ivory and I am pleased with the results so far.

The text for the invite was probably the easiest part of the ordeal. I searched a few high-end websites and added my own twist on the wording.  For invitation wording ideas click here and here. If you’re looking for non-traditional kitschy wording click here.

{Etsy Shop}

Here are a few things I learned during my ordering process.

1) Order six months ahead of time to avoid unnecessary headaches and panic attacks

2) Stick to a theme and color scheme.  It will make choosing a style easier.

3) Don’t be afraid to experiment with wording. You can still create a formal invitation without the formal wording.

4) When in doubt ask for a sample, proof or additional revisions.  Don’t settle.  If something doesn’t look right, speak up.  Your designer can’t always read your mind. Oh, and pictures help a lot!

5) Don’t stress out. You can always ask for a rush delivery and to help make mailing a little easier you can always pay for pre-printed addresses on the envelopes and invitations pre-assembled and stuffed.

PS. I will post my invites soon!

Happy Planning! enjoy xoxo

The Wedding Guest

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Last weekend my fiance and I attended the wedding of two friends in Islamorada, Florida.  It was a beautiful wedding on a private beach of a rented house – La Playa Estate - and as a soon-to-be bride, my eyes had magnifying glasses on and I made sure to take in every pretty (and not so pretty) detail.

What I learned:

Outdoor weddings are pretty. Mosquitos are deadly! If you are planning an outdoor affair, don’t forget the bug spray.

Welcome your guests with a drink and make sure they know where to go. People swarm to the bar at weddings so try not to set the bar up in a place you don’t want guests. We walked straight to the bar, which happened to be next to where dinner was served, turns out cocktail hour was supposed to be by the pool….far from the bar, but conveniently located by the  photo booth!

Gift Tables are a must. Set up a table where guests can drop of their gifts and envelopes.  It doesn’t have to be a huge table or even something that takes up tons of space.

Wedding planners are a godsend but they can also be from hell… If you decide to hire a wedding planner make sure you are in the loop of what is going on.  I heard the wedding planner hired to plan our friends wedding was fired a few minutes before the bride walked down the aisle.  Added stress is something you want to avoid.  Research your planner but also have a back up plan because you never know what is going to happen.

Don’t blink.  I heard the bride say a few times that everything was all a blur. Although it will probably be hard, don’t forget to take it all in – and also hire an awesome photographer and videographer…because chances are you might miss a few things.

Don’t sweat the small stuff. It doesn’t matter what happens – it’s you day and you should enjoy it. Things are not going to be perfect no matter how detailed you are.  Something is going to go astray but don’t fret. No one is going to know that your centerpieces are the wrong color. Enjoy the time you have with your friends and family and make the most of it because the night will go fast!

The wedding was beautiful and a lot of fun! Congrats L and J!

S Is For Stress

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{Image Source}

Where do I begin…I have been engaged for over a year and have yet to plan my wedding. Why, you ask? Because I can barely pick out an outfit to wear to work and I cannot fathom picking out color palates, table linens, and a venue. Oh, the agony!

Maybe it’s the pressure to create the “perfect” day. What if something goes wrong? Pink may be “in” today but lavender may possibly be the “must have” color tomorrow. Who wants a party that is not up to par? I mean you only get one chance to get it right…Right?

Oh, and the thought of that one guest that you know is tearing everything about your wedding apart piece by piece. “The food is cold.”, “The flowers aren’t full enough.”, “That dress makes her hips look big!” I know exactly who she is too…(I sat next to her at a recent wedding.) But I can’t “uninvite” her because…We’ll I guess I could scratch her name off the list.

And the daily updates from all of the wedding websites don’t help either. Every time I sign on a little screen pops up telling me how many days I have left until the “big day”. 275 days seem like plenty, but the days are quickly slipping by and no decisions have been made.

This may all seem petty, but as a perfectionist, this is a daily struggle! I never thought planning my own wedding would be so hard. I mean, I plan big events by day and I can execute a party with my eyes closed. But this…this is a whole different ball game. Am I a professional failure if I cannot plan my own event? (Don’t answer that…)

I need a magic wand, a fairy godmother, or a wedding planner…. Winning the lottery might help too. Do you know how much it is for a small wedding soirée? The basic package at any wedding venue is more than I make per year!

Yes, I know, weddings are a celebration of love and it doesn’t matter what other people think, who is there, or all of the above. Believe me, this pressure for perfection is beyond chiavari chairs and chandeliers….This is supposed to be the most important day of  our lives and I don’t want to be the one to screw it up.

…to be continued