Set among the turrets of the historical Old Red Courthouse in Dallas, this charming Texas wedding from Jeremy and Kristin is full of love. Bright and bold Texas wildflowers add a pop of color to the classic black and white color palette, and sweet personalized details add a fun element of surprise. The gorgeous bride, Stephanie, is here to give her planning insight:

What (or who) helped you most in your planning process and/or on your wedding day?

As I’m sure most brides do, I had a lot of help in the planning process. Of course my mother (Gail Berlin) was a huge help, letting me bounce ideas off of her and figuring out how to bring them to life. A good friend of mine (who I happen to work with) was also getting married about a month after us, so we did a lot of planning together, sharing ideas, recommending vendors, etc. Probably the single most helpful thing that helped, however, was this HUGE wedding planning binder my mom picked up for me (The Bride’s Essential Wedding Planner Deluxe Edition). That thing had timelines, budgeting advice, prepared interview questions for vendors, worksheets to keep track of progress/interviews/budgets … oh man. That thing was a true lifesaver! And of course, my day of coordinator (April, with the Old Red Courthouse) helped me nail down my floor plan and timeline for the actual day, which was just a huge relief to not have to figure all that out by myself! Oh and I can’t forget my husband! He really was fantastic; sorting through wedding packets, narrowing down vendors for me, going to interviews, offering his input and ideas  and keeping me calm.

What was the most important thing to you when deciding who to work with for your wedding?

 I think the single most important thing I looked for in deciding who to work with was their ability to listen. If I gave them a budget, and they came back with a proposal that was three times what I told them I wanted to spend, how can I trust them to do what I ask on the wedding day? Similarly, if I came to them with a specific vision, and their proposal looks like we just never even spoke with one another, there’s that lack of trust. I got so lucky and found wonderful vendors who could bring my vision to life (and even bring in their own ideas that I would’ve never thought of!), and they’re just as happy with the final product as I was. That ability to listen and work together is essential to get everything just the way you want it and know it’s going to turn out just beautiful.

What was your inspiration for your wedding details and/or design?

Oh goodness, I’m not sure I can nail down my inspiration to just one thing. During the planning process I really felt like I was all over the place and I was just hoping everything would come together! I suppose I’d always had this idea for a classic black and white color palette. So I started with that. Then once we had our venue (The Old Red Courthouse in Dallas), a theme started to emerge. The courthouse is this wonderful old, red-brick, turreted building in the heart of downtown, so that, paired with the black and white palette, really started to feel very classic, vintage, Texas (but not rustic). That led to the idea of accenting the black and white with bright, beautiful Texas wildflowers. Once I had that idea, everything else just sort of flowed from there.

What was your favorite thing about your wedding?

 My favorite thing, besides marrying my best friend, I assume? That is SO hard. I really did just love everything about my wedding, from the invitations and programs to the venue and decor to the catering and DJ. Everything was just perfect. If I had to pick just one thing, it’d probably have to be my venue, The Old Red Courthouse. We were married in one of the building’s many turrets, offering us a gorgeous view of the city where we met and live, which is exactly what we were looking for. After we got back from the honeymoon and had a chance to see other people’s photos from the wedding, we kept seeing so many pictures of our friends in front of any number of the fantastic views from all over the building and that’s when we realized that our friends and family loved that place as much as we did. It was special for everyone there.

What is your best piece of advice for other brides?

Probably my number one piece of advice for brides is to trust in your vendors. These guys are professionals, know what they’re doing and know how to bring your vision to life. They know specifics, like which flowers will be in season on your wedding date, how to get people on the dance floor, the perfect lighting to get that phenomenal picture, etc., that chances are, you don’t know. It’s hard to sort of “let go” and let someone else just run with your ideas, thoughts, inspiration … but that’s why it’s so important to find those vendors you trust and work well with. It’s so worth it to put in the time to get to know them and feel comfortable with them, so you’re not a (more) nervous wreck on the actual wedding day! OH! And at the very least, get a day of coordinator. Worth. Every. Penny.

I love Stephanie’s advice to find vendors that you connect with on a personal level and trust them to make your big day super special. I also love that she recommended – at the very least – a day-of coordinator. While most planners’ “day-of” packages are more involved than just the day of the wedding, they can help keep you organized with minimal involvement. How about you? Are you hiring a planner, either full service or day-of? I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Happy Planning!
Carlee

Vendors who made it all happen…