Modern Elegant Champagne and Purple Wedding

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May 6th

by: Lauren

I love the modern elegance of this wedding from Sarah Kossuch Photography that I have for you all today! The champagne and purple color palette creates a perfect blend of modern and elegant style, which of course ends up being absolutely beautiful!

From the bride, Blerta:

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

My mom helped the most on our wedding day. We had our reception in Windsor and it was very difficult to find a decorator who was willing to work with our budget and could see our vision. In the end, we found a wonderful vendor for the linens, and my mom did all the decorations- from flowers to centerpieces to candles. Our reception venue looked incredible and had a warm romantic feel.

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

For us the most important factor in deciding who to work with was their willingness and eagerness to work with us. In the begining of our search we were surprised to see how many vendors had limiting factors and packages. We wanted someone who could be flexible with our schedule and wishes. Also, it was very important to us to click with each vendor and genuinely feel comfortable with their attitude and personality.

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

Our inspiration came from combining some of our favorite colors and flowers with a few unexpected touches, like the lampshade centerpieces which were inspired from the many wedding blogs I had looked at during the planning process.

What is your best piece of advice for other brides?

Take a vacation together (we called it our engagement-moon) to just enjoy each other and relax before the planning gets too crazy. And remember that it is only one day and when that day comes remember to enjoy and have fun at every moment.

Oh wow, I love Blerta’s advice to take an “engagement-moon” while you’re planning! That’s such a good idea, because it really is so easy to get swept up in the craziness of wedding planning!

Have any of you thought about going on a little getaway (aka “engagement-moon”) while you’re planning? Would you do it?

Vendors who made it all happen…

Photographer: Sarah Kossuch Photography / Reception Venue: Ciociaro Club of Windsor

Classic Champagne and White Florida Wedding

Category: REAL WEDDINGS 4 Comments

May 3rd

by: Sammantha

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Happy Friday everyone! I am quite excited to share this wedding from Jacquelyn Marie and Linda Marie Weddings & Events with you today! It’s simple and classic- and with florals by Events In Bloom, everything is absolutely gorgeous!

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

My husband and I don’t have family that live close to us so I knew right away with our hectic schedules I needed to find a wedding planner. Linda at Linda Marie Weddings & Events did a fabulous job from planning to executing the day of the wedding!! She helped keep me on schedule and the closer to the BIG day, she really came through, executing flawlessly! My husband helped with the major decisions and last minute detail of the programs. He wasn’t too excited about the fan programs and putting them together (although he did it with a smile) but they came in extremely handy with the warm weather!

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

When we started the process of planning the wedding we wanted someone who was willing to listen to what we wanted and could implement our vision. We also wanted people who were detailed oriented, professional and experienced to make the entire process run smoothly. Milan catering made our lives so easy….from fabulous food to having everything for the table settings. We wanted our photographer to capture every moment and Jacquelyn did just that!!

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

Classic and elegant….nothing to over the top. With the beauty of the Crosley Mansion itself I wanted to keep the decor simple but elegant.
I found many ideas on pinterest: i.e. picture of his mother on my bouquet, lighting and ideas for centerpieces.

What is your best piece of advice for other brides?

During the engagement and all the planning don’t forget to take time for each other and continue “date nights”. The wedding is about you and your husband. Make it personal and special to the two of you. Enjoy every moment of the day!!!

I love her piece of advice to other brides! Planning can get a little overwhelming at times and lets face it ladies- our men are there for us the whole time. So don’t forget to take time out for the two of you not only leading up to the wedding day, but on the wedding day too! A great way to have a moment for just you two is to have a first look.

Have any of you thought about incorporating a private moment for the two of you on your wedding day?

Cheers!
Samm

Vendors who made it all happen…

Photographer: Jacquelyn Marie / Ceremony Venue: Powel Crosley Estate / Videography: Motion Video / Bridal Salon: Olgas / Bride’s Shoes: Jimmy Choo / Makeup Artist: Valerie Schneider / Flowers & Decor: Events In Bloom / Cake Baker: A Piece of Cake / Catering: Milan Catering / Invitations & Stationery: Stationery Loft / Draping: Affairs In the Air / Lighting: Bay Stage Lighting / DJ: DJ Fresh / Photobooth: Shutterbooth / Transportation: Primetime Limousines / Wedding Planner/Coordinator: Linda Marie Weddings & Events

Rustic Garden Hot Pink Georgia Wedding

Category: REAL WEDDINGS 3 Comments

May 3rd

by: Carlee

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There’s something so romantic about the rustic, southern ruins featured in this Georgia wedding from Carla Gates Photography. Bright pops of hot pink provide a soft contrast to the red brick ruins and the candlelight throughout the evening reception is breathtaking!

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

My mom and husband were my biggest helpers in making our special day perfect! My husband and I live in Oklahoma and got married in Georgia, so we did countless hours of research to find every vendor and to choose every detail of our wedding! My mom helped in so many ways – from helping to research vendors, to traveling to Oklahoma to help me choose my dress, to accumulating all of the wedding “stuff” (favors, photos, decorations, etc.) at her house in Ohio and then driving them down to Georgia.

Another life saver was a wedding binder that I received as a gift from a bridesmaid. The binder was a huge help in staying organized and accumulating all sorts of wedding information. It also provided us a nice timeline to help keep us focused and on schedule during the planning process.

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

Since we live out of state, the most important thing were the online reviews. Reviews on Wedding Wire and The Knot really helped us narrow down choices for each vendor. Our venue (Barnsley Gardens) was also a huge help by giving us a list of their preferred vendors… With so many businesses out there offering to help make our wedding day perfect, we really needed some help narrowing down the choices. Once we decided on our top picks for each major area (flowers, cake, photography, etc…) we called them and asked a lot of questions. Weddings are very expensive, and although we were not paying for the vendors, we wanted to make sure we thoroughly looked into each potential choice.

Once we narrowed down our options, we were able to plan one trip to Atlanta (where most of the vendors were located) to meet with them and do the fun “in person” things (i.e. trial run for hair and make-up, meeting with florist, cake tasting, etc…). Overall, looking back on our wedding, there was not one vendor that we were not 100% happy with! The research paid off!!!

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

The inspiration for our wedding was the garden setting in which we were married. We also wanted to have a slightly vintage feel. The setting for our outdoor wedding was gorgeous!!! It was in an open garden/grassy area that was next to an old civil war house/ruins. The cocktail hour was in the ruins (house) and our reception was in a garden area directly next to it! It was such a unique venue and we were so excited to have our special day surrounded by such a beautiful backdrop!

What is your best piece of advice for other brides?

Start the planning early! Things take a lot longer than I thought they would before I started planning a wedding! One example is the time it takes for your wedding dress to arrive, and another is how quickly vendors get booked…so book early! I had no idea! Also, there is just so much to do…wedding planning can really be a full time job!

I would also give the advice to take the time to make your wedding extra special by adding personal touches. As I said in one of my previous answers, my husband and I spent so much time trying to add as many personal touches as we could…so that our special day really did represent us! In the end–it was well worth it! Along the same lines, don’t be afraid to be SPECIFIC with your vendors! If they are not willing to go the extra mile to accommodate your wishes, then you do not want them doing your wedding. Everything is important on your big day – from the flowers on top of the wedding cake to the songs the DJ plays, no detail should be overlooked. Take the extra time and go the extra mile to make it your absolute dream wedding! You only get married once!

Cara’s advice is absolutely perfect! And I love that Cara and Dustin took a chance on having their wedding and reception at a completely outdoor venue- with spectacular results!

Are any of you planning an outdoor event? Do you have a back-up plan for inclement weather or will you just go with the flow? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!

XOXO,
Carlee

Vendors who made it all happen…

Photographer: Carla Gates Photography / Reception Venue: Barnsley Gardens Resort / Event Designer: Edge Design Group / Cake Baker: Buckhead Bakehouse / DJ: Complete Music and Video / Bridal Salon: The Bridal Boutique / Makeup Artist: Brushworx

What Is A DIY Wedding?

Category: 3 Comments

May 2nd

by: Lauren

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So I have a question for you, and I would love to hear what your thoughts are:

What is a DIY wedding?

Sure, DIY is supposedly one of the most popular types of weddings. But while everyone assumes that they know what DIY is, I don’t think everyone’s definition is the same.

So what really is DIY when it comes to weddings? Is it a style? Is it a theme? Does it mean that you’re not hiring professional vendors? Does it mean that you’re making your decor? How much are you doing yourself?

I’m sure you can answer these questions when it comes to your own wedding, and that’s because your own definition of DIY is dependent on you and your wedding. But in my experience one bride’s DIY isn’t the same as another bride’s DIY. DIY has become such a broad term to use to describe weddings- so much that I feel like even saying DIY can potentially be a disservice to brides altogether.

Example: you’re going to DIY your table numbers and favors… but does that mean that you’re having a DIY wedding? To some, it might, but in my world, no- it just means that you’re having handmade details that you made yourself.

Image by Shay Cochrane Photography, Via inspiration shoot here

To me, a DIY wedding means that you really and truly are doing everything yourself. This means that you’re not hiring professional wedding vendors to help you, and you’re probably having family help out with food, desserts, setting up, and everything under the sun for your wedding. (This is also why you don’t see too many DIY weddings and tips for DIY here on ELD, because in my experience, the weddings I always planned incorporated professional vendors. And since that’s what I know, that’s what I’ve chosen to show here on ELD!)

But then again, DIY can also be seen as a “style”- which in my eyes, is what is most prevalent in weddings today. This is where you’ll usually see me use the term “handmade” instead of DIY. Because when you’re DIYing things, in reality, they’re handmade, right? The thing is, a wedding with handmade details doesn’t make it a DIY wedding. Most wedding professionals can create and provide those handmade details, and now there are even wedding designers who are specializing in handmade designs for weddings. In fact, some of the best weddings I’ve ever seen have handmade details that were created by wedding vendors! (Now this topic could potentially be a whole other post, changing DIY weddings to handmade weddings- and I’m sure I’ll write about it about sometime soon!)

Images by Rustic White Photography, Via

To get some more opinions on this, I asked some of my friends about what they thought a DIY wedding was, and here is what they said:

“DIY means that you do everything! If it’s a true DIY wedding, you are saying that you don’t need professionals to pull off your day. You are taking on the tasks of coordinator, florist, caterer, designer, maybe even photographer and videographer. A handmade wedding focuses more on creating memorable details, but not taking on the buden of it all. It’s a way to choose to be hand-on without being overwhelmed. DIY is different for everyone but I think a total DIY wedding is a huge undertaking for any bride.” -Emily, Emily Grace Design

“A DIY wedding is NOT hiring a coordinator or someone else to “do the dirty work,” for you, if you will. It’s having an agreement with yourself to do all the brainstorming, organizing (people and supplies); to do the catering, all the florals, all the other decorations, your own invitations, your cake; to deliver, set up, break down and haul away everything afterwards. It’s an agreement with yourself and your family that the entire engagement period will be extremely busy with decisions, crafts, gathering things. It’s an understanding that everyone in your wedding party will/might be totally exhausted when your lovely event is over. There are ways to do small measures of DIY in your wedding that can be very lovely, but a true DIY is a commitment you make to do IT all instead of with the help of people/vendors who can do it for you (and would love to) so you can fully enjoy your entire experience.” – Lauren Walloch, Garden Gate Florals

“A DIY wedding is when you want “personal” touches throughout your event. I have stopped using DIY and have instead begun using “Inspired” instead. DIY has a bad reputation – it doesnt always mean Do It Yourself. And this from the self proclaimed queen of DIY!” – Dawn Cowart, Traditionally Modern Weddings

“My dream! I love DIY weddings but realize there is a lot of work that goes into them. I would tell a bride to either hire a wedding stylist or make sure she has plenty of time set aside to craft everything because it is a HUGE undertaking. Also, stop looking at Pinterest you can go crazy and put way too many projects on your plate. Try to get an overall feel and cohesive look and then build on that. Happy DIY-ing!” – Amalie, Amalie Orrange Photography

“There is a dramatic difference between a DIY wedding and DIY decor. It takes a very unique bride to handle a DIY wedding without getting overwhelmed and stressed. I would encourage any bride trying to execute both DIY logistics and DIY decor to pick one of the two.” – Laura Helm, Ashton Events

“A DIY wedding is when the bride takes on certain tasks for her wedding instead of hiring a vendor to complete these tasks. One of the main benefits of a DIY wedding is the potential savings. By completing a big portion of the labor yourself, you are able to save money. Aside from savings, a DIY wedding allows the crafty and artistic bride to hand create elements for her wedding. This is a great way to add a personal touch to your big day.” – Krisstin Thorburn, On The Go Bride

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So with all of this said… What do YOU think a DIY wedding is? I want to know what your definition of a DIY wedding is- tell me in the comments!