Tuesday Tips: How To Plan A Marriage Proposal

Nov 27th

by: Lauren

Happy Tuesday everyone! With the holidays here and in full swing, that also means that it’s my favorite time of year… engagement season! While some people may have already gotten engaged, there may be some clever guys out there planning a proposal too, and so today’s Tuesday Tips is just for them!

So sure, there are all kinds of ways to propose… some are highly public, some are highly private, and some are just part of everyday life. You may have seen the flash mob proposals (which I LOVE), or the proposal that happens on a walk through a park that just so happens to be captured by a photographer, or even just the simple proposal at a romantic dinner. Heck, my husband proposed to me with a GIANT cardboard box! So yes indeed- there are lots of things that can be done when it comes to proposing… but there are also some basic steps that you can follow to help you along in the planning of your proposal.

1. Ask Around. Let’s be honest- sometimes it helps to have another brain in the mix. Now, don’t ask every single one of her Facebook friends or coworkers, but identify those that are closest to her, and of those, who you trust most. You definitely want them to be able to keep a secret, but also be close enough with her that they will most likely already know the information that you want to get. What kind of information you ask? It could be anything from her dream proposal to what kind of ring she wants- any information is good information. :)

2. Start Plotting. That’s what planning a marriage proposal is all about, right? Chances are, you’ll know that your significant other is “the one” far before you actually propose… so why not start planning it early on? Think about dates that you went on, where you met, favorite colors, favorite places, etc etc. All in all, just think about your relationship- the best proposals are the ones that tell a story and are meaningful.

3. Engagement Ring Research. The ring is a very important part of proposing- in case you didn’t already know. But in all seriousness, it’s not always about the ring *itself*, but what it stands for. Chances are good that the person you asked in Step 1 had some idea of what your significant other wants for an engagement ring. But you also want to be sure to do your own research- in more ways than one. If you’re being sneaky, your girlfriend’s Pinterest is a great place to go- lots of girls are pinning wedding pretties before even getting engaged… and this definitely includes engagement rings! Cuts, settings, even stone color… these are all things that you should try to find out about in your “research”.

But when I say “research”, I also mean really and truly learning about engagement rings and diamonds. There are all kinds of words and lingo- a whole vocabulary in essence– when it comes to engagement rings. One of the things you should think about is the *type* of diamond that you want your soon-to-be-fiance’s engagement ring to have. If you’ve already been researching, you may have heard a thing or two about man-made diamonds. If your girlfriend prefers to live an eco-friendly lifestyle, this is definitely something you should learn a thing or two about. (Brief synopsis: Diamonds mined in traditional mining operations displace tons of earth and disturb ecosystems… not to mention that they often fund wars and slave labor.)

4. Get The Ring! There are so many different places to get an engagement ring, and where you choose is totally up to you. However, the type of ring you want to get, could dictate where you will be purchasing. If you want an eco-friendly diamond for your girlfriend, I highly recommend Gemesis. Not only do they have man made and conflict-free diamonds, but you also can design your own ring on their website to ensure that you’re purchasing exactly what you want! Plus, their designs are pretty gorgeous if you ask me! :)

5. PROPOSE! So you have your engagement ring, you’ve consulted your trusted “advisors”, and you have a plan… and now it’s time to actually PROPOSE! Whatever you’ve planned, I’m sure it’s going to be AMAZING! Good luck, and don’t forget to revel in the excitement of being newly engaged for a few days! :)

And just because I want to throw in another gorgeous engagement ring…

And then once you and your new fiancé are ready to start planning your wedding, send her over here to ELD… specifically this post! ;) Congrats!!

Does anyone have any other proposal tips to share? How about your own proposal stories?

Eclectic Pink, Silver & Gold Key West Wedding

Category: 6 Comments

Nov 26th

by: Joelle

pinterest twitter fb stumble gplus

Don’t you just love when you see a wedding and you know that they are a fun couple? That’s how I feel about this Key West wedding from Aubrey Joy Photography. Not only are their pictures (on the beach!) absolutely gorgeous, but every detail was so thoughtful and fun. I love it!

From the bride…

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

What: Obsessing over wedding blogs gave me tons of ideas for what I wanted to do. I’m a graphic designer by trade, and a perfectionist at that, so I was detail OBSESSED for a while. Who: one of my best friends Erica Hansen was my rock when I was freaking out and overloaded with stress. My sisters always kept me grounded and helped me with anything I needed. My husband was great at talking me down from the ledge as well.

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

The most important thing about picking people to work with was that they were more interested in making it a great day, instead of pressuring me into spending more, and mostly that they shared the same idea of what makes a wedding great. I wanted to feel like they could have been my friends—and I think all of my vendors were exactly that.

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

I used the fun atmosphere of Key West to influence the colors of the decorations, and tried to focus on things that I felt were important, and not worry about the rest. I knew we would only be at the venue for 5 hours, and that nothing would come home with us—so I didn’t want to spend a ton of money on flowers that would look pretty for a short time, only to be thrown out a few hours later. It seemed wasteful and cruel. I opted for paper decorations instead. It was much more cost efficient and went with the “fiesta” fun loving theme. I didn’t regret saving myself the $3,000+ TRUST ME! Plus the paper tassels added movement and texture.

What was your favorite thing about your wedding?

My favorite thing about our wedding was our ceremony. The weather was perfect and having Alek’s dad, Rick marry us made it extra special. We wrote our own vows so it was completely emotional and heartfelt. Hearing my husband’s vows was the best part for sure.

What is your best piece of advice for other brides?

Figure out what is meaningful to you and your fiancé, and *try* do that. (I say try because we all know that there are other factors involved –$$$– and we can’t always look dad in the face and say, no I’m doing a pirate theme wedding!) No doubt there will be plenty of people who are judging you and will create drama around something as silly as song, a plus one, or booze. Do NOT be surprised when it happens. Just keep moving right along, and don’t feed the trolls! At the end of the day it’s about a marriage, not a wedding. The wedding is for everyone else, the marriage is for you.

Spend money where it counts: No one cares about the branded water, flip flops, or straws. People throw away your expensive invites — they can barely return the RSVPs! Seriously, ask yourself what matters most and spend your money there.

On DIY: Look, of all people I thought I would take on doing EVERYTHING myself. I’m a super crafty uber creative graphic designer for crying out loud! I know the ins and outs of printing & web design. But let me just tell you: DIY = DIE. If I had to do it again, I would ask myself this: How expensive is it versus How EMOTIONALLY expensive is it. Sometimes, it is worth it to just pay for someone else to do it. Although I’m really happy with how everything came out, designing my own invites and making all the crafts was VERY emotionally expensive.

Where we spent our money: Photography/Videography: Our photos are incredible! Aubrey was one of my favorite people at our wedding. Her and her husband felt like they were a couple of our friends. Our videographer, Mckenzie is one of my friends! So it was really special to have her make our video. It is completely priceless! If you’re debating it—do it, you will not regret it.

Music: No Chicken dance. That is all.

I really love this bride’s advice as well. It really is so important to evaluate what’s important to you, and go from there. It’s nearly impossible to create your dream wedding without prioritizing. Don’t let what you’re “supposed” to do influence your decisions so much as what YOU want to do. I promise, it’ll be worth it!

xoxo, Joelle

Vendors who made it all happen…

Photographer: Aubrey Joy Photography / Hairstylist: Studio Marie Pierre / Reception Venue: Casa Marina Resort / Flowers & Decor: Love In Bloom Florist / Invitations & Stationery: Peter Kruty Editions / Bride’s Dress: J Crew / Bride’s Shoes: Jeffrey Campbell Shoes / Bride’s Jewelry: Fitzgerald Jewelry Store / Cake Baker: Juniors Cheesecake

Vintage-Inspired Pink and Aqua Texas Wedding

Category: REAL WEDDINGS 4 Comments

Nov 26th

by: Elisa

pinterest twitter fb stumble gplus

I have to admit it – I’m a sucker for the use of family photos at weddings. My husband and I used pictures of our parents’ and grandparents’ weddings (and when they were first dating!) on each of our tables at our own wedding four years ago. So when I saw Torin and Travis’ wedding photos by Cindy & Saylor | Photographers, I immediately loved them. And the beautiful vintage-inspired, handmade decor (including a love note garland!) in shades of coral and aqua is fun, whimsical, and totally gorgeous! These two were the winners of photographers Cindy and Saylor’s “Inspire Me” contest, creating a vision board well in advance of their wedding date – according to Cindy, “The reality was very close to the vision they submitted!”

From the bride…

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

I guess my inspiration was really just from mine and Travis’ personalities and a blend of my favorite things/colors. My “vision” was a soft, romantic and kind of vintage feel. I’m not sure if that’s exactly how it turned out but it was perfect, everything I could have ever dreamt of.

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

The person I give the most credit to for my wedding is my mom, Lisa. I had a vision in my head and she’s took that vision and made it real. She made the centerpieces, burlap runners…etc. She’s the creative genius and I could not have done it without her! I also have to give a big shout out to my wonderful husband, Travis, who kept me sane during the whole process. He was truly my calm in the storm and did so much help me through my bride problems no matter what they were.

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

For our venue, it was important that we had somewhere that we could really make our own. A lot of places wanted us to use a certain caterer or had an event minimum in order to have a wedding there…etc. Event 1013 was absolutely perfect, we could use whatever other vendors we wanted and truly make it how we wanted. For our caterer, florist and cake what was most important was the price and the quality of the product. Being on a budget, it was important for us to get the absolute best for the best price possible. We got really lucky and found some wonderful local vendors, I would recommend them to anyone who asked! When I chose the DJ, I chose them because they made me laugh when I met them! They really know what they are doing and made sure that my wedding went exactly how I wanted it! Luckily, we won our wedding photography for free in a contest online but the best part was that Cindy & Saylor had done my high school senior pictures so I knew them and had worked with them before. They have such a great vision and take some truly wonderful pictures, I am so thankful that they were there to capture it all!

What was your favorite thing about your wedding?

It is so hard to choose just one thing that was my favorite, the whole day was amazing! I guess if I had to choose I think that it would have 2 favorite moments…the first would have to be the ceremony. It was absolutely perfect and 100% us. We wrote our own vows and it was quick, to the point while all the same sweet and full of so much love! The second would have to be when I was surprised with a video from my brother, Ryan, who is in Afghanistan right now. I am not one to be surprised and for everyone to keep that a secret from me (especially since I planned everything) was truly amazing, it meant so much to me!

What is your best piece of advice for other brides?

I think every bride should keep in mind that this day is truly something special! Remember that what you and your fiance want is always most important no matter what anybody else thinks. And I know everyone says this but your wedding day truly does fly by, just enjoy every minute of that day and don’t let anything get you down. There will be things that go wrong but just forget your worries and remember that you get to marry the man of your dreams!

I just love all the personal touches included in this fabulous wedding- from the photos to the love note garland to the little handmade signs. I can’t help but feel like I know this couple a little bit from having seen their wedding photos!

How will you bring your personalities into your wedding day? Have you ever considered using parts of your life (family photos, heirlooms or favorite home decor pieces, or DIY projects) as part of your wedding decor?

Vendors who made it all happen…

Photographer: Cindy and Saylor Photographers / Catering: Urban Crust / Flowers & Decor: Market Street Floral / DJ: DJ Connection / Cake Baker: Bake Rejoice / Reception Venue: Event 1013 / Ceremony Venue: First Christian Church of Plano / Hairstylist: Sarah Jo Brinson

Aqua Florida Beach Wedding

Category: REAL WEDDINGS 5 Comments

Nov 23rd

by: Lauren

pinterest twitter fb stumble gplus

This beach wedding from Kristen Weaver Photography is a welcome reminder of warmer summer days. DIY beach-themed details made the day cozy, sweet, and family oriented, and even though it rained, Kristen was able to still get some awesome shots on the beach! The bride, Stephanie, is here to share a little bit about her wedding planning experience, so sit back and soak it all in!

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

The person who helped me the most in the planning process was my friend Amy Odeneal- she is just amazing and helped me figure out all the details to ensure I had everything. She did her own wedding and it was amazing so she helped me in many ways. She is so talented and has a company Dots and Damasks, as well as an interior design company. She even has started a blog herself. I used various favorite blogs for inspiration on my details, including Every Last Detail and many others. I felt that the details were most important and wanted my guest to have a great time since they all had to travel to my wedding. Amy also did my makeup on my wedding day and helped coordinate everything. She is really a Jack of all trades. I also could not have gotten everything done with out the help of my other great friends, Lacey, Kristen, Kasy, Megan, the list goes on. Even my husband and two of his friends Reed and Shawn also helped make the photo booth, wedding corn hole, home brewed beer and many other elements.

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

The most important part of my wedding was to have a fantastic photographer. Pretty much everything else was DIY and it was important for me to find elements that would wow my guests and ensure that they have a great time!

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

I wanted a beach wedding since Josh and I are outdoorsy. We love being outside. Beach weddings are so casual and fun! I just love photography, so while searching for a photographer I got so many ideas for details that I wanted. Also I love blogs such as Every Last Detail and they helped me as well. I was not even aware of Pinterest until the month before my wedding :)

What is your best piece of advice for other brides?

My best advice would be that DIY details are a really great touch and show you and your husband’s personality, if you have the time to make them. I would advise not to DIY everything as we did because it was such a headache. It’s important to hire a caterer and even a lady of the day so that you do not have anything to worry about the day of your wedding. Definitely prioritize and delegate responsibilities to your wedding party. It’s important to have a timeline and also know important photographs that you want or a list of them so that you make sure they are not forgotten.

Wow, that is some great advice! It’s interesting to find out that someone who did everything herself, as Stephanie did, would recommend hiring someone to provide assistance. But no matter what, everything turned out beautifully!

I love the little details that Stephanie had… I think my favorite is the “Just Hitched” on the sweetheart table chairs! Are any of you having a beach wedding that you’ll be making DIY details for?