Wedding Planning Advice: Hire An Experienced Wedding Planner!

Aug 9th

by: Lauren

“Hire a reputable wedding planner that you trust! Of course we’re somewhat biased, but it really will save you so much time, energy, stress {and, believe it or not, even money in many cases} in the end. By hiring a planner who’s experienced in the industry, and that has strong relationships with other wedding professionals in the area – you’re essentially securing peace of mind that a) all of the “behind-the-scenes” details are being handled on your behalf; b) your team has been put together based on your needs; and c) you’ll truly be able to enjoy and remember your wedding day! We take ownership and live up to our promise to the bride to ‘Be a guest at your own wedding.'”

– “The Jens” of It’s A Shore Thing

email: info@itsashorething.net | phone: 850.835.2854 | website: http://itsashorething.net/
twitter: @the_jenns | facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ISTweddings

location: Florida, Panhandle | type: Event Planning | style: Classic, Eclectic, Modern, Vintage | price: $$$, $$

Pink Rustic DIY Maryland Wedding

Category: REAL WEDDINGS 2 Comments

Aug 8th

by: Lauren

pinterest twitter fb stumble gplus

Happy Wednesday everyone! This pink, rustic wedding from Britt Croft Photography that I have for you all today is absolutely gorgeous! It’s full of amazing DIY details- from yarn-wrapped bottles and colorful bunting to awesome wood walls and handmade confetti! Plus, the bride and groom are so genuinely happy- I love it when you can just *feel* the happiness through the photographs! The adorable bride Kelly has shared some of her wonderful insight with us today, so be on the lookout for her comments!

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

For planning, the best resource I had were friends who were already married, and a future sister-in-law that handles a lot of event planning. On the wedding day, my photographer was great at adapting to time schedules that were messed up, and keeping me on focus of what needed to get done, but enjoying the actual time we had there.

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

When we were deciding who to work with, cost was a major concern. We had a 250 person guest list, with a small budget. Luckily some family members came through and helped us with some of the more expensive aspects of the wedding like the hall rental and the photography. Britt was great- she worked with our budget, what we wanted, and really helped me figure out what was “normal” for weddings & how to tailor the day to what we wanted. For other things, like food, it was really important to me to have something home cooked – so for a much less expensive price we hired independent caterers to serve a local BBQ’s menu, and the food was phenomenal. There was even enough left over to donate the extras to a local homeless shelter.

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

For wedding details, I wanted simple, but elegant. I wanted the guys to wear grey, because thats what Blake Shelton did, but other than that it was just trial and error. Jesse (the groom) loves to hunt, and we already had a barnwood backdrop for their outdoors events, so I decided to dress them up and make our indoor reception a little more outdoorsy. I was actually surprised how well everything came together.

What was your favorite thing about your wedding?

My favorite thing about the wedding and the reception were the spontaneous, unplanned things. When I was walking down the aisle I wanted the instrumentals to “Beauty and the Beast”. I don’t think anyone was as surprised as I was when Mrs. Potts came on serenading me down the isle. I also love the picture where Jesse got sick of me tugging on him to hold me up as my heels poked through the grass and threw me over his shoulder and ran. The unplanned events are what made our wedding “us”, as cliche as that sounds. Not to mention they make great stories!

What is your best piece of advice for other brides?

For advice, I’d say figure out what you want and go for it. I had a tiny budget, so finding things that I liked and that were within the budget meant a lot of work for me and my friends. Luckily, they were more than willing to pitch in, and I didn’t pick too many elaborate tasks. DIY is great- you get a personal feel, and you make sure you’re getting exactly what you want, but, sometimes it’s not cost effective. What I did was buy the supplies to make a few mock-ups, THEN decide if you want to go forward and use that design. DIY is alot of work! Again, don’t freak out about things that go wrong, or not as planned. My hair took an hour longer than planned, so my schedule was wayyyy off before the wedding. But that was ok, they can’t start without the bride so if you’re running a little late, its ok! The guys were great doing last minute set up, and finished absolutely everything on their list, but they forgot the rings! Luckily we live very close to the church, and a good friend raced home to bring them. It’s all a good story once it’s over, so there’s no sense in stressing over it!

“Figure out what you want and go for it.” I love that! Thank you for sharing your wedding insight with us Kelly! And of course a huge thank you to the amazing Britt Croft Photography for doing such a wonderful job capturing this wedding and sharing it with us!

What do you all think of the DIY details in this wedding? I’m very much a fan of the yarn-wrapped bottles and the wood wall backdrops! Do you have a favorite detail from this wedding?

Vendors who made it all happen…

Photographer: Britt Croft Photography / Ceremony Venue: St. Mary's Newport Church

Tuesday Tips: Plan For Your Marriage Too!

Category: WEDDING PLANNING 2 Comments

Aug 7th

by: Kristine

pinterest twitter fb stumble gplus

[Editor’s note: Hey friends! So I bet you didn’t know that Kristine, one of ELD’s contributors and an ELV planner, is also a certified counselor- with a specialization in marriage preparation nonetheless! So this girl definitely knows what she’s talking about! Today she’s sharing a little Tuesday Tips all about planning for your marriage, so enjoy! :)]

So many couples spend months–sometimes years–planning their wedding day without giving much thought to their marriage. And while the wedding is certainly important, it’s not worth much without the marriage. Consider this statistic: Half of the marriages that will fail end by the 5th year of marriage. That means that the early years of marriage are crucial–they lay the foundation for all the years to follow. What better reason is there for preparing yourself through education and counseling before saying your I Do’s?

Photo by ELV member Avant Images

Studies of premarital preparation programs have shown that couples who complete such programs have a greater chance for marital success and will be less likely to divorce. Here are some other advantages:

• They improve relationship skills, including communication and conflict management.

• They encourage openness and honesty between partners.

• They allow for each partner to learn about themselves, their family histories, backgrounds, and sensitivities, as well as one another.

• They address expectations for marriage and ready the couple for unavoidable hardship.

• They encourage the couple to seek marital therapy early on instead of waiting until they are on the brink of divorce.

• They help the couple take their decision to marry seriously.

This is the way I like to describe it: Education–about yourself and one another–increases compassion, and compassion decreases frustration. Why wouldn’t you want that for your marriage?

Premarital preparation programs are fairly easy to find if you look for them. Most churches and pastors will provide some kind of premarital counseling, but you could always seek out a therapist or find a facilitator of a program in your area. I’m a certified facilitator of the Prepare Enrich program (which I highly recommend). You can go here to find a Prepare Enrich facilitator in your area. Or just contact me with any questions!

Just remember, your wedding is one day but your marriage is a lifetime. Make sure you spend your engagement preparing for the marriage too.

xo-Kristine

Rustic Root Beer Wedding Inspiration

Category: INSPIRATION 5 Comments

Aug 7th

by: Lauren

pinterest twitter fb stumble gplus

This shoot that I have for you all today from Simply by Tamara Nicole and Amber French Photography is absolutely FULL of awesome inspiration! Not only is it full of rustic wedding ideas and DIY details, but it’s also gorgeous and inspired by… root beer! Yes, you heard me… root beer! How FUN is that?! Tamara Nicole explains a little more for us…

“This ‘Rustic Rootbeer’ shoot was inspired by growing up out here in the outskirts of Seattle, WA. Tying in parts of the outdoors where we would always play, rootbeer floats, and memories of my grandpa hunting. I tried to add a new twist on the normal rustic weddings you see everywhere by adding in a little playful glam in blush pink and some antlers.One of my many favorite parts of this shoot is the ‘Float Bar’, which included root beer floats in old jars, root beer float bread with dipping sauce, and a “Tainted Love” signature drink.”

I don’t know about you, but I’m thinking… YUM! Let’s see it all take shape, shall we?

How great was all of this? I love the pieces of ribbon and lace used as decor and the simple, rustic tablescape! And now I most definitely want a root beer float!

What do you all think of using root beer or some other type of food or drink as inspiration? I could totally see it done for a real wedding- especially with something that can be used in various ways!