Source: etsy.com via Jennifer on Pinterest
Throughout the planning process of my wedding, I have envisioned a chic, stylish and romantic evening filled with love and laughter. For myself, I have found that these are the most important aspects; photography, venue, dress, accessories, music, lighting, menu, entertainment, personalized touches and a coordinator. From a brides point of view, these have the most impact and set your day apart from all others.
PHOTOGRAPHY
For me photography is key. You can plan the most amazing evening of your life filled with all of the little details, but if you don’t have the right photographer to capture all these memories, that’s exactly what they become, a distant memory. With beautiful photos to glance through every once and awhile, to be able to relive that day, is most important for me.
LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION.
Venue sets up the tone for your wedding. Whether you are keeping it casual on the beach or romancing the night away in a villa, your venue will provide you the perfect escape to your dream destination. Personally, I selected a luxury hotel as my venue so we are able to check in a few days prior and stay there the night of, add a couples massage and a day by the pool! Bring on our wedding weekend!
ATTIRE
The dress is definitely the most fun part of the planning process. You finally get to live your childhood dream of trying on beautiful dresses, and what’s more fun than that? This too, sets up the tone for your wedding, a chic Jenny Packham dress to a full princess ensemble by Vera Wang, you will embody the perfect bride.
ACCESSORIZE
Once you have found your dress, it’s time to make it yours! With all the right accessories, you turn your blank canvas to a work of art. Adorning yourself with jewels; a necklace, rings or a cuff bracelet is the best way for you to show off your personal style. Another way to show off your style is with your shoes! Choose a shoe that adds a fun pop of color, a shimmer or in my opinion, nude is the new black.
MELODIES
To me, music has the ability to fill your heart with warmth. From what you choose to walk down the aisle to, socializing during cocktail hour, sitting down for dinner, then into your reception, music will set the scene. Select music that has meaning to you, not just the top twenty of today.
ILLUMINATE
Lighting is another mood determining factor. With soft, warm candlelight and some great up lighting, you can create an amazing ambiance that evokes love.
EATS
If you are like me and love a great meal, then the menu selection is a big deal! If your venue has onsite catering or you have to hire a catering company, make sure to schedule a tasting! If the food is prepared by an onsite chef, you can schedule a meal planning, where you will select which items you would like to serve to your guest. Or, if you choose an outside catering company, I would recommend scheduling two to three tastings with different vendors so you can choose the menu that is best suited for your wedding.
ENTERTAIN
Entertainment is always a crowd pleaser! Getting your guest involved with a live photo booth is a great way for everyone to mingle and enjoy one another’s company. Hiring some professional performers is also another way to add some fun into your festivities. Who doesn’t like to see a professional dance the jive or any small skit that would enhance your evening. Personally, I’m sticking with my theme and having a 1920′s singer/dancer perform!
MAKE IT YOURS
It’s all in the details! These small, personalized touches make your day yours! I love to include old family traditions, for instance, my fiancé is Navajo, and so we are incorporating a few Navajo traditions to our ceremony and reception. Also, my grandfather will be our officiant, he is close to my heart and I couldn’t imagine anyone else standing at the altar with us.
PLANNER
With all of this taking place in one evening, my best advice is to hire a coordinator. Now days, you can choose how involved you would like them to be, ranging from the complete coordinating package or just the day of. A coordinator will help you plan everything from day one all the way through to boarding the plane for your honeymoon. They orchestrate the timeline, help with your contracts, assist with finding the right vendors, make sure everyone is where they should be, and most of all, keep you on budget! This will help alleviate stress and keep everyone sane!
LASTLY
I find that all of these are key points in what comes along with planning your wedding and making it personalized for you and your fiancé. It takes time and some good research to find all these special things and it is all worth it in the end when you’re walking down the aisle, enjoying your first dance, toasting to wonderful food and dancing into the night. Take time to stop and take everything in because you created this!
Happy planning!
xo Jennie the bride
Thanks to our bride/client Jennie R. for writing this fantastic post!!!!!!! We can’t wait for your wedding day!-Amy & Byron
