When I have quiet time to think, I still smile/giggle when I think of Ryan and the fact that we will be getting married. Shortly after the engagement the questions began flowing:
- Have you picked a date?
- Who's in your wedding party?
- Are you getting married on the farm?
And many, many more! Did I mind all the questions? Surprisingly, no! I love it and I loved the fact that people cared enough about our wedding to ask.
The first thing I really wanted to do was pick a date! A couple of days after being engaged we sat down with a calendar. My grandma was really pushing for a Fall 2011 wedding but I knew, with the craziness of work in the summer, that I wouldn't be able to pull it off. Sorry grandma!
We decided spring 2012 would allow us time to think carefully about things we wanted, book stuff and enjoy our time as an engaged couple. The first date we picked was April 21, 2012.
I knew that a spring wedding means pretty flowers, spring colors and cooler weather. Spring also brings the possibility of rain! I had an idea what hall I wanted and when I asked about booking this date, the hall wouldn't be available.
After much consideration, May 12, 2012 was our date! BOOKED!
Once the date was finalized it was time to start booking things. I really wanted to get the "big" items out of the way before the hectic summertime.
There are two tools that I have used most in this process;
1. I like to be organized, I love to have lists, and writing things down for me in crucial! One of my friends, Sharon, dropped of this notebook to me as an engagement present.
It has special, homemade tags that read: ceremony, attire, flowers & decorations, venues, entertainment & catering and miscellaneous. This little book has been a BIG help in keeping my thoughts organized! I have written down so many details when the ideas pop in my head.
2. Another tool that I have used ALOT is Knot.com. I don't remember how I found this website but I am so glad I did. It has a special guest list/seating chart feature, countdown, AMAZING timeline checklist, and lots of pictures from real weddings for ideas! I am on this website literally everyday checking things off the "to do list" and looking for ideas! I would highly recommend this website for any bride to be!
Before Ryan and I decided on any wedding details we sat down and confirmed one thing; this is about him and I becoming "us". We shook hands and agreed to make this wedding planning experience fun and stress free as possible. We're not naive, we know we're not going to agree on everything. We do know that at the end of the day, at the end of the wedding, we'll be husband and wife and that is the most important detail!
Wedding planning has been a blast so far! I love picking out all the special details for the wedding to make the day totally us! I can't wait to share that with you on more Wedding Wednesday to come!
Have a great day!
xo
I love TheKnot.com! I use the guest list tool and the wedding website template :) So fun!
ReplyDeleteI know, it's amazing! I don't know what brides did before TheKnot. It is so helpful! xo
ReplyDeletedefinitely keep your cool & work together! You're right, at the end of the day you'll be husband and wife whether everything is perfect or you have to walk down the aisle in boots and jeans (almost thought I was going to have to).
ReplyDeleteI had 2 pretty stressful moments, one with the preacher (sad but true) and the other getting my bridesmaid dresses from Texas to Missouri, otherwise, Mark and I always looked at each other saying... shouldn't we be stressing out about now... LOL
I'm glad Grandma lost the date contest. More time for me to lose weight for that bridesmaids dress ;)
ReplyDeleteI have 136 days left. And I know that because of the countdown on The Knot :-P
ReplyDeleteI used the Knot when I got married 4 years ago! It was a lifesaver and I recommend it to any bride to be as well! Congratulations on your engagement!
ReplyDeleteI chose a venue, didn’t visit it (stupid me!!!) and almost booked it for my wedding. It was a beautiful banquet hall located on the 2nd floor of an old hotel BUT!!! without an elevator. I was shocked when I found it out as my grandma uses a wheelchair! How can they even think of offering a reception venue for 100 guests without thinking of people who are not able to walk staircases? I was so disappointed!!!...
ReplyDeleteYes! Being a bride, it is always difficult to keep in mind everything you need. I was planning my wedding 5 months ago and I can say that my wedding venue wasn’t happy with me at all! I really called them several times a day, 7 days a week! I needed to get information on new things concerning my upcoming event. So I had been calling the 6 venues in my shortlist every single day about the details like reduced mobility access, loud music and other stuff. I know exactly what you are talking about.
ReplyDeleteLadies, I am planning my wedding now and I use eazyplan.com. I love it because it shows the specific details you need to know for your wedding planning (whether you can bring pets, or whether it is wheelchair accessible, or whether use can use candles at the venue, or have loud music in the evening). It gives a good overview, helps to avoid unexpected surprises, and saves me so much time time. I just don’t need to call anybody asking the same questions.
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