What was the overall theme for the ceremony and reception
Bride’s Comments: “The overall theme somehow turned into what I called fancy casual. We wanted it to be simple and casual, but still feel like a slightly traditional wedding.”
Did you have your wedding invitations made or make them yourself?
“We had them made by our photographer, which was great! She designed our save the dates and invitations, so the two of them coordinated.”
Any challenges you faced planning your wedding?
“I planned the wedding from out of state, so I think that was the most challenging aspect. My focus was mainly on finding good vendors, meeting with them at least once to get a feel for how well we worked together and then telling them I trusted their professional opinions. We were very fortunate that all the vendors we worked with were incredibly professional and could tell exactly what we wanted!”
Describe the bride/bridesmaids’ Attire
“I wore a mermaid Maggie Sottero gown in Ivory. It had a corset back, lace overlay on the bodice, and the skirt was made of hankie-cut tulle with lace appliques. The bridesmaids wore knee-length peach dresses with an illusion sweetheart neckline and a lace overlay.”
What types of flowers did you have?
“We had a mixture of spring flowers, including garden roses, ranunculus, hydrangeas, lily of the valley and queen Anne’s lace.”
What were the highlight from the ceremony & reception?
“The highlight of the ceremony for me was hearing my husband’s vows! We wrote our own vows, and his words were beautiful and very unexpectedly perfect. My highlight of the reception was all the dancing, including seeing my mom do the Cupid Shuffle.”
Which pieces of music did you use during the ceremony?
The processional was “Planetarium Suite” by Chris Lennertz, the Bride’s entrance was “Marry Me” by Train, and the Recessional was “Home” by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes.
How many guests were invited and what was the final guest count?
“We invited about 180 guest and had roughly 95 people attend.”
Was it difficult to narrow down your guest list?
“It wasn’t terribly difficult to narrow down the guest list. We were fortunate to have a perfectly sized venue for almost the exact number of people we wanted to invite!”
What was your budget?
“Our budget was about $10,000 and we did stay right around there. We saved money by having a buffet instead of plated dinner (who doesn’t love a fajita bar?), we got the bridesmaid dresses off Etsy because they were much cheaper, and kept the decor for the ceremony and reception space pretty simple.”
Best advice you received planning your wedding?
“Do a little bit at a time and book the big stuff first! I didn’t try to plan the whole wedding in a day, and picking away at the larger tasks like finding a venue, a photographer, a florist, etc. first.”
What wedding favor did you give your guests?
“We gave our guests small yellow vases which held the flowers for the centerpieces on the reception tables.”
Any tips to share with brides planning their own wedding?
“Find good vendors and trust their opinions! It really makes your life easier when you find someone who knows what they’re doing. Give them a good idea of what you want and then let them so it. Don’t micro-manage! This is the first wedding you’re planning, they have done this one aspect of weddings too many times to count. Trust them!”
Where did you go on your honeymoon?
“We went to Osoyoos, BC for our honeymoon. We stayed at a beautiful lakeside resort, relaxed, and visited the numerous restaurants and wineries in the area!”
Leave a Comment