Thursday, December 19, 2013

Engagement Shoot

Between studying for finals and preparing for the holidays, I've been severely slacking with my blog posts. But finally, here are several of our engagement pictures! The day of our shoot was drizzly (hence the frizzy hair!), but we were so fortunate to have beautiful fall colors as a backdrop.





Friday, October 18, 2013

Pinspiration Friday


If you're concerned about walking down the aisle comfortably, or you're looking for a pair of flats to change into so you can dance the night away, these shoes are both cute and comfortable! Check out these shoes and others on my Pinterest wedding shoe board.

Friday, October 4, 2013

What to wear for engagement pictures


Once again, in honor of my impending engagement pictures, I'm writing about what to wear and what not to wear to make your pictures pop. Remember, your clothes should reflect you and your personality, so have fun with it!

What to wear:
Pops of colors are great
Wear complimentary clothes, but don't be too matchy matchy
Don't be afraid of large, fun accessories
Don't avoid prints, the right print can look amazing in photos
Black is universal and looks great on everyone in photos
Shoes are important because they will show up in photos

What not to wear:
Avoid clothing with writing or graphics
Avoid wearing too much white or too much of one color
Wearing more than one print can look messy
Avoid light reflecting mineral makeup or foundation

Other things to consider:
Wrinkles stand out in photos, so make sure you iron your clothing and bring them on hangers to your photo shoot.


Friday, September 27, 2013

Pinspiration Friday


Are you searching for bouquet ideas but don't want the traditional roses? Consider English roses. These fragrant flowers come in a variety of colors, but the majority come in pastels, which will accent your wedding dress beautifully! 

Thursday, September 26, 2013

Ten Engagement Pictures That Will Leave You Smiling

In honor of my upcoming engagement photo shoot, here are ten engagement shots that left me smiling! Do you have a photo that you think should be on my list? Send me a picture and it may show up in a future post!



Friday, September 6, 2013

Pinspiration Friday

Every Friday I'm going to post a picture from my Pinterest page of ceremony decor, reception ideas, bouquets and more! Prepare to be pinspired!



Having a fall wedding? A basin filled with water, apples and floating candles is a charming and affordable centerpiece. Surround the basin with rich colored leaves for a seasonal flare.

Monday, August 12, 2013

Choosing Bridesmaid Dresses - Long Gone are the Days of Bows on the Butt


After you have found your wedding dress, you can start looking for your bridesmaids dresses. Long gone are the days of terrible taffeta, big sleeves and bows on the butt. As tempting as it may be to make your girls wear a putrid-colored peach dress to make yourself look better, your bridesmaids will be by your side the whole wedding day, so you want to choose a dress or dresses that they'll feel comfortable in, and that is flattering for a range of body types. Plus, you don't want karma to come back around when they're getting married!  

The traditional rules that all of your bridesmaids must wear the same dress have been thrown out the window. Many brides today are choosing a style of dress and allowing their girls to choose a color from a color palette, so each bridesmaid can look good. Other brides are opting for a specific color, and are letting their bridesmaids choose a style that's flattering for their body type. As long as there are some guidelines so all of your bridesmaids complement one another, I like allowing your girls some free-range to choose what dress works best for them. Let's face it, a dress that looks great on a girl that's 5'10" and 120 pounds, probably won't look the same on a girl that's 5'3" and 150 pounds.

My best friend had a vintage wedding and she wanted all of her bridesmaids to find a dress in a shade of white and covered in lace. Even though we were all in different shades and styles, the lace tied us all together and looked great in pictures. The best part about it, was the fact that I didn't have to drop over $200, on a dress that I would only wear once. I spent under $100 on a dress I liked, and I have already worn it multiple times.

If you're more of a control freak (like me!), allowing your bridesmaids to choose their style or color may be too much for you to handle! When I went shopping for a bridesmaid dress, I was only able to shop with my sister and my mom because all of my girls live in different states. We each found dresses that we liked, and if we all liked them, they went into the pile to be tried on. Once we narrowed down the dresses, I allowed my sister to pick which dress she felt best in. (Fortunately, we both chose the same dress!)

Since my sister is also my Maid of Honor, I wanted her dress to stand out a little bit from the rest of my bridesmaids. I've seen some brides choose a different color dress for their Maid of Honor, but I chose to do something a little less drastic. My sister and I chose a sparkly belt to accent her dress to give her dress a little extra pop.

Friday, July 19, 2013

Short Wedding Dresses Sure to Wow

Whether you're a bride getting married outside in the summer, or a bride who wants to stray from the conventional wedding fashions, a short, tea-length dress might be the best option for you. If you're eloping or getting hitched at the courthouse, you may not want to wear a huge ball gown. A short wedding dress allows you to be less formal and more comfortable, while still feeling like a bride. Short wedding dresses are also great for brides wanting to change into a more flirty and fun dress for the reception. Here are 10 short dresses for brides who aren't afraid to show a little leg!

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Thursday, July 18, 2013

Do You Need to Hire a Wedding Planner?

Before Matt even probably thought about popping the question, I longed for the opportunity to plan every aspect of my wedding day. I'm a perfectionist and want to make even the little decisions so the day goes exactly as I envision it, so I opted not to hire a wedding planner. As much as I love being in control of the planning, there have been times throughout the planning process that I have reached my capacity for looking at centerpieces or cake, and I wish I had someone to make the process a little less stressful! There are several factors to consider if you're questioning hiring a wedding planner.

Not every bride has dreamed of planning her wedding since she was a little girl. Planning a wedding does take a significant amount of time and patience. If you're a bride that is looking forward to the marriage but not so much the planning, a wedding planner can save you a lot of stress. Wedding planners can be as involved as much or as little as you want them to be. They can help you create a budget and timeline, and they can do vendor referrals and contract negotiations. They will help you design the type of wedding that you want, and will make sure the day runs smoothly.

Friday, July 12, 2013

10 Ball Gowns that would make Cinderella Jealous



Some girls have grown up watching all of the Disney princesses and dreaming of the day they would marry their Prince Charming. For the "Princess Bride," their wedding day is the one day they can live out all of their fairytale fantasies, and you can't have a fairytale wedding without a fairytale dress. So all of you Princess Brides polish off your tiaras and take a look at 10 ball gowns that would make even Cinderella seriously jealous!

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Tuesday, July 9, 2013

Veils, Headpieces and Combs, Oh My!

When trying on wedding dresses and debating which dress to choose, my bridal consultant asked if I wanted to see the dresses with a veil in order to help clarify my decision. At the time I didn't have any interest in a veil. I didn't see the point in spending more money on something that would only be worn for the wedding ceremony. Also, I didn't think veils really added anything to the bridal look. It's not like most people come away from a wedding ceremony saying, "Did you see the bride's veil?!"

However, I decided that since I was at the shop and I'd only be a bride once, that I would give one a whirl. My consultant brought out a long cathedral-length veil that encompassed my dress. To my surprise, when she placed the veil on my head, I felt like I went from a girl in a wedding dress, to a bride. The cathedral-length gave me a feeling of royalty, like I was Kate Middleton! Unprepared to buy the veil or make a decision that day, I left the store veiless.

Wednesday, July 3, 2013

15 hip-hugging dresses for the sexy bride

Not every girl wants to look like a princess on her wedding day. These 15 dresses are for brides who want a more hip-hugging, sexy look.


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Monday, June 24, 2013

10 Non-Updos For Brides!

Not every bride wants a perfectly polished updo for their wedding day. Here are ten pictures of wedding day styles for brides who want to forgo the bun and let their hair down!


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Tuesday, June 11, 2013

Clicking with Your Photographer


A picture says a thousand words, and if you don't want your wedding photos to say, "I was shot with a disposable camera," it's best to do some research before hiring a photographer. You're going to be looking at your wedding photos the rest of your life, they'll probably be displayed prominently in your home, so you'll want to hire a photographer that you're confident will do a good job.

You'll also want to delegate a significant amount of your wedding budget for your photographer. It's important to look at the pictures instead of the price. If you like the photographer's work, you can save money by not purchasing an album. Most photographers will give you a disc with all of the pictures on it. You can have your favorite images printed or purchase an album at a later date. It's a far better alternative to getting an album with a lot of photos that you're not happy with.

These days it seems like everybody and their brother is a photographer. There is a big difference between a photographer who went to school and has formal training in their craft, as opposed to someone who could afford a nice camera and likes to take pictures of their family and friends. I'm not saying that the photographers without schooling can't get a good shot, but I'm assuming you'll want more than just a couple nice pictures. Your wedding day isn't the time to give an amateur the benefit of the doubt. So when you meet with photographers, its important to ask them what type of schooling or training that they have had.

Thursday, June 6, 2013

App Helps Brides and Grooms Get in Shape


Recently I've been putting forth more effort into getting in shape for my wedding day. I know getting in shape is a two step process: Eating right and exercise. I've been trying to work out at least six times a week, and I've been incorporating different exercises to keep my body on its toes, and to make working out less monotonous. I've also been more vigilant about drinking at least eight glasses of water a day so my stomach is staying more full, and I'm doing less mindless eating.

I've been trying to cut down on my sweet tooth cravings, but it is not coming easily for me! However, I have found an app for my iPhone that helps me to hold myself more accountable and makes things a lot easier! It's called MyPlate by LiveStrong. To sign up, all you have to do is enter some standard information (height, sex, age) about yourself, and how much weight you're hoping to lose. One of the many nice things about the program is that you can set small goals of how much you want to lose in a week, as opposed to being focused on a larger number that you want to accomplish over an extended period of time. It's less daunting to see that you only have to lose half a pound every two weeks.

Each day you enter what you eat into the app, including the brand of the product and how much you ate of it, and it tells you how many calories you've consumed. Another cool thing about the app is that it is able to track the calories of meals at popular restaurants. After you have entered what you have eaten, it shows you how many calories you can consume the rest of the day to reach your goal.

MyPlate also allows you to track your exercise. You can track how long you've walked or run, and at what intensity, and it will calculate that into your daily calorie intake. It will also track various kinds of exercises like pushups, swimming, biking or yoga. I enjoy being able to see that if I'm nearing my suggested calorie intake, I can do some quick exercises to give myself a little more wiggle room with my diet.

For any bride or groom struggling to lose weight for their wedding, or anyone struggling to lose weight in general, I would recommend this app!


Monday, June 3, 2013

10 Bridal Updos That I Love!

As my wedding is drawing nearer (361 days...but who's counting?!), I've started to look at and pin several different hairstyles that I might want for the big day. Originally, I really wanted to get extensions and have big, hollywood-like waves, but now I'm considering possibly doing an updo. Here are ten bridal updos that I absolutely love!

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Friday, May 31, 2013

Getting a Natural Glow for your Wedding Day


Over Memorial Day weekend I traveled to North Carolina to visit my sister. After spending some quality time on the beach, I came back feeling relaxed and looking golden and freckly. Keep in mind, golden for this fair skinned and blonde haired girl, is pale for most people with normal skin color! My range of skin color usually goes from pale to lobster red. Tan just doesn't happen for me. But all of the sun exposure got me thinking about how I'm going to get color for the wedding day. I'm not trying to look like the cast of the Jersey Shore, I just really don't want to blend into my wedding dress! I'm an advocate for girls staying away from tanning beds...the health risks just aren't worth it, so I'm looking for the best alternative for all the pale girls out there!

I've tried a lot of different products to achieve the perfect fake tan, and there have been a couple products that have worked well for me, and a couple that I would never use again. I have tried several different brands of the gradual self tanning lotions and moisturizers, and I haven't found one that I'm impressed with. The ones I have tried have either been too subtle, too stinky, or have turned my skin a shade of carrot. I recently saw a commercial for a new lotion that supposedly doesn't smell like fake tanner, so that might be something to look into.

A lot of people warn against the Versa and Mystic spray tans, but I've always been satisfied with my experiences with these spray tans. If you choose the right color and amount of time you spend in the booth, you won't come out looking like you escaped Charlie's chocolate factory. I usually select whatever the middle setting for color is, and I like to get the formula that prevents aging. Assuming you're not jumping into any pools and wait the suggested amount of time before you shower, the tan should last you around five days. The more you moisturize, the longer the tan will stay. There are a couple downsides to the Versa and Mystic tans: They smell like fake tanner and when they start to fade away, they may make your skin look a little speckly. Also, if you plan on getting one of these spray tans for your wedding day, I'd recommend doing it 48 hours before you put on your dress, that way you don't get any streaks on your white dress.

Friday, May 17, 2013

I Said "It Costs How Much?!" to the Dress


Before I got engaged, the aspect of a wedding that I looked forward to most (besides marrying the man of my dreams!) was finding the dress. I planned on looking for dresses in the summer because that would give me plenty of time to have it for the wedding day, and plenty of time to get toned up and a nice summer glow to feel confident. As luck would have it, my dress would find me long before I planned on finding it.

In February, my mom, my grandma and I decided to walk into a bridal store, just for fun. We looked at all different styles of dresses so I could see all of the options out there. There were a couple of dresses that stood out to me, but one in particular that I wanted to schedule an appointment to try on when I was ready to seriously look for dresses.

After going home and doing more research (Thank you Say Yes to the Dress and Pinterest), I found a designer that I really liked, who happened to be having a trunk show at the bridal store I had been in. I figured it couldn't hurt to try on dresses, so I made an appointment. I had heard the warnings that if you bought a dress too quickly, you would end up regretting what you chose later, so I wasn't going to buy anything unless it fit me perfectly; then I would take that as a sign of divine intervention.

My experience trying on dresses wasn't like what I had seen on tv. I didn't give my consultant a certain set of criteria and wait while she selected gowns she thought I would like. I searched through the racks of the trunk show designer, and I selected a variety of styles to see what would look good on me. I then scoured the racks of their normal merchandise, so I could try on a couple of the dresses that I had noticed on my first visit to the store. I searched through every single dress and couldn't find the dress that stood out to me on my previous visit. I took that as a sign that it wasn't meant to be.

Monday, May 13, 2013

The Theme of My Wedding is a Wedding...

Throughout my engagement, many of my friends and family members have asked me what the theme of my wedding will be, and I'm never quite sure how to answer the question. My initial thought was, "The theme of my wedding is a wedding...," but I've learned that their are many different directions that you can take your wedding. Choosing a theme can be daunting because there are so many different options, but sites like Pinterest make finding a specific theme a lot easier.

If you're inspired by the past or a certain time period, a vintage wedding may be the best choice for you. Elements you may want to include in your vintage wedding are family heirloom dishes, an old suitcase for your guest to drop their cards in and a typewriter on the table with your guest book. If you're going for a 20's theme, a flapper inspired wedding dress or bridesmaid dresses would be fitting. Many bridal dress shops have vintage-inspired dresses, or you may want to wear your mother or grandmother's wedding dress to keep inline with the vintage theme. You can ask your hairdresser for a retro hairstyle, and can wear long strands of pearls. A great touch would be to have a table with pictures of your parents, grandparents and great-grandparents on their wedding day.

Rustic and country weddings are very popular right now. For a rustic wedding, you can find everything from invitations, wedding cakes and table numbers in burlap. (I found great prices for burlap on this website, http://www.craftcatalog.com/Burlap-C24848.aspx). Mason jars are great for drinking glasses, favors or candle holders at a rustic or country wedding. Instead of traditional seating, guests can sit on covered hay bales. Country brides can ditch the high heels and opt for cowboy boots. There are a lot of great country-inspired engagement photo ideas on Pinterest.

Sometimes your ceremony or reception venue may help you decide your theme. If you're getting married on the beach, beach-themed decor is an obvious choice. Sand, seashells, sand dollars and starfish make great seating cards and centerpiece fillers. There are some really intricate beach wedding cakes that include edible sand and seashells. Florists can use shells to accent flowers in the bride's bouquet. Brides getting married on the beach can wear flip flops or ditch shoes altogether.

Wednesday, May 8, 2013

Avoiding the Big Day Stress

Your wedding day is supposed to be the happiest day of your life, but anyone who has planned a wedding knows, it's not all roses and butterflies! Whether you're trying to downsize your guest list, searching for a florist who understands your centerpiece vision or dealing with an unruly bridesmaid, planning the best wedding in the history of weddings can be stressful. Based off of what I've learned thus far, and what other people have told me, I've created a list of six tips to help brides deal with the stresses of planning the day.

1. Plan Early
If you're getting married in a year, don't wait until three months out to try and find a photographer or a dj. I have a friend who took this laid-back approach to wedding planning, and in the end, it was much more stressful for her. I'm not implying that the first person you should call right after your fiance gets up from bended knee is a florist, but the sooner you find your vendors and sign contracts, the less you have to worry about come crunch time. There are several wedding planning trackers online that offer guidelines about what you should have accomplished from 12 months out, up to the day of the wedding. 

2. Make a List
Most couples know to create a budget for the wedding, but many don't create lists of specific things they have to have for the day. It can be helpful if you and your fiance comprise a list of what is important to you about the wedding day, followed by a list of what you're willing to compromise on. Carry the list with you (mentally or physically) when you're meeting with vendors, that way there is something set in stone and you won't have to stress out about whether or not you should splurge on designer table linens.

Monday, April 29, 2013

Finding a Ceremony Venue

Before looking for any venues, I thought that once I found the reception venue, finding a ceremony venue would be easy....wrong! After visiting a couple of nearby reception venues, I found the one and had no doubts about it. I've searched for a ceremony venue for a couple months now, and the process has been frustrating to say the least!

Mifflin Presbyterian Church
Although my reception venue (Winding Hollow Golf Club) offers a nice ceremony space on their golf course, my dad requested that we get married indoors in air conditioning so he "wouldn't sweat through the ceremony and look like he had jumped in a swimming pool for the pictures." I couldn't really argue with his logic, especially since he's shelling out a lot of money to make my day perfect! With a late May wedding in Ohio, you never know what weather will be like. It could be 90 degrees, or there could be a monsoon! I didn't want to add anymore stress to the wedding day by trying predict the weather, being wrong and then having to make a lot of adjustments to the ceremony. 

Not only did we have to find a ceremony space indoors, we had the added complication of finding a place that would allow my pastor to officiate the ceremony. Not every church allows another minister to come into the church to conduct the ceremony, so I looked at Presbyterian churches within a short drive of Winding Hollow. I found one that I really, really liked and I thought it would be a done deal...and then they told me they only allowed members of the church to get married there. So the search continued. 

Monday, March 25, 2013

Choosing a Reception Venue

Once you and your fiance have established a wedding budget, one of the first things you will probably look at is venues. Choosing both the ceremony and reception venue is a crucial part of every wedding. The ceremony venue is where you'll say your vows and actually get married, so you'll want it to be sentimental or inline with your wedding day vision. The reception venue is where you and your guests will spend most of your time, and it is usually the biggest expense in a wedding budget, so you'll want to choose a place where your guests will be comfortable, and that you'll feel comfortable paying for. If you're lucky, you may find a venue that will work for both your ceremony and reception.

Winding Hollow Golf Club was the perfect
place for our reception venue!
As Matt and I began planning my our dream wedding, we decided that it was important for us to get married in a church. Since my church doesn't have a center aisle and wouldn't accommodate all of our guests, we had to look for two separate venues. I started out by looking for the reception venue because  that's where the majority of the money in our wedding budget would be spent, and I assumed it would be easier to find a ceremony site than a reception site.

As I began my initial search for a reception venue, I found TheKnot.com to be very helpful. If you go to their vendor category, not only do they give you a list of reception venues in your area, they also allow you to insert criteria specific to what you're looking for like the number of guests, amenities, style and price range. (They never give a specific amount in the price range, but the dollar signs are somewhat helpful when you're trying to decide what you can or can't afford). There are also pictures of each reception venue, along with its contact information.

Wednesday, March 20, 2013

Gotta' Shape Up!

Since getting engaged, I've started to think about getting in shape for the big day. I'm not focused on losing a certain number of pounds before the wedding, I just want to tone up and be in the best shape possible. Years after the wedding is over and I'm looking at my wedding pictures, I don't want to think, "I wish I had done a couple more crunches!"

Find ways to make working out fun like playing mud volleyball or working out with your fiance!
My wedding is still over a year away, so my efforts to get into shape thus far, have been pretty minimal. I've always been a fairly active person and I'm what some might consider a selective (ok, picky!) eater, so I've just been sticking with my normal routine and diet.

I try to run five days a week, but I am by no means a marathon runner! On an average day, I'll run 2.5 miles. If I'm having a rough run, sometimes I'll cut it down to two miles, and if I'm feeling great, I'll run up to five miles. I have no set schedule and I haven't been wearing a watch, so I can just go at a comfortable pace. Since we're in the midst of winter in Ohio, I've been sticking to running on the local high school track, or the roads of my neighborhood. On special occasions, my fiance and I have driven a little further to run at city parks. If the weather is too bad to be outside in, I'll settle for running on a treadmill, but that really is a last resort for me (I hate watching the clock as I run!).

Monday, March 18, 2013

You're Invited

Before you schedule any tours to look at potential venues, you and your fiancé should come up with an initial guest list. The list will evolve throughout the wedding planning process, but it's good to have an idea of how many people you will be inviting so you can choose a venue that will comfortably accommodate all of your guests. The average number of guests attending a wedding in 2011 was 138. Your guest list will most likely depend on your budget. Obviously, the more people you invite, the more expensive your wedding will be.

When Matt and I made our initial guest list, we agreed that we wanted to keep it under 200 guests. With that in mind, we each came up with an individual list. As tempting as it may be to tell your fiancé not to invite his friend who constantly tells him he should be single, or his great aunt that you've always suspected doesn't like you, it's important to remember it's his big day too, and he should decide who he wants there. The exception to that rule is exes. Unless your future husband or wife and your ex are the best of friends (not likely), save yourself a lot of arguments and cross your ex off your list. (No, it doesn't matter that the two of you are just friends!)

To insure that I wouldn't forget anyone, I made separate lists of family, friends from high school, friends from college, family friends and church friends. Initially, I only wrote down immediate family. My mom's family is large and I didn't want to invite  relatives who I had only met a couple of times at family reunions. If my cousins were married, I invited their spouse; If they were single, I didn't give them the option of inviting a date. (In a revised list, I allowed my cousins to invite dates.)

When choosing friends from high school and college to invite, I used the guideline that if the last time I saw them they were wearing a cap and gown, they were not making the list. When choosing whether or not to invite an old friend, it's important to think of your individual friendship with that person and how much of an impact that they've had on you. As I tried to whittle down my list, I realized that there were people on my list who hung out in the same group of friends that I did, but I never would have hung out with that person alone. If you're trying to cut down your guest list, that could be someone to cross off.

Monday, March 4, 2013

Choosing your Bridesmaids

Deciding who will stand beside you on your big day is an important decision. You don't want to hurt anyone's feelings by not selecting them to be one of your bridesmaids, but you don't want to follow 20 people down the aisle either. If you're having a longer engagement and choose your bridesmaids too early, by the time the wedding roles around you may be closer to one of your friends that you didn't select. Choosing your maid of honor is also an important decision. You want someone who you can rely on to not reveal anything too embarrassing during the toast, tell you if you look fat while you're trying on wedding dresses and hold your dress while you pee!
I chose my sister Erin to be my maid of honor.

Choosing a maid of honor was an easy decision for me. I have one sister, Erin, and she has known me all 23 years of my life, so there is no one who knows me better. (It may be more difficult for brides with more than one sister to decide who gets the top job.) When I was little, I wanted to be just like her. As we have both grown up, she has been the one who has been brutally honest about the guys I have dated, and she was the one who I cried to when those relationships didn't work out. I knew I could rely on her to help me make all the important decisions, to take me down a notch when I'm turning into a bridezilla and to ensure that the day will run as smoothly as possible.

Picking the rest of my bridal party was a little bit more difficult, but not because I didn't have plenty of great friends; it was the complete opposite. I have so many great friends and as much as I wanted them all to be part of my big day, it seemed completely ridiculous to have more people in the wedding party than guests at the wedding! The average number of bridesmaids in a wedding party is five, but I've been to weddings where there were eight bridesmaids. Your number of bridesmaids honestly just depends on what you want.

Thursday, February 28, 2013

Who Pays for What?

Lots of girls dream about planning their wedding, however, I'm guessing most of those dreams don't include long, drawn-out discussions about the budget. In the short amount of time that I have been planning my wedding, establishing how much we would spend and who would pay for what, has transformed me from a blushing bride into a raging bridezilla! Money is never an easy thing to talk about, but determining a budget is one of the first things you should do. Don't assume that your parents or the groom's parents are willing to pay a certain amount because when it comes down to the time to write the check, you maybe the one signing on the line.

Traditionally, the groom's family would pay for the rehearsal dinner and the bride's family would pay for the rest. Today, there really are no set guidelines for who pays for what. I know couples whose families each paid half, the groom's family paid for everything, or the couple paid for their own wedding. It really just depends on the couple and the families involved, which can make things more complicated. I didn't want my parents to go broke paying for our wedding, but I didn't want my future in-laws to think that my family and I were expecting anything from them. Like I said, it's complicated!

Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Choosing the Date

Before selecting vendors and sending out your Save The Dates, you have to pick your wedding date. There are several different factors you should consider when choosing a date for your big day. If you want to have a Winter Wonderland theme, you probably don't want to schedule your wedding for the middle of August! If you have a specific venue in mind, you may want to choose a date based on what they have available. You also might want to consider your bridal party's or guests availability. (You most likely won't be able to find a date that works for everyone, but you also don't want to schedule your wedding for the same day as your cousin's.)

I always envisioned getting married in the fall. I dreamed of fall foliage, pumpkin centerpieces and the crisp fall air. I had it all planned out...then my fiance proposed Dec. 30. When we (I) began planning the wedding, I tried to find some way to make a fall wedding possible. I didn't have an issue with planning a wedding in nine or ten months, but I couldn't sell Matt on this idea. He will be graduating from his Master's program in May of 2013 and didn't believe that we would be financially stable in September or October, so a fall wedding in 2013 was out.

Monday, February 25, 2013

My Love Story

Matt and I in New Orleans, Dec. 30, 2012.
Matt and I first met at the start of my junior year of college. He played on the university's baseball team and we shared a few mutual friends on the team. He spotted me at a party and asked his friends who I was. His friends told him I was dating other people, so things never really took off.

Several months later, the two of us were hanging out with a group of friends. At the end of the night Matt volunteered to walk me back to my dorm room. During the walk back, the conversation seemed to flow effortlessly. Once we arrived at my room, I thought he would come in so we could hang out a little bit longer. Instead, he said goodnight and left. (Later, I learned that I was apparently giving him "strong vibes" that I wasn't interested.)