Traditions: Not seeing each other before the ceremony.

Hi everyone!

I wanted to talk to you about wedding traditions.  There are some out there that I agree need to stay put, and others I think we can live with out.  I'm going to start by talking about the bride and groom seeing each other before she walks down the isle. 

People say it's bad luck, but do you agree? They also say they miss the special moment when he first sees her. That is a pretty awesome moment, but its okay if you want that to just be between the two of you. 

First look photo shoots are becoming more and more popular.  It's an amazing moment that is captured with only the two of you and the photographer before the ceremony.  It's always very popular for couples who don't have a lot of time between their ceremony and reception, or if they'd rather not have a three hour gap between the ceremony and reception to do pictures. 

via the knot.

When couples opt to have their wedding and reception in the same location, it's much easier to do most of the pictures before hand, so you can actually enjoy your cocktail hour with your guests.  You will also have more time before the ceremony in this case, because it will be starting later in the day rather than at 1:00 or 2:00 in the afternoon like with Catholic or other church weddings.  

I personally love first look photo shoots.  They're special and romantic, and the pictures are always amazing. It's also the only time you and your future spouse will have any time alone. As a wedding planner, it also makes my job easier! i don't have to worry about the bride and groom crossing paths all day. 

I'm not saying that I dislike the traditional way, though. As a guest, seeing the groom's face when his bride is walking down the isle is one of my favorite parts of the wedding.  

What do you think of the first look photo shoot and couples seeing each other before the ceremony?

XO, Val

Wedding Website.

Hi everyone!

Today I want to talk about couples getting married having a wedding website.  It seems like a lot of people don't know what it is, so I wanted to talk about it.  

I always tell couples they should have one for their wedding for many reasons. The point of having one is so you can put information on there that further shares about your wedding.  For starters, you can add engagement pictures, and share the story of how the two of you met.  

It also helps keep your invitation smaller and lighter! We all know that a lot can go into your invitations.  A lot of them have folds and many different pieces, which is great but it means they will be heavy, and that makes postage more expensive. Things like directions, hotel information, and where you're registered (that should NEVER go into your invitation, it's considered tacky) can go onto your website. 

You would simply put your website on the bottom of your save the dates and invitation with "for more information please visit..."

  My favorite one is wedding wire.

There are so many designs, so you're sure to find a layout that matches your wedding perfectly!  People can even leave nice comments for you, and ask any questions they may have.  You can leave numbers and email addresses of who they should contact with further questions i.e. your wedding planner. 

So all you engaged couples, have fun building your custom wedding website! 

XO, Val

Wednesday Wow.

Happy Wednesday everyone!

Today's 'wednesday wow' is Lauren Conrad's engagement picture that was just released.  I think that Lauren Conrad has amazing taste, and I am pleasantly surprised with everything that she has done in her career [post reality show years].  She has a fashion line, books, and a very successful lifestyle blog (which I follow religiously).  As soon as she got engaged I knew I would soon be obsessed with anything that has to do with her wedding.  That is why I chose this picture as my 'wednesday wow' this week.  

i love that this is such a unique perspective. 

Are you as obsessed with Lauren's upcoming wedding as I am? I know it will be something very, very special. 

XO, Val

Red Arrow Photography.

Hi everyone!

I wanted to take a minute to talk about the amazing photographer who shot the pictures I am currently using for my cover photo; Meghan Meeker of Red Arrow Photography.  I worked with Meghan for the first time in May of 2013, and when a bride was looking for a photographer for her October 2013 wedding, I knew I didn't need to look any further.  Meghan is one of the nicest photographers I have ever worked with. She has the best of what it takes to be a wedding photographer.  She has a vision, and makes that vision happen, as well as effortlessly controlling the bridal party and family so she can easily get every picture that is needed in a timely manor. 

I am so obsessed with the pictures from this wedding. 

This wedding was just amazing over all.  It was great to work with Meghan as well as my long time friend Maddy Hastings at her second shooter.  it was also effortless because the bride and groom were so easy to work with! They weren't demanding or controlling at all.  They cared that they were getting married and that it all; it made everyones jobs so much easier. There was such an abundance of love and that's all that mattered.  

Hope you enjoyed!

XO, Val

Is it worth it? Real Flowers.

Hi everyone!

Today's 'Is it worth it?" is going to be talking about real flowers for your wedding day vs. fake or silk flowers.  

I'm just going to start out by saying that I would never recommend fake flowers to anyone, and in my opinion real flowers are always the way to go. I think most of the time people look at flowers for your wedding day as an unnecessary expense. Also, that they're just gong to die (true), but if you buy fake flowers what are really going to do with them after the wedding, anyway? 

When you go to a florist you could spend $1200-$1500  on your flowers (bouquets, boutonnières, centerpieces).  You might think that is an insane amount of money to spend on flowers but you have to understand that you're paying for this persons time and experience when it comes to flowers.  They know what they are doing and they do all the work for you.  

via the knot.

via the knot.

Aren't these bouquets just stunning?

If you go to your local hobby lobby and look at the prices of silk flowers, you might be surprised.  You could ultimately spend $30 for one bouquet.  You may also think they look just like real flowers, but they don't. People can tell they aren't real. 

If you think making your own bouquet is easy, buy your own real flowers, and make your own that way! You could pick up some flowers a few days before your wedding at your local grocery store, Sam's Club, or even Trader Joe's. It's no secret that anything that has to do with weddings is going to be more expensive, its annoying, but true.  So buying them at the grocery store, they are exponentially less expensive.  My advice would be figure out what is in season for your wedding month, figure out when the grocery store gets their flower delivery, and try to find out from a worker what they will be getting, and if you can request something in particular- it never hurts to ask! Just remember, you cant be too picky. 

You could also order flowers online if you're looking for particular flowers.  You would order them, and they are delivered to you a couple days before your wedding day.  The risk with this is they may not come in the condition you want, and you won't have time to order new flowers in time.  You can try fifty flowers. 

I hope this helped you!

XO, Val

Wednesday Wow's. [2.12.14]

Hi Everyone!

I'm starting a new installment on my blog called 'Wednesday Wow's'. Every Wednesday I'm going to share with you something I am loving in the wedding world this week.  

This week's 'Wednesday Wow' is this AMAZING dress by Hayley Paige! 

This dress is absolutely stunning! It's from the Hayley Paige Spring 2014 Collection. It's a real piece of art.  It's unlike anything I've ever seen before.  It will turn some heads when you walk down the isle in this dress.

I'll be back next week with another installment of 'Wednesday Wow's'.

XO, Val

Is it worth it? videographer.

Hi everyone!

I wanted to start a new installment on my blog called "is it worth it?".  It's going to be talking about certain things that you're unsure of while planning your wedding. i.e. real flowers, a five tiered wedding cake, hiring a videographer, renting a tent for your outdoor wedding, etc. 

Today I'm going to talk about hiring a videographer for your wedding day. Having a videographer goes on the list of something people wish they had, and something people think is unnecessary. Finding an experienced videographer is going to be expensive, but having your cousin in the ninth row of the ceremony record it, will probably be disappointing. 

Having a videographer is growing in popularity every day. When it comes to anything with your wedding it's all about what's important and what's worth spending part of your budget on.  

Having pictures is great and absolutely necessary, but they can't show you every detail of your special day.  Being able to sit down and watch your video is such a great experience. You get to watch your wedding day- because you know it's going to be a BLUR that day.

So in my opinion, find a great videographer that is a great match for you and your fiancé, and work it into your budget.  When you get to watch a high quality video of your wedding 5, 10, even 20 years from now, you'll be very happy you spent the extra money. 

Hope you found this helpful! I'll be back next week with another installment of "is it worth it".

XO Val