Wedding Planning Timeline | Three Month Mark

In-between six months, and three months before the wedding, there tends to not be much to do. You got all the big things- the venue, food, photographer/videographer, DJ, wedding planner/day of coordinator, florist, and dress -handled, and at the three month mark it’s time for all the little details! 

1. Start looking at wedding bands for you and your fiancé, and order them so they can be in, and sized in time. 

2. Finalize your guest list, and get your wedding invites ready to be sent out in the next couple of weeks. 

3. Schedule your cake tasting, and order your wedding cake (or another dessert if you’re not doing cake). Side note: it is normal for bakeries to charge for tastings! 

4. Set up the tasting with your venue/caterer and finalize the food, and drink selection. 

5. Book your rehearsal dinner location! The earlier the better with this if you’re getting married in “wedding season”!

6. Start your wedding registry! Go prepared with a list, and give yourself a whole day! ENJOY! This is one of the funnest parts of the planning process!

7. Decide on your hair and makeup artist, and schedule your trials. It’s normal for there to be a charge for this, too!

Check out my other posts in my wedding planning timeline series! 

xo, Val 

perfectlyplannedbyval.com

Jen and Mike's Wedding | July 11, 2014

I had the pleasure of working with Jen only nine months after I helped her older sister Rachelle with her wedding. Being laid back is something that runs in the family! They both cared about getting married, and the rest of the details didn't matter much!

On the day of the wedding, Jen- who's already gorgeous- was STUNNING!! She would have loved to have her wedding outside, walk barefoot through a field, and put fresh flowers in her hair.  But being Catholic, that wasn't really an option for them.  She settled for a beautiful church wedding, a great pair of shoes, and a lovely crown of fresh flowers (and bouquet) from Chris' Floral, in her hair.  

Jen and Mike's First Look with Gra Photography, and the reception took place at St. George Fellowship Centre in Akron.  

Right after they their first look! So happy!!

I'm so happy I got a picture with the newly weds!!! 

Jen and Mike were such a pleasure to work with.  They are so in love and couldn't stop smiling the entire night!! 

XO, Val. 

Wedding Trend | #WeddingHashtag

Hashtags are nothing new when it comes to social media. It's also not new for couples to have a hashtag for their wedding.  There are definite pros of wedding hashtags, but there are also cons! I for one love them, but I understand why people have a problem with them. Getting the guests perspective is nothing new! Remember when everyone had disposable cameras on every  table at their reception? It's like a modern version of that!

The Pros:

• It's a fun way for your guests to feel involved during your wedding!
• You and your new spouse get to see some wedding pictures the next day easily by just looking up your hashtag on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook!
• You could get to see a moment of the wedding that your photographer didn't get. (Not that your photographer would miss anything important, but most of the time photographers don't stay until the end of the reception!)
• You might end up getting one of your favorite candid shots from the wedding that a guest just happened to catch! 
• If you don't choose your own hashtag, guests will try to make up their own. It's best to have one posted somewhere at the wedding so there's not 4 different hashtags floating around with your wedding pictures. You could put it in your invitations, in the program at the ceremony, or somewhere at the reception. 

The Cons:

• Depending on the ages of your guests, some people might not understand the concept of hashtags, and will just be confused by the whole thing.
• You could get really disappointed that only a handful of people post pictures.  You might see 12 pictures of your cousin and her boyfriend,  and one blurry picture of you walking down the isle. 
• People might want to take and edit pictures during the ceremony and reception, so they might not be paying attention during important parts of the wedding.
• As a photographer it can get REALLY annoying when all the guests are trying to get pictures and might get in their way! If guests are using flash, it's even more annoying for them!
• The first picture that ends up on social media of your wedding could be a very unflattering picture of you. Do you want that to be the first picture people see?

Advice:

• Research your hashtag before hand! Make sure you don't have the same one as another couples wedding!

Are you having a hashtag at your wedding?

xo, Val.

Wedding Planning Timeline | Ten/Nine Month Mark.

Hi everyone!

Around the ten and nine month mark leading up to your wedding, you need to start making decisions!

If you've had a a year or more to plan your wedding, by the ten month mark you really need to finalize your venue.  You've done your research, visited several places, so now the contract needs to be signed, and the deposit needs to be made.  You really don't want to lose your dream venue because you don't want to commit, because believe me, you will lose it!

You also need to find the place you're having your ceremony- if it's not the same as the location of the reception. If you're having it in a church, outside, or somewhere else, you need to make a decision!

Depending on if you book your ceremony space first, or your reception space first, you should keep them relatively close in location.

At this point in the planning process, you most likely have your dream guest list written out.  You have everyone you'd love to have, but you know it's unrealistic.  You should now break your list down into an 'A list' and a 'B list'.  The 'A list' is all the people you know have to be there.  It's also about what fits into your guest list based on what the venue allows, and/or your budget allows.  The 'B list' is other people you'd love to have at your wedding, but they'd understand if they weren't invited.

Depending on how many people you invite to your wedding, expect around 15% of those people to not be able to make it for some reason or another. 

No one wants  to know that they are on your B list.  It's obviously not something you want to talk about.  You however have this list incase you start getting a lot of 'no's' right away.  You are going to get 'No's' from people no matter what, but sometimes it seems like some couples get more 'no's' than average. This is where the 'B list' comes in handy. You don't want to be sending these invitations a week before your wedding; send them out as soon as possible so it's no obvious to them! If you invite 220, you should expect 200 "yes's". If your numbers start getting lower than that, you need your B list. 

You should also purchase your wedding dress at this point in the planning process.  The dress could take up to eight months to come in.  You'll want a little time once it comes in to have it altered.

Happy Planning!! 

xo, Val.

wedding. by vebullock featuring evening shoes

Reem Acra pleated maxi skirt
shopbop.com

Evening shoes
modcloth.com

Home decor
minted.com

Wedding Invitations, Bridal Shower Invitations & Announcements by...
weddingpaperdivas.com

What to do When a Friend is in the Wedding Industry?

So you're getting married and your close friend is a photographer, or your cousin is a DJ, what do you do?

It's a difficult situation because on one hand it's their profession, and sometimes it's their business, so you want to give them the job.  On the other hand, you want them to enjoy themselves and be a guest at your wedding.  

Here's my advice: Talk to them about it and give them the option.  Say "we'd love for you to be our DJ, but it's up to you if you'd rather be a guest and enjoy the night!" 

Saying it this way shows you think they are good at what they do,  and they will appreciate the choice.  Most of the time they'll be working every weekend during wedding season, so it will be nice for them to be able to relax and enjoy a wedding for a change! Make sure you give them plenty of notice on the date of your nuptials, so they don't book another wedding for that day!

If they'd rather not be your vendor, they can help you find someone they recommend and trust.

If you do have someone close who is a photographer, ask them to shoot your engagement pictures.  That way they still get to be involved.  

Hope this helped!!

xo, Val.

Hidden Wedding Costs.

Hi everyone!

Today I want to talk about hidden wedding costs.  It's good to think about this in the beginning of your wedding planning process, so you can account for the extra cost right off the bat.  

1. This one is no secret, but you must account for tax for EVERYTHING!  If it's a legitimate business, there's going to be tax. Most halls, or caterer's will charge 18% of food costs, so you have to factor that in.  If your wedding dress costs $800, it actually doesn't. Theres tax on that, too. Aim for a dress thats closer to $700 if you want it to end up being $800.  The important thing is that you're prepared for these costs ahead of time!

2. Tips: You're most likely going to be tipping a few of your vendors throughout the night of your wedding.   

3. Something else brides sometimes don't think about is bridal party gifts.  It's not like you have to buy all your girls designer bags, or jewelry with real diamonds (that would be amazing, though!) but factor in a couple hundred dollars, or more depending on how many girls you have.

4. Hair and makeup trials: It's always a great idea to get a trial for your wedding day hair and makeup! However, the trial will be its own separate price. This could be an extra $150 you weren't accounting for. Try to plan your makeup trial on the day of your engagement pictures, so you can get a good feel for how it will look on your wedding day, and in pictures!

5. Postage: Some people forget about postage when it comes to their wedding. It's also not just the wedding invitations that require postage.  You need to account for save the dates, rsvp cards, and thank you cards. Try to keep your invitations light, so they require less postage. 

Thanks for reading! Hope it helped! 

XO, Val.

Wedding Planning Timeline: One Year Mark pt. 2.

Hi Everyone!!

When you're a year out from your wedding, in addition to determining budget, guest list and the overall feel of your wedding, there are a few other things you need to start thinking about.

Deciding on your bridal party is something that should be done as soon as possible.  Like your fiancé and yourself, your bridal party is going to need time to prepare and save money as well.  Asking someone to be in your wedding is a big commitment.  They may need to travel from out of town, so giving them time to make arrangements is best.

via: the knot.

Something else to do a year out from your wedding is hire your wedding planner. Weather you're having someone to help with every aspect of your wedding or just a day of coordinator, finding them at the beginning of the planning process is a good idea.

Having an engagement party is also something that happens right after the engagement. Not everyone has one, but it's a good way to celebrate your recent engagement.

This is also a good time to start trying on wedding dresses.  You need around eight months to have your dress ordered, so having extra time to try on dresses will be great. This will give you time to figure out what you like and what looks good on you before you decide on the right dress.

Jim Hjelm. Picture via: the knot.

You should also start looking at photographers and videographers.  Try to decide what style you prefer, and ask friends and family for recommendations. 

Trying to get most of the big details of your wedding out of the way in the beginning is a great idea, but not necessary.  If things kind of fall into place a year out from your wedding you're very lucky.  Don't think you have to have everything done right away, though. Really think about what you want, and enjoy the planning of your wedding! 

I hope this helped! 
XO. Val

Wedding Planning Timeline: One Year Mark.

Hi everyone!

I recently got engaged, so it's been a VERY exciting couple weeks! It is very different planning my own wedding, however.   I'm very used to the process of planning weddings. I know what should be done, and when it needs to be done. 

This is right after we got engaged! 

As I plan my own wedding, I thought it would be a good idea to post each month leading up to my wedding next June. I'm going to be posting what needs to be done at the year mark, nine month mark, etc.  

If you have a year or more to plan your wedding, that is great! If you have less time, it's still possible to accomplish everything you need to.

When it's a year until your wedding, or right after the excitement of the engagement wears off, it's time to accomplish the first steps in your wedding planning process!

Most girls have dreamed up their perfect wedding long before they have the ring, but it's still important to discuss with your fiancé the overall feel and style of the wedding. So pull up your secret wedding Pinterest board, because this is the fun part!! Is it going to be laid-back and casual, or classic and elegant? This is important to figure out right off the bat, because it will determine budget and venue. 

Most importantly, you need to determine the budget of your wedding! If your fiancé and yourself are paying for the wedding, the two of you need to sit down and discuss what you are able to spend realistically. Don't go into debt over your wedding! 

If your parents, and/or your fiancé's parents are paying for the wedding, you need to talk to them before any decisions are made.  When they are helping out financially, their opinion on the wedding is also important.  

Once you figure out the budget, other aspects of your wedding can be determined.  You next need to figure out the guest list.  You don't need an exact number, but something close will help determine the venue you chose.  

Once you have the guest list figured out, you can start looking at venues.  You need to decide if you want to have your wedding all in one place, have your ceremony in a church, opt for an outside wedding, etc. Venues will have a max number of people, and they will sometimes have a minimum as well.  These are important factors to consider when you're picking a venue. 

Ok. I'm going to wrap this post up here for today! There are a few other things you should think about at the one year mark that I'll talk about in my next post!

XO, Val

Bridal Make-up

So when it comes to bridal make-up there are a few great tips I have learned. 

If you're having your makeup professionally done, they will know all of these tips, so sit back, relax, and let the experts do their job!

1. Unless you are a huge makeup addict (like myself) you will probably have to buy a lot of products to get good quality makeup for your wedding day.  If you feel like you won't be using them ever again, get your make-up professionally done.  Yes it may cost you $50, but buying all the products you will need will cost way more than that. 

2. This one may be obvious but it doesn't hurt.  WATERPROOF mascara and eyeliner. even if you don't cry and even if you aren't getting married in the summer, your eye makeup might still run.  Also, waterproof mascara will hold your curl all day long!

3. Prime your face! If you have never used a face primer a day in your life, your wedding day is a great day to start! (but use it for a few weeks before to make sure it's not going to break you out). Benefit POREfessional is a favorite of mine and many others for good reason!

4. Don't wear anything with an SPF in it!! Not your moisturizer, not your primer and not your foundation.  The titanium dioxide in SPF will give you a white flashback on your face in pictures when there is a flash.  A white face is not something you want in your wedding pictures.

5. If you're doing your own make-up on your wedding day, use what you know and what your face is used to. Don't try anything new. Your face might not like it, and we want your face to be happy on your wedding day! :)

6. This tip is the most important! LOOK LIKE YOURSELF ON YOUR WEDDING DAY! If you are someone who doesn't wear a lot of make-up, or doesn't wear makeup at all (LUCKY), any amount of makeup will look like a lot. No matter what, you want to look like a better version of yourself.  If you wear a lot of make-up daily (GUILTY), try to find a look that works for you, and amp it up just a little. ;)

7. Light, neutral pinks are your best friend. Red nails are my go to nail color for any time of the year, but it may not be right for your wedding. Try a classic french manicure, or a light pink.  I like ballet slipper and blushing bride from Essie. Also, consider getting a shellac manicure.  It'll last all through your wedding and honeymoon, it won't chip, and it dries instantly. The week of your wedding you're not going to have time to sit and wait for your nails to dry!

8. Lips. You're also going to want something pretty, pink and neutral.  Even if you're getting your makeup done, you will most-likey bring your own lipstick.  I think this color is known as a "the perfect wedding color" and for good reason.  Angel by Mac is such a gorgeous color and it goes with every skin tone.

9. When your makeup is perfect hurry up and spray your face with a setting spray! this will keep your face looking perfect all day long. You won't have to worry about reapplying or getting makeup on everyones clothes when you hug them. Mac fix+ is great to make you look FLAWLESS, and take away the powdery look.  Urban Decay All Nighter setting spray is basically hair spray for your face, so your makeup won't be going anywhere! 

I hope these tips were helpful! 

XO, Val