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| Our flowers...English Garden Roses and Peonies |
I’ve been toying with the idea of doing a wedding planning
post series, for all the budding brides out there. We’re just about three
months away from our 1 year anniversary, so doing a series like this just felt
right.
Kind of like the guy I married.
Funny how that works.
I call the first part of the process the “Big Three”. The
“Big Three” is composed of three important decisions: The ceremony venue, the
reception venue and the dress. Things book up fast, so you’ll want to nab your
favorite locales pronto!
The Wedding Venue
For us, the decision on where we wanted the ceremony was easy.
Our church is stunning and grand, the type of venue we were seeking. The
architecture, the stained glass, the multi-level stage and alter…it truly is
one of the prettiest churches in Northwest Arkansas. Stephen and I are both
traditionalists and we always wanted to get married in a church. (Maybe we’re
old fashioned, but for us, this was the best option.) And since we were members
at Central United Methodist, it just made sense.
I suppose choosing an officiant could also fall into this
category, but since we love our pastor, it was a no-brainer.
A few tips for
choosing a ceremony venue
When deciding on your wedding venue, be sure to ask the
venue coordinator (even if it is a church) the following:
- Will we be allowed to set up the day before and take down the day after?
- Do you allow real petals to be tossed onto the aisle?
- What is the seating capacity?
- Will there be someone to operate sound/lighting/etc.? (Most churches provide this.)
- Will our musicians be able to utilize the instruments at the venue? (Piano, etc.)
- Are there rooms for the bridal party to change and get ready prior to the ceremony?
- Do you allow real candles?
Secondly, grab a reception hall. For me, I wanted something
that could be decorated beautifully, but that was equally impressive on it’s
own accord. We both also wanted somewhere that reflected the Southern theme of
the wedding.
We had looked at a ton of reception venues, but none really
knocked our socks off. Until we ventured over to Springdale Country Club. It
has a richly Southern feel and exquisite lighting, (another mucho important
component for this bride!) The ceilings were really tall and there was plenty
of room for guests to dance, drink and eat, as well as a second ballroom for
quiet sitting in front of the floor to ceiling fireplace.
Sold!
A few tips for
choosing a reception venue
- Does the venue require you use their caterer?
- How much of a deposit is required to secure the venue? (Most require about 25%.)
- Does your venue allow adult beverages? Do you provide a bartender?
- Do you allow the use of real candles?
- What is the maximum capacity of the venue?
- Will the set-up and tear down of tables, food service, etc. be executed by a staff?
- Does your staff conduct the clean up?
- Does the venue have adequate space for a dance floor and D.J.?
- How far from the site of the wedding is the reception venue? (According to many of the magazines we looked at, 30 minutes is the maximum time you should require guests to drive.)
The Dress
Surprisingly, the easiest part of the process was deciding
on a dress. I knew I wanted something that hugged my waistline and created a
nice, form-fitting silhouette. I think ball gowns are beautiful, but I’m pretty
petite and knew that I needed something more body-con. After all, you wear the
dress. Not the other way around. I also loved the one-shoulder look and wanted
something with a little bit of sparkly detail.
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| Full length view of the dress : ) Can you spot the bride in Stephen's massive family? Haha |
The dress I ended up buying was actually the first one I
tried on. Of course I tried on a few others too, just to make sure, but in the
end, I knew it was the right dress for me.
A few tips for
choosing a dress
When deciding on your wedding, remember the following:
- Does it make you look like the best version of yourself?
- Is it slimming, particularly around the waistline? You’ll like your pics thismuchmore if you like your waist…promise.
- Does the dress need to be ordered from the design house? If so, how long will it take? (This is the case 80% of the time. It took a month for mine to come in, which is really pretty good.)
- What style and theme of wedding will you have? Our “theme” was Southern Chic, so a form fitting yet classic dress fit well.
- Where are you getting married? 55 lb. Ball gown + Sandy Beach = Potential Disaster. Pick your dress according to where you plan to wed.
Do you LOVE it? I know you love it, but do you LOVE it?
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Next time, we’ll cover cake, bridesmaids and photographer.
Until then, hang tight, you lovely blushing brides!
Be blessed, lovelies-
