Vendors...Vendors...Vendors

Now is about the time that you are starting to think about your venue, florist, stationary, dresses, food, etc. It is important that you write down all your questions and what you want before you meet with anyone. There are some things that vendors won't tell you unless you ask, like does your reception site clean up after the wedding is over, or do you have to make your family and friends do that? Does your wedding site take care of food and flowers or must you hire someone off-site? Write down your budget, speak to whoever may be helping you and come up with a plan. Start your wedding binder, read wedding magazines, cut out pictures that you like and start categories in the binder to keep your thoughts organized. Have you started a wedding website yet? The Knot does a beautiful job and they are completely free, they give you reminders of what you need to get done, they have a payment tracker and you have full reign to create a website that is personal to you and your fiance.

In my case, my venue had to to my flowers, I was stuck in this illusion that they would be beautiful and I would be perfectly happy with them because the venue was gorgeous. Well, they were gorgeous but they cost me an arm and a leg for eight flowers....EIGHT! If I would've known that before I never would've ordered those flowers. If my coordinator would've communicated with me and told me for the price I would've got eight flowers, then I would have changed my floral direction. I urge you to ask a million questions, you will be happy you did so. Ask your florist to send you pictures of what they are going to create for you. I asked for no roses and received roses, so if there is something you don't want make sure the florist hears you, or better yet get it in writing.

If there's any advice I can pass along it is to ask questions, take your time, don't rush and make sure you get what you want.

Wedding Dress Madness

One of the first things you'll want to focus your energy on is your wedding dress. Depending on where you get this from it can take up to several months to get them in. If you have a short engagement, you need to get on the ball immediately. Think of what your style is, I'm sure by now you are surrounded by several wedding magazines and have started your wedding booklet of ideas. Do you prefer empire waist? A-line? Halter? Strapless? Mermaid? Princess? Think of your body type, your wedding dress should enhance how you look. If you are skinny and tall, think of a strapless, mermaid dress that can help create curves. Are you busty? Consider wearing a halter to keep the ladies in place. Are you curvy? Try an empire waist. You also need to think about materials, unless you are a size 0-2 I wouldn't go near satin, it hugs your body and will show every imperfection. Silk chiffon is a popular wedding dress material. What is your vision? Do you want a vintage, lacy dress with embellishments on the waist? Do you want a poofy dress covered in rosettes? Do you want a simple, straight down satin dress? The best thing to do is go to a wedding dress shop and start looking around, the faster you try on dresses the closer you'll get to the perfect one.


It took me four shops and probably 50 dresses to find the perfect wedding dress for me. I knew exactly what I wanted. I have a small chest so I wanted to enhance that, I initially started looking for v-neck dresses with a low back. But lo and behold I fell in love with a strapless dress covered in lace, the top has rouching and a gorgeous embellishment to tie it all together. My train is about five feet long, to me the perfect length. Sometimes what you think you may want is not what your body needs. And I promise you, you'll know when the dress is the one. You'll look at yourself in that mirror and picture yourself holding the hands of your fiance and tears will well up in your eyes. Please don't go wedding dress shopping alone, but also don't tote along your entire wedding party. Bring your mother, mother-in-law, sister or best friend to share in this special moment. You'll also know when the dress is "the ONE" when mom or your sister starts to cry.

Make sure when you go to try on dresses you tell them your budget, they will bring you pricey dresses unless you are firm about the amount of money you want to spend. Also ask them about purchasing the dress 'off the rack' that is what I did and I got a designer dress for much less. Another thing, don't forget to take your dress in to get altered. This is YOUR wedding dress, it should fit you perfectly. I altered my dress from a straight across strapless to a sweetheart cut and it makes a world of difference. I also thought my dress fit great until the alterations lady said I needed it taken in by two inches on each side!

Consider your veil as well, I chose to use my veil as my "something old" it is my mom's veil she wore in her wedding. It perfectly complimented my vintage, lacy dress. Do you want a cathedral veil (which is longer than your dress), a birdcage veil, a cover veil (which covers your face), a classic veil which comes to about the end of your arms. Your hairstyle should also come in to play with your veil, will it be an up-do and the veil is tucked underneath, or put above? Will you use a tiara, headband or flowers in your hair?

You will be thrown a million opinions every which way for every decision you will make with your wedding. Take them with a grain of salt, you do not have to wear your grandmothers dress, you do not have to wear your Aunt Ida's black pearl necklace, you don't have to listen to your dad who wants to wear his high school prom light blue suit to walk you down the aisle. Simply smile and nod, then make the decision you and your fiance care most about.

Engagement Party

Now that you are starting to float down to reality after your ascent to cloud 9, an engagement party may be on the horizon. It is customary for someone else to throw your engagement party but you certainly can do this or be involved. I was lucky and had a surprise engagement party so I didn't have to plan a thing :) But if you aren't in that boat, take the party on as a simple celebration. I would recommend saving your pennies for the BIG day. Have an intimate gathering of close friends and family, serve the bubbly for toasting and finger foods to keep it light. This celebration is a great time to ask your sister or best friend to be your maid/matron of honor and for your hubby-to-be to ask his brother or best friend to be his best-man on the big day. For goodness sakes, let your soon-to-be-in-laws smother you...this is the beginning of a long relationship with them, now that you are getting hitched to their son, so get used to the attention. You will be asked 101 questions about your plan so get ready to answer away. In no way do you have to give away all your secrets, especially if your family will give you a hard time, criticize or give you opinions you don't necessarily want. Be courteous, smile and say that you have started purchasing wedding magazines to get the ideas flowing. Enjoy this party because your bridal stress and time-line is about to kick in full throttle.

Cloud Nine

Now that you are officially engaged, you must be floating on cloud nine! This is a very impulsive, vulnerable, exciting time and uber important you don't make any hasty decisions...like asking random friends to be bridesmaids on a whim. You have every right to be over the moon and shout your excitement from the rooftops but, you don't want to make any promises you can't keep. Once you ask your third grade BFF to be a bridesmaid or promise your old neighbor they can make a toast...you can't take those back. Well, you can but it won't be nice or pretty and everyone will start calling you bridezilla- a bride's worst nightmare. So keep your cool, as much as you want EVERYONE to take part in your magical day, you've dreamed of since you were old enough to put on your mom's pearls and peep toe heels...keep your impulses to yourself. Smile, say thank you and show off that ring!

Xoxo Lo

Engaged! Congratulations!

Hooray you are engaged! This part is quintessential to keeping your cool throughout the wedding planning process. Try to repeat your proposal story over and over again until you've memorized every detail down to the T. When your spouse-to-be starts driving you crazy, or the wedding planning starts overwhelming you, repeat this story to remind yourself why you're getting married again :) Try to soak up this short moment of being a newly engaged couple as long as possible. I remember not wanting to let go of that memory, I even got a little bit of the wedding blues. Like every other girl who spends hours dreaming about the man she'll marry and how he'll propose...my moment of that proposal had finally come...and gone. But I had to quickly remind myself about all the excitement, happiness and fun that was lying ahead. So go ahead...take a long gander at that beautiful ring, close your eyes and walk down memory lane of your proposal story, one more time.

Xoxo Lo