I am SO excited to introduce our December Southern Bride of the Month to y’all. In addition to being one of our sweetest and most active readers, Madi (fun fact!) was almost our 2012 summer intern! Circumstances kept her in Texas, but we’ve enjoyed keeping up with her ever since, and are so excited about her upcoming wedding (January!), and the chance for y’all to get to know her a bit better today. Let’s begin!

Hi! What’s your name?
Madi Reid (on Twitter)

What’s your fiancé’s name?
Bret Sanders

Amanda Marie Photography

How did the two of you meet? Tell us your story.
We have been together for three years now but it always feels like longer because of our long-standing friendship. Bret and I were long time family-friends. It’s actually kind of a crazy web of connections, but simply put, Bret’s aunt and uncle are my parent’s best friends.

We grew up in a close-knit community and went to high school together; Bret was two years ahead of me in school but at the time we were just great friends! We both dated other people and never considered there might be something in store for us. Bret went to school at the University of Missouri-Columbia and two years later I headed South to Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, Texas. We had stayed in good contact throughout this time and much to my surprise, Bret began his pursuit of me from afar. In 2009, my freshman year at TCU, he asked me to join him on a date back home over that Thanksgiving break. I was kind of hesitant and actually declined his offer! Bless his heart! We laugh about this now because I was a little stubborn in the beginning. That next month, Bret asked once again and this time I took him up on dinner and a movie. We had so much fun and everything seemed so easy and natural. We have been together ever since!

Amanda Marie Photography

Now tell us alllll about the proposal.
I was supposed to be doing a photo shoot with my friend Amanda (She is also my wedding photographer!). It was a rainy evening and we went down to an old train station in downtown Fort Worth. We walked in, and I was expecting to see another girlfriend of mine, Annie, there to help with the shoot as well. I didn’t see her anywhere, and things began to seem a little bizarre. Amanda began rambling about how neat the building was. As I searched around for Annie, I noticed a man standing up from a bench across the room. I recognized his walk, and his build. When I heard him say, “Hello beautiful!” it hit me that it was Bret. Y’all, this is where you have to laugh, because instead of a swept-off-my-feet-by-his-sweetness reaction, the first thing I said to him was, “What are you doing here?!” Poor thing! I was so confused!

Bret was not supposed to be in town until the following day to celebrate my birthday, so I was not expecting him at that moment. He took me into his arms and I felt his heart beating faster and faster. Though I was in shock, it all started to sink in. After saying the kindest words and bringing tears to my eyes (and his own!) Bret got down on one knee and asked for me to be his wife. The best part? Amanda snapped pictures of the entire thing! Sneaky, sneaky!

Amanda Marie Photography

When’s the big day?
January 12, 2013 — It’s coming up so quick! Bret and I are definitely lovers of the summer season, and we had always envisioned exchanging nuptials in the warmer months. However, Bret had the itch to propose pretty early in October of 2011, and I still had a year of school 600 miles away. We didn’t want to have a 20 month engagement just for the sake of a summer wedding, so we set the date for the soonest we could following my graduation. I was not the biggest fan of this decision in the beginning, but once we got going on the plans I fell in love with the idea of a celebration in the winter!

Where might you two be tying the knot?
Our hometown of Liberty, Missouri! It is quaint with a strong sense of community while still being just 20 minutes north of some incredible venues in downtown Kansas City. There was no other place more perfect than the place we were raised!

Madi’s inspiration board. Fun fact – I designed it! Madi wrote into our “Ask the Experts” series last January and we put together three posts helping her bring Southern warmth to the winter months!

How did you pick your ceremony venue? What do you love most about it?
When we knew a winter wedding was in the works we had to start looking at indoor venues. The ceremony site was a quick decision. Bret and I will exchange vows at his family’s home church, Liberty Christian Church. This spot is very dear to both of us as it is where we first met back in junior high youth group and where we were both baptized. It is so neat to us that both of these big steps in our walks with the Lord will be taking place under the same roof! And how about those stained glass windows! I love!

Main Street Studios

Tell us a little bit about the wedding you’re planning: style, theme, feel, colors?
I have adopted the term “Rustic meets Romance” throughout our planning process. Still, I want a very classic style, so the rustic elements are minor. We also have a strong Southern theme going with the use of cotton as a floral element and burlap runners on our tables. More than anything, I want the warmth and feeling of Southern hospitality to be the biggest takeaway for our guests… no matter what the temperatures are outdoors!

Burlap reception details (Kristyn Hogan via Southern Weddings) and cotton boutonnieres (Melissa Schollaert via Southern Weddings)

Who or what has been most helpful and/or inspiring in the wedding planning process?
I am a wedding blog nut… and always have been! Southern Weddings has stood as my first daily blog visit for the past four years! I can’t get enough! The “Emily Plans a Wedding” has also been beyond helpful! Thank you, Em!

Bret and I also seem to have been to a wedding just about everywhere in this past year… 8 total! I have taken many photos and mental notes throughout this exciting season of life to use for our big day.

How have you involved your “community” (friends, family, etc.) in the wedding planning process?
I don’t know what I would have done without my mom during this time. She is truly amazing! I’m planning from states away, and I know that without her, none of my plans would be executed! She has been so gracious to give of her time in order to help Bret and I have such a special day.

Has your vision for your wedding changed or evolved over the course of your engagement? If so, how?
It’s so funny how when you begin the planning process, the ideas you once had change considerably. When I first envisioned my wedding, I pictured a summer’s eve, an old wooden barn and bright florals, boots and bow ties, fireflies and moonlight. When thinking of when and where we would wed, it seemed like a celebration outdoors was the only option! (Maybe it is because all of the beautiful outdoor ceremonies I had swooned over on Southern Weddings!) Even as a church-goin’ girl, I just never considered exchanging vows in a church. When BRS proposed in October, with my graduation date set for December of the next year, we knew our dream of a summer wedding just was not in the cards. No way did we want to embark on a 20 MONTH engagement! Summer of 2013 quickly turned into January 2013. Kansas City winters bring quite the chill and snow fall is no surprise ‘round those parts, so a winter wedding date meant no outdoor venue.

Unknown

What part of wedding planning, if any, has made you the most anxious?
I am very Type-A and as an aspiring wedding and event coordinator I have worked on the other side of many weddings. This sounds so ridiculous, but what has made me the most anxious is the feeling that something will not go according to plan. And from all I’ve learned, not everything will go according to plan! This day will definitely be a test of my patience, but I will be sending up many prayers that I will give up all control to the Lord on that day. No matter what goes off-kilter, I will still be Bret’s wife when it’s all said and done!

What wedding-related decision have you been the most indecisive on?
Haha! Let me start by saying I’m glad the decision was finally made. I asked Bret if there was anything in particular that he was adamant about having a say in. He said food (of course!) and what the gents would wear. I gave a big sigh of relief when he wanted to tackle these two items, because in all honesty, he is better in the kitchen than I am, so I trust his judgment on our reception meal. Also, it was my thought that guys really had limited options as far as what they wear for their wedding. This black tux or this black tux… right?

Wrong. Bret, showing his most stubborn side, refused to wear a traditional black tux. He didn’t want to be “boring” or do “what everyone else does”. (His words, not mine!) He also believes that renting a tux never results in a good fit for every guy, and with our budget, buying the tuxes was out of the question. We seemed to be at a crossroads. When it came down to it, though, I wanted for Bret to feel as though his voice was heard on this topic, and I wanted him to have the freedom to choose his attire for the day just as I had been able to. Together, we proceeded to throw around the idea of charcoal gray or navy suits instead… and we threw it around for a period of 3 months. Three months!!! Navy eventually emerged as our final decision. Bret was thrilled, and I was just thrilled to be finished with that decision!

Handsome groom and groomsmen in navy (Sean Curtin Photography)

Tell us about the one that got away. Is there one dream thing or vendor you wish you could have fit into your budget?
This will probably sound so crazy (and this just shows you how blessed I’ve been to be able to have most everything we’ve wanted) but I still wish we could rent chivari chairs or even wooden folding chairs! Our venue comes with a basic black chair which is fine… but I think everything could look much more polished with some wooden or bamboo chairs! How silly is that?

One major budget bonus that Madi was lucky to get – custom-designed invitations by Paperfinger for FREE! (Shown above, though with a different backer!) Read the whole story here!

Have you picked your dress yet? How’d that go? What will you be wearing on the big day?
I found my gown very early on, and that is one detail that has remained a secret! I am very open about my planning process through my blog and in conversations with friends, but that is one thing I really wanted to save as a surprise for the day. I can tell you that I love it! It’s very classic and perfect for me!

One very important accessory I am so excited for is my veil! I fell in love with Katharine’s cathedral length veil with lace detail when I first saw it a couple years back. My very talented aunt offered to make this accessory for me, so we have gathered pictures for inspiration and set our hearts on recreating something similar to what Katharine wore. We are using a gorgeous ivory vintage French lace. I am giddy!

The inspiration, Katharine’s veil. (A Bryan Photo via Southern Weddings)

What do you love most about Southern weddings?
There is just a raw feeling of intimacy in a Southern wedding even if your guest count is 200+! Maybe it’s the strong ties to tradition, or the warmth of Southern hospitality. Maybe it’s the love between a Southern bride and groom and the blessing they received from their parents to join their lives together. Whatever it is, it’ll steal your heart and you won’t look at a wedding, or more importantly a marriage, the same again.

Tell us about planning with your fiancé. Has it gone smoothly? Is he more involved, or hands-off?
He has definitely been more hands-off, but only because he is focused on work and also doing a full renovation on our first home! He and his brother own a business where they buy homes and renovate them to rent them out. They came across a home for us, and Bret has been hard at work preparing it for our move-in just after the wedding.

What do you wish you would have known at the beginning of your engagement?
Engagement isn’t always a blissful time. It has actually been a much harder time for Bret and I than we imagined… but at the same time, it’s been good for us. It has challenged us to be real with one another and pushed us to look past the silly arguments about the guest list or the food selections and remember why we fell in love in the first place.

Amanda Marie Photography

What are you most looking forward to on your wedding day?
The ceremony… hands down! We are both very emotional, but not the kind of emotional that’s scared to be emotional, if that makes sense? Bret and I are both really excited to exchange our vows, sweet words and make that commitment to one another in front of the Lord, our families and dearest friends. I can’t help but think those moments will be so surreal and magical!

Any advice you’d like to pass along to fellow brides?
Put the most focus on preparing your relationship for marriage, not preparing yourselves for a wedding. (This is advice I probably needed to take many times throughout our planning instead of getting so caught up in the design and details of that one day.)

Oh! But on the planning front, create an email address specifically for wedding related communication. Use this email address for all contact with vendors and anyone involved in the planning process. There were too many times information would get lost among all of my school and work emails… I wish I would have heard this piece of advice earlier on! I hope future brides can put this one to use!

Now it’s your turn to ask for advice – is there anything you’d like to poll the SW readers on?
My biggest hope is that I am able to soak in each moment on the wedding day. Any suggestions on how to make the most of every moment and not get caught up in the schedule of the day or rushing through the moments? Thanks y’all!

Thank you so much for joining us today, Madi! It has truly been a pleasure. Readers, if you’d like to apply to be a Southern Bride of the Month, check out this post for all the details! If you’ve already emailed me, you’re still in the running for future months!

Melissa Schollaert is a fabulous member of our Blue Ribbon Vendor Directory!

Well, belles, here we are! Two days away from my wedding. John and I are both in Connecticut with our parents, and the weather looks beautiful for this weekend (praise the Lord!). Our siblings are set to arrive tomorrow, and the rest of our guests will follow on Friday. I am ready — we are ready. The projects are done, the vows are written, the welcome bags are ready to be delivered, our amazing vendors all have their instructions, and the tent is going up soon. Would you like to take a walk through the past year of planning with me, for old time’s sake?

On June 25, 2011, on a little beach on the Crystal Coast of North Carolina, John and I were engaged! A fun staff meeting followed when I whipped my newly-bedazzled hand out from under the table midway through updates :)

Once I was ready to chat all things wedding, I thought it best to introduce you to the main characters first! Later, you got an up close and personal look when we shared our engagement photos by Gina Zeidler.

We started with the most basic building blocks: where and when we were getting married.

Personal photo

Next, I reported on my first two dress shopping experiences: in South Carolina and Connecticut. Hint: I didn’t buy any of the dresses I tried on in either of these trips, but my wedding gown DOES make an appearance in that post! :)

Personal photos

Later, I talked about my accessories and hair and makeup inspiration. We also can’t forget about the gents! John got a post all to himself, chatting about classic tuxedos.

A Bryan Photo

We also discussed bridesmaid dresses — one of the most challenging parts of wedding planning for me! We eventually decided on long and charcoal gray. I know my gals will look lovely!

One of the most important decisions to me was our photographer, and I was so excited to introduce you to Tanja Lippert. I can’t wait to meet her in just a few days!

Not long after securing Tanja we booked Inkspot Crow Films, a duo I am equally as excited about working with!

My love for mini food is well-documented, and it will, of course, make an appearance at our wedding. We discussed cake and sweets, too!

Mini chicken and waffles by Cru Catering via Southern Weddings (photo by A Bryan Photo)

We talked tents (SO excited to see those Sperry flags waving!). Y’all don’t even KNOW how thrilled I am to see the weather forecast for this weekend!! (Okay, maybe those of you also planning outdoor weddings do!) We also talked about different music options, and I introduced you to our band.

Photo by Cramer Photo

I adore our florist, and loved telling you about our bouquets and reception florals almost as much as I loved picking out the perfect shade of ribbon for my bouquet wrap.

Photos by Stephanie Williams and Thayer Gowdy

I told you about a few of the DIY projects I’ve been working on, and we discussed nitty-gritty details like timelines and day-of coordinators and our registry.

I am an acknowledged paperaholic, so it was with great pride and excitement that I unveiled our save the dates and wedding invitations. Minted, Magpie Paper Works, and MM Ink all did me proud!

Personal photo

Last but certainly not least, I loved sharing my thoughts on our ceremony (in two posts – here + here). Of all the things I am excited about for our wedding day, saying our vows has got to be at the top!

Personal photo

After today, I will be signing off SW duties for the remainder of the week and our minimoon next week (more about that soon!). You’ll see a (non-wedding-related) post from me on Friday, but rest assured it was written earlier this week! :)

Before I sign off as a Miss, however, there are a few thank yous I need to hand out.

First, to the darling vendors I get to work with every day: Y’all, I can’t tell you how many photographers, planners, florists, stationers, and cake bakers have taken time of out their busy days to offer a tip, to answer one of my questions, to volunteer their expertise, or to just be excited with me! It’s amazing how many people even remember I’m getting married, let alone take the time to offer a sweet note of encouragement. I love y’all!

Second, to you lovely readers: It has been one of the greatest joys of my engagement to plan alongside y’all, to see your excitement over our choices, to get your feedback on decisions we were weighing, and to learn alongside you. Sharing this experience has made it that much sweeter!

Finally, to my beyond-fabulous Southern Weddings ladies: You guys are the best. Seriously. For being overjoyed and excited from the first news of my ring, and through the end, oh-so-understanding. For letting me work from New England for three weeks this summer (which made long-distance wedding planning much easier!). For throwing me the fanciest bridal shower known to (wo)man. I can’t thank you enough! Lara, Marissa, Nicole, Kristin, Whitney, Sierra, and interns Melissa, Caitlin, Anna, Emily Alice, and Alexia (because all of them worked at SW at some point during my engagement!), I will be carrying your best wishes with me on my wedding day! Love y’all!!

Y’all know I’ll be back after the big day to recap and share! In the meantime, feel free to offer your best last-minute pieces of wedding day advice in the comments!!

Inkspot Crow Films, Cru Catering, and MM Ink are all fabulous members of our Blue Ribbon Vendor Directory!

Friends, I struggled with today’s Emily Plans a Wedding post! I knew since the beginning that I wanted to post about DIY projects, but the closer the wedding has gotten, the less I’ve wanted to reveal. Not because I want to keep y’all in the dark, so much; more because I know many of my family members and friends — those who will be attending the wedding! — are Southern Weddings readers, too, and I want as much as possible to be a delightful surprise for them on the big day.

Because why do we have “details” at our weddings? Because they look pretty? Well, yes, but for me, it’s more than that — by looking pretty, details act as cues to let guests know, Hey! This is a special occasion! This commitment and this day is so important to us that we’ve taken the time, energy, thought, and, yes, money, to make it a night to remember! We are so happy you’re here, and we care enough about you to want to make it a special and memorable occasion! YAHOO! Details should also say something about the couple whose wedding is being celebrated — who they are, what’s important to them, what they find beautiful. Maybe that sounds a little farfetched or lofty, but we are the home of the Sweet Tea Society — we think about these things!

Cheese cart by Calder Clark Designs (photo by A Bryan Photo via Southern Weddings) and band backdrop via Ritzy Bee’s instagram feed

John and I have tried to keep all of this in mind throughout the planning process, and today, I wanted to offer a few tips to y’all. A few stories from the last several months are sprinkled in, as well!

1. Decide what projects are most important to you, and focus on them. My definition of “project” — and “DIY,” for that matter — is pretty broad. Not the crafty type? Then by all means, purchase from Etsy or leave it to your vendors! Even if you could care less about what your cake topper looks like, I know there’s something that matters to you, and I bet there’s a project tucked somewhere in there. Is showing your guests amazing hospitality your highest priority? Then collect a stash of you and your fiance’s favorite treats and make the best. welcome. bags. ever. Focused on the ceremony? Craft it with your officiant, or focus on writing personal vows. Love beautiful bouquets? Spend time searching for the prettiest ribbon.

Now for you crafty types who want to take it all on, my best advice is to edit. Sure, I can appreciate all sorts of real weddings and all sorts of clever ideas, but when it really comes down to it, there are very few details that are really a perfect fit for who John and I are and the type of celebration we’re planning. Be ruthless about what is a good fit and what is not, and which projects ultimately get added to your to do list.

Chalkboard menu by Simplesong Design (photo by Kate Headley) and poppers photo by Katie Stoops via Southern Weddings

2. Start as early as possible. We’re in the last few weeks before our wedding day, and those first heady months of engagement seem a long ways away. This tip is a reminder to me, as well, though there’s not much I can do about it now! I tried so hard to check projects off early — and did succeed in getting a few complete — but there’s only so much you can do without knowing all the details of your wedding day, or your guest count. That being said, try to do as much as possible as early as possible.

3. Set a schedule — and a cut-off date. Once you’ve figured out your tentative list of projects, group them in a tentative order — i.e. designing your ceremony programs will have to be near the end, but perhaps making table numbers could be closer to the beginning. Then, build each project into your schedule. Assign each a month. Unless you are SUPER disciplined, know that some projects will just not happen in the month they’re assigned to – I’m still working on projects I thought would be finished in July! And that’s where the second part comes in — set a cut-off date. I don’t care if it’s a month before your wedding or 24 hours before your wedding, but give yourself a little breathing room — and a little grace — to say, I’ve done all I can do, and now I’m going to enjoy it.

Wine bottle photo by Amy Arrington and flowers photo by Lisa Lefkowitz

4. Think ahead and be as efficient as possible. This goes for time AND money. When I’m planning a trip to JoAnn or Michael’s, I look at my project list and try to see if there are any upcoming project needs I can purchase for at the same time (helpful to avoid stopping at a craft store four times a week… not that that’s ever happened to me). Likewise, if I know I’ll be placing an order with an online retailer like Paper Presentation or UPrinting, I try to look ahead to see if there’s anything else I might need from them down the road. You can usually save on shipping that way (or qualify for free shipping!), and sometimes there are even discounts for placing an order over a certain amount.

5. If money is an issue, be realistic about the true cost of DIY. I know handmade items can sometimes look expensive (especially when you start thinking, I could do that!), but when you’re knee-deep in glitter, going on DIY hour three, and starting over on your fourteenth reception sign, that Etsy offering might start to look mighty reasonable. Yes, you can usually buy supplies for cheap, but you usually have to buy in bulk to get a good price. If you’re not the type of person to use the remaining five pounds of feathers after you’ve extracted the two you need for a hair flower, is that really money saved?

Rice toss packets from Martha Stewart Weddings and welcome bag photo by Jen Huang

6. Likewise, be realistic about your expectations — and taste level. Y’all have probably heard me say I have champagne taste on a beer budget, and I’m sure the same goes for many of you. We see beautiful photos every day, and it can be extremely frustrating to finish a project, and have it fall short of our expectations. If you’re going for a homemade look, this can work out wonderfully! If you’re going for a high-end look, though, be realistic about what you will be able to achieve with minimal skill. For example, I did the calligraphy on our invitation envelopes, but I went with a pro — Moya Minns — for our names on the invitation itself. I knew I would never be able to achieve the look I was after by myself, and that was a place where perfection really mattered to me. The envelopes? Eh, I was happy with what I was able to cobble together.

7. Know when to let go. Once upon a time I thought it would be a brilliant idea to make a crepe paper hair flower for each of the female guests at our wedding. Did this fit with the vibe we were going for? No, not really. Was I able to make a few beautiful hair flowers? Yes, absolutely. I even had a crafting night with a friend, and over two hours, we made about 15 flowers. At the end of our crafting session, though, I wasn’t even that excited. I realized that even though I could persevere and fol 45 more flowers, I didn’t really want to — and sometimes, that’s enough of a reason to stop. Luckily, I was able to repurpose the materials elsewhere!

Cocktail sign photo by Jose Villa and floral letter photo by Matt Blum

8. Accept help when possible. This is a tough one for me, y’all! I am a perfectionist when it comes to projects, and I am totally guilty of the “I’ll-just-do-it-myself-because-it-will-take-longer-to-explain-to-and-supervise-someone-else” mentality. But you know, people really do want to help, and in many cases, many hands really do make light work. If you break down your projects step by step, you’ll probably find that there are parts even non-crafty types can help with. Over the last few months, my Mom and John’s sister have cut ribbon (they were both very accurate!), and John himself has stuffed, licked, and stamped envelopes. I’m saving a few projects specifically to do with my family the week before our wedding that I know will go quick assembly-line style.

I hope these tips don’t come off as discouraging, because I am a HUGE advocate of DIY projects! Obviously — my list of projects for this wedding includes but is not limited to boutonnieres, our wedding website, our menu board, welcome bags, invitation calligraphy, our vows, our slideshow, reception desserts, our marriage certificate, our guest book, favors, ceremony programs, and about eight billion pieces of signage. I think DIY projects can make a wedding so personal and heartfelt and unique, and I absolutely encourage you to take a few on. Hopefully, with a little patience and planning, it will be a positive experience for everyone!

Now tell me: Would you consider yourself a DIY bride? What projects are you taking on for your wedding?

In case you missed a post…
The main characters | Where we’re getting married | I go dress shopping | We choose a photographer | I ponder bridesmaid style | Mini food! | The music | We’re renting a tent! | We discuss bouquets + boutonnieres | We send out our save the dates | I gather hair and makeup inspiration | We talk cake and sweets | I introduce you to our videographer | We create a registry | We buy a tuxedo | We style a reception | I choose accessories | We take engagement photos! | We plan our ceremony | We discuss ceremony music and readings | We firm up wedding day details | We send out invitations

Amy Arrington, Jose Villa, and Katie Stoops are fabulous members of our Blue Ribbon Vendor Directory!

Friends, if there is one thing you know about me, it’s that I love paper. Love it! One of the highlights of my professional career has been covering the National Stationery Show three times for y’all, and invitation samples are always placed on my desk in the office. So I’m sure it will come as no surprise to anyone that I was thinking about our wedding invitations from Day One!

Actually, I suppose you could say I was thinking about our wedding invitations from Day One minus three years, because 2009 is when I fell in love with this invitation, a collaboration between I Am Always Hungry, Birdie Birdie, and Battery.

My friend Emily Ley had warned me that this sort of invitation (particularly its light type on dark stock, which is nearly impossible to achieve with letterpress) would be very difficult to produce, so even though I dabble in graphic design, I knew that I would be enlisting professional help with this project.

But which one? Throughout my time at Southern Weddings I’ve had the great privilege of working with so many talented paper artisans (for lack of a better term!), but two immediately stuck out in my mind as being a perfect fit for my and John’s style. The first was Jess from Magpie Paper Works, who I worked with on the Williamsburg shoot from V4. Jess created the custom wine labels and coasters, and even though it was a fairly small project, her cheerfulness, passion, and classic-with-a-twist style shone through.

Let me tell y’all, I am SO happy I chose to work with Jess! She took my inspiration and delivered a final product that was more than I could have hoped for. Before I reveal our final invites, I thought it might be fun to see Jess’s first sketches and brainstorming board:

So fun, right? Once Jess had fleshed out our design, it was time to bring in the second artisan I mentioned above. Y’all, I cannot say enough good things about Moya Minns of MM Ink. She has worked on countless SW projects, from the very first photo shoot I ever contributed to, to the Williamsburg shoot, to our first Fearrington shoot, to one of our cover finalists from V3. Her work is classically beautiful, but always with a little surprise twist. I love it so, so much.

But enough chatter – let’s get to the real thing! Our invite, like my inspiration invite, was a trifold, and this is what guests saw when they pulled it out of the envelope:

Jess hand-drew the little heart and the vine/boxwood pattern. Amazing!

Open the next flap, and you’ll see this:

Oh my goodness, y’all, that boxwood wreath (with the little heart worked in!!) combined with Moya’s calligraphy monogram? Be still my heart.

Let’s take a closer look at that inner flap…

Why, it’s a verse from one of our ceremony reading possibilities!

At 9×18 inches when fully unfolded, our invitation certainly makes an impact. I can’t wait to frame this beauty and hang it in our home!

Here’s a closer look at Moya’s amazing handiwork. I told her I was particularly a fan of her “Lola” and “Burgues” styles, and she kindly combined elements from both just for me. It only took her one try to knock it out of the park!

Here’s the whole suite together:

Though it doesn’t hold a candle to Moya’s work, I was pretty pleased with how my envelope addressing turned out. It sure gave me a renewed appreciation for professional calligraphers, though!

So there you have it, friends! A look at our invites, which set the scene for our upcoming big day. I sure hope the actual celebration lives up to this teaser! :)

Next time: A peek at a few of the DIY projects I’ve been working on!

In case you missed a post…
The main characters | Where we’re getting married | I go dress shopping | We choose a photographer | I ponder bridesmaid style | Mini food! | The music | We’re renting a tent! | We discuss bouquets + boutonnieres | We send out our save the dates | I gather hair and makeup inspiration | We talk cake and sweets | I introduce you to our videographer | We create a registry | We buy a tuxedo | We style a reception | I choose accessories | We take engagement photos! | We plan our ceremony | We discuss ceremony music and readings | We firm up wedding day details

Moya Minns is a fabulous member of our Blue Ribbon Vendor Directory!

Hi, friends! As some of you may know, John’s sister is getting married this weekend!! (Whoo!) There’s much excitement in the air, as well as a flurry of last-minute details (though thankfully, everything is well-organized and under control!). All the buzz has made me think about the flow on my and John’s actual wedding day, and so today, I thought I’d lump a few topics under one post: portraits, timeline, first look, and day-of coordinator. I know some of y’all have had questions about the decisions we’ve made in these areas, so I hope this post is helpful!

Let’s talk timeline first. My best recommendation? Start this early, and add times and details as you confirm them throughout your engagement. I probably made version 1.0 of our timeline eight months ago. It’s since changed many times, and it’s not finalized yet, but it helps to have at least a skeleton of a schedule to refer to when you’re making decisions. Start with the most basic building blocks: When do you have to vacate your venue? When does your ceremony begin? Your vendors will likely help you out as you begin to fill in the details – i.e. your photographer should let you know how long she or he needs for portraits, your hair and makeup people should let you know how long it will take them to prettify the list you provide. If they don’t offer this info, ask! As in most things, never assume you’re on the same page about how things will run – always confirm. One more tip? ALWAYS over estimate how long things will take, especially moving groups of people from one place to another.

Our timeline for September 15 starts at 8:30am, which is when my Mom, sisters, and I will leave our house and head to the hotel where we’ll get ready. From 9:30am to 1pm Tia will be working her hair and makeup magic on my, my bridesmaids, and my Mom. I plan to write more about this part of the morning in a future Emily Plans a Wedding post, so we’ll leave it at that for now! Here’s a peek at the beginnings of our timeline – just a simple Word doc!

At 1:45, I, my bridesmaids, and my immediate family members will have arrived at our portrait location. We’ll cycle through a variety of different groupings while we await the rest of our party. At 2:15, John, his gents, and the rest of his immediate family will have arrived at our portrait location. At this point, we’ll set up our first look.

I use the term “set up” loosely, as I am really not a fan of the elaborately staged first look. In fact, the only thing I really care about is that it is as private as possible. Of course, our photographers (2) and videographers (2) will be in the vicinity, but other than that, we’d like it to be as private as possible. (I know some folks have their bridal parties or families in on the action, and truly, I don’t really care if they’re watching as long as I don’t know they’re watching.) I also really don’t like the whole “tapping on the shoulder” thing, so, depending on what Tanja thinks, we’ll probably just have John waiting, facing the direction I’ll be approaching from, and I’ll walk around the corner towards him. I might start running :)

He & She Photography

Why did we choose to do a first look? The decision was largely based on logistics. We have large families, and we wanted to make sure we had enough time to get all of the important groupings in good light, with minimal stress, and without cramping Tanja’s style. Also? As I’ve mentioned before, I know John is going to be pretty darn nervous on the morning of our wedding, and I think it would be best to vent at least a little of the emotion pre-ceremony so that we can both be present and enjoy it once we’re in the church. It’s not the right choice for everyone, but I believe it is for us!

Before we continue with the timeline, I’d like to mention a brief aside about large group portraits. They’re kind of my thing. As you may recall, a knack for effortless, natural posing was one of my top three critera when it came to choosing our photographer. I love to pin favorite portraits, and some of the photos from my sister’s wedding are some of my lifetime favorites. Because really, though I love the details as much as anyone else, the portraits are what you’ll treasure for the rest of your life, am I right? On that note, here are a few of my favorites:

From top to bottom: Jessica Monnich, Adam Barnes, Tanja Lippert, Adam Barnes

Clearly Tanja is a master at this stuff, so I have no doubt we’ll get exactly what we want. If you’re concerned about your photographer and/or your family members being comfortable with something like this, here are my two best tips: squeeze in much closer than you think is necessary, and make sure people are touching at different points and in different ways – a hand on an elbow there, an interlocked arm there. For more, I really enjoyed this post on relaxed family portraits by photographer Caroline Joy.

But back to the timeline! We’ve allotted an hour for family portraits, and with travel time, we expect to arrive at the chapel at 4pm. At 4:30, our ceremony will begin. Because of all the things we’re planning on packing into our ceremony (see here + here!), we expect it will last about 40 minutes.

We will not be doing a receiving line at the church, and our plan is to basically walk directly out of the church, into our waiting car, and hightail it to the reception location so that Tanja can work her photo magic on the details before our guests arrive at the cocktail hour. Once she’s finished up what she needs to do, we’ll take portraits for approximately half an hour, and then we’ll join our guests for the last half of cocktail hour.

Tanja Lippert. Squeal!!

Our cocktail hour and reception spaces are distinct, so at 6:30, we’ll welcome our guests into the reception tent. We are doing a “grand entrance” with our full bridal party (one of the only things we’ve definitely picked out a song for!), and then we’ll move directly into our first dance from there. Immediately after our first dance my Dad will give his toast, and then the “first course” will be served (for more about our food choices, check out this post!). About an hour later, we’ll cut back in to do our best man and sibling toasts, John and I will speak briefly, and then we’ll do the father daughter/mother son dance before opening up the floor for dancing. After that the only other interruption will be when we cut the cake and share our slideshow, likely around 8:45. Our exit will be at 11pm.

So clearly I’ve thought about this timeline thing. But on the day of the wedding? I don’t want to be thinking about this timeline thing. And that’s where Diana comes in. Diana works with my friend Candice at Jubilee Events, an awesome wedding planning and event design company in Connecticut. Diana is our day-of coordinator, and I’m so grateful that I’ll be able to hand over the reins to someone so competent, kind, and resourceful come September! A planner or coordinator is not in every budget, but I would highly recommend making room for one if you can, and if not, at least arranging a handpicked family member or friend to be the point person on the day of your wedding. As I’m sure you’ve heard before, you want to be able to enjoy your wedding day instead of stressing over whether everything is getting set up correctly and whether little details are being taken care of! I think a day-of coordinator or planner is also a gift to your family and friends – both because you’ll be less stressed, and because it will allow them to relax, as well. A win win!

I think that about wraps things up for this week, friends! Any questions about our timeline or how things will run on our wedding day, just ask!

In case you missed a post…
The main characters | Where we’re getting married | I go dress shopping | We choose a photographer | I ponder bridesmaid style | Mini food! | The music | We’re renting a tent! | We discuss bouquets + boutonnieres | We send out our save the dates | I gather hair and makeup inspiration | We talk cake and sweets | I introduce you to our videographer | We create a registry | We buy a tuxedo | We style a reception | I choose accessories | We take engagement photos! | We plan our ceremony | We discuss ceremony music and readings

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