(insert obligatory couple photo here)
And while I couldn't be more excited for that day to get here, there seems to be something between now and then (aside from the obvious component of time)...
Wedding Planning
I'm not about to write on here how overwhelming this task is....because to be honest, it really hasn't felt like "too much". I have a wonderfully helpful mother who is handling a lot of the details, for which I am oh-so-thankful.
About once a day, I get the question "So...how's the wedding planning coming along?"
To which my response is generally "Ah, it's coming along."
I don't know what the correct answer is to this question. Do people ask this question as a lead-in to want me to share more details about the wedding? If so, I apologize to anyone that meant to ask this and I didn't answer appropriately.
My current job has a title of "project manager". This title alone insinuates that planning is something that I do on a daily basis - which would be a true assumption. Over the course of 5 years, I've learned that it's often difficult to tell that planning isn't going well until it gets too close to the point of no return.
So, in an effort to not have that be the case, I thought tonight I would share a status report on the wedding planning, and see if anyone wants to raise red flags:
Attire:
- I have a dress!
- I have NOT picked out bridesmaid dresses. I found one I loved at jcrew, but sizes didn't work with the bridesmaids. So, I am on the lookout for a cute, printed summery dress
- Matt / groomsmen do not have outfits, but we have decided on khakis and navy sport coats
Ceremony:
- We have a location!
- Location is too small for guest list, so we're limiting the ceremony invites to family and close friends...still need to decide who makes that cut.
- We do NOT have readings, vows, etc.
Reception:
- We have a location! (our family farm)
- We have a contract for tents, tables, place settings, tablecloths, etc
- We have a band
- We do NOT have a playlist for cocktail hour
- We do NOT have timing of the reception worked out
- We have food, but still need to coordinate logistics
- We have a budget for alcohol
- We have NOT decided on gifts for invitees
- We have a guest list (only 415 of our closest friends....!)
Decorations:
- We have flowers
- We do NOT have table centerpieces
- We have lights (thanks, momma)
- We have willing hands to help get the farm "camera ready"
- We have a photographer
Paper Goods:
- We have Save-the-dates (mailing at the end of this week)
- We have everyone's address (almost)
- We have not picked out final invites (our friend Josh is designing)
- We do not have menu cards designed ( I want them to be a map of of the food stations)
Honeymoon:
- We have a location! (Hawaii)
- We do NOT have flight / hotel (have good leads though)
I feel like we have a pretty good handle on the plans...but let me know if i'm missing something major :) As I was typing up this list, I couldn't help but think of one more thing, and quite possibly THE most important aspect:
- I do have the LOVE OF MY LIFE to marry
- I do have a wonderfully supportive family and the best friends to ask for
With those two points alone, I know the celebration will be a success!
I have a 3-hour cocktail/dinner playlist from our wedding, if you are thinking about using an iPod!
ReplyDeleteI won't pretend I had anything to do with the planning of my wedding, but looking back there were a few things that people noticed and frequently commented on that I thought I should share.
ReplyDeleteThey were:
- Beautiful bride (you've got that covered already)
- Fun people attended(also got that covered)
- Open bar & Good food
- The reception moved quickly (i.e. people weren't stuck in their seats too much)
- Music that was fun for all ages early and turned into hip-hop for the last hour
Hey, girl! Love the post...glad you are maintaining focus on the real meaning of your marriage throughout the planning process! Your guests will surely have fun at your wedding!
ReplyDeleteI agree with Zach...the best thing about our wedding was that people felt free to move around and socialize. It was more like a party/reunion than a formal reception. Also, for us the dancing/music was key. Finally, do people really do anything with the favors? I find that lots of times, unless it's something you can eat right then and there, the favors get left behind. So, my suggestion is either have something people can eat or make a donation to a cause you are passionate about in the guests' names and have a card explaining your donation at the seats. You can probably make a sizeable donation and still save money...favors can be expensive! Or, considering you are holding it at your farm, I guess a third option would be to have some sort of unique edible gift that would be likely to make it home with people...jam comes to mind, but it could be anything that goes with your theme. You probably already know all this, but thought I'd throw it out there!
Have lots of fun with the rest of the planning, and don't stress about the details...most people won't notice every little thing anyway! :)