072013 is almost exactly 5 months away and that’s CRAZY! I remember hitting the 10 month mark in September and feeling like July was forever-away. Boy was I wrong… these last 5 months have gone by SO fast and I’m sure the next 5 will too. That’s both really EXCITING and TERRIFYING! I feel like there’s SO much more to do yet I can’t WAIT for the Big Day to finally be here! But this post isn’t about the to-do list (that’ll be tomorrow’s post!). Today I wanted to talk with you about having a VISION. That, my friends, is so very important during the wedding process. EVERYTHING and I do mean EVERYTHING stems from that! Not only do you and your hubby-to-be want guests to ENJOY your wedding experience, but you want everything from the venue to the flowers to the décor to flow effortlessly together.
So where do you start? How do you come up with YOUR vision when Pinterest is exploding with so many possibilities?
It’s actually pretty simple! Sit down with a cute pen, your wedding binder & your fiancé. Start brainstorming! Write down key words/phrases that you want guests to think when they see your wedding. Write down what YOU want to feel when you walk into the reception – when you see everything put together for the first time. Do you want something bold & bright, rustic & charming, soft & sweet? How do you want to feel in your wedding dress: relaxed, casual, like-a-princess? How do you envision your groom: tux, bowtie, jacketless with the-sleeves-rolled-up? All of these things shape EXACTLY what your wedding will look like! Do you want guests playing yard games during cocktail hour or sipping on red wine on the patio? Here’s an example: my sweet friend Olivia just recently got engaged (YAY!) and when I asked her what she was thinking she said she envisions guests walking into the reception and saying a breathy “ahhh”. She wants guests to be completely breathless, she wants something soft and simple & so breathtaking in itself. Because of that, her color palette is very soft, light and spa-like – using creams, greys and blue-hues. Now can you image if she chose red & teal? Not the same reaction right? Now red & teal or so fun together – but you don’t think “breathless” with red & teal do you? She and her fiancé have a vision and are stemming other aspects of their wedding off of that very theme.
It can make the planning process SO much easier if you have an idea of what you’re looking for. Pinterest can be INCREDIBLY helpful however it can also be REALLY overwhelming! Once you have a vision, a theme, you can better pick wedding colors, a venue, your dress, and Pinterest-inspired details to incorporate.
Day Two of our engagement I made our list… now, at this point we didn’t even have a DATE set yet! We had NO vendors booked… NOTHING was done. But I knew in order to help me find direction in all of that planning, I needed something to always come back too. Yes, you guessed it, I was always that girl who dreamed of Wedding Day… but when it was ACTUALLY about to happen it takes on a whole new meaning! Matt and I sat down and talked about what HE wanted in our Big Day too so there are aspects of our wedding that are being planned BECAUSE of him and because of OUR relationship. Here are a few words we came up with initially:
Matt’s List: Traditional, Southern, Formal Atmosphere and Some Aspect Outside
Kat’s List: Romantic, Happy, Bright, Tons of Flowers and Full of Details
Now here’s how this lovely list has shaped our wedding: A traditional church ceremony with romantic candlelight; a night wedding, groomsmen in full suits and long bridesmaid gowns; a pink and orange color palette is bright & happy while also tying in our favorite colors; our reception venue is unique, very southern and incorporates outdoor elements; it also happens to be in a garden so there are plenty of natural blooms around. We also have several details to leave guests saying “that is so Matt & Kat” but I won’t be giving away those just yet
Because of our vision, 072013 is coming together so much easier than if I had NO idea what we wanted! Clearly those adorable burlap & lace mason jars would NOT fit into our vision however white lanterns, candles, happy balloons & bright ribbon fit right in!Have YOU thought of a Wedding Day vision? What are you dreaming up in that pretty little head of yours? Or on that Pinterest board I know you have? 🙂
always, kat
all the lovely details 