8 Months of being engaged and our wedding is a year away
Since getting engaged, it's been a whirlwind of excitement and planning. We have been engaged for 8 months now, and we're officially 52 weeks away from our wedding! The journey so far has been thrilling, and we're excited to share what we've been up to.
Here’s What We've Been Up To:
Vendor Research and Selection
One of the first tasks we tackled was researching vendors. From florists to caterers, there are so many talented professionals out there, and finding the right ones has been both fun and a bit overwhelming. We've toured venues in six different cities, gathering inspiration and making sure we choose the perfect spot for our special day. I have worked with many professionals, but we're getting married in a area I have never worked in, so I spent time trying to determine if I wanted to work with someone I knew but cover their travel cost or use professionals local to the area. Countless conversations with potential vendors and venues have helped us narrow down our choices, ensuring every detail will be just right. This is undoubtedly one of the hardest processes of wedding planning - sourcing vendors. What a rollercoaster ride!
Booking the Essentials
We're thrilled to have booked our venue and band! These were two of the biggest decisions, and we're confident we made the right choices. We're now in the final stages of confirming our photographer, hair & makeup artist, and ceremony/cocktail hour musician. 🎶 This process has been a mix of excitement and relief, knowing we're putting together a team that will make our wedding day magical.
Building Our Wedding Website
I’ve started building our wedding website, which has been a creative outlet for me. Using my own website allows for a level of customization and personal touch that I haven’t found with other websites built for wedding planning. This site will be a central hub for our guests, where they can find all the information they need about our big day.
Developing an Organizational System
Staying organized is absolutely critical in wedding planning. I developed a system to manage all tasks and details, helping us stay on top of everything and minimizing the chances of forgetting something important. This system also makes it easier to communicate and collaborate with multiple people involved in the planning process. Documentation is key, and having everything easily shareable ensures smooth communication.
Organizing Guest Information
To keep everything organized, I created a form for our guests to fill out their information. This form collects names, phone numbers, emails, and addresses, making it easy to send save the dates and invitations. By having all this information in one place, I can ensure our guests receive all relevant updates via email as well. 📧
Leveraging Google Sheets
My Google Sheet has been a lifesaver. It keeps everything in one place, from vendor details, budget, to guest lists. This tool has helped streamline our planning process, making it easier to track our progress and stay organized. 📋
Designing Our Wedding Brand
Something unique but I am so excited for is developing a wedding brand. Think of this as the overall theme or look / feel of the wedding, but elevated a bit. I’ve been working with a friend on custom designs for our wedding. Creating our wedding images and brand has been so much fun, and I can’t wait for our guests to see these subtle details throughout our big day. From invitations to decor, these personalized touches will make our wedding uniquely ours. 🎨 Also, I plan to use these designed long after our wedding in other ways as our family grows. Think of this as our own family crest.
Save the Dates
Designing our save the dates has been a creative project. During our proposal, my fiancé hired a professional photographer, so we’re using those beautiful photos. Since we haven’t booked our photographer yet, using these images ensures we can get our save the dates out in time for our destination wedding. Early communication is crucial, and while we’ve already shared the date via our information form, having a physical reminder will help keep it top of mind for our guests.
Embracing Technology
As someone who loves the efficiency of technology, I’m leveraging it to keep our guests informed. By using both mailed save the dates and email updates, we can ensure everyone is in the loop. Life moves fast, and having event details easily accessible on a phone can be incredibly helpful. In the days leading up to the event, it’s great to have quick answers to questions like, “Where do I need to be?” and “What do I wear?”
Follow Along for More Tips
Our planning journey is ongoing, and I’ll be sharing more tips and tricks along the way. Staying organized and keeping track of every detail is essential, and my Google Sheets template has been a game-changer.
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Thank you for joining us on this exciting journey! We can’t wait to share more updates as we count down to “I do.”
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