Happy Wednesday, everyone! Today I thought it would be fun to share where we are in our wedding planning process! As of today we have 247 days left until THE day and it seems to be flying by! It’s hard to believe Nick and I have been engaged for almost three months now. We have gotten so much done, but we still have a lot to do before October!
P.S. I have some ideas for future Wedding Wednesday posts, but if you have any suggestions please leave them in the comments or email me at emily@lifewithemilyblog.com
WHAT WE’VE DONE SO FAR:
Since my last Wedding Wednesday “update” post we have gotten quite a lot done! As of now, I am feeling pretty good about wedding planning. I haven’t felt super overwhelmed by anything (yet!) but I know as we get closer to October I’ll have a few freak outs haha.
- We asked our wedding party! You can see how I asked my bridesmaids here. It was so fun to put together & now that they all said “yes,” I can share all the details with them!
- We have scheduled our engagement photos! We wanted to wait until it was warm out & everything was in bloom to do our photos. They’re scheduled at the end of March, so hopefully things will be in bloom by then! I’m so excited to work with our photographer on these. Nick isn’t as used to taking photos as I am, so this should be entertaining haha
- We set a date for our engagement party! We’re having it May 6th! Like the engagement photos, we wanted to wait until the weather was nice for our engagement party since it will be partially outdoors. I’m excited to have everyone together to celebrate!
- I scheduled my appointment to try on wedding dresses! I’m going with my mom, stepmom, MIL & two bridesmaids at the end of March and I can not wait! I think this will make things feel “real!” I have a good idea of the look and style I’m going for, but I’m excited to try on a lot of different dresses and say YES to one!
- We are thiiiiissss close to securing our videographer. We’re just awaiting answers on a few things before signing on the dotted line! I was immediately smitten with their work and the way they tell stories from the second I viewed their site. I have cried every.single.time. I have watched a film on their site. Gah… please let me get out all the tears before October haha! In case you didn’t know I’m a total emotional crier!!
- I had an incredible opportunity with The Knot. The Knot was the first wedding magazine I bought once I was engaged and the first site I signed up for, too! So when they reached out about partnering together to plan my wedding I was ecstatic! I was in NYC last week for a fun shoot and was on cloud nine. I can’t say much until May, but I promise I’ll dedicate an entire post to it once I can! 😉
- We have started the pre-marital counseling process. This is something that we wanted to do even if we didn’t get married in a church. Most of our friends have done this same course and have said it’s one of the best things you can do before you get married and for your marriage. I’m really excited to start it!
- We finished registering! It was such a fun process (Nick loved using the gun to register for random items… which I later found when I was looking through the registry haha!) I’ll be sharing a few posts about our registration process in the next few weeks! I know I had quite a few requests for that post.
- We have our wedding book! My friends from GiGi New York and Graphic Image surprised me with this book and I am so grateful. This book is a combination of a guestbook, guest register, and ceremony record. I love that everything is in one place and it’s something that we can look back on for years to come. It brought me to tears when I opened it because it was so thoughtful! They have an entire wedding collection that is gorgeous.
WHAT WE STILL NEED TO DO:
I feel like there is so much left to do in the way of little details! Right now the “little” things like centerpieces, lighting, etc. aren’t at the top of my list and can’t be done until a few months out, so I’m just gathering inspiration and finalizing what I want/don’t want.
- I’m waiting to 100% decide on bridesmaid dresses until I have chosen my wedding dress. My bridesmaids range from 5’2″ to 5’11” so I knew I wanted a long dress from the get go! I also wanted something that can be worn again if they choose. I really love Jenny Yoo’s Nabi Collection because it’s convertible and can work with everyone. I also love the idea of choosing a designer & color and allowing the girls to choose what they’re most comfortable with! We shall see….
- We know where we want to have our rehearsals dinner and we have an appointment with them next week! It’s one of our favorite places and the atmosphere is really cool, so I’m hoping that it works out.
- Where we want to honeymoon. Now that we have the main details completed, it seems that everyone and their family is asking us where we’re going to honeymoon. Obviously we still have plenty of time to decide that but if you have ANY recommendations about honeymoon locations, send them my way!! We definitely want somewhere tropical and safe!
- All the little details…. I’m sure there will be a laundry list of things we still need to do in the next few months!
Whew! That quickly became quite a novel. Thank you all so much for reading and allowing me to share our wedding planning process with you all! Sometimes it’s nice to be a bit more personal and kind of write it all out! 🙂 xoxo
I got engaged in mid December too and we are also planning a fall wedding for late September! I will be anxiously awaiting all of your wedding Wednesday posts, I love reading stuff like this as I go along in my own planning process! Would definitely love to see your registry post (as we also have lived together for years, but could use updates on some things!) You’ll have so much fun dress shopping – I said yes to mine!! It definitely makes it feel “real” and even though many people say you’ll be surprised with what looks good on you etc, I ended up getting the exact dress that was my “dream dress” from looking online – I knew what I wanted and it ended up working out perfectly! Have fun with yours!!
Congrats on your engagement, Kate! I have loved connecting with other engaged ladies! Isn’t it so fun?! 🙂
Our registry post is coming up in mid-March, so be on the lookout for it!
And I cannot wait to try on wedding dresses, I think I’ll be like you and end up with the exact one I’ve loved from the get go!
Love this! We went to Aruba in October of last year and it was absolutely amazing – perfect weather, stunning beaches and very safe! We worked with a travel agent and got a ton of upgrades so I am sure they would do even more for honey mooners!
So many people have suggested Aruba, so it has moved up on our list for sure! Where did you stay? Would you recommend staying there again?
We stayed at Sandals in Negril Jamaica and it was amazing!! They took care of everything and we had the best time! I can’t recommend staying at Sandals enough!! We’d like to stay at one in the Eastern Caribbean next. Good luck with your planning!
Thanks for the honeymoon ideas- will definitely look into it! XO
For something closer, Puerto Rico is amazing. Safe, friendly people, and easy to navigate since it’s a US territory, but still different enough to kind of feel foreign. If you don’t mind longer flights, Hawaii is pretty hard to beat. Waikiki is awesome but there are some great resorts in quieter areas too if you aren’t into the hustle and bustle. Grand Cayman is also very safe and upscale as well. Be sure to check out Calico Jack’s beach bar if you go to Cayman!
Thanks for the suggestions, Beth! I’ve been to Puerto Rico before (Old San Juan area) and it was breathtaking and had so much history, so I’ll definitely look into it! And Hawaii is definitely on the list! I’m not sure if my fiancé loves the idea of a 10+ hour flight, but we shall see 🙂
This is so exciting! One of my favorite things was trying on wedding dresses. You will make such a beautified bride!
I seriously cannot wait to try on dresses! I have a pretty good idea of what I want, so I’m hoping it works out 🙂
I recently got married (last July) and I still love reading all of the wedding posts! You have plenty of time to decide on all the small details, but my advice is to pick something nice but don’t stress over all of the little things. You’ll have so much going on the day of that you’ll barely notice (in a good way- you’ll be caught up in all of the emotions).
We actually had a destination wedding in Aruba and then stayed on for our honeymoon. It was incredibly safe and gorgeous and we really loved it. I’ve also heard good things about St Lucia and Hawaii.
Thank you so much for your kind words, Traci! I’m one of those people who are all about little details, so I’m having a hard time NOT focusing on them haha!
So many people have suggested Aruba, so it’s been added to the list! Thanks again. xx
I have absolutely loved following along on your wedding journey! I can’t wait for your wedding and to see pictures!! 🙂
xo Kelsey | http://www.chasingcinderellablog.com
aww thank you so much Kelsey! I am seriously SO looking forward to October ha 😉
First of all, love your wedding book! Secondly, your nail color is goals.
xo, Lauryn
Lauryncakes
Thanks Lauryn! The color is Essie “muchi muchi” 🙂
How exciting for you! I can’t wait to see more from your shoot!
http://www.kayleighskloset.com
I love your wedding posts and congratulations! We went to a Sandals resort in St. Lucia…. I initially did NOT want to do Sandals because I thought it was so cheesy, but it was absolutely amazing. The food was good, we met some great people, and there was tons to do. Wherever you choose, I definitely recommend doing an all-inclusive… not worrying about paying for anything while you’re there is SO nice. 🙂
I LOVE this!! My sister is getting married in December and her engagement party is March 11th so I feel like we are on the same schedule a bit 🙂 I am her matron of honor so I would LOVE to hear what a bride TRULY wants for her/your bachelorette party. She’s 34 and like me/us (girly and outgoing) but what destination and DETAILS would you like you maid/matron of honor put together for you?!?!
xoxo
Tiffani
http://www.tiffaniatbretonbay.com
Congrats to your sister! It’s such an exciting time! For my bachelorette party I think we are going to Savannah, Georgia! I have been there a few times and there is a lot to see & do. I’m pretty laid back when it comes to what I want for my bachelorette party- I’m not going to force anyone to wear black haha. I really like monogrammed and personalized items, so in lieu of a lingerie party I think a mimosas & monograms would be a fun alternative! I’m all about doing a little bar hopping and having a memorable time with the girls… nothing too crazy but definitely memorable!
I honestly think it depends on each bride… some love wearing the bride to be sash and going all out with games, etc. and others prefer a relaxing weekend with their best friends. I don’t think it hurts to actually ask the bride what she wants! I think my MOH is conversing with the rest of my bridesmaids to have some special touches that are a surprise too, which is nice! 🙂
My bridesmaids are wearing the Jenny Yoo Annabelle dress in navy. They range in height from 5’3″ – 5’11” and sizes 2-14 with a variety of body shapes and everyone looked awesome in it when they tried it on. Now we’re just waiting for a trunk show so they can get a discount when they order. I’m excited to see how they decide to tie the top on the big day. (It’s so fun to follow along with your updates. I’m getting married on 11/11 and our color scheme is somewhat similar).
Hi Kate, so glad you mentioned the Annabelle, that’s another dress I’ve been looking at for them! Glad to know many different sizes look good in it 🙂 And like you, I love how versatile it is and the many ways it can be worn. Love finding other engaged ladies to share ideas with 🙂 xo
definitely a rough process! Enjoy it though, it’s only once in a lifetime!
Hi Maria, it hasn’t been too bad so far! It’s been really fun, but I have a planning background, so maybe that’s why ha!
Planning a wedding is so fun, so don’t let it be stressful! You’ve done so much already and it sounds like you are so on the ball!
Maggie
http://www.polishedclosets.com
It has been so much fun, and luckily, the stress hasn’t really hit yet haha!
Oh I love reading about where you’re at in the process! It’s so so much fun. I definitely recommend Bora Bora for your honeymoon. We were there in November and it was so relaxing and unbelievably beautiful. Can’t wait to see the feature with The Knot!
xo, Amanda
http://www.aglamlifestyle.com
Hi Amanda, thanks so much for stopping by! I have always loved looking at pics of Bora Bora and am dying to go there. It’s definitely on the list! Where did you stay? Would you recommend it? Thanks so much. xo
Wedding planning is so fun! It definitely gets stressful trying to remember and plan every detail but in the end… SO WORTH IT!!
It has been so fun so far! I’m very Type A, so I’ve been trying to get as much done as possible now so I’m not worried about it down the road 😉
we went to antigua in december and i loooved it. there was a constant breeze, our resort felt boutique b/c of the private beaches, and i would go back in a heartbeat. the weather was better in antigua than aruba (aruba had NO WIND which is unheard of for them) when we went in april another year, and it was so dang hot. there’s a sandals in antigua…just saying. 🙂
b
Will definitely add Antigua to the honeymoon list! I’ve heard many people say it’s beautiful! Thanks for all the tips. xo
Wow you’ve gotten such a great start on planning already!! That’s so funny about Nick while you were registering, I could totally see Connor doing the same thing lol. So excited to see whats to come with your Knot partnership!!
xx Mollie
I really can’t wait to see how your wedding turns out! I even loved seeing your BTS of The Knot photo-shoot! You go girl!
Courtney
The Dainty Darling