Vermont Wedding

Sure, it was my own! And I may be a tad bit biased, but I thought it was pretty good!

Our engagement was about 19 months, which left me plenty of time to come up with ideas, and then change them a few times. My goal was to have a beautiful detailed wedding with as low a cost as possible. I guess you could say that our biggest splurges were our venue and our photographer. However, both of those aspects were well worth the cost! The venue, Sugarbush Resort in Warren, Vermont,  really created a personal atmosphere that our guests enjoyed.  Our photographer, Channing Johnson Photography (MA) captured superior quality images we will forever love.

Our wedding was a destination for all of our guests. Being from Massachusetts, people took the ride up to Vermont, and most made a weekend out if it! It was a great way to make the weekend about more than just us, since people took family outings in the area.

Below are some of my favorite images, and also some images of the details. Most everything you see was DIY by me.

Oh, Snap!

Let's talk photography!

For me- the photographer was my biggest splurge on my wedding day. We wanted to ensure that whom ever we selected to shoot our special day would be able to take beautiful images of all the subtle moments that are sometimes forgotten later. We were less interested in the typical posed family and wedding party portraits (though, we did do a few to humor our families), and looking for someone that truely had an eye for capturing the emotions and setting of the day.

We found Channing Johnson by sheer coincidence. My distant cousin had used him several years before Mike & I were even engaged, and I saw his images and fell in love. I knew for a while that he would be the best fit for us after viewing his portfolio and reading his blog (which I suggest you do too!). Admittedly, we did interview a few other photographers in the area with a similar style. Their prices were comparable, but we felt more comfortable and relaxed with Channing, which is so important.

Everyone looks for something different from their photos, and you should try to get an idea of what style you are looking for. Here is a link to the WPJA Massachusetts which lists photojournalistic style photographers. Interview a few, set your budget, and see who fits best for you.

Join the conversation!
Got a photographer worth reccommending? Send the link, let's note them here!

You are cordially invited


Good Morning!

I am still in the process of developing my post showing off my wedding, so stay tuned! Meanwhile, I figured I would talk a bit about invitations. Below are some of my favorites designs on Etsy.com. Enjoy!

Shine Wedding Invitations


 

Aleph Design


 



 



  

e m. papers






















Invitations are one of the most exciting, yet overwhelming tasks on the wedding  to-do list. You want to decide on something that seems to match you and your fiances personalities, sets an overall tone to your event, and yet doesn't break the bank. There are so many styles, designs, colors, paterns, texts, envelopes, and phrasing and formalities to decide on. its overwheliming, and can be a bit stressful.

To simplify the process I suggest you decide on budget first. You could fall in love with a design and realize that it is $300 more than you are willing to spend on a few pieces of paper. Set your limit first. If your maximum number for the invitations is $400, then limit yourself to that number from the get-go. When you browse online, set the search for that amount. Decide if this number includes your postage too. Odd shaped (including square) and heavy invitations usually cost about 64 cents.

Next I would decide how involved in the process you want to be. If you are not afraid of a serious DIY project, consider having a design made for you in a PDF file, print, cut, and and assemble yourself. This saves you quite a bit if you are looking for a more complex style invitation like a pocket. If this strikes your fancy, try using Etsy and search invitations. I used Print Your Party, and Andrea was great! If you go this route, I suggest you start looking early. Consider ordering the file and getting started at least two months before you want to drop them in the mail. It can take 2-4 weeks to work with the artist to complete your design, and a few more weeks to assemble them depending on how complex your design is.

Now is the fun part- but also the most difficult. What style of invitation fits your vision? Are you seeing a more relaxed invitation, with simple letterpress text? Maybe something a bit more modern with clean lines and bold colors. Look around online first, theres so much to see! Try these websites to start:


Storkie
Minted
Hello Lucky
Wedding Paper Divas
Vistaprint (inexpensive)
The Green Kangaroo
Envelopements
Paper and More (Great DIY Source!)


How to get the man involved?
It may be easiest to settle on some style guidelines with your soon-to-be hubby in the comfort of your homes. If your fiance isn't overly interested, and your guess is he will have a short attention span, bookmark ten designs and have him let you know what his likes/dislikes are. At least this way you know that he is involved to some extent. Maybe come back to him once you've narrowed down to two invitations.

Stay tuned for an upcoming post on simplifying the addressing process!

The new weddding blog!

Alright- So I'm already married. It's been almost a full three months since I tied the knot with my loving husband, Mike. We had a wonderful wedding, and I wouldn't change a thing about it. It was the perfect start to our marriage, which is what the wedding is all about!

Throughout the planning process, my father continually predicted that I was going to find myself bored when it all came to an end. He was only partially right, I do miss the planning! However- it is most definitely not because I am bored. I have a busy life: I am a high school art teacher, undergoing graduate studies, working on sets for our school musical, getting ready to buy (or build!) a home, and keeping up with everyday life. My schedule is packed full, and yet all I want to do is help someone plan their wedding!

I'm by no means original in this newest dream. I've known many a bride that has said "oh, I would love to be a wedding planner!" I always sigh and think, yeah right! But I am determined to give it a shot at least. Except- I don't want to just be a planner, I want to be in the industry's center. I want to review ideas, share posts, and give advice. There were a few blogs and websites that I found helpful through planning my own wedding, and I would love to someday be one of them. This is my new adventure- I'm going to give it a try. Starting from the moment I post this!

If you are out there and interested in help coordinating your wedding in the Massachusetts area...let me know! I hope to post some images of my wedding soon too. I figure you will need to see my credentials!