Engagement shoots are a must do for every couple, and if you aren't sure you want one, just check out this wonderful engagement shoot shot by Paul Francis Photography. Gorgeous fields, wonderful wardrobe and one gorgeous couple.
Holman Ranch Courtyard Styled Shoot
A month ago I had the privilege of doing a photoshoot at my favorite spot, Holman Ranch. In the coming months I'll be sharing all 4 (YES FOUR) shoots from that day, but here is a little glimpse of what we put together for the day. So many talented people helped me put together tons of wonderful details for this shoot. This Love of Yours Photography did such a wonderful job capturing these details and this gorgeous couple!
Venue: Holman Ranch
Design/Planning: Engaged & Inspired
Photography: This Love of Yours
Dress: Hayley Paige at Haute Bride Los Gatos
Paper Flowers: Christine Cater
Bouquet: Huckleberry Karen Designs
Necklace: J Crew
Destination Palm Springs {bachelorette packing}
I could not be more excited to be boarding a plane to my personal paradise tomorrow! I'll be spending the long weekend with my best friends in Palm Springs. I feel so lucky to get to have all these ladies together at the same time, the great weather and pool are just icing on the cake.
When packing for my bachelorette weekend, I realized I needed to buy a couple hot weather staples that I don't usually need in blustery San Francisco. So, I wanted to make sure any items I bought could also be used on my honeymoon and even on hot days at home.
Here are the must-haves I'll be packing in my getaway bag:
Pool time:
Sources: cover up, swimsuit, hat, sunglasses, flip flops, sunscreen
Lounging around the house:
Sources: chambray shirt, shorts, maxi dress, sandals, nail polish
Night out:
Sources: dress, heels, necklace
I'll be wearing white and my friends will be wearing 'brights.'
Some of these I already had and some I had to buy. Luckily I was able to find things for reasonable prices and that will double as great honeymoon-wear.
24 hours until I depart for Palm Springs! Woohoo!
E&I Blogging Bride: Seattle Art Gallery Bride
Source: Carina Skrobecki Photography
Hello, Engaged & Inspired Community! I’m Brianne, and I am so happy to be here as a new Blogging Bride to share my wedding inspiration and all the fun along the way. I thought I would take a few minutes to introduce us (me, and my fiancé, Erik) to you guys so you’d know a little bit about who we are and what we like. That way you can see the people behind all the inspiration we’ve collected and decisions we’ll be making.
Source: Carina Skrobecki Photography
Our biggest "thing": we’re in a long distance relationship. We’re both from the greater Seattle area, and we met at a New Year’s Eve party 5 years ago. Just before we met, Erik had enlisted in the US Navy and he was scheduled to leave to start his training in the spring just after we’d started dating. His training was only supposed to be about 18 months and then he was scheduled to be stationed back in WA. Well, so much for planning (if any of you are Military Spouses you know what I’m talking about!). In the end, he was stationed on the USS Roosevelt Aircraft Carrier in Norfolk, VA for the remainder of his contract (4 years!).
Fast forward 3 years, and after a lot of cross country flights (and a lot of frequent flyer miles!), Erik asked me to marry him. Long distance relationships are certainly a challenging road, but we've found a way to make it work. It certainly has made wedding planning interesting!
Source: Carina Skrobecki Photography
So: more about who we are! I have a career as an architect, with a design and lifestyle blog on the side. I’m crafty, love working with my hands, and also love bright colors and have a creative spirit. I’m a Leo, with curly blond locks to match. Erik keeps me sane. He’s a nuclear engineer for the Navy, and he’s got a much more analytical side. He’s more technical (and rational) but also with a creative bent. When we do spend our time together we like to get out for hikes, do crossword puzzles, and discover great restaurants that serve amazing food. We’re also totally nerdy and play video games and watch a lot of netflix as a way to stay connected across the miles. I think you’ll see a little bit of our geeky side come through later on.
Source: Carina Skrobecki Photography
Because the military can make any plans unpredictable, we’ve decided to wait until Erik is out of the Navy to get married. We’ve been engaged for 9 months already and have about a year to go. We’ve chosen a venue and set our date for 4/5/14 so we have plenty of decision making yet to go. I’m hoping to share with you both the challenges and benefits of a long engagement, because there certainly are both and I think long engagements can get a bad rap.
Source: Carina Skrobecki Photography
Thanks for having us, we can’t wait to share what we’re up to and hear your suggestions!
Photos are excerpts of our engagement session with our fab photographer Carina Skrobecki, taken at the Volunteer Park Conservatory in Seattle, WA.
5 Tips to Stay Within Your Wedding Budget
It has been 2 years since I got married, and one thing I have noticed is that the average cost of a wedding has increased drastically since then. I wrote a blog post about the budget right after getting married, but I feel like things have changed a bit since that point.
Always Think With Less:
If your budget is $30,000, always tell your vendors (and yourself) that your budget is $25,000. There are a lot of unforeseen expenses as well as things you'll want to splurge on, this mentality will keep you in check throughout the planning process. Most couples go over budget so giving yourself a buffer will enable you to go over budget without spending more than you originally wanted.
Don't Be Afraid To Negotiate:
I hear a lot of talk from vendors about how much they hate brides negotiating with them. But here is the thing. If they don't have set pricing and packages on their website for you to think with, you have no idea what you should expect to pay. The concept is to fall in love with a vendor, find out their pricing and be willing to pay it. This is such a twisted way of doing business. I don't walk into the store, fall in love with a dress then find out the price tag and say ok. Instead I know the price tag and know if I should fall in love with the dress. If it was the other way around you better believe I'd be in Nordstrom negotiating pricing.
A lot of vendors are willing to work with your budget. For example, your expenses with a florist will vary greatly depending on the amount as well as the types of flowers you want. Vendors are small businesses and they have things they will and won't negotiate, but it never hurts to ask. Of course you don't want to insult them, and never ask for just a discount, but be willing to work with the services they offer. If you don't need something, let them know. They might be willing to take it out of their proposal. In the end, you may or may not get any discounts but you never get what you don't ask for. So politely try to work with them to see if there is anything they can do.
Figure Out Your Splurges In The Beginning:
No two budget will be the same. Some brides want a great venue and are willing to give up things like transportation. Some brides don't care as much about the venue but won't budge on getting a Vera Wang dress. Figure out where your splurge moments will be right off the bat (and it can't be everything!) What is important to you? What do you want your guests to walk away remembering? What do you want to remember in 30 years? Then figure out what things you don't care about. For me it was transportation. Some might be ok with buying a cheaper dress, or not having flowers in the ceremony. Whatever it is, figure out what you don't care about and leave those things out.
Create The Best Guest Experience:
In terms of design, you can do a lot. But think about the things that will enhance the guest experience vs. things that won't be noticed. For example, if your venue provides tables and chairs, figure out ways to dress those up before opting to spend several thousand on rentals. Small details at each place setting will add to the overall look and feel of the table without adding too many elements on your tablescape. Nix a huge paper lantern display and go for something a little more original. Have a really fun photo-booth (you can DIY that one) to give guests something to spend their time doing. Chances are guests are going to notice a custom bar you had custom made, but they will care about the drinks. Cut the things that won't lend themselves to drastically enhancing the overall look. That doesn't mean cheaping out on everything, but pick those spots that people will actually notice and forget the rest.
Pay Off Your Wedding As Quickly As Possible:
While planning my wedding I would pay off vendors every time I had a new chunk of money. This allowed me to keep an incredibly accurate count on how much I had and how much was still outstanding. My vendors were paid off months before they were supposed to be and I was free to spend money I had in new areas without losing count of my overall budget. I realize there is a concern that the vendor could just not show up on your wedding day and take your money, but hopefully you have hired a team of complete professionals where this wouldn't even be a concern. (I had a videographer from craigslist who I paid the day of......because you better believe I didn't feel right about giving him the money up front.)
Keep a spreadsheet for your budget. In the beginning it was filled with a lot of estimated costs for things. As I started booking more and more vendors it turned into tracking expenses, balances paid and those that were outstanding, etc. This was such a lifesaver when I was getting married and something I referred to all the time.
The budget is probably the least fun part of planning a wedding, but it is the most critical. Hopefully these tips will help you stay somewhat on track. As always, if you have more questions or need some extra help, I'm here to answer any questions. I have recently created some budget tracking sheets that I can send to you as well. Email allison@engagedandinspired.com and I'll send those over.
Want more awesome information like this? I'm hosting a wedding planning workshop for brides who don't want to hire a planner but need help making sense of it all. Check out all the details!
Engaged & Inspired: A Wedding Planning Workshop
Things have been brewing over here at the Engaged & Inspired headquarters! And today I am excited to announce something that has been in the works for some time now, our first wedding planning workshop. This unique workshop was created with a focus on brides and how to best help you plan your perfect wedding. We realize not everyone has the budget to hire a full-service planner but that doesn't mean you should have to deal with all the stress of planning all by yourself.
This workshop has been specially designed using the process we take each of our full service clients though. We have thought about every piece of the wedding planning process and handcrafted an intensive workshop to plan your perfect wedding without so much stress.
We will provide you with a book of information you can refer to long after the workshop is over, unlimited correspondence with Engaged & Inspired for questions and recommendations, tons of design visuals, lunch & catering tastings, and of course a bag full of goodies to take home with you!
You will have the opportunity to ask questions, discuss the process with other brides and meet some top wedding vendors in the area, and plan your wedding with much support.
Topics Include:
Creating & balancing your budget Building your wedding vendor team Styling the wedding party Taking care of all wedding logistics Staying organized & getting it all done Creating the best experience for your guests Designing your perfect wedding Pulling all your ideas together and much, much more
Our first workshop is designed around the Carmel area (but not exclusive to it) and is best geared toward last 2013 and 2014 brides.
WHEN: Saturday July 13, 2013 | TIME: 10 am – 4 pm | WHERE: Carmel, California INVESTMENT: $500 | GET YOUR TICKET
Show Stopping Wedding Cakes
Want a piece of art instead of just a wedding cake? These two alternatives will offer some amazing inspiration on how to achieve something a little different. This stunning cake from Driscoll's is delicious, adds a fresh pop of color can be used simply as decor or a fun way to add a burst of fresh berry goodness to your dessert table. I just love what they did with this cake, not to mention the endless opportunities you have in terms of decorating this little beauty.
In celebration of the spring and summer wedding seasons, The Westin St. Francis Executive Pastry Chef Jean-François Houdré has created one of the largest Parisian macaron wedding cakes in the country! Currently on display for the public in the Landmark Lobby of The Westin St. Francis in San Francisco, this masterpiece of brightly colored meringue-like cookies is a towering six and a half feet tall.
This cake was one month in the making and estimated cost is $8,900. Chef Houdré and his team have put in over 75 hours creating this delicate work of art. More than 1,000 handmade Parisian macarons in various sizes and irresistible flavors decorate three large circular layers and a cone-shaped tower. A sampling of the unique flavors includes lavender, rose water, chocolate blueberry, pistachio, yuzu and almond. Beautiful sugar butterflies embellish the sides, and the top is adorned with a large sugar flower. And if you are as intrigued as I, check out this incredible video of the cake being made.
Would you consider such an ornate creation for your wedding day or are you leaning more toward the effortlessness of the strawberry cake?
Addressing the Invitations
For better or worse...I will be addressing my own invitations. I decided to take on the challenge because I want the handwritten look, but it's not in our budget to hire a professional calligrapher. I also thought it would be a fun project! While our invitations are being printed this week, I've been practicing my handwriting and trying to navigate the world of address wording etiquette. It's more complicated than I thought! And while our family and friends aren't sticklers for etiquette rules, it's one of those things - I like to know the rules before I decide which ones to break. :-)
Here are some of the most common rules. We are just having the single envelope (no inner one).
- Spell out Post Office Box, Street, Avenue, the word 'and,' etc. Spell out the state name, unless it won't fit on the same line as the city. Put the zip code on its own line. Use Mr. and Mrs. abbreviated, but spell out Doctor.
- Married couples: names go on the same line, unless there's a fit issue. The traditional way would be to say Mr. and Mrs. John Smith. Another option I like is from the first image, above. I don't see it in the rule books, but I like that it includes both the husband and wife's name - Mr. and Mrs. John and Jane Smith. If the woman has kept her maiden or professional name, her name goes first and the two names are on separate lines unless they fit easily on the same line.
- Unmarried couples: The names go on two separate lines, with the name of the person you know first. If you know both, the woman's name comes first or some places say to do alphabetical order when you know them both.
- Guests: try to find out the guest's name if you can. Many sources I'm reading say it's not good to put 'and guest,' but I think it makes sense in some cases.
- Kids: Write the parents according the 'married couples' guidelines and then put the kids first names below in order of oldest to youngest. If you only put the couple's names and not their children, it is assumed that it will be an adults-only affair.
Source: The Wedding Book by Mindy Weiss
If you're like me and you want a visual of the different variations there are some great resource and other options: here, here, and here.
Sources: 
In doing my research, I realized there are differing opinions about exactly how to address envelopes. I think the best thing to do is to pick your favorite style and then just be consistent.
Did you address your own envelopes? Do you have any tips for me?
Less than three months until the big day!!!
Sunset Engagement Session by Nakesha Morgan Photography
This sunset engagement session is so sweet and simple. Sometimes a few good outfits and a lot of love is all you need to create the perfect photos. Thanks to photographer Nakesha Morgan Photography for sending these over! Enjoy :)
Designing the Dinner Menu
Now that we've finally ordered our invitations, I've been thinking about how all of our paper goods will tie together. As I've mentioned before, we are huge foodies, and are serving our meal family style. Because of that, we want to be sure to highlight the meal in a beautiful and clear way, that will illustrate all of the food on the table. We are still working on finalizing the menu with our caterer, but I love the idea of vintage, elegant menus that complement the mixed metallics and soft flowers of our tablescape. Here are a few options that I'm loving this week.
Sources: 1 (our invitation suite), 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8
