{Engaged & Inspired Events} Kristen & Brian - Holman Ranch Wedding

This past wedding season I had the pleasure of working with Kristen & Brian coordinating their wedding day. She had tons of beautiful details that fit the Holman Ranch scene perfectly. These two were wonderful to work with and I am so happy I have the opportunity to work with them and so many other brides on their wedding day. For more information on my services, check out my pretty new site!

 Coordination: Engaged & Inspired Events | Hair & Makeup: Katie Nash | Venue: Holman Ranch | Caterer: Paradise Catering | Floral: Christine Cater | Photographer: Stacey Pentland |  Band: Smokin J's | Officiant: Fr. Josh Favalora | Desserts: Gizdich Ranch

12 Things You'll Regret Not Having On Your Wedding Day

With all the planning that goes into your wedding day, it goes without saying that you'll want it to be one of the most amazing days of your life. However, there are so many different pieces that make up the big day, it's easy to get bride brain and forget something that may make a huge difference. Well put those fears aside, brideys - we've compiled a list of 12 different things that you might regret doing on your wedding day in hindsight.

1. Not having a videographer. They don't come cheap, but a professional video of your wedding day will be something you'll treasure forever.

Sharkpig

2. Not having all photos that your guests take at your engagement party, bridal shower, wedding day, and all your other special events! (Psst…Wedding Party is perfect for this!)

Wedding Party

3. Not having an open bar - trust us on this one.

Harwell Photography via Wedding Chicks

4. Not doing personal vows, or personalizing your ceremony in any way. This day should reflect your uniqueness as a couple and your relationship!

Tammy Horton Photography via Style Me Pretty

5. Not wearing comfy shoes for the reception. How are you supposed to enjoy the reception when your feet are killing you?

Katherine Elizabeth Photography via Ruffled

6. Not feeding your guests at the right time. This one isn't obvious, but it's important! You don't want guests to be drunk or too hungry during key parts of your reception. Grumpy or uncomfortable guests will have a hard time paying attention to toasts or meaningful speeches.

Davina and Daniel Photography via 100 Layer Cake

7. Not putting a limit on who can give toasts at your wedding reception, or putting a limit on how long those toasts can run. While a few heartfelt speeches are important, nobody likes sitting through too many long and rambling ones!

Studio 222 Photography via Lover.ly

8. Not after-partying with your closest friends/bridal party after the reception. You may be tired, but your friends and family want to party with you!

Kaitie Bryant

9. Not discussing with your photographer all the photos and wedding details you want him/her to capture. If you don't communicate the must-have photos, you may end up disappointed when you get your photos back!

Anna Delores Photography

10. Not getting your makeup/hair done for your wedding. What better time than your wedding day to pamper yourself and get your hair and makeup done professionally?

Kaitie Bryant

11. Not doing a morning of gift for your bride/groom. It's a meaningful way to connect before you get to see each other at the wedding ceremony, and chances are you're going to treasure that gift forever.

Kaitie Bryant

12. Not getting ready with your bridal party the morning of the big day - getting dressed up with your girls is always fun, so why would you skip out on some quality girl time before you get married?

Kaitie Bryant

GUEST BLOGGER: My name is Stephanie, and I work at Wedding Party, a startup that specializes in creating technology and apps for weddings. Our first product, Wedding Party, is a free app that you can download for iPhone and Android. Wedding Party lets couples collect all the wedding photos their guests take, and provides a unique, social way for guests to interact with the each other on the couple’s big day.

Set up your own Wedding Party app today, and check out more of my musings on the Wedding Party blog.

Nevada Engagement Shoot by j. anne photography

From The Photographer: Amy and Micah are planning a destination wedding in Las Vegas, NV. Not a drive-thru... or a little white chapel... but a gorgeous wedding at a golf resort. They were in town for a planning session with their designer, and a visit to Micah's Grammy. So, we opted to have a quick mini-engagement session before they headed back to Arizona. For us desert rats it was an extremely cold day, but Amy and Micah rocked it, nonetheless. :)

Photographer:  j. anne photography

Makeup Artist:  Your Beauty Call

Other:  Spring Mountain Ranch State Park

{The Lab Event} Pop-Up Shop

Aside from running a blog, I am also the co-founder of The Lab Event, a totally awesome bridal event. Our last event was held last January in Sonoma at Cline Cellars!

This year we had a popup shop for the first time ever designed by the girls at Going Lovely. The popup shop had a selection of handmade wedding goods including tassels from EverlyLane, wood jewelry from Bird of Virtue, awesome bags from Hiip SF, bridal accessories from Lovely Ever After, tons of garlands from Le Petite Fest, and of course everything your man needs to look his best from Bonobos.

Thanks to the girls at Going Lovely for designing such a fun space for attendees to shop! Photography by one of my favorite Sonoma photographers Megan Clouse!

Art Deco Brings the Sparkle

Like a magpie in a Zales store, or Honey Boo Boo at a pageant, I'm attracted to sparkle (I apologize that this post has become a statement of the obvious). Lately, the trailers for The Great Gatsby have me oohing and aahing over Art Deco jewels especially. I'd love to wear a statement bracelet, and while a belt wouldn't pair well with my dress, I've been obsessing over some architectural beauties. Here are a few things I've been admiring lately. *Disclaimer: I am not responsible for any distraction caused by this sparkly sparkly post.

Giving Thanks

This week I'm feeling especially thankful. My bachelorette was last weekend and it was so amazing to be surrounded by my best friends. It got me thinking about giving thanks...and about thank you cards!

With the wedding quickly approaching and bridal showers along the way, I wanted to know the 'etiquette' of sending thank you notes.

Thank You1

Source: above designs

So, here you have my quick guide to all you could wonder about giving thanks (along with some personal commentary):

Who gets thank you notes:

- Anyone who gives you a gift, whether it be physical or monetary. This includes a gift at any of the parties on your behalf: engagement, shower, and the wedding

- Anyone who hosts a party for you

- Vendors who go above and beyond - this one, I think, is totally up to you and optional

When should it be sent:

- I remembered hearing a year from your wedding date, but most sources I found said they should be sent by 1-3 months after the honeymoon or as soon as possible. Keep in mind that people will worry that you didn't get the gift if they don't get your thank you. If you get gifts before the wedding, try to get them out right away (aka before the wedding). But don't beat yourself up about the deadlines of when to send thanks. It's always better late than never. I love all the customized thank you notes with wedding pictures, but it makes me think those notes would be sent very late if you were waiting on the photographer's images. Either that or the photographer and bride and groom are just really on top of it!

- Get your groom to help you - especially for notes to his side of the family and friends. Quick tip on this - as responsible as our guys are, make sure he actually sends them and you don't find the blank cards months later :-)

What to say:

- Be personal and genuine. If the thank you is sent after the wedding, add a personal note about them being at the wedding. There are lots of sample wordings online if you get stuck or feel like you're repeating yourself a million times.

- If you receive a monetary gift, sources say to mention what you plan to use the money for. You don't need to mention the amount.

Buying the thank you's:

- Consider the number of invitations you used - this should end up being about the equivalent of gifts you receive. Then make sure to account for your shower and any other parties where people might bring a gift. I decided to get a small batch of cards of a different design for the shower because I didn't want people getting the same card twice (although I don't think that's a 'rule' by any means).

- There are a ton of places online to get inexpensive thank you cards. I chose to have my designer create a simple design that went with our invitations.

- Most sources say thank yous must be hand written and I tend to agree with this. It is extra special, especially these days, to receive mail that isn't junk. It doesn't matter if you don't like you're handwriting or can't splurge on pricey paper - your guests will love to get something that was written by you.

How to keep track of it all:

- Keep the excel or document you used for the addresses and add a column or spreadsheet showing what each guest gave you. This way you have it all in one place, along with everyone's address. Add another column indicating whether the thank you has been sent yet.

Thank You2

Source

Happy writing and thank you for reading! :-)

Gilding the Lily: Finishing Touches

One of my favorite things about these final stages of wedding planning is that all of those little details that have been floating around my head for the last year are beginning to come to life. Purchases are being made. Decor is being finalized. While I'm savoring keeping some of these little details secret until the big day, know this: things will be sparkly (shocking...I know). Etsy has been a blessing and a curse in my search for special and personal details. Before you enter into the rabbit hole that is Etsy.com, know this: there are more people selling vintage metallic wedding favor boxes than you know.

Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8

Whimsical Engagement by Paul Francis Photography

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}

 Sources: left, right

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!