Wedding Wednesday { 7 Reasons to Hire a Wedding Planner }

So you have the ring and now you are ready to start planning. You think you have an idea of what colors you might want, you think you know what your budget is going to be and you think you have a date set! Right now you are the happiest you can be and nothing is going to get you down. But what happens when 6 months into the planning and the caterer has to cancel or the DJ charges you more than he said he was? 

How not to be a bridezilla

Married Life Tips

Hi there! I'm taking over Ashley's blog for the day while she's off enjoying Wedding Bliss! My name is Lisa and I blog over at Showered With Design. Before I dive into my post, how about I tell you a little bit about myself? 

• Californian [Born + Raised]
• Etsy Shop owner [You can find it here!]
• Graphic Designer and Lover of Crafting!
• I married July 12, 2014 [Just shy over a year!]
• My blog focuses on Life, DIY, Reviews, and Wedding with the occasional recipe here and there.

Today I wanted to share a few tid bits I have learned during our first year of marriage along with some of my favorite Wedding items!

It doesn't  feel different being married versus dating or being engaged.  

This might not be the case for everyone, but aside from the fact that my last name is different and I get to call him my husband now. (Which I actually LOVE saying out loud).

 It doesn't seem much different other than we have a stronger bond than ever before. {And being asked about when we are going to have kids now).  We did live with each other for about 3.5 years before our wedding, and have been together for 5 now. We were best friends for a while before actually dating. I think if we wouldn't have known each other for as long as we had,  it would have felt different.  I do love being married and love the goals we set as a couple.

Marriage takes work, but is SO worth it!  Even though I just said being married doesn't really FEEL different, it is very different when it comes to decision making.  When the bigger decisions come up, you have to make sure to make them together. Most of the decisions include financial ones, but they could also be smaller decisions like what's for dinner?   In the end, you have someone on your side. Which is the best part.  You have a lifetime friend, and soulmate. Someone rooting for you when you succeed and there to pick you up when you fall.  You get to go through life with your best friend, and that is the best part!

You can read more about our wedding here. Now for a few of my favorite wedding items and gift ideas! [Which are also listed in the shop- Showered With Design!] [Hug In A Mug ($8)-- Bridal Mug and Ring Dish Set ($16)--Monogram Decal ($2)-- Monogram Ring Dish(5.99) and Earrings ($3.50)--Aisle Runner --Personalized Glasses] All items in my shop are made to order and can be customized to fill your needs! They would make the cutest, personalized gifts this holiday season! Make sure to follow me on facebook and instagram for all the latest items, coupon codes and GIVEAWAYS. And of course make to sure Favorite my shop! New items are always added and any suggestions are welcomed!

For all Girl Talk followers use discount code GIRLTALK for 6% off all purchases!

Thanks so much Ashley for having me and congrats on your marriage! 

6 Tips for Being the Perfect Bridesmaid

Hello Girl Talk readers! I am so excited to be here today while Ashley is away busy with all things wedding! I'm Laura and I blog over at Life with Lolo. It's a lifestyle blog with all the usual musings of a 20 something, with everything from bachelorette parties to pupcakes!

Since I have yet to be a bride, I thought I'd enlighten you with guidance on something I have done - been a bridesmaid!  I'm well on my way to 27 dresses (kidding I'm only at 3 so far) so I like to think I'm an expert when it comes to standing beside your bride on her big day. Since it is one of your best friend's, best days ever, it's important for you to be the perfect bridesmaid. Ok, no one is perfect, but here are my tips for being as close to it as possible. One | Don't mess with the dress. You've all heard it before "it's the bride's day so you should wear what she wants you to wear." ABSOLUTELY. The last thing the bride should ever have to worry about on her big day is whether or not you like your bridesmaid dress. So if you don't like it, keep your mouth shut! Most brides are very gracious and ask for your opinions when she picks them out. This is your chance to give your input, but by no means shut down her ideas. This is her day, and her vision for her maids. Respect that and you will have a happy bride.

Tight, satin dresses on a day it's 107 degrees? Yes, because it's her day!

Two | Be there. Be present. Be timely. It's your responsibility as a bridesmaid to attend all of the bridal activities. Yes, I understand there are miles, and finances and emergencies that can get in the way. Bottom line though, you were THAT important to her to be a bridesmaid so these events should be THAT important to you. Don't treat these events as a "have to" though, be present and enjoy the moments with your bride. Put your phone away (other than pictures) and enjoy these once in a lifetime moments with your friend. Lastly be on time. I can not stress this enough especially on the big day! Being late to anything, in my opinion, is rude but to a wedding you are in? About the worst thing I can think of. Keep your stress and the bride's stress low that day (and during other events) by showing up on time, or better yet, early!

Three | Help a sister out. On the big day the best thing to be is helpful. There are a million and one things to be done and if that means you as a bridesmaid have to help, so be it. You are there for the bride and want to make her day perfect, so make it about her and do everything possible to put her at ease. I've done things like styled other bridesmaid's hair, helped the florist get arrangements in the refrigerator, and my favorite "coordinated" the ceremony. Whatever needs to be done! 

Four | Make it meaningful. I know more than anyone being a bridesmaid can get spendy. However, it is very important that you give a meaningful gift to the bride and groom. Yes, the costs add up - shower, bachelorette, dress, accessories... but your gift doesn't have to be expensive, it has to be meaningful. She thought you were special enough to be part of her big day, so do something special and unique for her. I typically do not buy off a registry, I put together my own gift, not only to save on costs, but to make it personal. My favorites have been this custom cutting board and the Moscow Mule Kit (similar) I created for the couple that met in Moscow.

Five | Be grateful. It is a great honor and privilege to be a part of someones big day. Thank your bride. Thank your groom. Thank their families! Every one of my brides have given such sweet gifts and been so appreciative. It's important to reciprocate that. All it takes is a hug and a "thank you." Tell her how important she is to you and how happy you were to be there for her.

Six | Have fun! Do I really need to elaborate on this one? A wedding is a celebration, make the most of it (within reason) and have a blast with some of your favorite people!

Have you been a bridesmaid? Anything you would add? Congratulations Ashley! Thanks so much for having me! Want more Lolo? Blog | Instagram | Twitter | Bloglovin | Pinterest | Facebook

Bride-to-Be Q & A: Sarah

Good morning!! I hope everyone is having a fantastic Wednesday! Today we have Sarah from Coffee&Glitter on the blog today telling us all about her upcoming wedding!!

When is your wedding?

We are getting married on March 12, 2016-and yes, I have three countdowns going. one in my planner, one on the bathroom mirror and one on my phone! 

How did he pop the question?

John and I were in Arizona visiting his oldest younger brother and we decided to go to the Grand Canyon-to my surprise, John and Owen had schemed and planned for two months to go all along and picked the perfect place for this picture perfect proposal. We were walking along taking tons of pictures and the "code phrase" between the boys was for John to ask to take a picture-because I am picture crazy and ask every five seconds. So, we get super far out on this gorgeous ledge and as Owen is taking the picture, I hear John say "well, Sarah, the real reason we are so far out on this ledge and at the Grand Canyon today is for me to..." and then he got down on one knee and I melted! 

Where is your wedding?

at the Lakewood Ranch Country Club in Bradenton, FL 

How did you choose your venue?

My parents have lived in this community since I was 14. I grew up looking at the back of the country club and always dreamed of getting married there. Fast forward to seven years later, John actually proposed the idea of us getting married there and I immediately said yes. 

What made you fall in love with your venue?

there is this g o r g e o u s winding stairwell at the back where we are getting married that is just absolutely breathtaking-and it is where I will be making my grand entrance. 

What is your favorite item on your registry?

the kitchen aid mixer that basically every girl dreams about.

Who has been the most helpful person during the wedding planning process?

John for sure. I tend to get worked up easily because I pile all of the tasks on myself and try to get through them all at once but he is my saving grace. He stops me and has me take deep breaths and makes me realize that I don't have to do it all that day. 

What has been your favorite part about the wedding planning process?

cake tasting! holy lord! we tasted a ton of different cake flavors with 20 different frosting combos.

How do you feel about bridal showers?

I was actually not really for having one but my mom, mother in law to be, grammie, and bridal party were all hell bent on me having one so, I will be! I am definitely coming around to the idea of having one! 

How often do you clean your ring?

So, John bought me a ring cleaner which I use twice a week and then every time I go to the mall and walk past the place J bought my ring, I stop in so.. a lot. #noshameinmygame! 

What are your wedding colors?

grey, dark purple, and light purple! 

What are you most excited about on your wedding day, besides marrying your best friend!

Seeing all the family and friends that are coming in to be apart of such a special day. 

Don't miss a thing ~ Follow along!

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Worth the Money Spent { Guest Post: Stephanie @ Chalk Southern to Me }

Hi Everyone! 

My name is Stephanie and I blog over at ChalkSouthernToMe, I'm so excited to have the opportunity to share a few things that I'm incredibly thankful that I decided to splurge on for our wedding day! 

We all know that a wedding is expensive, but I truly believe it is worth every penny, every meeting, and every decision to bring your dream wedding day to life! When I was newly engaged, I created a {very} detailed spreadsheet that would help me document every expensive and ultimately keep me within our budget. It worked! And I highly recommend creating a spreadsheet or having some form of organization so you see exactly where your money is going. Everything adds up quickly so it's easy to lose track of the amount of money that you're actually spending. I'm also happy to share the spreadsheet that I created and used with anyone, feel free to email me!

Looking back on that amazing day, there are 2 things that I'm so, so, so happy that I splurged on! 

1. Our Photographer {Renee Sprink with Renee Sprink Photography}

We met with dozens of photographers, either face-to-face or over the phone, and I knew that I wanted to find the perfect photographer for us. To find that "perfect" photographer may seem impossible but it really isn't, I promise! 

I wanted someone that I instantly connected with, someone that I felt comfortable around and someone that shared my same style and vision when it came to photography.  The style of photography that I wanted would be described as classic, southern elegance and timeless. When I looked through the samples provided by our photographer, I realized her style and vision aligned perfectly with what I had imagined. 

I can't stress enough how important it is to know what you like and dislike when you look at wedding photos. Some photographers are more "trendy" versus "traditional" or may edit in a way that you like or don't like so take the time to determine your style of photography before you make a decision. 

Our photographer was absolutely amazing. She has now become one of our dearest friends and will be our forever, family photographer. She gets us. She makes us feel comfortable which allows her to capture the most beautiful and special moments. But most importantly, she goes above and beyond to make sure we are happy with our photos and the quality of the photos. 

Splurge on your photographer! Your pictures will allow you to relive your special day over and over again. Plus your photos are the only thing that you have to look back on and share with your children, grandchildren or great grandchildren! 

2. Weekend Wedding Coordinator {Kailey at A Southern Soirée}

I knew from the very beginning that I wanted a weekend wedding coordinator that would be there to help with the final details, handle all the weekend logistics, make sure our family, wedding party & guests had all the information they needed to have a stressless weekend, and to help organize and check on the vendors throughout the weekend.

I can confidently say that this was the BEST decision that I made. Our wedding coordinator and her assistant made the weekend run smoothly, allowed me to enjoy and take in every moment of our wedding weekend and she handled any big {or little} hiccups that came up during the weekend. They are focused on making sure you and your soon-to-be husband have the best day of your life, seriously!

Even if you have a wedding coordinator at your church or at the reception venue, I still highly recommend a weekend or day-of-wedding planner because the church or reception venue coordinators have a lot of other responsibilities in addition to your wedding day events. But the goal of hiring a personal wedding coordinator is to make sure the bride and groom have the perfect day. They are there to coordinate every, single detail - they'll even making sure you have food, bottles of water and glasses of champagne waiting for you in your hotel room on your wedding night :)! 

If you're like me than you can relate when I say that I've been dreaming about my wedding day since I was a little girl. So it's absolutely okay to have someone there to take care of you and remove all possibility of stress.

Our wedding coordinator is another person that I was so thankful to have by my side on our wedding day! 

I'm happy to provide any other help or advice if you are currently planning your wedding! I hope you stop by ChalkSouthernToMe and say hello.

Thanks again to Ashley for letting me take over he blog while she is soaking up the sun! I hope you're enjoying your vacation!

Xo,

Stephanie 

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