Countdown: 45 Days - Invitations

There's no turning back now - the invitations are out!

I'm obsessed with our invitation suite! We worked with Courtney Callahan again (she did our save the dates) and they're exactly what I was going for: simple and traditional with a little flair :)

We kept the actual invitation pretty traditional:

And had a little fun with the details cards:

I think this is my favorite part of the whole suite! Love little touches like this:



I told my Mom that we will need regularly scheduled calls to go through the responses she receives since they are addressed to their house. Guess which one is the "yes" pile...

Countdown: 59 Days – Wedding Weekend Attire

We’re officially under the two month mark! Where is the time going?! We have a jam packed schedule coming up so I’m sure the rest of the time is going to fly by. Yikes/Yay!

With the Big Day quickly approaching, my thoughts are pretty much consumed with all the last minute details we need to start thinking about. Like, for example, wedding weekend attire! I need outfits for the Rehearsal & Rehearsal Dinner on Thursday, as well as a Welcome Party on Friday. Neither will be too dressy, but I’ll definitely wear a dress to both. And, ideally, I’d get to wear white to both events – why not?!

I’ve been scouring the stores and have come across a few options. Here are some top contenders:



Max and Cleo



Sam & Lavi



Cynthia Steffe



GUESS

 

BCBGeneration



Max and Cleo



Max and Cleo



Max and Cleo

Countdown: 88 Days - Flower & Tabletop Preview!

When we were in St. Louis for Christmas, I was lucky enough to get a sneak peek at the flowers and linens that will be used at the reception.

I LOVE the florist we’re working with – Barb Wehking/Bloomin’ Buckets (check out their new blog!). When my Mom and I left after our first meeting with Mrs. Wehking, she said – you two were really on the same wavelength in there! I always knew they did great work and hoped that I'd get to work with them for my wedding one day. Plus, we've known the Wehking family since I was in 2nd grade with their daughter KC!

We had only one meeting prior to this and had talked about what I was going for, but it was like she read my mind and could see exactly what I was envisioning! The centerpieces will be fuller on the actual day, but I love them already!

Our wedding coordinator, Elizabeth from Cosmopolitan Events, was also on-hand to show us some table linen options. I wanted to go with a shade of grey for the tables but was worried that with 30ish tables, it would be too dark in the room. I think we came up with some great options – including some really fun linens for the cocktail and cake tables. Here’s a sneak peek at some of our ideas:

  

 

I’m so excited to see everything come together in May!

Countdown: 136 Days - Wedding Jewels

I've been obsessed with Pinterest for months, and if you aren't already a member, you should DEFINITELY check it out. It's basically like an online notebook where you can keep all the cool things you find while you're "surfing the web" instead of trying to remember where you once saw that one recipe that would be perfect for your holiday party this weekend!

I like to use Pinterest to save recipes, decorating ideas for our future home and travel destination. But mostly I'm using it to gather ideas for the wedding. Lately, my searches have focused on wedding jewelry. I have a few options with my dress, but can't really decide which way to go.

A big, chunky necklace?

kate spade

Long, dangling earrings?

Nadri

Adriana Orsini

Diamond bracelet or cuffs?

Nadri

Tejani

With so many options, I may have to have a couple different "looks" for the big day!



Countdown: 177 - Sneak Peek

Less than SIX MONTHS to go!!!

We are in full planning mode and are finally able to start focusing on all the details people tell you you're not allowed to focus on until at least six months out. Woo hoo!

Since we're planning from Chicago, upcoming Thanksgiving and Christmas trips home to St. Louis mean vendor meetings, linen & decor decisions, tastings, hair & make-up trials...and probably a few secret visits to check on my dress that is already IN!

First up, our save-the-dates which are going out this weekend. Here's a sneak peek at the design...

Countdown: 239 - How Working in PR Helps Plan a Wedding

I can’t believe we’ve already been engaged for eight months! If these past few months are any indication, the rest of our engagement is going to FLY by – which makes me extremely excited and full of anxiety at the same time.

When I was back in St. Louis a couple weekends ago for my friend Maggie’s wedding, I stayed an extra day and was able to squeeze in some time to meet with our florist and wedding coordinator.

I LOVE the florist we’re working with, Bloomin’ Buckets. For one, I grew up with the owner’s daughter so we’ve known the family for years. Plus, I absolutely love all of their work that I’ve see and I really got the feeling that she was on the same wave length as me when we sat down to talk about flowers. If you’re in the St. Louis area and are looking for a florist, I definitely recommend checking them out!

The meeting with the wedding planner was a lot of fun too. My anxiety about only having nine months left was eased when I had most of the six month items already checked off my list: Color Scheme? Check. Dress? Check. Band? Check. Photographer? Check. Save -the-dates designed and printed? Check & check! I think she was surprised I already had so much confirmed. I thank/blame my job in PR.

You usually only have a few months (if you’re lucky) to plan an event in the PR world. And each one has to be better than the last. So it’s not surprising when brides-to-be from the PR world get started on their plans, it is full steam ahead.

When we finally settled on our wedding date, I started reading up on wedding timelines and to-do lists. Since we were still more than a year out, many of the lists just told me to “relax and enjoy this time just being engaged.” Yeah right.

As someone who is regularly planning some kind of client event, I already had checklists of vendor agreements, budget trackers, venue site checks, décor and shot lists rushing through my head. I had my church, venue, band and photographer booked within a month of choosing the date.

Working with a group that’s probably 70% women ages 20 – 40, it’s guaranteed that someone is announcing an engagement or in the midst of planning a wedding every day. So, to the dismay of our male colleagues, there’s always someone to swap wedding planning stories and tips with. I’ve even heard a rumor that an official wedding binder is floating around from bride-to-bride in the office!