The Year of the Wedding

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I met this past week with my wedding planner at the Trump National Golf Club of Charlotte, where our wedding will be held. I have had the BEST experience working with her and her team. Honestly, I couldn’t imagine planning such an elaborate occasion without her! I came prepared with wedding binder, lists of questions, and millions of ideas. She functions well as my sounding board, advising me as to what she knows will or will not work in the venue. We laid out the schedule for the day, the details of the reception and vendors, and the particulars about the décor. We finalized the menu, came up with a more concrete food and drink budget, and began to talk through all the infinitesimal details.

You may have seen all the coverage in the fall of Donald Trump’s purchase of the golf club, changing it from “The Point” to “Trump National.” I know there have been criticisms abounding about the issue--- but my real concern was how it would affect my wedding plans! I found out in October that there would be a full renovation of the facility—a terrifying thing for a booked bride-to-be! I got to see the renovations made to the ballroom, which turned out to be a pleasant surprise. The facility is beyond GORGEOUS. My décor ideas had to be modified a bit to accommodate the more elegant atmosphere, but I couldn’t be more excited (and relieved) about how beautiful the facility is.

I came out of the meeting feeling as though my wedding was planned. I went home, finalized the order for my invitations, ordered menus and updated my Excel spreadsheet budget. I was done, right?

Over the course of the next week, two of my close friends would get engaged, and another would have “the talk” that meant it was coming soon. Add those weddings to another close-friends already scheduled soon after mine, and everyone seems to have wedding fever. Apparently 2013-14 will be the year of the wedding!

All of this engagement buzz got me thinking; now that I’m nearly done planning, where did I even begin? What might I have done differently? So, to all those newly engaged lovelies out there who are finally using those long-ago created Pinterest boards, here are my tips for beginning your planning:

1. Enjoy being engaged first. Spend at least a few weeks just “being.” You’re not obligated to give everyone who asks an exact date yet, just enjoy the newness and excitement of this special time.

2. Keep up the Pinterest board, but begin to narrow down to only what is realistic. Delete the things that you can’t (or won’t) ever do, and start looking at those ideas that have real potential to be part of your wedding.

3. Come up with a budget and ideal guest list. You won’t know where to start without them!

4. Find a venue first. Don’t tell anyone a date or give out of your wedding fantasies until AFTER you’ve picked and booked a location. Looking at cost and what is available can make or break some of your wedding dreams before they get off the ground.

5. Subscribe to local blogs and magazines. Some of my best ideas came from the blogs of local photographers who documented real local weddings. Whenever I’m looking for ANY kind of vendor, I start with local photographer blogs to find something I like. You might even be lucky (like I was!) and find a competition or give-away where you can win free stuff for the big day! Plan to log a lot of hours in web-browsing!

6. Come up with a diet and exercise plan, get a manicure and start growing out your luscious locks! You want to look and feel good for the whole wedding process--- including engagement photos and dress shopping, which pop up quickly after engagement. Start planning what you will do to be at your best for the big day, and then implement! Get a manicure so that you can show off your new bling, and start growing out your hair in preparation for that gorgeous wedding style.

Above all, enjoy every minute! It goes fast!

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