January 5, 2018

Big Day Basics

Weddings

January 5, 2018

You said YES!

Now you have tons of things to do before you say I DO!

So where’s that wedding checklist?!

Don’t worry — Lovingly is here to make sure the lead up to your big day is a series of easy steps, not a stumbling block to happiness.

This helpful page will deal with important items like your:

wedding flowers
wedding colors
wedding themes
wedding venue
wedding photography

And each succinct piece of wedding wisdom contains a link to an in-depth post dedicated to its particular subject.

(Yes, we stayed up nights for you — but, hey, it’s what we do!)

So first, let’s relax and smell the flowers…

Wedding Flowers

Flowers have meanings. Different shades of color can create different meanings in a flower. But your wedding flowers create a meaning all their own.

Flowers set the mood, the tone, the overall ambience of your big day.

Wedding bouquets, bridal bouquets, centerpieces, boutonnieres, all build up the picture entitled Our Wedding Day.

So how do flowers do that without seriously interfering — or clashing — with the theme of your wedding?

In a nutshell, they don’t.

Your wedding flowers play a big part in the theme of your wedding — period. This needs to be understood when thinking about what flowers you want and why.

Are you all about tradition? The modern? The romantic? Vintage? Rustic? You’re getting married on a beach?

OK — that’s good to know!

Confused? A million details to be scrutinized and somehow pulled together with sheer strategic brilliance? Yikes!

Relax — the first thing to do is sit back, close your eyes, and simply picture your big day.

Wedding Colors

From avoiding awkward dress-color clashes in the bridal party, to coordinating a cohesive overall look, getting your wedding colors together is one of the central issues for your big day.

Challenging? Yes.

But most other stylistic decisions should fall into place with relative ease once your wedding colors have been decided.

So how do you even get started?

First you need to think about your wedding themes. Traditional? Rustic? Romantic? – and so on. Just picturing the look and feel you like, or doing some internet searches for images based around your favorite wedding theme ideas, will really help.

A red wedding theme would cover a lot of ground!

Think about the season. Colors are suited to seasons, creating the perfect spring wedding colors, summer wedding colors, fall wedding colors, etc., depending on your wedding date.

Seasonal flowers, of course, will help create the mood and complement your theme.

After all, the look and feel of your wedding is all about your soulmate and you!

Wedding Themes

Wedding theme ideas are about expressing yourself.

You may go for softly romantic wedding themes, a classically traditional wedding theme, or your heart could be set squarely on a Harry Potter themed wedding!

Whether soft and fluffy, eclectic or edgy, wedding themes exist to express you and your soulmate, as an integral offshoot of the wedding colors described above.

And the easy answer is…

Think about where you look in everyday life. That could be interior designs online, or movies in which the plot melts away while the design themes stay. Everything in fact from hotel interiors to places you’ve visited on breaks or holidays.

Anything that has inspired you or left you in awe counts!

Still, the details you love will have to fit your bigger picture. When you look at wedding colors, you consider seasons; when you think about both, you consider your wedding theme.

And if it’s all taking place in a ballroom, or on a beach…

It’s all interconnected, but that’s ok. Your vision is your big picture. And once your heart is set on something, all the details will start to fall into place.

Wedding Venue

Where and when?

Ouch! The harsh facts of planning and logistics really kick in with those three words!

First answer this: Which came first, the chicken or the egg?

Or: Should you choose your wedding venue first, or figure out the guest list first, then base your wedding venue checklist on that number?

The ballroom or beach question, mentioned above, also comes into play. Your wedding venue, your wedding theme, your wedding colors, and your wedding flowers are intrinsically intertwined.

Again — think of the things you love, then go online and look around.

Simple things can fuel your vision.

Still, it’s not all about what you see. For example, you could see a wonderful wedding venue online. It’s the right size, the right price, and looks great.

Think about:

If the venue caters to all seasons
Does that outdoor space come with a sheltered place?
Does the venue cater to guests who may need special accommodations?
Is there air conditioning/heat?
Is the venue full service?

Combine simple logistics with your vision to make the right decision.

Wedding Photography

Once you achieve your perfect vision and bring it gracefully into reality, you’ll probably want somebody to take some wedding photos!

Everybody else you deal with when planning your wedding brings something tangible to the table. You can assess it quite easily.

Your wedding photographer doesn’t. You create the vision she or he must capture.

So how do you make a decision?

The classic, traditional option, is portraiture: The couple posing together; the couple with guests, etc.

Different people want their wedding day captured in different ways.

Documentary style, for example, takes candid shots in which the action of the day is immortalized spontaneously.

There are more options, but the point really is to think of your theme and ask yourself what type of wedding photography would best complement it.

And then there is the photographer him/herself.

Most will offer you a portfolio of highlights. However, you should ask for wedding albums. These will show you a complete wedding photography session, and give a much better idea of what you can expect.

It’s your day and your pictures represent your memories!