Your Ready to Buy the Perfect Ring, But what Steps to Take??

Okay people, this blog is to help and encourage your journey to finding your loved one the perfect "Rock."  When it comes to a person, many know exactly what they want and like when it comes to wedding bands.  Pleasing them with a ring can be many things like exciting, scary, nerve racking, emotional, and so much more.  All have preferences about the shape, band, gold or silver, size, and shine. So how will you know how to purchase the right one?  Well its almost like how you chose your partner.  Think of when you first met that person and how they made you feel.   As most of you will think that when you first met this person they are a one of a kind, someone you can just stare at all the time and be so thankful that you found him or her.  This is just like the ring, you will know when you see it, the ring is something that will stand out and shine like no other.
Some tips you can follow are
1.) Check their jewelry out when they aren't around, see what they has most of regarding shapes and stones.
2.) Don't be afraid to walk into a jewelry store and ask questions, they are there to help, utilize it.
3.) Listen to your partner when they mention their favorites and what they like.
4.) Ask friends or family for help, they are your other best source to finding the right one.
5.) Make sure you know the ring size without making it obvious if your are planning it to be a surprise.

You will want to give them something that comes from your heart and that shows their personality.  Having a certain symbol for your love is all what you put into your creative thought for your band. Here are a few examples of a perfect ring.

http://pinterest.com/search/?q=wedding+rings

Karen+Dan=badass

Ohhhhhhh....Where to start...Karen and I had starting emailing about a year prior to her wedding. From the very first contact email I received from her I felt a good connection.  Karen and Dan were planning their Cincinnati wedding from Virginia. Which is stressful on any level, but when we finally met in person, I knew this girl was on top of the game. She handed me a folder containing about 40 pages of info. From photos and bios of each member of the bridal party, music playlists, invitations, inspiration boards and all kinds of goodies. I felt as though I just met with a wedding planner who was getting married. This girl was organized and I LOVED it. Aside from the organization Karen offered I immediately noticed how her and Dan compliment each other so perfectly. Respectfully asking each others opinions on things and just being in love.
Looking forward to their wedding, the day finally came and I was blown away. First because Karen did an AMAZING job at planning her wedding. She left out not even the smallest detail. Everything was beautiful and the love surrounding Karen and Dan was absolutely perfect. They have so many awesome friends who wanted to make sure this day was flawless and everyone did!
I have to start showing photos now, because there are so many fantastic images. Congratulations Karen and Dan and I hope you are adjusting well to your new home in Atlanta.

Vendors:

Photographer: Innovatory Photography

Hair: Drea Naschke

Makeup: Heidi McKenna

Bouquets: Etsy (KateSaidYes)

Officiant: Steve Means

DJ: Brian Childs

Cake: Spoon Fulla Sugar

Venue: 20th Century Theater

Some Unique Centerpieces for your Wedding

While planning your wedding you have many fun and creative things that you and your fiance can make look really unique.  That being said the center pieces for your tables where your guests will sit is something that you want them to remember and to also be a conversation starter.  The center piece is very important because it bases off of what your wedding theme is, the colors, and what you all as a engaged couple enjoys.  There are so many different types of center pieces you can do that are different, such as of course the traditional flowers like roses, lilies, tulips, daisy's, carnations, and more but with either an edge, modern, or soft look to them.  The types of add ons that you can use are ribbon, different shapes and colored vases, bottles, candles, fish bowls, and etc.  Putting some thought into your center piece is important because everyone sees it and it is a main attraction when your guests walk into the reception hall. Here are some eye catching center pieces to help create a unique look.

http://www.bhg.com/wedding/centerpiece
http://pinterest.com/all/?category=wedding_eventss

Trendy Wedding Hair styles for the Bride and her Bridesmaids

Deciding how to wear your hair out to work, to school, to an event, or out on a Saturday night can be frustrating at times especially when you don't know what to do with it, but how you and your bridesmaids wear your hair on the wedding day makes all the difference.  For a trendy look there are many things to consider when choosing how to style your hair.  The theme of your wedding as of what you are going for, your dress whether you want to show the back of the dress or the neckline, and of course what styles look good for your facial structure.  The hair styles that are trending right now are defiantly braids, colorful feathers, gem like clip ons, jeweled head bands, and pearls.  Fresh flowers in the hair are also very in style.  The beautiful fresh colors gives the look a brighter side and also some elegance. You can tell your florist what colors you want and they can fashion some gorgeous flowers for you and your bridesmaids.  Hair is a very important factor for you and your girls having a style that is easy yet fun is the perfect way to go.  Here are some neat ideas to take a look at!

http://pinterest.com/search/?q=wedding+feathers
http://pinterest.com/

How to Make Save the Dates Fun!

http://pinterest.com/anujajoshi/a-g/

Your save the dates are one of your first fun projects in the wedding planning process as an engaged couple.  After choosing your date there are many different ways to create something extravagant and creative!  This is a great way to include your groom to be in the planning.  Your groom will love to give some input and feel very excited to give appealing ideas to share.  Save the date invites are creative, excitement, and brings even more passion for each other.  Whether you and your lovely partner are obsessed with themes such as vintage, beach, outdoor, rustic, modern, and etc there are so many ways that you can portray those onto a small to medium sized flyer of some sort.  The style of your writing, the colors you use, the symbols, or the templates are a way to share your ideas as a future married couple.  Postcard style, magnets, cards with photos, calendars, red carpet movie tickets, a storyline of how you met, trends, and more are all great ideas to share with your friends and family for your upcoming special date.

why having a good photographer is soooooo important (regardless of your budget!)

Well.. this blog post was going to be about getting your sexy on with a boudoir shoot, but I decided (last minute) to make the boudoir post another day. Either way.. BOTH are important!
So the title says "regardless of your budget!" yes i saw that.  As a wedding planner, I do spend countless hours on the internet, I will admit it.. I search and drool over weddings until the wee hours of the night and get inspired. (My husband thinks I am wasting time, I say TV is wasting time.) My point is.. even if you have a 5,000 budget for your WHOLE wedding.. Spend most of that on your photographer. The world of D.I.Y. ( do it yourself) in the wedding world is crazy awesome right now! You can have a back yard wedding and create an atmosphere that is phenomenal with the help of D.I.Y. tutorials! Have friends and family make the food, do a D.I.Y. bar, get the wedding DJ app for your iPhone or iPod, thrift your wedding gown and find an alteration person to up-cycle it! (or even use your moms!) do an awesome dessert bar rather than a fancy wedding cake. These are all ideas that are super trendy right now. Yes, a few years ago I tossed out the D.I.Y. service to help brides who want a D.I.Y. look but do not have time to do it. But if your budget is small (I had my wedding on a 8,000 budget by the way) why not take the time to make it awesome.
So my post is about your photographer right!! You can find a GREAT photographer for 2,500. - 3,000. YES that is a lot of money, I KNOW! But hear me out... the one thing you will have FOREVER, will be your photos. The photography market in the wedding industry is OVER saturated with people who just go buy a camera and think they know what they are doing. You HAVE to do your homework, and just because they charge $2500. does not mean they are good, nor does having 20 years experience. I am not saying you may not get lucky and find a photographer who is just starting out and trying to build their portfolio and charging next to nothing to do it. They do exist, and every now and then they are really good.
I think another issue is being a bride, you may have never thought about photographers before. You may not have a clue as to what is good and what is hideous and out dated.  I went back and forth about whether I should post examples of good wedding photography and bad wedding photography and choose to not do it. I am not here to tell someone they suck at what they do. I am here to educate a couple in making smart choices when it comes to wedding vendors. So instead I will just post a link to some really great local photographers via my "we love" page. These are people that can tell your wedding day story with their art.
Go see some awesome photographers here!

pinterest....

Pinterest has become one of my biggest obsessions. I am pretty sure every wedding planner/designer adores it as much as I do. The concept of Pinterest is genius, basically you "pin" photos to create inspiration boards. The best part about Pinterest is when you pin something you love from a website it acts like an online bookmark. So you can always go back to the "pin", click on it and it takes you back to the website it came from. It is awesome for saving recipes, inspiration photos, D.I.Y. tutorials, and anything you just really love or want to revisit.
I love that I am able to create inspiration boards for my couples and they can also add to that board. So we are always on the same page in terms of design. The couples can look at it anytime they want and click "like" on the images they really love. Pinterest has taken inspiration boards to a new level that I LOVE! Go check out my Pinterest boards and see how fast you can get addicted. http://pinterest.com/oxyjen/