Wedding Planning Q&A
How did you pick your ring?
I knew exactly what I wanted! I looked at Pinterest pictures. Taylor and I both knew I 100% wanted to be involved in picking it out, and I would never recommend doing it any other way. That is just absolutely not something I wanted to be surprised with.
My advice: go try them on. You never know what the ring is going to look like until it's on your own finger. Make a day of it! We went to brunch, and went to look at rings after and it really was such a fun memory for both of us. Taylor would agree that it gave him peace of mind to have me there helping him. They shouldn't have to do that on their own!
What part of the wedding planning process did you start with?
Reception and photographer! Both were extremely important to me and I knew would have the most limited availability. That doesn't mean you have to do that though.
My advice: go with order of importance. Everything can be planned around what's most important.
What are your bridesmaid gifts?
I don't know this yet, but I will update you when I do! I know I'll be getting them each a robe to wear on wedding day, as well as putting together wedding weekend essentials bags, but that's as far as I've gotten!
Is it possible to plan a wedding in 6 months?
This is tough. I would say if you hire a full service wedding coordinator, then yes. I would also say it would need to be a fairly small wedding, and you need to be a heck of a lot more go with the flow/less high strung than I am! But I'm sure people have done it, it just totally depends on the wedding itself and the expectation you have!
What is most important to lock down first/order in which you planned?
This answer is going to vary from person to person. I am a teacher, which means getting married during the summer was a must. This limited my time frame drastically because that left me with a two month window. So for me, the most important was the reception venue! You spend the bulk of your wedding night at a reception, and I had a pretty specific vision of what I wanted our reception to look like. So, those two factors meant I wanted to get that nailed down first.
My advice: sit down with your fiance and list out vendors by order of importance. Go from there! In a lot of cases, your decisions on vendors will be limited by date; know that you're going to have to be flexible, especially the shorter the time frame you have.
What are you doing for your guest book?
I'm not 100% sold on a guest book. I just don't know that it's that important to me or when I'll ever look at it again. I've asked so many people if they've ever looked at their guest book again and the answer its always no. So I'm not sure I want to spend the money on it!
If we do, I want to do a matted engagement photo or a snapfish photo book for people to sign.
What are your colors?
White, blush, champagne, cream!
What are you doing for transportation from ceremony to venue?
Party bus! We rented one for two hours so we'll leave the church, do some pictures, drive to get a drink with just our wedding party, and then head to the reception.
Are you doing a destination bachelorette party?
Palm Springs, CA!
What do I consider when blocking hotel rooms?
Hotel room blocks are negotiable; don't agree to a price right off the bat. Whatever they come at you with first, negotiate down. You're bringing them a ton of guaranteed business, keep that in mind. Also, try to find somewhere that isn't going to charge you if the rooms don't get used.
Look for somewhere that's going to be able to resell the rooms by a certain date if not used by your wedding guests. You should not be on the hook for unused rooms if you give the hotel ample time to resell them.
This is also pretty obvious I'm sure, but find a location central to both your ceremony and your reception, if at different places. The last thing I want is someone to have to drive a long way the day of the wedding, or pay for an expensive Uber on the way home.
Gifts for groomsmen and parents?
Taylor is doing two gifts for each groomsmen. One is something they'll all get, the other will be something more personal to each person. He hasn't decided yet but he said he'd share once he figures it out!
As far as parents go, I'm still looking into it but will keep this post updated with what I decide on!
Are you doing a first look?
No, no, and no. This is something I have been extremely adamant about. I want Taylor to see me for the first time when I walk down the aisle! I think that will hands down be the most special moment of our day. I think social media has emphasized the "need" for a first look and I don't think it's necessary! To each their own!
Don't let anyone talk you out of what you want to do, either way! I've had so many people tell me, "you'll have more time for pictures if you do it this way" or "you'll be so nervous if you don't see each other beforehand", etc. I know everyone is trying to be helpful but go with your gut and do what you want to do. Don't be afraid to stand your ground, in any aspect of wedding planning! It's your day, not anyone else's.
Where is your honeymoon?
Moorea / Tahiti! We. Can't. Wait. This has been a bucket list vacation for me for as long as I can remember. It is 100% a dream come true that we're going and I am so thankful!
My grandpa is a travel agent and he booked the entire trip for us. I'm linking his website here if you'd like to contact him. He's always taking new clients and I can't recommend him enough. No matter where you're from or where you're going, he'll get you taken care of and you won't have to worry about a single aspect of planning!
CONTACT INFO:
Dean McWilliams
623 544-1818
deanmcw@cox.net
Your number one wedding planning must have?
Besides a good photographer, a wedding coordinator. I am using Lindsay from Veil Events and she is wonderful. I could not do this without her. I think it's inevitable that you will go crazy at some point during the planning process but I cannot imagine my stress level without her guidance.
I'm also linking my wedding planning guide here. Lindsay created this and it has been a lifesaver for me!
Are you doing a signature cocktail?
I don't think so! I think signature cocktails are more for when you're not doing an open bar, or just doing beer and wine. When you're doing open bar, your guests can have the bartenders concoct whatever they want so I don't see a huge need for signature cocktails. It would just require me to buy more signage!