Yay! You’re Engaged! Now What?

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‘Tis the season of Starbucks red cups, comfy sweaters (at least in Seattle!), holiday cheer – and ENGAGEMENTS! Love really IS in the air this holiday season and I, well, LOVE it! Right after my initial “engagement high” wore off just a tad, I remember flipping through wedding magazines and local resource guides and feeling totally and completely overwhelmed. As a former Sweet Pea bride myself, I was lucky enough to find Kelly in my early planning stages and she completely put my mind at ease by taking the planning process one simple step at a time.

So for you newly engaged brides-to-be, I am passing on my top five “pearls of wisdom” to get the ball rolling on planning your big day.

  1. Breathe. Relax. Enjoy. Repeat.

You’re engaged! This is such an exciting moment in the lives of you and your families. Take the time to soak it in and remember the bliss you’re feeling at that exact moment. Don’t become overwhelmed with a seemingly daunting to-do list. You are your fiancé are head-over-heels for each other and at the end of the day, that’s what really matters.

 

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  1. Choose a couple possible dates.

And if it’s hard to nail down exact dates, think of a specific time of the year you’d like to get married. For instance, my dad is a HUGE college sports fanatic and he made it perfectly clear that our wedding could not take place during March Madness or college football Saturdays. Clearly early spring and fall seasons were out of the question for me!

 

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  1. Set a budget.

Ugh. If you’re like me, budget conversations give me heart palpitations, but it is so important to make sure that all parties who are contributing to the big day are on the same page. Keep those lines of communication open and friendly and remember to set realistic expectations. Think long and hard before you plunge into a sea of debt just to pull of the wedding of your dreams.

 

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  1. Start thinking about your guest list.

Here’s a simple equation to remember when creating your list: more guests = more money spent. It sounds so simple, but I was constantly reminded of this when planning my own wedding. Budget and guest list go hand-in hand, so take the time to check (and double check!) your list and avoid inviting every “friend” on your Facebook friend list.

 

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  1. Get an idea of your wedding style.

Thanks to the evolution of Pinterest and other social media sites, wedding inspirations abound! I’m not asking you to commit to anything specific, but consider some helpful adjectives that you might use to describe how you want to convey the look and feel of your wedding day. Do you gravitate towards modern elements? Are you in awe of the chic-rustic look that is ever-so-popular? Are you a punk-girl at heart? Refer back to Rachel’s helpful hints as to how Pinterest and wedding planning can go hand in hand before you get too carried away!

 

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And that’s it! Totally painless, right? By setting aside a couple hours to discuss these details will leave you THAT much more prepared for all the other fun planning milestones that are to come.

Happy Monday!

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Wedding Day Keepsakes

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After your highly anticipated, “best day of your life” is over, the question you might be asking yourself is what do I have to remember my wedding day? Well, besides that new husband of yours, you have the wonderful memories, a lot of photos, a dress and perhaps some leftover favors. There are some traditional ways to remember your wedding, like preserving your bouquet or your dress. Here are a few other unique ways to preserve your special day!

#1: Live-Event Painter

While it might have a touch of old-fashioned artifact to it, the idea of having someone paint your wedding day (whether it’s the ceremony or the reception), a canvased painting is something that will last forever. The New York Times recently posted an article about Live-Event Painting and how it can be used to capture and remember any part of your wedding day.

Credit: Posta Bella

#2: Ketubah

While this is typically a Jewish Tradition, a Ketubah (pronounced KA-TOOB-A) is a beautiful piece of art that encompasses the vows you are taking as husband and wife. They can be done in so many different formats to accommodate any style of wedding.

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#3: Using Perfume
A dear friend of mine used this years ago and I have always remembered it. They say that smell is the sense that is most connected to your memory. Her and her husband selected a perfume and cologne to use just for their wedding than to use on anniversaries for the years to come. What a great way to remember your special day, not to mention a new perfume!

#4 Raindrops/Sand/Dirt Jar
Wherever you get married, there is bound to be some sort of element of nature nearby. It might be some dirt from outside the church or sand from the beach. If its a rainy day, have a bridesmaid or family member put out a jar to collect the raindrops for you to keep.

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#5 Unique Guest Book
The traditional guest book has become a thing of the past. There are so many ways to collect the words of love and affirmation from your guests, whether it’s a mad lib, wishing tree, fingerprint, coffee table book from your city or a scrap book of photo booth pictures. You will cherish these for years to come!

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What other ways do you have to remember the day of your wedding after its all said and done? We would love to hear your ideas!

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Pinterest and Wedding Planning

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Have you heard of Pinterest? Ha, I’m only kidding.  Pinterest has revolutionized Wedding Planning in so many ways, but the question is, how do you use it in a way that you don’t spend every hour obsessing about what new trend you can incorporate into your wedding? Don’t get me wrong, my Pinterest page is anything but sparse, but I think there are some ways that you can utilize this site in a way that helps you but doesn’t drive you crazy.

#1: Stick to your Wedding Theme

If you are having an indoor wedding, don’t get stuck looking at all the beach wedding ideas that you might come across.  It’s great to get ideas if you aren’t set on anything yet, but if you already know your theme (Classy, Modern, Traditional, Shabby Chic) then stick to searching for those ideas.

#2 Avoid Browsing the Wedding Section

Try to avoid just browsing and use the search bar.  This will help you only look for the ideas that you need, instead of spending hours looking at every dream wedding you could come across.  If you need lighting ideas, then search for those instead of every possible wedding idea there is.

#3 Split up your Boards

They have different boards for a reason and don’t be afraid to use them! Instead of having one Wedding Board, do an Invitation Board, Favors Board, Lighting Board and so on)

#4 Use Secret Boards

Recently, Pinterest just started doing Secret Boards! You can use these for the ideas you may not want everyone to know about or outside voices telling you about what they did for their wedding.

#5 Follow Less People/Businesses

Be picky about who you follow on Pinterest, especially if they don’t fit with the theme of your wedding.  You can always follow more people after the wedding is over!

Photo taken from SomeEcards.com

Try not to let this site overwhelm you, instead, try to use it to your advantage for a wedding that is exactly what you want it to be!  Happy Pinning and Happy Wedding Planning!  If you want to check out the rest of the Sweet Pea Event Planners Pinterest Pages, check them out below!

Kelly’s Pinterest Page

Meaghan’s Pinterest Page

Sarah’s Pinterest Page

My Pinterest Page

 

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Weddings and Weather

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As you most likely know, the East Coast has been hit pretty hard by Hurricane Sandy and the aftermath has taken it’s toll on New Yorkers and surrounding areas.  One thing I can’t help but think, is what it must be like for brides in this scenario.  No matter how much you plan, Mother Nature sometimes has other plans in mind.  I specifically remember New York last year having a snow storm on October 29th and this year we had Hurricane Sandy ironically happen on the same day this year.  Does weather have an affect on when you plan your wedding? What are the most important things to think about when deciding to reschedule your big day?  In this case, for brides on the East Coast, some have lost their venue, their dress or other wedding day essentials.  I have been following The Knot and they have set up a Facebook page for brides who need vendors/venues and for vendors/venues to offer their services.  If you had a wedding that was impacted by a crazy weather situation, I’d love to hear what you did to move forward, or if you canceled your event.

Also, we recommend purchasing event insurance to protect you in the event of a natural disaster or other unforseen circumstances.  You may first want to check with your homeowners or renters insurance policy to see if you can add this coverage on to any existing policies you have.  Or, you can purchase event insurance through a company called Wed Safe – www.wedsafe.com – it’s a couple hundred dollars, depending on how much liability coverage you obtain, and definitely worth looking into to protect yourself and your wedding investment.

We sincerely hope all of you in the East Coast are safe and our thoughts are with you as we all move forward in recovering from this tragic storm.

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Groomsmen Gift Ideas

Posted by: meaghan_thumb7_thumb2_thumb1_thumb1_[1]

Everyone focuses most of their attention on the bride, the bridesmaids, the flowers, and tons of other small details but quickly forget about the sweet groomsmen! Guys are often hard to shop for in general, but its especially difficult to find a gift that is a nice thank you for being such a big part of a guys big day! Here are some awesome gifts that we have found that we feel would be an awesome gesture to the men of the wedding!

 

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A cool flask to carry their favorite beverage. You could even have their name engraved.

Picture taken from BHLDN

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An at home beer brew kit, to create their very own beer.

Picture taken from Red Envelope

masculine iphone case, groomsmen gift ideas, dallas wedding planner, planning for dudes.

A masculine iPhone case.

Picture taken from Etsy.com

 customized cuff links, groomsmen gifts, Dallas Wedding Planner, Planning For Dudes

Customized cuff links for them to wear on the big day.

Picture taken from luulla.com

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An iHome, for them to enjoy all the time.

Picture taken from Apple

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Pantone Colors Spring 2013

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September is actually my favorite month of the year, especially in New York City.  The air is starting to feel more crisp, and there are so many events going on during September.  The month starts with the US Open and quickly jumps into New York Fashion Week! There have been some awesome things to see come out of fashion week for color trends from Pantone for Spring 2013.  If you haven’t seen the colors and are getting married next Spring, I recommend checking out the colors.  My favorite color for next Spring is Nectarine and Grayed Jade.  How will these affect your Spring Wedding colors for 2013?  Check out some of these bouquets that highlight some of the 2013 Pantone Colors. It’s great to see how you might be able to incorporate these trends into your bouquets for yourself or your bridesmaids in 2013!

Found on Martha Stewart Weddings: This particular bouquet is reminiscent of the Pantone shade of Tender Shoots, but is a beautiful mix of hydrangeas and orchids, two of my personal favorite flowers!

 

Found on Style Me Pretty, Mama Flowers: This bouquet encompasses three of the colors found in the Pantone Sprint 2013 Colors of Dusk Blue, Lemon Zest and Nectarine. I love seeing these colors together, in a very unique, yet elegant bouquet."

 

Vine Floral & Event Design - found on Brides.com "These flowers are a mix of the Pantone colors of Nectarine and Lemon Zest. The flowers are certainly not your typical bouquet, as a mix of cymbidium orchids, celosia, parrot tulips, and dahlias. Of course these colors are typically available in a variety of flowers that might be more traditional, but they look great here!

 

 

 


 

 

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Dazzling Rehearsal Dinner Dress Style Watch

 

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If your wedding day is just around the corner, we KNOW you probably have a million and one little tasks bogging down your to-do list. Don’t let the stress of finding a rehearsal dinner dress add to that!

Whether your celebrating the-day-before-the-big-day at a swanky new bistro, or kicking back and relaxing in the comfort of backyard bash, we’ve hand selected some of our favorite pieces that will ensure all eyes are on you for the evening.

1. White is alright!

You ARE the blushing bride-to-be after all! Why not soak it up as much as you can? The key to pulling off this look is to keep it short and simple. Try this one-shoulder number from Jill Stewart:

Dallas Wedding Planner, Seattle Wedding Planner, Rehearsal Dinner Dresses, Wedding Tips This dress can be found at Nordstrom.com

  Or, as we head in to fall, consider balancing the all-white look with some classic black.

Rehearsal Dinner Dresses, Anthropologie Rehearsdal Dinner Dress, Dallas Wedding Planner, Seattle Wedding Planner

This dress can be found at Anthropologie.com

2. Black is back!

Sometimes scorned as being "too boring", take black to the next level by looking for a fabric that steps it up a notch. Lace, satin, or a sheer overlay, will keep this look far from drab. Take a cue from ABS with this super-fun dotted overlay dress:

Seattle Wedding Planner, Dallas Wedding Planner, Rehearsal Dinner Dress, Wedding Tips

This dress can be found at SaksFifthAvenue.com

3. Color me happy!

You’re glowing — you are about to walk down the aisle and marry your best friend — somebody pinch you! Don’t hold back that cheer! Step it up a notch with bright, bold colors for your rehearsal dinner. I’m loving the ruffles and ruching on this fuchsia dress from ModCloth — and it’s under $60!

Dallas Wedding Planner, Seattle Wedding Planner, Rehearsal Dinner Dresses, Wedding Tips

This dress can be found at ModCloth.com

And one final tip: from one bride to another, take the time to ENJOY this special day. My rehearsal dinner was one of my most favorite moments from the wedding-week because it was spent with the people I love most. Sharing stories, laughing and toasting to the beginning of a new chapter in life — what could be better than that?!

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Bridesmaid Dresses

Posted by Meaghan Cody

You’ve picked your bridesmaids and now you’re searching for the perfect bridesmaid dresses. You are probably realizing it is hard to find a dress that will flatter all six or seven of your bridesmaids. So what should you do about it? How about let your bridesmaids pick their own dresses? EEEEK. That is a scary thought! What if they don’t pick the right color? What if it is hideous? We went ahead and asked one of our past brides, Caroline, how she handled letting her bridesmaids choose their own dresses.

You may have seen Caroline and Nick’s wedding posted on our blog last week! Here is what Caroline had to say:

“I just let my bridesmaids choose their own dresses (they came from JCrew, BHLDN, Nordstrom, TJ Maxx and Dillards) . Lucky for me, I have friends with great taste and they all know what looks good on them and since the grey colors for the season were really only in two shades, it worked out well. I think the best part about the dresses was the way the colors looked the same- I believe this was accomplished by me giving examples of colors I liked to the girls — I chose 4 dresses that I liked the color and style-theme, cocktail, of and emailed them with instructions. So then as each girl chose her dress, I emailed a picture of it to all the girls so they each had an idea of what the overall look was. And then I saved the pics in a word doc so I could see them all together. And one dress REALLY didn’t work and so I gave her a dress I thought matched the other girls and she was happy with that! Anyway, I think the key points are:

1) totally let go of style restrictions if you’re letting them choose their own dresses and you’re NOT selecting a company to specifically buy from (like don’t say it has to be strapless or something). And if you make a style restriction and someone chooses a dress violating it, try to let it go until you can see the big picture of all the dresses. This helps because it’s really hard for the girls to choose a dress that’s actually cute when you put too many restrictions on the dress or tell her she has to choose something you, the bride, would like. I learned this from being in a wedding where I chose my own bridesmaid dress.

2) I think it also helped that I decided one of the “themes” of my wedding was “doesn’t match”. Because I had a look of things not being uniform, it all fit and seemed cohesive. “

 

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Photo courtesy of Perez Photography

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Welcome Bag Ideas

Posted by Meaghan Cody

When your big day finally arrives, you typically have guests that are coming from all over to help you celebrate. In order to make sure they feel welcomed and are prepared for your wedding weekend you can package together a welcome bag that is given upon their arrival. We have compiled a list of fun items that you may want to include for your guests. Being in Dallas we made this list Texas friendly, but you can customize it to your city, state, or the destination of your wedding!

  • Bottled Water
  • Tylenol
  • Starbucks VIA
  • Dr Pepper
  • Granola Bars
  • Hand Sanitizer
  • Sunscreen
  • Bug Repellent
  • Gift Card to Whataburger
  • Lint Rollers
  • Tide To-Go Pen
  • Tissues
  • Popcorn
  • Mints
  • Band-aids
  • Chap stick
  • Things to do in Area
  • Local Restaurants List
  • Bottle of Stubb’s BBQ Sauce
  • Wedding Weekend Timeline
    Destination Weddings, Welcome Bag Ideas, Dallas Wedding Planner, Weddings in Dallas
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Revisiting Traveling With a Wedding Gown!

Posted by Meaghan Cody

Recently we have had a few clients and friends ask us lots of questions about traveling with your wedding gown! So we have decided to revisit a post from last year about the ins and outs of traveling with your gown. Traveling with your wedding gown can be extremely stressful whether you are driving, flying, or headed on a cruise. We have created a list of tips for traveling with your wedding gown which will hopefully address some of those questions you might be asking yourself.

Dallas Wedding Planner, Sweet Pea Events, Traveling with a Wedding Gown, Dallas Wedding

Traveling in the Car:

Start by stuffing your dress with tissue. Non-Acid tissue that is, and a dress form if you can. Then, zip it up in a garment bag and hang it in your backseat with the bodice facing the door of the car and the rest of the dress laid out across the back seat.

Traveling by Ship:

You would want to do the same thing as you would if you were traveling by car. When boarding the ship, you can just carry your garment bag on board with you and then hang it in your room!

Traveling by Plane:

When traveling by plane, the last thing you want to do is check your dress! We suggest you pack your dress in a garment bag like above and then carry it on the plane. Most of the time you can ask the flight attendant to hang it in first class. But in case that is not an option you should place the garment bag in a hard sided suitcase that would fit in the overhead compartment.

Shipping your Dress:

If you plan on shipping your dress make sure that you use an overnight carrier that sells insurance. Ensure that you purchase the insurance and receive a tracking number. Ask your bridal salon if they will stuff your dress with a dress form and non-acid tissue and place it in a box that they have. After that wrap it in plastic and then with bubble wrap and place it in the box the shipping company provides. We’ve had several brides ship their dresses without any issues whatsoever…just make sure you ship it to your venue the week prior to the wedding in case for whatever reason there is a delay with the venue receiving it.

Getting the Wrinkles Out:

Once you arrive to your destination you want to take your dress out of the garment bag as soon as your can and let it hang. More than likely you will have some wrinkles to remove. You can hang your dress in the bathroom while you take a hot shower, that way the steam can help some of the wrinkles fall out. Target has a small steamer that works wonders! If you are steaming your dress yourself, wrap a towel around the head of the steamer to prevent water spots. Or your can find a professional dry cleaning service and ask them to professionally steam it. The concierge at your hotel will know of a reliable cleaner to send you to. Also, depending on your gown’s fabric, your gown may need to be professionally steamed and we wouldn’t recommend steaming it yourself…best way to know if you should try steaming it yourself or not is to ask your gown store what their recommendation is. For example, if your gown is mostly silk then we definitely recommend taking it to a professional cleaner for steaming.

Happy Wedding Dress Travels!

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