Intimate Blush Homestead Shoot

I've been dreaming of this project for a long time and I'm so excited to finally share it with you! From the gorgeous, soft colors to the cozy, meaningful ceremony, and the delicious, home-cooked meal, every detail embraces elegance, community, and legacy. The gorgeous Quaker marriage certificate that Jenny Sanders created highlights the support and witness of your closest loved ones. The historic home speaks to the family traditions and legacies that are brought together on your wedding day. The intimate ceremony speaks to the personal vows and covenant of a husband and wife. And the meal shared, toasts given, and thank you's spoken late into the evening show the earnest celebration of a new chapter in a couples lives.

Every detail of this shoot shows that your wedding can be gorgeous and just right no matter the circumstances, size, or scale. The flowers, the ribbon, the gowns, the furniture, and the stationery are so incredible, I can't pick a favorite! My friend Carrie not only beautifully photographed the whole day, but she made that delicious meal! All of the creatives that made this shoot happen are crazy talented and came together to create a hopelessly romantic and hilariously fun day. I'm endlessly grateful for their time and talents and so thankful for the eight gorgeous models (including my husband!) who laughed the whole way through. It was such a treat to have this shoot featured on 100 Layer Cake as well! Here are my favorite images from the day, captured so brilliantly by Carrie Coleman Photography. Enjoy!

Coordination and Styling: Alex Meyer Events | Photography: Carrie Coleman Photography | Floral Design: Janie Medley Flora Design | Furniture: Paisley and Jade | Bridesmaid's Dresses: Bella Bridesmaids Richmond | Hair and Makeup: Avenue 42 Style Studio | Ribbon and Table Runner: Silk and Willow | Calligraphy: Jenny Sanders, Graceline Art | Venue: Tuckahoe Plantation | Bridal Gown: Reem Acra via Rent the Runway | Featured on 100 Layer Cake

Featured on 100 Layer Cake

I can't think of a better way to kick off 2015 than with the gorgeous wedding we did this past weekend and a beautiful shoot featured on 100 Layer Cake! This gorgeous, intimate shoot took place on a cold, rainy, humid day in October. The weather breaks and wet grounds made for an interesting day and a little bit of craziness, but the creatives who came together for this one were unfazed! From the lush, wild blooms by the wonderful Janie Medley, to the delicate, stunning calligraphy from Jenny Sanders, to the gorgeous gowns provided by Bella Bridesmaid's, and the beautiful, vintage pieces from Paisley and Jade, every detail exudes comfortable elegance! The details are stunning, but it was the people who made this one so special! Head over to 100 Layer Cake to see this gorgeous project and check back tomorrow for my favorite images from the incredibly talented Carrie Coleman!

The 2014 Recap

What a year 2014 has been! This time last year, I was nervously working to get AM Events launched and today I am a full-fledged small business owner who is working, pushing, refining, and making big things happen. The past year was filled with weddings, creative shoots, coffee dates, new friendships, and dream clients that all helped me refine who I am as a business owner, stylist, planner, and communicator. I am so proud of this year and so incredibly grateful for all of the wonderful people who have come alongside me to make some really special celebrations and creative projects happen! A huge thank you to the brides and grooms who have opened their lives to me. You are why I do this and you are so loved! 

I can't wait to show you the refinements, stories, and celebrations that 2015 is bringing and to discover the surprises it has in store!

Cheers to 2015, friends!

Refining

If you follow along on Instagram, you've seen me not-so-subtly hint at some big, purposeful, beautiful changes coming to AM Events! I'm getting back to the basics of why I do this, who I am as an artist and planner, what I love about this work, and how I approach each event, and I'm working with a few dear friends and talented artists to translate that into beautiful design and a new face for AM Events. It's soon, y'all. Really soon! And I want to share with you where we're headed. 

There is heart and soul pouring from these images and from what they stand for. I am so ready to debut the new AM Events and can't wait to show her to you soon! For now, be inspired to get back to the basics of loving well, slowing down, and being grateful this holiday season.

Merry Christmas, friends!

Image Credits: Kinfolk // Pinterest // Pinterest // Southern Weddings // Style Me Pretty // Madewell

Gift Guide: For the Bride To Be

With Christmas fast approaching (two weeks?!), I've put together my favorite last minute gift ideas for the bride to be in your life! Whether you are the best friend, mother of the bride, or fiance, this collection of gifts has something meaningful and gorgeous for you to gift your favorite bride to be this Christmas. 

From the GROOM TO BE: The Mrs Box

These gorgeous, antique French velvet ring boxes embody everything that is powerful about heirlooms: grace, romance, and legacy. What a romantic sentiment to gift your love a beautiful home to store her most treasured piece and to create a new family heirloom to be passed on for generations to come!

From the MOH: The Southern Weddings Planner

The Southern Weddings Planner is a new planning tool designed to help a bride organize her inspiration and focus on what matters most. The cover says it all: Love Never Fails. This statement is near and dear to AM Events and my brides. I can't wait to get my hands on one!

FROM THE MOTHER OF THE BRIDE: LOVE FREELY MUG

This Love Freely Mug is a simple but incredibly significant gift. When your daughter fills her cup first thing every morning, she will see these words and remember to love her husband freely, without a score board or tally list of wrongs, regardless of what's deserved or what the day will bring. What a beautiful source of encouragement to give your daughter! Pair it with a handwritten letter imparting some of your most valued marriage insight and it will be something she treasures for years to come.

FROM THE FATHER OF THE BRIDE: FRAMED FAMILY PHOTO

Some of my most valued possessions are family photos of my parents and I when I was younger (that's my dad and I!). The other is a letter my dad wrote me before I went to college. Combine the two and you have a Father of the Bride gift that will blow your daughter away. Find your favorite photo of the two of you from her childhood and have it framed at a custom frame site (like Framebridge) for her new home. Then write her a letter with all your love and fatherly wisdom and stick it in the back of the frame. She will forever have a reminder of your love and support on her walls and a place to go to for encouragement when you might be out of reach. 

Gifting is one of my favorite things to do. I love finding the perfect, meaningful gift to give everyone on my list. I hope this helps make your giving a little easier and full of a little more love! Here's a hint at how much I love these gifts: they're all on my list! 

Happy gifting and Merry Christmas, friends!!

Making Things Happen Recap

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. What could be better than time away from our busy lives to eat delicious food with our favorite people and reflect on what we’re grateful for and the people we’re thankful for. I love that Thanksgiving helps us gain that perspective and grateful spirit before we head into Christmas! This year, I’m extra thankful for the perspective and growth I experienced at Making Things Happen and the life I’ve been able to make happen in the last month!

Photos by Emily March Photography and Glessner Photography.

I signed up for Making Things Happen in March with no clue what to expect from the conference and no clue what the next seven months had in store. This summer was full of wonderful weddings, editorial shoots, and travel all over Virginia and Maryland to work with my fabulous couples. But it was also full of late work nights, early mornings, no time building community, and no focused rest. I had no idea Making Things Happen would speak to these things and breathe life into my schedule. I can’t recommend the experience highly enough (sign up for the March intensive here)!! Every person there came away with tangible, reasonable tools for how to make life happen where you are right now, not where you dream you’ll be in two years. 

-Live on purpose. How can you structure your time, create boundaries, protect your work hours, and guard your play hours to make life happen? I now have clear work hours, specific nights for client meetings, specific nights for back-end business tasks, and specific nights for Stephen and something fun with friends. I am SO much more productive with boundaries in place than I was giving my business a free-for-all over my life! I’m more joyful and more focused which makes my business more comfortable and purposeful.

-Stop the scroll. This one comes from the wonderful Rhi of Hey Gorgeous Events. Social media can be a great tool for business and for making connections within the industry, but it’s too easy to just scroll through and compare yourself with everyone else and feel worse instead of inspired. So I’m stopping the mindless scrolling and using social media as an intentional tool, not a negativity-ridden distraction.

-Do more of what fires you up. For me, this means sharing more of my personality and life, doing more creative projects and story telling, spending more time unplugged with my friends and husband, and figuring out how to blog, Instagram, and whatever else in a way that excites me. If you’re not excited about it, no one will be excited about it! I absolutely love what I do and the people I get to work with and do life with, so I am going to do more of what fires me up and love people better!

-Progress over perfection. These are weighty phrases and challenging changes to make. I’m nowhere near perfect at any of this, but the little by little progress is changing my attitude, encouraging my spirit, and fostering productivity and community.  We have to show ourselves grace and leave room for the hard work to happen. Little by little, friends. 

This Thanksgiving, I’m thankful for the leadership of the ladies of Making Things Happen and the growth they foster. I’m grateful for the couples I’ve been blessed to celebrate with, the creatives I’ve had the privilege of working with, the friends who have encouraged me through the busyness, and my incredible husband who was right there, helping make it all happen.

Happy Thanksgiving, y’all!

Three

Today is our third anniversary! Three years of doing life with my favorite! Our marriage is the most rewarding, challenging, beautiful thing I'll ever do and I'm forever grateful that Stephen wakes up every morning and chooses to love me. That husband of mine, y'all. He is the best supporter, encourager, and partner. He is my editor, builder, and sounding board. He rarely complains when I ramble for hours, he's patient when I snap at him, and he laughs at my corny jokes.

I vowed to trust and honor Stephen with caring and gentleness. And I know I've failed at that more than I've succeeded. We're here at three years, and we need work. We need more quality time, more follow through, and more compromise. And we'll be at thirty years and need more work. Because doing life with another is complicated and messy and worth it. And I don't always want to be gentle or caring. And I don't always feel giddy when he walks in the door. Vows are more than that. They mean even when. Even when I'm angry or hurt or annoyed. Even then, I will love you and I will be here. Even when I'm mean or ungrateful or selfish. Even then, you will love me and you will be here. 

Marriage takes work and effort and love. And this man is helping me be better. He cares about what frustrates me, what fires me up, and what makes me feel defeated. He fights against my doubt and fear and insecurity. He teaches me to find more joy, more intentional time, and more patience. 

Stephen. You're the best and I love you. Thank you for three!

Featured on Style Me Pretty!

The coastal shoot I put together in June was featured on Style Me Pretty this week! Style Me Pretty is such a beautifully curated blog that consistently features some of the most stunning work in the industry, so to see my work featured on SMP still makes me giddy! 

This elegant seaside shoot was inspired by the Whitman quote "in you I wrap a thousand onward years." What a beautiful statement! In you I wrap my entire future. That is marriage! There is something so calming about the quote that speaks to a steadfast love and reminds me of the endlessness of the sea. I paired the two together, some incredible creatives provided their talents, and we created something that I completely love. A big thank you to Victoria for creating such stunning pieces and to Krista for capturing our work so beautifully! 

Photography: Krista A. Jones
Stationery: Design House of Moira
Floral Design: The Floral Studio
Hair and Makeup: Behind the Veil
Cake: Bijoux Fine Cakes
Venue: Silver Swan Bayside
Models: Christine and Justin

Featured on Inspired By This!

This Summer Berries Inspired Shoot was so much fun to put together and I'm thrilled it's featured on one of my favorite blogs, Inspired By This!

I loved bringing this comfortable, sophisticated shoot to life! There are so many beautiful details, it's hard to narrow down my favorites. The summer berries, the gorgeous family farm, the most adorable bulldog, my favorite toddler, the stunning models, the mix-and-match antique glassware, the delicious doughnut favors, and those unbelievable flowers!! 

So many talented people came together for this shoot, and I'm so thankful to have had Lisa Marie of Sweet Tea Photography to collaborate with and to capture the details so beautifully.

Head over to Inspired By This to see more!

Our dream team of creatives:

Photography: Sweet Tea Photography
Venue: Rocklands Farm
Florals: Sidra Forman
Rentals: Something Vintage
Hair and Makeup: Alison Harper & Co.
Wedding Cakes and Pastries: BIJOUX Fine Cakes
Doughnut Favors: GBD Fried Chicken and Doughnuts
Bridal Gown: Garnish Boutique
Placecards and Invitations: Meant to be Calligraphy
Photography Assistant: Brett Denfeld
Film Processing and Scanning: Indie Film Lab

Hope y'all love it as much as we do!

Red, White, and Blue Inspiration

The 4th of July is such a fun, celebratory holiday that I think it would be the perfect inspiration for a summer wedding! For some beautiful inspiration, here are some of my favorite images that take red, white, and blue from casual get-together to classic sophistication.

Style Me Pretty

100 Layer Cake

Snippet and Ink

Southern Weddings

Snippet and Ink

Jen Huang Photography

Ruffled

Style Me Pretty

I have the privilege of being a bridesmaid in my dear friend Hillary's wedding this weekend in Nashville, TN. I can't think of a better way to celebrate the 4th than supporting my friend in marriage. Follow along on Instagram if you want some peeks into her gorgeous wedding and our Nashville adventures!

Happy 4th of July!

Alice and Ben: A Rustic, Classic Maryland Wedding

I am so excited to share some beautiful images from Alice and Ben's wedding day last month! From the gorgeous venue, to the laid-back, elegant vibe, to the awesome dance party, their wedding day was a total joy to be a part of!

Alice and Ben, a giant thank you for trusting me with your wedding and being the first official AM Events couple! You two were so fun and cared so deeply for everyone involved in your wedding. It was a pleasure to help your day come together!

A huge thank you to Anna Kerns Photography for capturing their day so beautifully and to all of the fabulous vendors involved. We had a great time celebrating this gorgeous couple!

The unplugged ceremony was one of my favorite touches. Weddings are about marriage, and I love that Alice and Ben wanted their guests fully present as their marriage began.

These sunset portraits are so beautiful. Just look at their joy! 

VENDORS: Photographer: Anna Kerns Photography | Wedding Planner: Alex Meyer Events | Ceremony Flowers and Bouquets: Petal Burst | Reception Flowers: Lulu Florist | Invitations and Programs: Shannon Joy Paperie | Hair: Chaos Salon | Makeup: Susan Lim | Ceremony Quartet: Palm Strings Quartet form Bailek's Music | Band: Keynote from Entertainment Exchange | Videography: Adora Wedding Films | Venue and Catering: The Comus Inn at Sugarloaf Mountain | Wedding Dress and Shoes: David's Bridal | Bridesmaids' Dresses: Ann Taylor | Suits: Tommy Hilfiger

A shout out to my husband Stephen for making the awesome backdrop for their wedding cake and helping me with all of the table numbers!

For the Bride: Wedding Week Musts

This weekend marks the first AM Events wedding of the season! This particular AME couple loves family, food, and a good dance party so their wedding will be the perfect way to kick off summer! 

All of the week-of preparations have me thinking about a new blog series I'm calling For the Bride. First up, the top three things you should do the week of your wedding!

1. Go on a date with your fiancé. Before your friends and family get in town for the wedding, go on your favorite type of date and spend some quality time together away from the busy-ness. Reminisce about your favorite dating memories or talk about some fun family traditions you want to start. I always tell people you will be surprised how little one on one time you get with your fiancé once the wedding is here. Have some fun together before the events of the weekend get underway!

2. Unplug for a day. Tell anyone who needs to know that you won't be available that day and unplug. Stay off of social media, Pinterest, group texts, wedding emails, etc. for a whole day. With so many different ways to connect, it can feel like we never really slow down or shut off socially. With an event as exciting as your wedding it can be easy to overlook how overwhelmed or exhausted you are. Make the effort to turn off the excess distractions and really relax.

3. Spend time alone. All by yourself. (Did anyone else start singing Celine Dion just then?) Whether it's reading a good book, going on a long run, or floating in the pool for a few hours, spend some time by yourself and take your mind off of wedding things. Try this "must" on your unplugged day. I bet you won't recognize the feeling of really being alone.

The main idea here is to take a step back. Spend some time away from the last minute tweaks and incoming guests to relax and regroup. Turn off the distractions, spend some time with your fiancé, and rest the best way you know how. Another tip: your wedding planner will make these things much easier to do!

The view from our ceremony location. There's a hummingbird in there!

Happy Memorial Day weekend!

Celebrating Mom at Your Wedding

My mom is my favorite. She's never met a stranger, she gives generously, she has contagious joy, and she loves a good party! The more I learn about her story, the more I am blown away by the woman she is. My mom is an overcomer, y'all. She is kind, selfless, hardworking, and the best example of the woman I hope to become. And the best part is, I get to see her tonight! 

In honor of Mother's Day this weekend, here are a few thoughtful ways to celebrate your mom on your wedding day!

1. Have her walk you down the aisle, too. For me, having both of my parents walk me down the aisle was a way of saying "I wouldn't be here without both of you." I know my mom really loved it, and I love those images of the three of us! Some people really want their father giving them away, and I totally get that! The next ideas are for you.

2. Display her bridal portraits and/or wedding portraits. I love the idea of having a few bridal portraits taken where you are holding a framed bridal portrait of your mother. Displaying that image alongside each of your individual bridal portraits at your wedding would be a sweet way to celebrate your mom. Heirloom wedding portraits are a beautiful way to honor all of the marriages in your family history, too!

3. Wear something of hers. It could be her veil, a piece of her jewelry, or a piece of her dress sewn into your gown or wrapped around your bouquet. Find something of your mom's that holds significance for you and incorporate it into your wedding attire. 

4. Tell everyone! Give your parents a toast at the rehearsal dinner or reception. Include a note to them in your program. Find a way to publicly thank them and use that avenue to say favorite memories you have with them, things you've learned from them, or reasons they're important to you. Do this for both of your parents, and take the time to address them individually to make it that much more special.

5. Find one on one time with her. On your wedding day, it's hard to get one on one time with very many people. I love the idea of having just your mom help you into your gown and accessories before you reveal your look to your bridesmaids. Take the small moment with her that day to give her an extra hug and an extra thank you. Then do a first look with your dad for a sweet moment with him, too.

One of my favorite images from our wedding. It perfectly captures my mom's servant heart and the care and gentleness she shows me. Love my sweet momma!

Your wedding is a day to celebrate the people in your life who helped you get there. Find a fun and thoughtful way to celebrate the parental figures in your life! And don't forget to tell the mom's you know Happy Mother's Day this Sunday!

May

May is my favorite month! This is going to be an awesome month! Remember those sneak peeks I shared a few weeks ago? Well those projects are ALL happening this month. Here's a rundown of everything going on in May:

• Two styled shoots, one this weekend that I couldn't be more excited about.

• A super exciting announcement coming on Monday.

• My parents are coming to VA next weekend for mother's day and my birthday.

• My maid of honor and college roommate Lucy and I are spending a day together in Charlottesville. I might lose my mind with excitement!

• Stephen and I are headed to the lake for a weekend with Shannon and Ryan.

• AND the start of the AM Events wedding season!!

I am crazy excited and can't wait to share more as projects wrap up and images come in. Follow along on Instagram in the meantime to see some sneak peeks and behind the scenes happenings. Here's some images from the inspiration board for the shoot on Sunday.

Style Me Pretty

Pinterest

Clary Pfeiffer

Southern Weddings

Make It Your Own: Your Honeymoon!

I love honeymoons. What a genius idea! It shocks couples how little one on one time they have together the week of their wedding. After engagement, wedding planning, and the actual wedding, a vacation is the perfect way to slow down and just hang out with your spouse. Honeymoon possibilities are endless and there are a ton of ideas about what the perfect honeymoon looks like. Here are some questions to think about when planning the honeymoon that's right for you and your new spouse! And some pictures from our favorite trips we've been on since our wedding!

1. Where do you want to go? Write down all of the destinations y'all want to visit to have as a starting point for making your selection. Dream big, like two or three week trips, and think small, like weekend getaways. This is a great list to have for planning future trips, too!

2. How much time do you have? Look at your schedules and time off and determine how long you have to travel. Do a stay-cation, a short getaway, or a nice 10 day trip. Even if it's two days, take it. Take the time to unwind from your busy wedding week and rest together before you head back into day to day life. 

3. What type of vacationers are you? Not everyone is the sit on a beach for a week type. We definitely weren't until we both started working full time. Now, it comes up in conversation weekly :). If you love hiking, do Yosemite for a week. If you want to see Europe without a huge budget and a lot of time, try a cruise. If you love road trips, drive from San Francisco to San Diego. If you want to take it easy on a beach for a week, do it!

4. How exhausted are you? Your honeymoon is a time to rest and refresh. If you haven't had a break from day to day grind in a while, a whirlwind Europe tour might not be a restful trip. Try and plan only one major event each day. Actually rest on your honeymoon, without multiple deadlines a day and the stress of missing out on something. 

5. What's your budget? Yes, you read that right. Budget's last, and no, I'm not nuts! By thinking through the other questions first, you will have a good idea of the sort of trip you want to take and can take. Find the place on your list that fits how much rest you need, the type of trip you like to take, how long you have, and your budget. There's a destination that will fit all of these categories for y'all!

Bi-plane ride over the San Juan Islands on our honeymoon to the Pacific Northwest. Don't judge the jackets, they were loaners!

Hiking Yosemite last June with my parents. Incredible!

St. John USVI last December where I did nothing but float all week!

Your honeymoon is the first trip of your marriage. Take the trip you want to with the time and money you have. Enjoy the time and make it yours!

BHLDN Favorites

I'm an Anthropologie nut so of course I love their wedding line, BHLDN. Today is the opening of their Georgetown store and I can't wait to check it out! Here are my current favorite BHLDN bridal gowns, accessories, and décor options. 

gowns

The Rococo Gown is a little unexpected with some gorgeous cap sleeves. This might be my favorite!

This Ruth Gown is simple and relaxed and is a great opportunity for a glitzy belt and accessories.

This Leila Gown! So beautiful with the lace, cap sleeves, neckline, and buttons down the back. 

Love the tulle and the little sparkle on the top of this Titania Gown.

accessories

Oh, these Gilded Waterdrop Earrings. Gold gilded and unexpected shapes. Yes, please!

The Primrose Hairpin is subtle and perfect for a garden wedding. And gold!!

This Sparkled Skinny Sash adds just the right amount of glitz for me. Love the design as well!

I love the details of these Champagne Sparkle Heels! They look comfortable for a long wedding day.

décor

These Antiqued Brass Table Numbers are my favorite! They would warm up reception tables beautifully.

The Lace Pennant Garland brings garland up a notch. It's so delicate and romantic but still sophisticated. 

I love the cutout Just Married Cake Topper. It could work with so many different wedding styles!

This Geronimo! Balloon Set is so fun! Would love it at the entrance to the reception.

Someone take me with you for a fitting!

Make It Your Own: Handling Family Input

My family is coming to visit soon (woo!) and it's got me reminiscing about ways I could have handled their input differently during our wedding planning process. Your family is excited and has plenty of ideas they want to contribute. There are so many different points of view about where your wedding should be held, what kind of food should be served, what your wedding party should wear, and so on. They prefer the groomsmen in tuxedos but you want a casual garden wedding. They want to use their friends as vendors, but you have your dream vendor in mind. With so many differing ideas, it can be challenging to communicate your vision for your wedding day. Here are some ideas for gracefully handling family input during the planning process.

1. Show them your inspiration. Have your family look through your favorite wedding blogs to help them understand current wedding trends and the direction you want to go with your wedding. Show them your Pinterest board and real wedding features that are similar in style to your vision. Examples of a beautiful garden wedding without tuxedos will help your family understand the groomsmen can still look dashing without formal attire. 

2. Bring them to vendor meetings. Now I'm not saying bring the whole family to every meeting you have but include them in appointments where it makes sense. Bring more people to cake tastings and catering meetings and bring a smaller party like your mom or sister to a floral mock-up and dress fittings. Use the opportunities for more opinions when it's helpful like food and entertainment selections and help them feel involved.

3. Hire a planner. We have the experience, working knowledge, and outside perspective to help communicate both your vision and their expectations. Part of a planners job is to take family input and the desires of the bride and groom and work through them with you. We find the common ground, present compromises when appropriate, and help your family understand how your vision will come together beautifully. 

4. Remember this is a big deal for them. You're getting married! They want you to be both happily married and their little kid again. Use the planning time to go to more lunches with your mom or to practice dancing with your dad. Spending some extra quality time with them before your wedding will make the time that much sweeter. 

Explaining your vision and bringing your family on board isn't always the easiest task. Help them understand how you're making your wedding your own by showing them how your ideas represent you and your fiancé! 

Aren't my parents the cutest?!

Happy Tuesday!

A Few Sneak Peeks

Things have been CRAZY over here the last few weeks with lots of exciting meetings and some really great projects. There's a baby shower, two styled shoots, and a wedding coming in the next few months and I couldn't be more excited! Here's a little sneak peek into the inspiration behind the world of AM Events these days!

Style Me Pretty

Style Me Pretty

Southern Weddings

Magnolia Rouge

Super cryptic, I know. Stay tuned for the all of the amazing details!!

The Why

So many people have said how long and tough this week has been. I think it's so important to know when to take a step back and remind ourselves why we're doing what we're doing. For me, it's all about helping people celebrate their marriage!

EE Photography

Marriage is an extraordinary, challenging thing. I believe my marriage is the most important thing I will do. How I approach my marriage is reflected in how I approach every relationship I have, from my future children to the stranger in front of me in traffic. If I don’t have honest communication, earnest forgiveness, and complete trust within my marriage, how will I teach those things to my children? If I am quick to anger with the man I live life with, how will I react to the random driver who cuts me off? If I don’t approach the most intimate relationship I have with humility and grace, how will I have compassion for the person struggling that I have no history with? How I deal with conflict, how I handle disappointment, and how I react to failure. How I communicate love, how I celebrate, and how I lift others up. It all stems from how I treat my husband and how my husband treats me. And that stems from how Christ loves his Church.

There’s nothing more appropriate to me than entering into marriage with a beautiful, personal celebration! I approach weddings as celebrations of the family and friends who helped a couple develop into the people they are, of the moments that led them to their wedding day, of the love they have for one another, and of the vows they’re committing to. All of the flowers, décor, and details work to create a gorgeous environment that reflects a couples’ story and the influence of their closest relationships. Weddings should be meaningful, personal, and fun. That’s why I’m doing this! My goal is to help couples celebrate the start of their marriage well!

Make It Your Own: Bridesmaids Dresses

There are so many things to consider when choosing bridesmaids dresses. Even with all of the options out there, picking the right dress or dresses can be a really challenging decision. The good news is there is so much flexibility in how to style a bridal party today! There are beautiful dresses in a wide variety of colors and styles, perfect for both the bride who wants to mix and match dresses and for the bride who wants one great dress for the whole bridal party. 

The main things I hear brides consider when looking for dresses are style and color, body type, re-wearability, and cost. Here are some tips for navigating each category.

Style and color: You want the style and color of the bridesmaid's dresses to fit your wedding. If you are planning a casual garden wedding, a one shoulder, floor length, black silk gown is probably not the best choice. Try finding a style you like before narrowing in on a color. Chances are it will come in a color that will fit wonderfully with your design. 

Style Me Pretty

Body type: Be considerate of the body types you are dressing. If you want your bridal party in the same dress, take a few of your bridesmaids with different body types shopping with you. Have them try on dresses and find the one that is most universally flattering. Another great option is to select a fabric and color from a specific store and have each girl choose the dress style they feel most comfortable in.

Elizabeth Anne Designs

Re-wearability: This is such an individual preference that I would say not to worry too much about it. I have dresses from weddings I've been in that are great, but I won't wear too often simply because they aren't the style or color I normally wear, and that's okay. If this is your top priority, don't fell constricted to one dress or one color. It is becoming more common to see bridal parties in completely different dress styles and colors. 

Southern Weddings

Cost: Be sensitive to the cost of a dress, but if the right dress is more than you were hoping, consider letting the bridal party choose their own shoes and accessories to help them manage their budgets individually. If cost is the biggest consideration for you, a good option is to let your bridesmaids find their own dresses in whichever color you choose.

Every Last Detail

Start by prioritizing the different categories based on your specific bridal party's needs and situations and work from there. Don't confine yourself to people's expectations of a bridal party. Make it yours! 

Some great places to start are J.CREW, Bella Bridesmaid, BHLDN, Jenny Yoo, and The Dessy Group. Try your favorite store, too. You never know what you'll find!