Setting the Stage

ok picking up from where we left off…

While the Monica Geller in me imagined my wedding looking a thousand different ways over the years, one element remained a constant: I would be married – come hell or high water – in my home town of Austin.  There’s no other city like Austin in the world – the energy of the people and the natural beauty of the landscape are beyond compare, and we wanted our wedding to reflect that same energy and beauty.

So you know all the details of our ceremony now…lets get to the party!!

So – I had the guy, I had the ring and I had the amazing proposal in Paris.  You would think that this is where I started planning our wedding.

Hey everyone!  I am honored and excited to be guest blogging this week for Elizabeth Anne Designs.  After finding this website more than a year ago, EAD has been a fantastic resource and incredible inspiration to me as I moved through the engagement process.  And as I have watched it grow over the past year, I am happy to say that it continues to inspire me as I adjust to married life!

First thing’s first – after we chose to hold our event in Atlanta, we needed a venue. Unbelievably, this was perhaps the easiest decision I made through the entire process.

So, last week I told you about the ceremony location and the date of our wedding. This week, the reception venue. As we are having the ceremony in a chapel, the reception by definition had to be elsewhere. Before starting to choose the venue, you have to give thought to the least pleasant aspect of wedding planning: the budget. No good finding the perfect venue for it to be outside even the most stretched budget. So we had to have that talk with my parents. In England it is traditional for the bride’s parents to host and pay for the wedding but in our case, my parents are hosting in a ‘dignitary’ fashion as we are marrying away from my home town. So, after some honest discussions between us, we decided that my parents would put in some money and M and I would pay the rest, partly from our own savings and partly from money his parents had given us as a wedding present.

I suppose the first thing to be decided when planning a wedding is the location and the date. I know that some people have a firm idea where they wish to get married and the date is chosen purely on availability. However, in our case, we had no idea about a venue so we had to start with a rough date and work from there.

I have to say that I think this is absolutely one of THE MOST important decisions of your wedding and reception.  There are so many different options (inside, outside, church, field of flowers), and depending on your budget, the sky’s the limit!

We just love creative couples who like to have fun with their engagement photos, and Alvina and Edwin definitely did! Along with Laura Leslie Photography, the two headed to The Gwinnett County Fair, north of Atlanta in Lawrenceville, Georgia, early one morning to beat the crowds. Then they spent a few hours just having a total blast together, and it shows brilliantly in these images. The spirit of this entire shoot is playful, bright, and wonderful—enjoy!

Alan had us when he snuck frosting from the mixer, and Yasmin could not be any more gorgeous than she is in this amazing engagement shoot by Anne Almasy! This stunning couple donned fabulous retro-inspired outfits while they made cake and cocktails (how on earth did they stay so clean with all that flour and icing?). And because it’s no surprise we’re an animal-loving team here at EAD, it goes without saying that we absolutely LOVE Yasmin and Alan’s kitty! Thanks to Anne Almasy for sharing such a fun shoot today!

Get ready for the sweetest fall engagement shoot! Andrea and Josh wanted a fall look for their photos, so they went just outside of Atlanta to Serenbe, a rustic backdrop that gave them the most beautiful shots! These two are cute as a button. Combine their cuteness with the photos of talented Melissa Schollaert Photography and the scenery of Serenbe, and we’ve got one fantastic engagement session to share with you today!

Some of the most striking photographs we see at EAD don’t simply capture a beautiful bouquet or a stunning bride: they also frame memorable moments within the lovely architecture of a unique wedding venue.  It takes a distinctive type of photographer to be able to capture those oh-so-special moments: a graceful bride, a dome of windows bouncing light off a wedding dress, and pillars flanking happily oblivious newlyweds, and our newest Chicago vendor guide member, Artisan Events, knows just where to look.   Over their 15 years in business, the Artisan team, founded by award-winning photographer Amanda Sudimack, has photographed a variety of different Chicago venues.  Here are some of their favorites – perhaps one is the perfect choice for your wedding!

After we exchanged our vows…it was time to ‘put a ring on it’.

Kelly from Spindle Photography is an up and coming photographer who is no stranger to EAD (you can read her about her 2009 nuptials here). She sent over a sweet engagement session in Atlanta’s Piedmont Park. Cassi and Matt are planning a 2011 wedding ceremony.

Laurel and Brayden married in a winter ceremony in Las Vegas. Several months later, they came to Laura at Art Star Photography in Atlanta for a “day after session.” They brought adorable props of vintage bikes, picnic blankets, and vintage radios, and their puppy came along for the ride!

Sam and Jessica are college sweethearts marrying in Atlanta next May. My favorite part? The shot of the couple holding signs up. I know it’s becoming standard, but I still love seeing the unique ways couples use this as part of their pre-wedding preparations. They chose Our Labor of Love as their photographer.

About two months after we were married Jon and I went to the beach with my extended family, most of whom had been in attendance at the wedding. One day my aunt Chris asked me what advice I would give brides-to-be, because another niece of hers was getting married soon. The best tip I had to offer her, and that I will offer y’all, is that you should surround yourself with good people. I really believe it’s as simple as that.

I’ve posted a lot about my planning process, so I figure it’s about time I stop my rambling and give up the goods. Here’s a look at how our wedding day went as seen through the lenses of Our Labor of Love:

Because we had our wedding in a church, and a church with lots of rules at that, much of our ceremony – order of service, traditional vows, prayers – was already set. I didn’t really mind this; I’ve always loved and found comfort in traditions. Where we could put ourselves in the mix was in the readings and especially in the music we chose for the service. As it happens, Jon and I are both writers and musicians, so these were the perfect ways for us to personalize the ceremony.