Bride Blogger: Kayley Obermeier

Anyone planning a wedding knows it is literally a fulltime job. Except you don’t get a paycheck every two weeks. After getting engaged, my stress level shot through the roof. After the initial “Oh my gosh, I have no clue where to start!” moment, I took a deep breath and got organized. Seriously organized.

First, I bought a blank, little notebook (and naturally, it has an adorable floral motif on the cover) that I carry around with me everywhere. Trust me, you will thank yourself when you have a genius idea, write it down in your “idea book”, and reference it later. Mine is full of websites, recipes, and vendors along with ideas like “Centerpieces: curly willow, lunaria, and hydrangea” and “Signature drink: Lemon Drops!”.

I also save any photo that piques my interests in organized folders on my laptop. My wedding colors are black, white, and yellow (and no, I am not an Iowa/Missouri fan) and this idea board (from Project Wedding) captures what I envisioned perfectly.

My fiancé’s talented sister-in-law, Lisa, made our save-the-dates. I would highly recommend finding family members and friends who are willing to offer up their talents. Lisa captured exactly what Mark and I had in mind, and we loved the final result!

The best stress reliever though (besides a cocktail) is building a support system and not tackling everything on your own. Being a very Type-A person, I struggle with control issues; meaning, I like to be the one making the decisions. Planning a wedding in what is now 4 months has led me to delegate and ask for help. My bridesmaids have stepped up to the plate and offered up wonderful ideas and suggestions. My amazing mother is my go-to woman. She has met with every vendor I’ve suggested and has communicated my ideas beautifully. Lastly, my fiancé Mark consistently asks me for lists of things he can help with (where he can rent his suit, honeymoon ideas, which photographers to call, etc.). All of this takes so much pressure off my shoulders and allows me to enjoy being a bride-to-be!

So take a moment to breathe, gather your thoughts, write down what you truly want, and get organized! Make every moment of this process fun because it will be over before you know it!

-Kayley