Our talented new intern, Chelsea A., is flexing her creative muscle today with a beautiful new inspiration board. This would be perfect for a Nebraska bride - love the colors and the playful touches!
At the very beginning of our planning process, John and I had to decide how to spend our budget. To do so, we had to determine our priorities -- that is, which areas were most important to us to spend money on to get exactly what we wanted, which areas we did care about somewhat but wanted to be practical and find a good deal and which areas we didn't care at all about and could probably nix all together. For us, besides our church and reception site, our No. 1 priority was great photography. This area was also the one I got the most advice on, namely, "Whatever you do, don't skimp on the photos!"
John and I agreed. After the vows have been said, the cake eaten and the dances danced, the one thing you have left to document the event are your photos. And we weren't about to trust the preservation of our day to just anyone! We knew we wanted mostly photojournalistic pictures -- pictures that told the story of our day, capturing candid moments as they happened. We had pretty specific ideas, which made picking a photographer the hardest decision of all to make!
First, we scoured the web for Omaha-area photographers and asked for recommendations from friends and brides. We spent a great deal of time looking at photographers' online portfolios. Because we had such a definite idea of what we wanted, I knew whether I'd like the photography within the first 30 seconds of being on a website. If it wasn't what we wanted, we moved on. We finally picked three different photographers to meet with, and based on those meetings -- and the pricing packages -- we picked one.
If you're planning an outdoor wedding in Nebraska, you're probably obsessively checking the weather reports weeks in advance. I recently saw a Facebook group called Nebraska...the only place where you can experience all four seasons in the same week. Sad but true!
The thing many brides don't consider is that there is a way to avoid the weather panic and still have your beautiful outdoor wedding. Wedding tents have come a loooong way, ladies. If you're picturing a red-and-white circus tent, you're off the mark. Granted, with the Nebraska weather, something flimsy and filmy is not realistic either, but there are so many styles and fabrics that are durable and still elegant.
The other great thing about a tent is how easily you're able to customize the location and amount of guests for your wedding. From an intimate gathering in your parents' backyard to a huge affair on the lawn of your country club, the possibilities are endless.
Check out some of the photos below from Lincoln Tent to get an idea of how versatile a wedding tent can be for your special day!
Gotta love this wedding, featuring some of NWD's favorites - Melenbacker Photography, Rococo Theatre (reception) and The Green Gateau (catering)...not to mention a mariachi band! What an awesome way to get the party started!
Our bride blogger Kayley turned us on to this idea, and we love it! Here's the seller's, AltarDesigns, description: "The idea here is that when guests arrive to your wedding, they pull a card and write a special wish to the special couple and then file the card in the appropriate area alphabetically. Guests can also write their name, address, and telephone number as well."
This seller is also offering $20 off these boxes through the rest of June! Check it out!
Today's winner will get the awesome opportunity to preserve her wedding day memories forever. Memories Bi-Design is offering the winner a FREE floral preservation for her bridal bouquet AND the groom's boutonniere!* What a perfect way to save your wedding flowers!
What a fun idea! This couple met on an airplane, so part of their engagement session with Paddack Photography took place at the airport. Matt Paddack does an awesome job of coming up with creative sessions for his couples!
Chocolate brown and green is still a hot color combination, and combining it with elements of nature makes this wonderful inspiration for a summer or fall outdoor wedding.
Be honest - you can't get enough of this Hawaii destination wedding from a few weeks ago, right? I was hoping you'd say that, because I can't either! Cali with A Sound Impression has generously shared this highlight video of the wedding. Brides, if you haven't found a videographer yet, I highly recommend you give this girl a call!
Well, I’ve got great news this week - I broke my foot! Those of you that know me know this is a fairly common occurrence. I sprained my ankle last summer and I’ve broken both feet before as well - all in the last 6 years.
YES, I drink my milk, so I’m not sure why my feet continue to betray me, but when I figure it out I’ll let you know. I think it pretty much boils down to the fact that I’m a giant klutz. I’m constantly stubbing my toes, walking into doors, and falling down stairs (which, coincidentally, is what I was doing every time I’ve injured my foot. Perhaps I should just avoid stairs?). I always have bruises on my arms and legs and I can never remember where they came from because I run into things so often.
So, the sad news is that boot camp is on hold for at least the next 6-8 weeks. Now I must rely solely on my diet to lose weight. I’m hoping it won’t impede my success too much, as I’ve been eating pretty healthily for the last couple of months anyway. And on a good note, I’m down 2 more pounds! Let’s hope this momentum carries through my time as an invalid!
I was super excited to come across this Nebraska bride's blog the other day! Christine & Matt had an awesome tented ceremony and reception complete with a DIY and Beatles theme. Christine used Princess Lasertron for some of the bouquets and decorations, and the results are fun, funky, and pretty much perfect. Love the Yellow Submarine cake and the Beatles programs!
Who doesn't love cool kitchen items for their wedding? If you do, today's your lucky day - Laurie McPherrin with Pampered Chef is offering one lucky bride a $50 gift certificate! Pampered Chef offers an amazing amount of quality products for brides looking to stock their new kitchen.
Brides, you are in for a treat today! Melenbacker Photography has offered us an exclusive view at images from Shane's trip to Tanzania.
Hello, all you fabulous brides out there! My name is Amanda, and I'm excited to share my wedding-planning experiences with you! Luckily, I've had over a year to sort out the details since getting engaged in May of 2009 to my fiance John. It's hard to believe how fast the time goes, however. With a little under four months to go, we're nearing the home stretch -- and the time crunch!
All you brides who have been following our bride blogger Bailey's journey to the altar, you're in for a treat today! The supremely talented Cali with A Sound Impression is sharing a highlights video of Bailey and Evan's special day. Talk about beautiful! We can't wait to share some photos with everyone in the coming weeks as well!
Well, ladies, I returned from my vacation down two pounds!!! I can really only attribute it to the enormous amount of walking/hiking we did up in the mountains, because I certainly didn't obsess about what I was eating while we were up in Estes (translation: I ate like a pig). I think maybe moving up to the mountains would be enough to help me stay fit and keep my weight down. I'll admit I shed a few tears returning home to the heat and thick humidity.
Anyway, at this time, I have lost a total of 7 pounds (keep in mind that I gained 4 pounds at the beginning, so it's really only 3 pounds. However, that's kind of depressing, so I'll just focus on the 7 pounds total). It's a relief to be making progress, although I will say that the weight seems to come off MUCH slower once you've had kids. Most of you brides probably don't have to worry about that yet, but keep it in mind if you're in my shoes!
Hopefully some of you have checked out this past Friday's giveaway - a free 4-week boot camp session with ELS Wellness for TWO lucky brides! If you haven't done so yet, make sure you enter! I can speak from experience when I say that even if you DESPISE working out (like me), you will be grateful for the help. Be honest - would you really get your butt up off the couch 3 times a week unless you had someone holding you accountable? I know I wouldn't!
If you've been following my Fat Girl Confessionals, you know that I'm currently getting whipped into shape by way of boot camp. Now it's your chance to get fit before your wedding, because Ed Scow with ELS Wellness is offering TWO lucky brides a free 4-week session. At 3 times a week, this adds up to a $180 value! Trust me, you won't regret it!
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