I have debated putting anything about the wedding onto the blog, simply because I don’t really know what to put. I’m a really unique position, in that I’m part of the wedding industry myself, and now I’m being asked to consider all of these vendors and companies that I’ve been reading about and learning about for so long!

So I decided to start from the beginning. Forgive this post going all over the place, that’s kind of how my mind is working when it comes to wedding stuff!

Colorado Wedding Photographer – Wedding Planning 101 from a Bride

Why is it that weddings always grow to be so much bigger than you thought they would be? You invite one person, and because they know someone else you have to invite the other person, then mom’s sister who knows dad’s uncle’s nephew’s cousin blah blah blah has to be invited too. They snowball and become huge! So our wedding will be fairly large, but it will be a huge celebration, and I’m super excited!

Let me first say that most of these statements will be about what I like, what I need, etc. You might be saying to yourself, it’s not just HER wedding right? Very true. And ultimately Tom is involved when the decisions are made. But when it comes to the details, he has made it very clear to me to do what makes me happy. I think most grooms are the same way. And if I was 23, my feelings might be hurt by that. But I’m older (although not much, haha!) and wiser, and I know that while he has no interest in planning the actual wedding, he loves me and just wants to marry me. And that’s the point of the day right? He wants to know what to wear, where to show up, and what time, so that he can call me his wife. And that’s what matters to me. If he doesn’t care about the flowers, the centerpieces, or anything else, I’m okay with that.

We’ve decided on a date and a venue, and the contract is all set for the venue. Huge steps right? I knew I wanted an outdoor wedding, and I love love love LOVE the fall in Colorado. It amazes me how much venues can cost though, and we didn’t want to spend $10,000 just for a ROOM. That’s right, nothing else, a room only. We would rather spend that money elsewhere, like a down payment on a house ya know? So we decided to go with Hudson Gardens. They have several gorgeous locations, and a tented reception, and it really is everything that I want it to be.

I think I’m also really close to hiring a day-of coordinator. I love to plan and create, so I don’t need a full blown wedding coordinator, but I don’t want my family members to be responsible for everything on the actual wedding day, so we are going to hire a coordinator for the day. I’ve met with Nicole and Jessica of BH Bridal Bliss, and hopefully will be getting everything set up shortly. They’re both very sweet and seem extremely competent to handle whatever craziness comes their way – and isn’t that what a day-of coordinator is really all about?

So from what I understand, the caterer is next right? Ha!

Actually, even though the venue and the date are set, there is one decision that is really, really stressing me out. I’ll give you one guess… that’s right! The photographer. There are a ton of super talented people in the Metro area, and trying to narrow it down has been a nightmare for me! Plus, because I have access to my own lab and album design, I would prefer to do that part myself, which throws another kink into the whole thing. The biggest problem in all of this is that I’m kind of a do-it-myself kind of girl. If I want something done right, I do it myself, right? I know there are ladies out there who know what I’m talking about… And the problem with the wedding photography is that – I can’t do it myself. I have to trust something SO incredibly important to me to someone else. Someone I don’t really know, someone that I don’t have a history with, and someone that I have to trust based on a few conversations, a website and a blog. Now yes, I know that people do this every day. But I’m really having a hard time with this. I have to TRUST someone with this task, because I can’t do it myself. Ack! It’s very scary for me! I’m a work in progress people, a type A personality, and trying to let go. Work with me here. ;)

Right now I’m working on narrowing down photographers, then caterer, then dress. Is it weird that the dress isn’t a huge priority for me? A wedding gown isn’t something that will last forever – my pictures will. The photos are so incredibly important to me that it is the decision that is my top priority right now! I mean, if the house is on fire and you have to run, what do most people grab? Pictures! Not a wedding gown!

I’m stuck right now in photographer choice limbo. Hopefully that will be resolved soon though. I just have so many other things on my plate right now, life is so crazy! But we’ll get it figured out. Life is all about priorities right?

Because a post is always better with a picture, I will leave you with a gown that I really, really love. Definitely a favorite so far, although I haven’t really looked yet. I’m fortunate enough to see wedding gowns every day though in my line of work, so I do have an idea of what’s out there. This picture was taken by Erin Hession of Erin Hession Photography, in Indiana. I love her photos, and even though I don’t know her personally, I can tell from her Facebook and Blog that she is an amazingly sweet person too!