Planning Your Wedding

In honor of all the couples who got engaged over the winter break or any couple who will be planning a wedding in 2011....I just want to say, Yay! You're engaged!!! Congratulations :) I can only imagine how excited you must be! As a woman (knowing how important the planning process will be for all you brides) and a wedding photographer I thought it would be a nice idea to post up a few wedding planning ideas/tools/sites I am familiar with in an approach to share some tools you may or may not be aware of. Hope this helps you get started :)

~Sharing the News~

If you're the type to want to spread the great news why not send your friends "save the date" cards? I really like the fact that Ashlee Proffitt designs are modern but still clean and simple. 

~Budgeting~

Cost of Wedding is a great site to help couples manage their budget and it also shares some info about what the average cost of weddings are in your area! Helpful hint: Remember expect to pay, approximately, 50% - 100% more when you choose to work with experienced professionals, designer labels, popular event locations, unique or custom products and services.

~Inspiration~

Sites like Green Wedding Shoes or  The Brides Cafe are two of my favorite places to find inspiration. So many "real" wedding ideas - from DIY projects to vendors and venue reviews! I also watch David Tutera's "My Fair Wedding" loL (I love him!)

~Planning for the Big Day~

So once you have a date in mind you definitely need to start talking with and booking vendors. Where would like to have your event? Will it be catered? Do you have a DJ in mind? What about the videographer and photographer? 

Btw, don't take the DJ, videographer or photographer for granted. You may think you can hold off on hiring them but to be honest with you, you will want to make sure all of these vendors are a great fit for you - meaning your personalities mesh - especially the video/photographers seeing as they will be with you all day on your special day and since vendors book very quickly during the wedding season, you may want to ensure you have exactly who you want. So it's best to contact them as soon as possible to discuss dates and prices :)

Of course having an event planner could make this process 10x easier for you if you so choose to hire one. I have not worked with any event planners so unfortunately I can't give any honest recommendations, BUT I do like the look of these event designers/planners: Unique Event Design or  Simply Divine Events

~Fun Tools~

Wedding Mapper is definitely a site you should check out whether you live in the Tampa Bay area or not! This site creates local maps of venues, reception locations, hotel and restaurants in relation to the venues (for your guests), vendor reviews, and more! It is a great tool to take advantage of.

Kuler  can help you with choosing a color scheme.

The Knot this is just the ultimate website to find all things Florida wedding/bride!

Southern Weddings I love this magazine, many pictures and ideas here for your own inspiration board.

Martha Stewart Weddings