Having just been a bride, I know how daunting it can be to plan a wedding. I was engaged for almost 13 months, and I worked on our wedding the entire time…. researching, planning, reading, crafting…… I frequently see newly engaged ladies wondering where to begin… so I wanted to write a little about it from my experience. 1. Decide how elaborate your affair will be. AKA: How many people do you WANT there, and how big is your budget. This will dictate ALL your other choices. 2. Where do you want to be married? A church, a park, a courthouse…. Vegas? Of course how many people are attending & your budget are very important to know in this situation.Where you want to be married will heavily influence your wedding date. So many times I see brides fixated on a date (10.10.10 for instance) and will only get married then…. but popular dates come with competition. If you like it, chances are someone else does too… which means competition on everything- photographers, venues, coordinators, ect. The earlier you can book the better. Within a month of being engaged, I already knew the photographer I wanted…. and guess what? She was booked over a year in advance for my date, I couldn’t change my date to have her due to other commitments (and the fact I wanted an October wedding), so I had to continue my search for a photographer. 3. Decide on your vendors. Does the venue require you use their catering, or can you pick an outside caterer? Florist? Research the type of flowers you want, if you want to stay within a certain budget, find out what flowers are in season during your wedding. What kind of photography do you want? Traditional or more journalistic? Get an idea of what these services cost, and then decide what you’re willing to spend on each of them. 4. Now’s the fun part. You secured your vendors and all the biggies are out of the way. Now start thinking about buying that wedding ring, and all that glorious decor that will make your event spectacular. If you’ve hired a coordinator, they’ll be key in helping you find all the little goodies you want on your big day. I’ve listed below some wonderful places to look for inspiration….. Etsy.com for the eclectic & unique brideStylemepretty.com for stunning details & wardrobesWhite-thread.com for Carolina bridesGreenweddingshoes.com for more great detailswww.NCBrideBio.com for NC recommendations from real brides (I was a knottie when this was created!) ….. The best advice I can give you is: A. to NOT go in debt for your wedding day. Starting out a marriage owing more money than you have is a bad idea. Have everything you want, but have it within your means. B. Only invite the people that you want there. This is a toughy if Daddy is pitching in some funds, and wants to have his best golfing pals there for the open bar…. but try your best to only celebrate this day with the ones you love. C. Don’t get up in arms over things that don’t matter. To have your names printed in gold or silver on your napkins is really not a big deal, I promise…. and you probably won’t even see those napkins on your wedding day. No one will care, trust me, so don’t sweat the small stuff. OK, now go…. Happy Planning! Us, on our big day! By: Story Photographers

Anna is my fabulous hair dresser in Raleigh (yes, she’s so good I drive all the way to Raleigh for a trim!) She got engaged a while back and I always enjoyed chatting with her about her wedding plans when I went to see her this year…. Her & Chris set a date for October 2011. Well, Chris is in the military and found out he would be home over Thanksgiving, so a few weeks before they decided to go ahead and get married while he was home. I was so thrilled when Anna called me up & wanted to know if I was available on short notice…. I was. After Jeremy and I got married, I kinda wished we’d just had a simple ceremony in my dad’s yard…. exactly what Anna & Chris did. It was such a small, intimate affair, and I was so honored to be part of the day. Anna got her hair done at Douglas Carroll Salon in Raleigh by Brittany Quackenbush. a little later that afternoon we met back up at Anna’s parents home… Before we knew it, it was ceremony time! Anna & Chris with their dog, Sadie on the left, and all the guests on the right…. Some of the most amazing food ever! It was catered in by Jessie Scott. Chris bought Anna a new truck as a wedding gift…. it’s even white 🙂 Thank you again for having us be part of your day! It was so great to witness you two get married!!