Wedding Planning: The Great Debates
This-or-That – Wedding Edition | All the little decisions that make all the difference
Nothing like a little wedding planning to have you begin questioning every decision you’ve ever made. You think you know yourself pretty well until they ask you a simple question like, “so, what color scheme are you guys doing?” Que the mental breakdown.
There are so many things to consider when starting the wedding planning process. Before you lock in ANY vendors, I recommend brainstorming what the perfect wedding looks like for you two (this could be a cute date night! order in some dinner, pop a bottle of wine). What is the vibe you want? If you could paint the picture of THE dream wedding, what would it look like? Don’t even think about the cost. You can make the little decisions later that can bring down the cost of things, but what matters is that you get as close as possible to your vision. Also, let’s be real here – we’re here for a good time not a long time, and you only get married once, so why not do it right? Treat yo’ self.
We will dive into the little details of your day that make ALL the difference, but may seem difficult to decide between. All you need to get started is an open mind and maybe (strong maybe) a glass of wine.
Alsooo…
If you find this helpful, keep the creative juices flowing and get your FREEEEE guide in wedding planning here!
VEIL OR NO VEIL?
From a photographer’s standpoint, I’m a little biased here, but for what it’s worth I am team veil! It makes the dreamiest, artistic photos and is flattering on anyone. I know a lot of brides think that a veil is more traditional and seems too classic, which I understand and sometimes can be true. It just depends on the style you find! It’s 2022 – you can find just about anything you want.
If a veil seems a little too traditional for you, they have CAPES – yes, freaking capes – and they are so beautiful/cool/dreamy. It’s a good middle if you’re on the fence about the veil!
FIRST LOOK OR TRADITIONAL?
This one is tough. Each one has so many solid arguments. From my experience with couples, here are the main things they are thinking about when deciding which route to take:
- How emotional are we going to be?
If you think it’s going to be super emotional for the two of you, that would make for a perfect intimate moment for just you guys to share. You may unintentionally hold back in front of everyone at your ceremony, so having a first look where its just you and your person (and photographer) will allow you to have a genuine reaction where you don’t feel you need to hold back. This is also a great time to share private vows if you wish to do so!
2. When do we want our formals to be done?
When doing a first look, there’s no need to put off any photos if we don’t need to! Some couples opt to have ALL their formals done (solo, couples, wedding party, family) prior to the ceremony, so when they are officially married, all they need to do is breathe and head on into their reception to celebrate! Of course, your photographer will probably pull you around golden hour to get some more couples portraits done. It’s just that you can get all the heavy lifting finished ASAP and just party the night away with your guests. If you don’t want to have them all done before, that’s totally fine too, you can split them up! Maybe work it out so all the formals left to do after the ceremony are your family’s! No matter the choice you make, your photographer will work out when/how to split your formals for the day.
3. How anxious will I be leading up to the ceremony?
As someone who struggles with anxiety, this is a valid question to ask yourself. If you know that you’ll be having the jitters in the day leading up to the ceremony, taking a few moments of time with your partner is probably just what you need to bring yourself back to center.
WEDDING EXITS
Oh, the possibilities. These are SO fun and it’s the best way to finish out your day! We have sparkler exits, confetti, lavender, ribbon, glowsticks, iphone flashlights, bubbles, balloons – just to name a few. When considering what to use for your exit, please also consider the health of the environment. If you choose confetti, there are tons of beautiful and eco friendly options out there!
What I have found that some couples base exits on is when their reception will end & how long their photographer will be there for. If you have your photographer contracted to finish up around 8pm but you have the venue until 11pm, you may think you can’t have your wedding exit. Not true! You can have a FAKE exit, and it’s exactly what it sounds like. Halfway through your reception, your DJ/band/planner/coordinator will announce everyone to round up to prepare for the exit. Afterwards, you guys can all go back to your reception! It’s the perfect compromise if you are worried about time.
HAIR UP OR DOWN?
Okay first, as a chronic cannot-make-a-decision-ever sufferer, the first option is BOTH. Yep, do both styles.
If you haven’t seen the tiktok already, a bride literally chopped her hair off before the ceremony. If you want to really go all out, it’s your day girl – do what your heart says!! If you aren’t feeling that, you can have your hair styled before your reception too. Talk with your hair stylist and see if she can stick around after the ceremony to work up a beautiful do for your night!
If you would rather stick with one easy style for the day, I think the biggest thing to consider is what will your dress look like? If you have a dress that has a beautiful back, whether big in design or a low cut, think if your hair will hide that. The more intricate the backing of your dress, the more reason to have your hair up for the day.
WHAT IS MY WEDDING THEME?
Okay so this one is not an easy decision that I can compare sides for you, but I’m here to share some inspiration to get your creative juices flowing in your wedding planning! That being said, enjoy some images of the ideas previous couples have had for their day:
Hopefully by this point you feel closer to a decision in some of the details of your wedding. Just remember, this is YOUR day and nobody else’s! You have the creative freedom to make it whatever you dream it up to be. Working with a planner can ease a ton of any stress you may feel in bringing a vision to life. I’ve listed some awesome vendors below that I have had the pleasure of working with and can help you with the topics listed in this blog. Happy wedding planning 💖🍾
VENDORS
Planning/DOC:
Marissa Rice | Marissa Rice Events
Carrie Spicher | Carrie Anne Events
Candice Mack & Team | QC Wedding Planning
Hair/Makeup:
Haley Garber | Beauty by Haley Garber
Boutiqes:
Evers Bridal Boutique
Lovely Bride CLT
Blue Bird Bridal NC
OMJ Clothing
Venues in this blog:
Ritchie Hill– Concord, NC
The Andrews Farm – Midland, NC
II Bella Gardens – Albemarle, NC
Fields at Skycrest – Cleveland, NC
The Atrium – Wilmington, NC
The Downtown Warehouse – Concord, NC
If you found this helpful, check out all the other tips in wedding planning & read the love stories on our blog!
