Wedding planning advice after almost 1 year of being engaged

One year ago today was one of the best days of my life ❤ My love, Andrew, got down on one knee in the midst of the mountains and asked me to marry him, gush!

Our proposal story:

It was one of the last days of our road trip out west and we were in Grand Teton National Park. I had set up a mountain couple’s session with my dear friends Kayla and Mike, who had given me the immense pleasure of photographing their wedding the year prior. Grand Teton holds a special place in their heart, so they made the trip out there to document this new phase of their love journey. We met with them in the afternoon at the Silver Dollar in Jackson, WY to plan out their sunset mountain photo session.

Wedding Tips: Working with a Day-of Coordinator

We’re all familiar with Wedding Planners and the full-planning services that they provide, but what happens when a couple enjoys the planning process and wants to do it themselves? What happens when that same couple wants to hand off the stress to someone else on their big day, in hopes of being fully present and not having to worry about the day-of details?

A Day-of Wedding Coordinator happens.

I work with a TON of wedding vendors throughout the year, and I've hand-selected the vendors I feature on my Preferred Vendor list.

Wedding Tips: Planning Your Unity Ceremony

Many of my couples are getting married for the first time and trying to figure out the ropes of a wedding all on their own. It can be a bit confusing and overwhelming at times. You search Pinterest for the perfect ideas, and then after looking for hours, you feel completely uninspired and like your dream day is just unattainable. Sound familiar? I'm here to tell you your dream wedding day IS possible and WILL happen and to offer an industry insider's perspective. Sometimes the victories are found in accomplishing the little things, like figuring out what you'll do for your Unity Ceremony if you choose to have one.

Wedding Tips: Ways to Love Your Fiance

I totally get it, wedding planning can be a stressful time for couples, complicated all the more when you can’t agree on something. Sometimes, we get so wrapped up in the whole planning process that we forget to love each other. The main thing is to remember why you’re having this wedding in the first place: you want to spend the rest of your lives together. In the end, it’s not about the flower arrangements or cake flavors. It’s about your love and commitment to each other. Below, we’ve compiled a list of ways for you to continue loving your fiancé through all the planning madness and to make sure he or she feels it:

Wedding Gift Registry Ideas

Imagine this: your big day is here, you’ve made it through the reception and now it’s time to party. Guests start to arrive and they’re all carrying parcels. It’s tradition to buy the new couple a gift for their wedding day. Luckily for us, today we’ve got wedding registries to help guide our guests towards buying the perfect gifts; lists full of things we need and want to ensure we don’t end up with an item that we already have three of (like a chia pet or Snuggie–don't worry, I'm not judging you!).

How to Love Your Mom & Mother-in-law While Wedding Planning

Every mom wants to feel needed. Sometimes during wedding planning, we get carried away and don’t take time to consider the people we love most. Have you ever heard of the 5 love languages? They’re the different ways that people perceive love. Physical Touch, Words of Affirmation, Receiving Gifts, Acts of Service, and Quality Time. This means that while some people feel most loved whenever you say, ‘I love you’, others feel it when you do one of their chores for them. Below are some ideas on how you can love your mom or mother-in-law during your wedding planning.

Wedding Tips: Ideas for a Wedding Guest Book

Let’s talk about guestbooks. Most weddings have a guestbook. But what actually ends up happening to it after the wedding? It gets stuffed on a shelf or in a closet and you pull it out once every five years when you get back around to cleaning that corner of the house. It takes up space and rarely gets looked at, but you want to have something to remember your guests by. So, we’ve compiled a list of alternative guest books that you’ll want to keep out and see every day.

Engagement photo books– Put those photos to some extra use! Create a book full of your favorite engagement photos (be sure to leave some space on each page for signing).

Creative Branding Session for The Planner Collective

Friends, in case you don’t know the fantastic woman that I’m featuring today, allow me to introduce you to Jess Hopp, founder of The Planner Collective. Jess is a bubbly, ambitious, and successful entrepreneur who grew The Planner Collective with a mission to inspire event planners to build a strong career and profitable business without the hustle. She fully supports her clients and takes their vision to a higher level, beyond what they even thought possible. Jess is committed to teaching her clients how to live in alignment with their values and internal desires, and helping her clients be a catalyst for change through the power of events.

Wedding Tips: Getting Creative with Your Budget

Planning the wedding of your dreams to celebrate the love that you and your partner share gives you the opportunity to show your friends and family all the cool and unique "things" that make the two of you so special as individuals and as a couple. As I'm sure you've figured out by now, creating your dream wedding can take a bit of money, too.

Some people might think it's taboo for a wedding photographer to talk to you about money, but I’m committed to being open and honest with you in order to give you the best wedding experience possible. I know that a lot of money gets put into planning your amazing wedding adventure.

First Things First: What To Do When You Get Engaged

What an absolutely magical time in your life! Your best friend and life partner asked you to be with them from now until forever, and you said YES–CONGRATULATIONS! When you first get engaged, it’s such a blissful time. You can’t stop looking at the pretty new shiny object on your left hand, and you start daydreaming about what your wedding day will look like. It’s very easy to get caught up in all the planning right away, but I’m here to invite you to pause and reflect on what is really most important. They might be a bit alternative, but these are the first things I believe you should do when you get engaged.

Wedding Signage Tips: Guest Blog by Jenna Kast

Planning a wedding is exciting. The dress! The venue! The invitations! (Hellooooo, Pinterest!) But in the excitement of planning a wedding, it can be easy to overlook the little details. It’s easy to check off the big boxes: the invitations, the dress, and even the honeymoon destination; but there are a lot of little things that come into play when tens or hundreds of people come together–all looking to eat, drink, and have a good time.

Elopement Tips from Wed and Willow Wedding Planning

Sometimes, life brings someone your way and you think, “Ah, yes, this is one of my people.” Heather Vale of Wed and Willow Planning is one of my people. This girl loves weddings, travel, and her adorable husband.

Building Your Wedding Day Timeline

In my opinion, one of the best tools you can have for your wedding day is a detailed, well thought-out timeline. If you're already working with KLEM Studios, then have no fear, I draft your timeline for you! If you're struggling to remember all the important moments and make everything flow, here are some tips to keep in mind:

KLEM Studios’ Blog