Okay, last time we left off there were a few things pending on our list:
- We still were trying to finalize a Vendor
- We were interviewing Photographers and Videographers
- I am starting the make of my Bridesmaids and Groomsmen Boxes
- And of course, I was looking for a dress!
Alright. So a lot of things happened, and I honestly scratched pretty much the bulk of my list, here are some updates:
- Our Vendor
We actually did finalize our vendor and our date, and we are so LIT about it!!! It is going to be so different, and I really hope our wedding guests enjoy it as much as we did picking it out. It is our little gem in Raleigh, North Carolina, and just enough for us to turn up with no regrets.
- The Date
By me being in Clinical Research, I know first hand everyone’s panic about being in large crowds in the midst of COVID. We wanted to make sure everyone that we invited felt comfortable and safe, while having fun at the same time. We made the tough (but easy decision), for our wedding to be August 6th, 2022.
- Our Photographer and Videographer Investment
We knew out of our list of things, a photographer and videographer would be our most expensive items. Jay + I decided early, the things that can last forever, we don’t mind spending a little more extra coin for. Our thought process was, these are photographs our children will see, so spend money for some quality photographs and videos. For our photographer we went with Second Shot Photography. His work is honestly breath taking, and we are really excited to bring him to North Carolina from Houston, and rock out with us. For our Videographer we hired Morgan Scott Films. Their level of professionalism, and honestly their camera work in general- sold us with the first 3 sample videos they sent us. At first we were going to go cheap on the videographer, but there are certain things that we want to rewatch and remember later…and having that in HD isn’t too shabby.
- Our Engagement Photographer
We decided to get our engagement photos out the way, because I was being annoying and wanted a certain look, that only happens during a certain time of the year. And let me just say, our engagement photographer did the damn thing. Our engagement photographer is the amazing Temilola!! This girl is for real my Sagittarius spirit animal. I instantly fell in love with her from our first consultation, and she has our vision for our engagement photoshoot down! We were toying around with the idea of having our engagement photos in North Carolina, but honestly….i don’t live there no more, lmao (and everyone keeps reminding me of that). So what is the point of traveling almost 5 hours to take some photos. I should embrace the new city that I’m living in, and that is what I want to show through our engagement photos. Here are some snapshots from our amazing engagement shoot.
- Bridesmaids and Groomsmen Boxes
I can only speak for my bridesmaid, because Jay is going at a sloths pace for creating his groomsmen boxes. I’ll also do a separate blog post on the final box and how I went about deciding what I wanted. When I was designing these boxes, I wanted everything to be personal. From the box, to the cards, to certain things in the box. I wanted it to be personal. I’m so big on that, and if you are having people spend all of this money to part of your big day, it was a big deal to me to make sure my bridesmaids have something nice. See below a sample of my bridesmaids boxes:
- My Wedding Gown
The wedding gown has been PURCHASED!!! I am still trying to find a reception gown that will give the vibes, but the hard part is officially done. I purchased my dress from Anjolique Bridal in Cornelius, North Carolina. The experience was amazing, and it was extremely seamless. Due to Covid, I was only allowed to bring one person with me, so I had to facetime my maid of honor and send pictures so I can have the full experience I always envisioned, my mom and my girls. I can’t wait for everyone to see me walk down the aisle in this beauty.
- Wedding Invitations/Save the Dates
Alright, this is where we have a snag. Jay + I had a great friend who is a graphic designer, and she designed our wedding suite from start to finish. But the hardest part was on me, and that was finding heavy envelopes that gave off a luxury feel, deciding the wax for our seals, how to bind our invitations together, etc. These are the design options that I’ve been stalking constantly on Pinterest, and other designers on Instagram. Of course after our wedding date I will show the final product- but now just know, she is still trying.
Half of our save the dates have been sent out. I know that is weird but understand my logic around this. Since our wedding is in North Carolina- half of our wedding invite list is either in DC, California, Texas, or Florida (Jay’s people lol). We wanted to give them and our wedding party enough notice for them to get their rooms, and prepare them for their journey to Raleigh, North Carolina. We will send out or Save the Dates to our North Carolina folks around January.
Whew, I think that was a pretty solid update. The next thing we need to tackle is our Wedding Tasting, Bach/Bridal Shower planning, Bridesmaid Dresses, Tuxes, and all of the cute add-ons that really make a wedding.
I’ll keep you updated every step of the way, but keep us in your prayers!