Free Printable Wedding Invitation

Yes, you saw that right - FREE invitation!

I visit The Wedding Shoppe's page quite a bit to get ideas on dresses, styles and fashion. Well, today they posted a link to download a free wedding invitation. You are able to print it yourself.

Here is the link:
http://www.weddingshoppeinc.com/blog/index.php/2012/08/30/free-printable-wedding-invitations-ip-lml

I thought I would share because who doesn't like free things?!

I am off to the Minnesota State Fair with a fun check list for me and the hubby and some of our friends to do. Think mullets, fanny packs, etc. Don't worry, I don't think I'll be posting any wedding tips from the fair :)

Happy Labor Day!

Love,
Kristin

Booking your Venue: Outdoor Ceremony Spaces

Picking your venue is one of the best parts in the planning process! But it can also be very overwhelming. There are SO many options. But now that you have your time of year and an idea of how you envision your wedding, you should be able to narrow down your venue choices.  This blog is going to focus on the Spring/Summer brides who are looking for an outdoor ceremony site.

I thought I would help you out and put together a list of my favorite venues! Click on each of the links to be connected to the website of each venue.

Most of these venues have ballrooms/reception areas at the same location which will save your guests the transfer time to/from the ceremony and reception.

1. Plymouth Creek Center - The Millennium Gardens. This is where I had my wedding so of course I had to include it! It really is a beautiful and affordable site! Because this venue is in the middle of a garden, you do not need to do any decorating! The flowers and surrounding gardens lend all the decor you need!

 

  

2. Olympic Hills Golf Club - Eden Prairie.
One of my best friends was married here in 2010 and it is absolutely gorgeous! There is a beautiful arch overlooking a pond with willow trees. So gorgeous!

 

3. Withrow Ballroom - Hugo. See my last blog post for some great pics. Again, one of my dearest friends was married there last weekend. I honestly had not heard about this venue before but it is really beautiful and VERY reasonably priced! If you are looking for a "country" feel, this is the place to be!

 

 

4. Carlson Rotunda /Amphitheater- Minnetonka. I attended a wedding at this venue last winter. Although they did not use the outdoor amphitheter, this is a beautiful spot.

5. Nicollet Island Pavilion - Minneapolis. This is a beautiful space! It is covered which is nice if it rains but still has the outdoor feel. One of my best friend's, Amy is getting married here next May. I can't wait to blog about it! :)

 

6. The Woods Chapel - Orono. This is the cutest space! I love the rustic feel and how private it is. There is also a chapel onsite in case of rain, which is a huge plus! There is also a quaint bridal cottage for the bride and her maids to get ready. Great for pictures!

 

If you are planning for an outdoor ceremony space, I highly recommend any of the above spaces. These of course are only a few. There are many more possibilites. I would suggest going to The Knot to research some spaces that might be of interest to you!

 

I will leave you with one piece of advice... if you decided on an outdoor ceremony site, be prepared for rain. I know, it's the dreaded word no bride wants to hear or even think about! But, the one thing we can not control is the weather. If it rains, you just need to make the best of it! After all, there are pretty cute umbrella pictures! :) Remember, it is about the marriage and the love between you and your fiancee. Life is not about waiting for the storm to pass, but about dancing in the rain!

 

 

Love,

Kristin

 



Real Life Wedding: Do It Yourself!

I had the honor of being a personal attendant in one of my dearest friend's wedding last weekend. It was the perfect day! The sun was shining and the venue could not be more beautiful! My friend, Kim was married at Withrow Ballroom on Friday, August 24th. The venue is surrounded by farms, horses and includes an outdoor pagoda to make a beautiful ceremony site.

I have been to my fair share of weddings and this is the first time that I have seen so much work go in to a wedding! Kim and her amazing mom put together the perfect example of a "do it yourself" wedding. Basically everything was hand made! Kim created a beautiful "country" themed wedding complete with chalk boards, burlap and shutters used as a name card holder. Kim was able to cut costs by creating their invitations, wedding programs, decorations, center pieces and even her head piece herself. I was beyond impressed!!!

Here is a picture of the beautiful wedding invitation and program she made. Kim runs her own business, KAD Designs. She is reasonably priced and will create a perfect invitation/program, etc. for you if you are looking for a wonderful vendor!

Another one of my dear friends, Meghan runs her own photography business and was able to capture some of these great shots resembling what a perfect do it yourself wedding consists of!

 

 

As you can see, each wedding can be so unique just by thinking outside the box!!!

Love, Kristin



Fall Back, Spring Ahead or somewhere in between!

Deciding on the time of year and date for your wedding is the next step on your "to do's" to start the planning process.

As mentioned in my previous blog post, the time of year can make a huge difference in the amount of money your wedding will cost you.

Most of the venues will jack up the price of the rental space and your food and beverage minimums based on the time of year. Most brides assume that spring/summer is the most popular time to get married but fall has become the most popular in recent years.

No matter the season you decide on, the end goal is to make your wedding your own! You can cross over seasons and go in to later months to save costs as well. For instance, if you want a fall wedding why not wait until early or even late November? You can still use the fall colors you love and decorate in a way to make it the theme you are looking for. Likewise, if you want a summer wedding why not book a venue in early Spring? These are just some ideas to save costs.

Below are some pictures I love that represent some different wedding "themes" for all seasons!

Budget Blues or Budget Bliss??

Deciding on a budget is probably the least fun part of the planning process, but it's also the most necessary!!

The first thing to do when you start planning is to decide what your budget is for your wedding. This will help you determine what type of wedding you are going to have. All your decisions on venue, dress, time of year, etc. will rely on how much you are able to spend.
Are you having a huge wedding? Will you have  small, intimate wedding? The answers to those questions will rely on the amount of money you want to spend.

The great news is, you can still have your dream wedding on a small budget! There are so many creative ways to cut cots these days. Here are some tips to reduce the average cost of a wedding.

1. Avoid the "high" season: Most weddings take place between spring and fall. Actually, fall has become the most popular season for a wedding. If you have your wedding in late November - Early April you will avoid a lot of costs at most venues.

2. Consider a Friday or Sunday wedding: Most venues will charge high rental fees and food and beverage minimums on Saturday nights. Having a Friday or Sunday wedding is not a bad idea and if you need to save costs, this is something to consider.

3. Save on church decorations: A lot of churches are decorated for the holidays. Consider the time of year you are getting married. You can save a lot of money on flowers, etc. at a church if it is already done! This can apply to many venues as well.

4. Mingle with other brides: When you are booking your venue, ask the coordinator if there is another bride interested in the same weekend/dates that you are. If so - you could split the cost on decorating fees. For instance, if you are having a Friday evening wedding and there is another bride who has booked your same room/venue for Saturday, you could split the cost of draping and decorations.

5. Dessert: This can become very expensive! The cake alone for your wedding can set you way back! I would recommend purchasing a smaller cake and adding a "faux" bottom. This is for the bottom two tiers of a cake. No one will know and it will still look great for pictures. You also can get creative and do a dessert bar with smaller, cheaper dessert options. Candy bars are also fun. And if you are providing a huge meal, some of your guests will forgo dessert all together!

These are just a few tips to save on costs. So even if you have a tight budget, remember there are a lot of areas you can save some dollars.

Either way, have the conversation about your total budget before the planning starts. This is your first step and it will prevent a lot of stress on you and your fiance if you know what to plan for before you start!

Love,
Kristin

I said "YES!" Now what?

Congratulations! You are engaged!!! Saying "yes" to the man of your dreams is one of the greatest feelings!
But after the "yes" comes the questions. You may feel anxiety thinking about all you have "to do" to start planning the wedding of your dreams.

My first piece of advice is this - Stop! Relax... enjoy!
Take this time to enjoy being engaged with your new fiancee! It's a fun time to make your love even stronger in anticipation of your new life together. As long as you are not planning a shot gun wedding you have some time before you need to panic about all the details to come.

One of the greatest sites that I have found in the last year is www.pinterest.com.
I'm sure you have heard of this website, but I wish I had this when I was getting married! It is free to join and a wonderful tool to brainstorm ideas for what you envision to be your perfect wedding. I would start here! Have fun looking at all the wedding "pins" posted and start to create a wedding board with ideas.

The next place to go is www.theknot.com. The Knot allows you to create an account and even a wedding website for you and your fiancee.  This site also gives you the ability to research even more ideas for your wedding including vendors, honeymoon options, dresses, etc.

Now that you have started your research and enjoyed your engagement, it's time to start booking! Below are the top 6 "to dos" that I recommend you start with.

1. Decide on your budget
2. Pick a wedding date/time of Year
3. Book your wedding venue & ceremony Site. Make sure your officient is available.
4. Book your florist
5. Book your DJ/band
6. Shop for your wedding dress

Stay tuned for my next few posts. I will go in to detail on each of these "to dos."
Love,
Kristin

My passion put to good use...

The one question I get asked all the time is, "Why aren't you a wedding planner?" That is a great question and I find myself often thinking, "Why aren't I!?"

To put it simply, I love weddings. I love everything about them. From the moment a couple gets engaged, to the day they say I do and all that comes in between. I believe it is truly one of the best experiences a couple will have. Well... it should be!

Wedding planning can be stressful. It can be a strain on relationships and I find that it really doesn't need to! With the right tools, planning a wedding can bring a couple closer.

My goal is to be a sounding board for those brides who have questions and need answers. I am no expert and nor do I claim to be. But at the end of the day, I love, love! Weddings are my passion. The unity of two people is the most beautiful thing in this world.

This blog will serve a purpose hopefully to help you but also to give me an excuse to talk weddings any time I want! :)

Let the planning begin!
Love, Kristin