Posted by Alexis Givens, Real Bride and marthastewartweddings.com Editor
Hello, fellow brides-to-be! I'm so excited to join your ranks! As editor of marthastewartweddings.com, I've read a lot about planning the perfect wedding. But now that I'm engaged and planning a wedding of my own, all of that great advice has taken on new meaning. Today and every Tuesday going forward, I'll be blogging about my experiences and expectations, inspiration and perspiration leading up to the big day in August. I've got lots of questions and ideas, so read along with me as you plan your own fetes!
Now that my fiance and I have decided on our wedding location (Colorado here we come!), we've transformed our dining room into a laptop-loving, paper-cutting, tear-sheet-holding inspiration lab dedicated to our destination wedding.
I set up a well organized space on my dining room table with all the goods for perfect planning, including:
a. Multiple workstations (I just switch which chair I'm sitting in)
b. Great overhead lighting (I knew that chandelier would come in handy one day)
c. Table protection and camouflage (a tablecloth protects the surface and creates a hiding space underneath for all of my files, books and wedding supplies)
d. Plenty of chairs and surface area (just in case any friends or family decide to stop by and, say, help put stamps on envelopes)
My 5 Dining Table Planning Essentials:
(1) Letterboxes
Russell+Hazel boxes down the center of the table keep my piles neat, are easy to access from all sides of the table, and easy to move if I'm doing a specific project. Here, you'll see my trusty magazine in-box (holds mags I want to keep for reference), a paint and fabric swatch box, and a tear sheet bonanza box.
(2) Paper Cutter
From cutting paper for my inspiration binder to creating paper favor prototypes and other handmade stationery, this Rotatrim cutter is an absolute powerhouse. I've had mine for about 5 years now, and I've never had to replace the blade. It cuts with more precision than any other cutter I've found, and I've used it countless times over the years for non-wedding projects like trimming digital pics, making photo albums, and scrapbooking to my heart's content. It's pricey—consider it only if you are a paper junky like me.
(3) Sheet Protectors
Plastic sleeves keep all my inspiration in perfect little pockets. I stash fabric swatches, tear sheets, photos, invoices from vendors, address lists, and just about everything I need in these handy pouches.
(4) D-Ring Binders
Binders are great for keeping all your information in one place. I have two: an inspiration binder filled with images, colors, and ideas to peruse when the planning bug strikes, or to show to vendors my vision; and a planning binder with sleeves that hold contracts, a planning calendar, vendor information and any logistical information I need to keep handy. I'm partial to the D-ring variety as I think they keep everything flat when the binder is closed and make turning the pages a tad simpler. It's the little things right?
(5) An Extraordinary Laptop
It finds all the answers to the questions I have, fills my brain with inspirational ideas, and allows me to shop for wedding dresses, favors, flowers, and just about everything else in the world all at once. Not to mention I plan on designing much of my wedding stationery on it, so we're pretty much tied at the hip.
So now that I've got my dining room setup, I guess I have to start going full force with the planning. In a few weeks, we'll be headed to Colorado to meet with potential vendors and make our preliminary decisions. Have you found anything particularly helpful during your planning process? Got any tips for my 6 month countdown to the big day? Please share! We're starting to really get serious about our Save the Date plan, so I'll check back in next week with an update.
From: Abbie | 3/10/09 at 9:01 pm
Yay for CO weddings!
From: robin | 3/10/09 at 11:21 pm
how exciting for you!!! great ideas so far :O)
From: Kara | 3/10/09 at 11:35 pm
You HAVE to let us know exactly how your planning binder is set up!!!!
You are a girl after my own heart!
From: Nicole | 3/11/09 at 7:13 am
Good Morning everyone,
I saw the comments about weddings, and since my best friend Alice is getting married in July I thought I would add a quick comment. she is seriously worrying about the cost, I think it is all the little things that add up really. I wanted to share a tip with you all. My friend is having a hen weekend which will include a spa day, a day at a theme park, and prob a rather drunken night out! Instead of sending all her hens paper invites (which would have cost a fortune) she is opting for e-Card invites. I was a bit baffled by her idea, but then she explained to me that they are better for the environment as no paper is required, and as long as you choose a free site, then the service won’t cost a penny! Result! She told me that she had found a Free Invitation e-Card site. I checked it out and it looks really cool, lots of funny cards. There are loads of e-Card sites out there, so it may be worth doing your own research and finding one that suites you best. Hope this helps, and good luck everyone on your forthcoming weddings. Love and Hugs, Nicole.
From: Leika | 3/11/09 at 10:22 am
The biggest two pieces of advice that have helped me are stay organized (which you have well in hand!) and stay true to your vision! The plethora of wedding ideas out there are very seductive, but just pick one direction to go, and enjoy everything else as scenery!
From: Alexis from the Bride's Guide | 3/11/09 at 10:43 pm
Thanks everyone for your comments. Right now my binder is just a big huge mix of everything I love. I have things broadly organized by subject (flowers, dresses, etc) but I think as I narrow things down, I'll just keep my top of the top favorites and move all the other stuff to a third binder! I'm going to have quite a collection. Keep sending your advice my way...I'd love to see how other people organize all of their inspiration pics.
From: Janet | 3/12/09 at 7:50 am
I love both the descriptions and photos. Wow you have a lot to do in six months! It will be fun to share in the planning!
From: mapage | 3/12/09 at 3:02 pm
Do you have any favorite sources of inspiration you can share? I love bridal mags, but some of the ideas are so expensive...
From: Valerie | 3/13/09 at 4:07 pm
Great organizational tips!
And thanks for including a swatch of Mod Green Pod fabric in your inspiration binder! Our complete collection can be found at http://www.modgreenpod.com
Happy wedding to you....
From: Emily @ Peach & Pearl | 3/13/09 at 9:12 pm
So fun! Thanks for sharing!
From: Emily @ Peach & Pearl | 3/13/09 at 9:12 pm
So fun! Thanks for sharing!
From: Tracy Wiessbrod | 3/15/09 at 11:25 pm
Wow, amazing set up! Are you going to shop for your wedding dress in Colorado or buy it and ship it there later?
From: Amanda Dawson | 3/19/09 at 1:26 pm
I am sure that when you go and visit the location where your wedding will be, all sorts of new details will come into focus. Let the location help dictate choices, such as using local vendors, paying attention to what will be in season there at the time, from food to flowers. Is there a local potter who could make containers for centerpieces, or make favors. Could wines be found that are local or is there some special cordial or beverage in the mountains of Colorado that is unique. I wonder if there is an ice wine made there. Those details become such festive flourishes for an event. Good luck.