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Allow me to indulge myself for a minute, if you will. If there is anything I learned over the past few months it is that I am a terrible wedding planner. Terrible. Here is a list of current wedding failures.
- After six months of catering research we still haven’t chosen anyone, as I am completely overwhelmed by infinite options. I only know that I want salmon. Can’t caterers just, you know, plan a menu around that?
- We don’t have an officiant because I get weirdly shy and anxious about asking anyone to perform something so close to my heart.
- I am a graphic designer and haven’t produced anything for our day because I can’t come up with anything I think is good enough. I want letterpress and kraft paper and gold foil and ALL THE PRINTING FEATURES which isn’t possible because it would look dumb and also my wallet is not that big. I have this designer complex of making the ULTIMATE INVITATION SUITE, my dream project, and I can’t even figure out where to start.
- Flowers? What? What do you mean I have to choose boutonnieres for “special speakers” during the ceremony? That’s funny, it’s almost like you think I have the ceremony planned.
- I have to-do list on The Knot that I can continually check from my phone to keep me on track (ha). So many of them are so miniscule and specific that I can’t take them seriously, like “rent napkins.” Napkins? Who rents napkins? Who does that?
- The registry is empty. I feel weird and guilty about having a “here’s some things you can buy me” list.
- Continuing that note, I feel weird and guilty about asking for help, especially when it comes to the wedding. I have an abundance of bridesmaids continually offering and yet, for some reason, I am still in this planning-limbo. I eventually asked one friend to give me deadlines to make sure I DO something.
The list continues, of course, but I’ll stop there. Let’s pause my planning pessimism for a bit and focus on what I DO have planned.
- The date! That’s a good thing.
- Our venue, specifically my dream venue. It’s a gorgeous barn with a loft and wooden beams everywhere. We walked in to view the place and immediately signed a contract without looking anywhere else. It’s perfect.
- My dress. It’s completely unlike anything I was looking for, yet when I put it on, I knew it was The One. Sorry for the sap.
- Our event photographers!
Bryan & Mae are one of the top reasons I’m looking forward to our wedding, besides the whole, you know, getting married to my other half part. They’re an absolutely incredible husband and wife team from Grand Rapids, Michigan, and have SO much talent. Between all my blank stares and indecisiveness I’ve faced so far in wedding planning, choosing them to document our day was a total no-brainer. I may or may not have sent Mae an email expressing my love and begging for their services right after Max and I got engaged.
Mid-October we met up for an engagement session. I’m pretty sure it was the most autumn-y day all year, and the Nichols Arboretum in Ann Arbor was the most stunning, colorful setting for a photoshoot. Mostly the session was to get comfortable with Bryan and Mae as our photographers as well as being in front of the camera. It was pretty awkward at first, especially with constant apologies for an out-of-control pup that could not contain himself, but we quickly got over it and had a blast. Bryan and Mae were easygoing, funny, and patient. I could tell that they truly love what they do, which is something so important to me. After getting our files a couple of days ago I am beyond with our choice and their work. Check out some of my favorites!
Bonus puppy picture!
Special shoutout to Photoshop CS5 for helping me edit out all my distracting bang gaps!
Thanks for looking! I promise I won’t have another seemingly self-indulgent post like this for awhile. Or at least until May. 🙂 -L
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