Category: Wedding Planning

What’s a wedding vision? And do you need one?

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What the heck is a wedding vision anyway? 

I want you to think of it as the general outline for your planning actions. Your wedding vision is a tool that you’ll use over and over, to bring you back to center; especially when details and decision making begin to overwhelm you. 

I call it your baseline; the root from which all of your additional wedding decisions will grow. 

Your wedding vision is a compilation of the basic details, photos, colors, adjectives and/or experiences that will represent and/or illustrate the fundamental framework for your plans. 

Determining the who, what, when, where & why of your wedding is the first step in collaborating with your fiancé to get on the same page about your plans. 

And Yes…a wedding vision comes before you book or buy a single thing. 

Capturing your vision can take many forms. It can be written or turned into a more creative visual collection, often referred to as a vision or mood board. 

Your wedding vision is the cohesive outline to your wedding plans; setting the tone for your budget, vendors, and the elements & details you will provide.

Either way, your wedding vision will help you keep your planning priorities at the forefront of your decisions and actions. 

Baseline is one of the foundational steps in dramatically lessening the opportunity for miscommunication about your wedding plans between you, your fiancé, and your families. 

If you want to go from overwhelmed to under control establishing your wedding baseline is your best bet.

And you can bring more gems like this directly to your inbox by joining our free 1-Minute Wedding Planner email series. Sign up today and get one minute reads and videos delivered directly to your inbox each Monday.

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Great Weddings Start With Great Guest Lists

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I’ve recently read 2 posts on LinkedIn. #1, a couple’s perspective about celebrating “gratitude” as they were invited and attended the celebration of a dear friend’s wedding. It was a beautiful, heart-felt post about what being invited meant to them, as well as, all the things the experience reminded them to be grateful for.

Beautiful, right?

The second post was about the cost & frustration of the rudeness of people…guests in particular, that RSVP, then don’t show up.

And friends…I have thoughts. I think its time to challenge the way in which we approach choosing & inviting people to be our guests.

Don’t get me wrong, I get it…how many guests you’ll expect sets the tone for venue, spending, and so much more. So I know just how monumental it can feel to get your guest list just right.

But I also recognize that the way we seem to be conditioned to inviting people at all has shifted from the spirit of generous and warm reception.

I always encourage my clients to invite the people who matter. Yet have come to learn how difficult a task that can be for some- how to determine who matters.

So, if you’re stuck starting any guest list, I want you to consider this…start by only writing down the names that follow my “Don’t Care” Questionnaire method.

I think you’ll find drafting your guest list much easier if you start with the names that don’t care what you wear, don’t care what you serve, don’t care what you gift, don’t care what color the napkins are or how they are folded. If you were getting married in a brown paper bag, they would be delighted to celebrate with the same love, energy, and enthusiasm.

Start here…and see how you feel.

When you are inviting the people with substance in your life…I mean really matter. Then should they have to cancel, their absence is felt; not based on the cost of their meal but with an understanding that life happens and some things can’t be avoided. And it likely wasn’t an easy decision to have to bow out in the 9th hour.

Whatever your next celebration, wedding, shower, graduation, or retirement…fill you guest list with the people that spark joy, kindness, community and fellowship; rather than the people that will feel insulted if you don’t invite them.

Click to join our One Minute Wedding Planner Email Series, for access to more one minute reads and videos to help you break down and manage your planning process with more ease.

Or drop a comment telling me, how you plan to audit & evaluate your invite list?

OMWP: Planning A Military Wedding

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You said “YES” as or to a military service member, now what? 

Relax! You decide. Military traditions that can be a part of weddings, don’t automatically have to be a part of yours. You choose how much military influence is reflected in your day, if any at all.

Hey, I want you to remember that you have options. 

There are some of you that love the idea of a patriotic nod to building a life of selfless service together; and there are others that don’t want the uniform to be their only identity, and you’ll opt out of those few standard traditions. And either is acceptable. So I challenge you to really think about it and then choose what’s right for you. 

Listen, your planning process is likely to look like no one else’s. Military couples often have a level of uncertainty and unpredictability than traditional couples don’t experience. So don’t get stuck here.  

Make a decision and keep moving forward.

So what does it mean to plan a military wedding? It just means, there is at least 1 service member saying “I Do”.

That’s it. How you choose to acknowledge and/or reflect that is up to you.

If you want to know what “military traditions” are considered wedding worthy? Head over on over to our 1-minute read on common military wedding traditions.  

And if you find yourself stuck, overwhelmed or even burned out before you begin…bring more 1-minute reads & videos directly to your inbox to streamline your plans in a way that doesn’t feel like a second job…

JOIN THE ONE MINUTE WEDDING PLANNING COMMUNITY

Got 1-Minute? Plan Your Wedding.

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Let’s face it, we are all a little short on time; trying to do more with less and trying to get more done in less time. Well I’d like to welcome you to the One Minute Wedding Planner. One minute reads on our blog and one minute reels on our social platforms to help you learn how to host and be hosted well, especially when you only have a minute to spare.

Let’s go ahead and address the elephant in the room. This format won’t be for everyone, and it’s alright with me (yes, I sang that in my Janet Jackson voice). 

Listen, if you’ve been dreaming of your wedding day since you were 8…probably isn’t the space for you. If you have a six figure budget…probably not the way you’ll spend your time. 

But if you are a busy, working couple and life is full right now, boy did you hit the jackpot. You are already short on time and the capacity to plan. You don’t want to spend all of your nights & weekends trying to figure things out. You really want things to be simple and for things to make sense. 

If you’ve been saying to yourself, it can’t be this complicated; then, you’re right! And there aren’t many checklists that’ll tell you differently. That’s the problem I’m looking to solve. 

If you’re short on time and need the wedding planning process broken down into bite sized pieces. Maybe, just, maybe this is the place for you. 

Are you down to follow along for more? Well, I’m glad to have you. 

Have a question you’d like me to cover? Add it to our #AskAmbiance questionnaire for a chance to have it answered in an upcoming OMWP read and/or reel or join our email community.

4 things NO wedding can do without.

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What if I could tell you the secret to melt away all of your stress & anxiety about planning your wedding?

I mean, can you imagine a planning process where you ditched the overwhelm of trying to meet the expectations of others?

How do you think it would feel to breathe; only focusing on choosing your favorite things to share with your favorite people?

It’s totally possible…only no one is sharing it with you in a way you can hear it.

When that ring slides on your finger, instantly, you feel ushered along into a noisy wedding world with tons to look at, much to digest and what feels like an infinite number decisions (with an equal amount of micro decisions to match). Am I right?

I stand firm in 2 beliefs. One, weddings shouldn’t be THIS challenging. They should not take over your life.

And two, your planning season is also your greatest marriage preparation season. You should have time for both!

How do you fit in time to deepen your relationships with your spouse; when its taking everything to keep your head above water, trying to communicate and collaborate about colors, cake and ceremony décor?

It feels like a constant uphill battle. But today, you’re in luck.

You deserve a quick win. Something to help you ease your mind and put all the “wedding things” into context for you to plan and enjoy your journey to Forever After.

So right here, right now inhale…now exhale and take it in slow; the 4 things NO wedding can do without.

  • You– that’s right, this thing can’t happen without a healthy you. Your wedding needs you healthy, happy, and in harmony with your day.
  • Your Fiancé– you’ll need your co-star. Your person. Your chosen partner to do this unpredictable production of life with. Willing and ready to say I Do Too!
  • Your License– you’ll need the legal documents that binds this whole things together. Paperwork is paramount. It’s the way to make your celebration legally recognized. Be sure to check your state/county for requirements.
  • Your Officiant– more than a figurehead, an officiant, clergy, celebrant, or officer of the court must hear both parties willingly enter into the commitment of marriage.

So here’s the truth, cutting through the overwhelm– you don’t and won’t need everything.

Now, it’s up to you to determine what’s important enough to add on for your day; keeping in mind that only 4 things are required.

That is all that is required. Now, hopefully, the simplicity of this list helps you to take a breath and realize…EVERYTHING else is a bonus!

Those are the facts. Did you notice, not even rings are required? So, listen, you’ve got this.

Take your time and choose what feels good for you.

And hey, should you still feel stuck, in knowing where to start and what to do, consider streamlining your wedding plans in a single day. Ask about our one day wedding plan that helps busy, working couples, like you, ditch overwhelm to create a shared vision, establish wedding boundaries, understand your budget, and make key decisions all in a single day.

Get more done in less time, so you can get back to the life you love.