I have asked brides to help me, help current brides out there that are planning their wedding day to their soulmate! I always say at the end of the day if two people who are in love are married, than nothing else matters and that the day was amazing! Not the rain that lasted for an hour, or all day. Not the candles that just would not stay lit at the reception. Not the microphone screeching  during a toast and not that the sparklers wouldn’t light because of wind during your reception exit. None of those little things matter when you focus on the meaning of the day and the person that you are marrying.

Now, none of those things actually happened at Anna & Jimi’s wedding! It did, however, rain A LOT the day before and we were concerned with the rain staying. You will be able to tell that the rain went away and we had a gorgeous day for them. Anna, is here today to help you with some planning tips, vendors that she was extremely happy with and some of the wedding planning details that she enjoyed the most! Take it away, Anna!

What was your favorite thing to plan or decide on for your wedding day? I loved picking out our flowers and the music. Jimi is very musically talented so it was fun to do that together and it was important to him. I wanted succulents with my flowers so I loved looking at them all. Roost Flowers did all of our florals! 

What were the three most important details to you on your wedding day and why? My garter and bouquet that were made from the lace of my Mom’s wedding dress. Our first dance because it was so unique and special to us, and the fact that we decided to write our own vows during the ceremony.

What were the three most important vendors to book for your wedding day and why? Our Photographer , Wedding Planner and Band. Because of our personal interests, I think for us these were crucial to make our wedding great and without any of them it definitely wouldn’t have been the same. Those three vendors were Jessica Ryan Photography, Jamie Leigh Events and Vinyl Headlights. The Caterer was very important to me too, and they did southern food to go with my Suffolk, Virginia childhood roots.

What is your opinion on DIY decor? Did you do any? I love DIY decor if you have the time and think it makes it more personal for you. It’s so great to see hard work pay off! I did do some for our wedding. I made all of the coasters we gave out as favors, wrapped our card suitcase with new fabric and I made a chicken wire photo collage for our gift table. 

We’re there any amazing ways you saved money on things that you’d like to share? I saved money with little details by doing DIY and making sure that I got things from thrift or antique stores. We also had our friend officiate us as well. 

Are there any experiences you had with a particular vendor that you would like to rave about? I think all our vendors were amazing and I was so happy with who we chose! They really made our day perfect! 

What was your favorite memory of your wedding day? My favorite memory was looking out during the reception and seeing all my favorite people in one place having the best time. You can’t beat it! 

Is there something that you still can’t stop thinking about or reminiscing about your wedding day? I keep thinking and reminiscing about it all!! It really was the perfect day.

What one thing/person/item that you invested in that you are still over the moon about with your investment for your wedding day? I absolutely loved my wedding dress and wouldn’t change a thing about it. I found my wedding dress at Maya Couture.

On a scale of 1-10, how handsome did your groom look?   10 of course  

On a scale of 1-10, how beautiful did you feel?   A 10 – from the dress to the makeup and hair I just felt so special and beautiful. 

How fast did your wedding day go by & what moment helped slow it down even if just for a little while? It went by extremely fast. It was nice we had our own sweetheart table and got to sit there for a few minutes right after our first dances and just look out at everyone and take a breath.

The other vendors that we choose that also made our day magical were: Holly Ridge Manor, Dhalia Edwards, Hair By Stephanie B, Paperdolls Design, Sweetwater Cuisine and Waterford Event Rentals!