What I'm doing during COVID-19 as a bride

Wedding planning can be stressful enough as is, but when you add a global pandemic into the mix, things can seem almost impossible to plan. I’m thankful I work in the wedding industry and already have an understanding on how to go about planning a wedding. I know there are many couples out there who may not be sure what to do right now, so I thought I’d share some things I’m doing during the COVID-19 pandemic as a bride. Obviously, everyone is at a different place during this pandemic, so make sure to do what is best for you! Below are 5 things I’m doing during this time…

1. Reviewing contracts and keeping communication open with vendors.

   It is so important to keep your vendors in the loop so everyone can plan accordingly. Vendors are trying to help all of their couples right now, and unfortunately there are only so many weekends they have available to potentially reschedule to. I would highly recommend starting communication early with your big vendors. Review all of your contracts and don’t be afraid to ask how they are handling this. What ever you do, don’t assume. Every business is handling this situation differently in ways that are best for their business, so ASK and see how it affects you!

2. Plan together.

   If you are still in the process of planning, this is a great time to actually sit down and make decisions together. Personally, I have taken the reins in my own wedding planning, however, I have used this time to enjoy a cup of coffee with my fiancé and talk through each decision together. Rather than dividing and conquering, you guys probably have more time now to discuss your wedding vision together.

3. Find Deals

   As a wedding vendor myself, I know many of us are offering amazing deals right now. Trust me in that you don’t want to be just sitting around during this time, vendors are looking to keep a steady flow of income and this can be a win-win for both parties.

4. Create a vision board

   Put those Pinterest wedding boards to use and create a fun vision board to help motivate and inspire your wedding planning. I am a visual person so I find this to be so much fun. This collage can be hung in your office space and makes for pretty art that can inspire you to get back to planning.

5. Enjoy this time with your fiancé.

   Aside from wedding planning, you can use this time to enjoy the engaged life and come up with fun date night ideas. Are there things you used to do that you miss? Bring those traditions back, or create some new ones! This is a unique time that we will probably remember for the rest of our lives, so why not try to make these memories great?

Exceptional Wedding Series XIII

Once I moved to Cincinnati and decided to pursue wedding photography full time, I started a new blog series showing some of my favorite things from each of the weddings I photographed. Since I love to focus on creating a unique wedding experience for each of my couples and pride myself on sharing their personalities in my photos, this blog series has been a great way for me to showcase these unique details. I am sharing something specific that stood out to me from each wedding which I thought was special to the couple. Lauren & AJ had a globe guest book that I thought was so unique and creative. I asked Lauren a few questions below on where they got this idea from!

Where did you get the idea to have a globe guest book?

 Both AJ and I wanted to find a guest book idea that wouldn't just be put in storage and never displayed in our home. We actually came up with this idea when my aunt had a globe displayed in her living room with pins where she had traveled and thought this would be an awesome guest book idea. 

Why did you decide to have the globe guest book for your wedding?

 We have always loved traveling and both AJ and I had a lot of family and friends that have traveled all over the world. We thought this would be an awesome opportunity to have our guests sign a place they have traveled to or would like to travel to in the world to give us ideas/recommendations. 

Where is the globe currently displayed, and how special is this for you?

The globe is currently displayed in our living room. We have loved having it displayed here because it is a great conversation piece when we have guests over and also is a reminder of our incredible family and friends that were able to celebrate our special day with us. We hope to visit many of the recommended destinations over the next couple years!

Exceptional Wedding Series XII

I decided to start a new blog series this year showing some of my favorite things from each of the weddings I photograph. Since I love to focus on creating a unique wedding experience for each of my couples and pride myself on sharing their personalities in my photos, this blog series has been a great way for me to showcase these unique details. I am sharing something specific that stood out to me from each wedding which I thought was special to the couple. Stephanie has an amazing story that goes along with her “something blue” that I wanted to share on the blog.

What was your "something blue"?

 My something blue was a sapphire ring that was my late mother's. She passed away after battling breast cancer when I was eight. When my sister and I were old enough, my dad allowed us to look through her jewelry and pick some special items. I immediately loved the sparkly blue ring and have worn it every day since. I wanted to bring out my mom's memory in every way possible on my wedding day, so I wore the ring as my "something blue."

How special was this to wear during your wedding day?

 This ring has really become a special part of me. Every day that I look down and see it, it reminds me of my mom and makes me smile. It stays on my finger every day now, just like my engagement ring and wedding band. 

Exceptional Wedding Series XI

I decided to start a new blog series this year showing some of my favorite things from each of the weddings I photograph. Since I love to focus on creating a unique wedding experience for each of my couples and pride myself on sharing their personalities in my photos, this blog series has been a great way for me to showcase these unique details. I am sharing something specific that stood out to me from each wedding which I thought was special to the couple. I knew going into this wedding that Brittany & Andrew were planning on having their pup, Nala, for some photos. I was so excited for this and immediately knew this would go on the blog. I asked Brittany a few questions on why and how she was able to make this work.

What made you decide to have your pup in your wedding photos?

Nala is such a huge part of our lives and I couldn't imagine getting married without her there. She has been with us since the beginning of our relationship and is like our child... let's be honest our world revolves around her! No matter what, I was going to find a way to get her to the venue to take pictures with us! 

How special was it to share a part of this day with your pup?

Having Nala there made our wedding day complete. She has shared all of our happiest moments with us and she makes our world so much brighter. She is with us every single day and such a big part of our lives, so it only made sense that she would be there on our wedding day as well.

 How did you plan the logistics of this?

Not going to lie, the logistics were hard. I knew there was only one person that Nala was familiar enough with, that she would trust. First, I asked you where taking pictures with Nala would fit into the timeline. Once, I had a time slot down I asked our neighbor if she would bring Nala to the venue for that time and then take her back home. Of course, I packed a bag for Nala full of all the essentials; leash, collapsible water bowl, water, treats, toy and a bone to chew on. I made sure to pack things that could distract her, just in case there was some wait time. Since we did a first look, it was very easy for our neighbor to bring Nala before the wedding for 10 minutes and then take her back home. 

 What would you say to others considering having their pup attend their wedding?

Our wedding day wouldn't have been complete without our pup there. Sometimes the logistics can be rough, but I promise you that those pictures you will have for a lifetime with your pup are worth it! I am so happy that I will have these pictures of us to hang on our walls and Lindsey was so friendly and all about the dog photos, which made it easy! Best advice is to do a first look and make sure your dog is with someone he/she trusts. 

Exceptional Wedding Series X

I decided to start a new blog series this year showing some of my favorite things from each of the weddings I photograph. Since I love to focus on creating a unique wedding experience for each of my couples and pride myself on sharing their personalities in my photos, this blog series has been a great way for me to showcase these unique details. I am sharing something specific that stood out to me from each wedding which I thought was special to the couple. I had such an amazing time celebrating with Grishma & Sunny for my first ever Indian Wedding. One of my favorite of many unique details of the weekend was their dog worked into Grishma’s Henna. I loved this so much and asked her a few questions on this below!

What made you decide to have your pup in your henna design? 

Louie has been a pretty big part of my life since my relationship with Sunny began. My henna artist, Ila Shah, knew how much we loved him and it was her idea to incorporate him in the design! 

How special was it to have this reminder of your pup on your throughout your wedding day?

 Extremely special. Unfortunately, our venue had a strict 'No Pets' policy so we were not able to bring him along for the ceremony or reception. Having him incorporated within my henna was a reminder that we was there in spirit!  

Did Sunny love seeing your pup in your Henna? 

He definitely did, it was a good surprise for him. Henna is such a fun part of Indian weddings and I've been seeing more and more brides create designs that are unique to them. I'm just glad I was able to do the same.