Wedding Planning 101 :: 4th & 5th Month

OMG … we’re just under 6 months away from the BIG day! I failed to report on my wedding planning progress in November, primarily because I really didn’t get much accomplished. Not because I was lazy, but much of what we needed to do in the first few months was behind us, and much of what we need to accomplish really just didn’t make sense to get moving on until closer to date. So, November and December were all about brainstorming and narrowing our wedding decor ideas. Trust me … magazines and Pinterest can help, but can also overwhelm!

Of course, I did have several items slated in for the 4th and 5th month (again, I’m working off a 9 month wedding planning schedule), and happy to say I did manage to check a few items off the list and a couple of surprise items that also got added.

Read further to see my list of wedding planning progress!

1) Interview & Book Ceremony Musicians

Complete! We decided let our DJ – URBANROOM Events coordinate our ceremony music as well. We are not 100% sure if we will end up using the pianist we booked for the ceremony or for cocktail hour/reception, but at the minimum we’ve secured our vendor to assist us with our ceremony music needs. I love the idea of live music during the ceremony, so let’s just see what we decide on closer to date!

2) Buy Wedding Gown

Complete! Most of you who have been following already know that I said YES to my dress a couple months ago. The dress was originally scheduled to arrive in January, but needless to say, it came early and I already brought it home with me! Although the dress was ordered in the size closest to my measurements, it still requires a bit of alteration work. I probably could have ordered a size down, but I guess better safe then sorry!

I was advised not make alterations to the dress until about 2 months prior to the wedding. You want to make sure that your body is as close in size to the day of the wedding. Therefore, I’ve marked on my list of things to do in April. This also gives me some time to shop around for a trusted seamstress. However, I am pretty sure I will be taking my dress back to Felichia Bridal to make adjustments. The prices they quoted me for altering the dress seems very reasonable and I trust that they will do a good job as they specialize in bridal wear.

I was also in search for a beautiful bridal sash for my dress. I really wanted a scalloped edging, vintage style. Bridal belts and sashes can run up to $500-$800, especially if you’re looking for something high quality, intricate design, and, 100% hand beaded. The DIY-er that I am, I really couldn’t swallow paying such premium for a belt, so I hunted and scoured numerous stores until I found this glass beaded, raw belt, that I will have the seamstress sew onto my dress. I paid a just over $100 for 3/4 yard which fit perfectly around my entire waist. If you’re looking for bridal appliques, accessories, and beaded items, I recommend making a trip down to Queen Street West in Toronto. There is a great selection of fabric stores that carry many bridal accessories.

3) Select and Buy Bridesmaid Gown

Complete! I’ve been a bridesmaid way too many times in my lifetime, LOL. So I do know a thing or two about bridesmaid gowns. For my girls, I decided to suggest going the non-conventional route. Instead of purchasing traditional bridesmaid dresses, I handpicked a selection of dresses in the same colour scheme from ASOS and had them decide which one they wanted to wear. I love the idea that they are able to wear their dresses again for another occasion and to be honest, the prices were much more affordable then traditional bridesmaid dresses. Each bridesmaid ordered their own dress from ASOS and to my surprise, none of them had to pay C.O.D. on their package. I’m told the trick is to keep the total value as low as possible.

Though I do want to keep an element of surprise and that’s why I’m not going to share what they look like with you just yet. We decided to go with long dresses with a flowy silhouette in varying shades of light pinks and blush. I think the girls are going to look amazing!

If you’re looking for suggestions on unconventional bridesmaid dresses, I recommend the following sites:

• Nordstrom (they carry a great array of Adrianne Papell dress which I LOVE)
• ASOS 
• River Island (I LOVE this skirt as a two piece option)
• J Crew
• Lulu’s
• BHLDN

4) Order and Send Save the Dates

Complete! You can read about my Save the Dates from a previous post.

5) Order Cake

Complete! You can also read about my Cake plans from a previous post.

6) Register for Gifts

Outstanding! We haven’t tackled this yet, but will be looking into this January/February! If you are interested in learning about some unique gift registry ideas, be sure to catch this post.

7) Plan Decor Items & Lighting for Venue

In Progress! I’ve been giving a lot of thought on the decor details for the big day. I admit I haven’t yet narrowed and planned out every idea, but I think I’ve got a pretty good idea for our decor plans. I will be planning a Decor Meeting with my caterer in February to iron out every detail and I hope to share them will you very soon. In the mean time, follow along on Pinterest to get some Wedding Decor inspirations.

I’m also absolutely stoked to attend the Wed Luxe wedding show in Toronto this weekend. I am SURE to be inspired even more and hopefully come home with some great ideas. If you’re free this weekend, be sure to pick up a ticket at $75 each (but you’ll get a luxury gift bag worth $150+), this is by far Toronto’s BEST wedding show! Hope to see you there fellow brides!

I know many of you are newly engaged from the holidays! Congrats and I hope you follow along on my wedding planning journey and hopefully I’m able to help you with a thing or two!

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