You had been waiting for months, maybe years to see him down on his knee asking YOU to be his wife and spend the rest of your lives together.
The moment came, and you stumbled over the simple word “yes” through your tears and excitement.
Now that you have the ring and you know you will be husband and wife, you have to start the planning process. If the anticipation and day-dreaming about when he would propose wasn’t enough, the anticipation and planning of your wedding day can be incredibly overwhelming.
What kind of flowers do I want? Where do I even get flowers? How do I know if this is a good florist?
Do my bridesmaids buy their own unique dresses or do they all wear the same thing? Are the guys going to be in suits or tuxedos? Who are we going to even have in our wedding?
Where and When are we going to get married? Who is going to marry us?
What about the music, the food, the invitations, the decorations, and do we have to give party favors?
The questions are endless, but I have some fabulous news for you! I once was a bride as well, and I fully understand the pressure and stress that comes with all of the details and options that are out there, but I am here to help direct you to places that can help you figure out all of those details. Over the years there have been many bridal resources come and go, but there are some incredible ones here in town that I work with regularly or advertise my wedding photography services with. These businesses and events help brides figure out all of the details, from the biggest ones like when and where to the small ones like party favors, and the few that I endorse in using are spectacular. They have wonderful people to help answer all of your questions, point you in the right direction and be there for support when you get overwhelmed.
One of the sites that you can gather a TON of information and tips from is www.applebrides.com. Apple Brides is the Inland Northwest’s Wedding Resource website, which I advertise my services with, and it truly has it all. They list tips ranging from how to dress your groom to choosing the perfect wedding font. The great part about their website is that everything is incredibly user friendly, so in the midst of your panicked moment over the forgotten DJ you can make a couple clicks of your mouse and find a spectacular selection to help calm your nerves. Another easy to use feature is they have the websites and links available for you, right there. No wasting your time searching and trying to get the right venue, one easy click and you can view the multiple locations that are highlighted and gather important information all from this one location, www.applebrides.com.
The second website that I advertise with is www.spokanebrideblog.com. This is an exceptionally put together site created by a former bride due to her own frustration in planning her wedding a few years back. They have current write-ups and reviews on venues and vendors, while also having items broken down into categories for easy access in answering those daunting questions that seem to not actually have an answer at all. It is a great site to get suggestions for your big day. You can view other wedding photos to get ideas and check out the upcoming events in Spokane that can help you cross items off your to-do list. You could literally spend hours viewing everything on their site, not because it is confusing,but because they have so much to offer and ways to connect you to the people you want to work with.
The last Spokane resource that I am a part of that can and WILL help you in planning and executing your perfect wedding day, is the Spokane Bridal Festival. The title truly says it all, it is a festival for brides. Spokane holds the festival twice a year, so if you get engaged after the first one than you can go to the next one no problem. After you research different venues, caterers, DJ’s, and florists using www.applebrides.com and www.spokanebrideblog.com, you can actually find the people that stood out online and meet them face to face. This personal interaction is so important, because for those of us that have booths at the festival, we know that the first impression will make or break your decisions for your wedding. It is a great way for you to see, taste, listen to, and touch all of the items that you might have been thinking about and also it is a great place to find something unique that maybe you didn’t think of. This year the festival is this Saturday, September 29th which I won’t be able to attend due to photographing weddings all weekend long. However, the next one is January 13th-14th which I will see you there!! There are give-aways, a cake ‘wrestling’ contest to win a ring, dress booths, DJ’s everywhere you turn, food to taste and so much more, it is the perfect place for a bride to be.
From a former bride to a bride to be, I hope these resources help you in planning the wedding of your dreams. I am excited to meet with you and help make your special day last a life-time with beautiful photographs!
Crystal
Crystal@CrystalMadsen.com
509-499-1090
114 W Pacific #209
Spokane, WA 99201
