WEDDING
words by WHITNEY LYNNE DUDEN
photography by TWO BIRDS PHOTOGRAPHY
“I DO”
and
fashion too
Follow Whitney Lynne on INSTAGRAM: @whitney_lynne
H
e got down on one knee, and I excitedly forgot the rest. Maybe even to answer his question: “Will you marry me?” I remember thinking and asking too many times, “Is this real life?” And, of course, pure happiness, joy, then more, “Is this real life?” The shock was so real I cannot recall if I cried tears of happiness, or if the happiness shut my brain completely off.
When we began sharing our news, the infamous question “What’s your date?” surfaced within seconds every time. If you’re anything like me, your dress isn’t hiding in your closet, the venue isn’t booked, Pinterest isn’t
holding all your ideas, and you’re just flat out clueless. Basically, I was a clueless ball of happy, hoping Luke had the day planned before asking. I can dream, right?
get a binder
breathe. relax. celebrate.
meet with vendors ahead of time
So if you’re engaged, first of all — congrats! I wish you a life of endless happiness! My first tip is to allow a few weeks to just simply enjoy the engagement. Go out to dinner together — buying the fancy champagne to compliment your fancy dress — and celebrate! After all, finding your forever-man is definitely worthy of some attention before diving into the planning process. Trust me, it’s not going anywhere. But now — down to business. I’ve been through the planning process. And I’m going to happily help you learn from our experience. When the planning starts, it doesn’t end. I am going to help you learn from our mistakes, and give you tips that helped make things easier.
Put all your wedding stuff in it. Notes, receipts, ideas and everything wedding — glue this onto yourself. Not really, but keep it readily available. I say this because we paid for things and we learned records can disappear, charges can be added, etc. Things happen, be prepared. To us, “ahead of time” ranged from four days, to months before. I’ll clarify for my engaged self, “Whit, you must do this months before, girl. Meet with photographers, venues, florists, DJ services, etc. ahead of time. Big tip, make sure you meet the specific person involved in your day. Huge emphasis on “specific person.” We met with our DJ service, but didn’t meet with our actual DJ until days before — via phone. Huge mistake. Between you and me, we ended up playing iTunes later in the evening. On the flip side, we had a miscommunication with our florist, who we had met and communicated with up until the week of. She made a special trip to our venue, delivering an additional bouquet with a sweet note (thank you Country Greenery) free of
charge. This is why I say to know the specific person involved, not just the general vendor. The people involved can make or break your day, and your stress level.
what to wear
Here is what I suggest when it comes to attire (cue the violins please). Kidding! I’m more of a Bruno Mars kind of girl anyways.
1. Define the style or theme from
the start; classic, modern, boho, country, etc.
2. Pick your theme first, then find “the dress”
3. Decide your wedding colors 4. Select bridesmaid dresses that compliment your dress
5. Find men’s suits and tie options