Recently engaged?

Nick & I have been engaged for a little over a year now and we're about a month out from finally getting married! We've known each other for over 10 years and we are getting reallyyyy excited about our big day.

We had a 15 month engagement and I'm told all of the time how "long" our engagement was - well....it definitely wasn't! It FLEW by. Weddings are no joke and there are literally a million things to do (yes literally).

I get asked if I'm stressed out and I find that this is something that people are just waiting for you to say "YES OMG IT'S HORRIBLE!" but in my case it's been nothing but fun and excitement with a lot of hardwork. Now don't get me wrong - it's not all been peachy and many things have fallen through and those were really disappointing times, but it always ends up working out for the better. Trust me on that. There's a reason for everything! Wedding planning WILL be miserable if you make it that way - but I'm going to share some tips that I have done throughout our engagement to make every moment from picking out the napkins to my dress SPECIAL.

1. Select your season - Nick and I put together a list of our favorite season to our least favorite (1 being our favorite, 4 being our least favorite) This was ours 1. Fall 2. Winter 3. Spring 4. Summer - now you all might think we're crazy - these aren't necessarily our favorite seasons but what we wanted in terms of our wedding.

2. Get a list of venues together - Nick and I got engaged in Nashville at the CMA Fest in 2016 so while we were there for our vacation little did I know that my parents were at home already doing research on venues in the area. They were so smart and went by location and number of guests allowed. We were not interested in anything under 100-150 guests because we knew we wanted to invite all of our friends and family. This made our decision a little easier because a lot of places are BEAUTIFUL but they only accommodate a smaller number of guests. After a few conversations and visits we decided on Westfield Country Club.

3. Snag your vendors - These were all things that I did immediately because there were specific ones that I wanted and I knew that vendors are in high demand. I did all of this within the first few months of us being engaged because let me tell you - it reduced my stress levels dramatically! I had all of this done before my semester started and it was AWESOME. Such a lifesaver and the biggest piece of advice that I give brides.

4. Dress shopping - I loved every part of this for obvious reasons. I didn't know what to expect at all but it was so fun! Every dress is beautiful. It's just what style and fit looks and feels best on you. I didn't believe anyone when they said "you'll know" but I indeed had that feeling. My mom and I made a promise not to cry - it's not sad! We had the best time and my sweet aunt and uncle offered to pay for my dress which is something I will never forget and something I have promised to pay forward!

People ask to see my dress all of the time and this is something that is SUPER under wraps for me. I don't have pictures on my phone and I asked everyone in attendance to please not take pictures. I want this to be special and honestly I never even showed anyone my homecoming or prom dresses so I can't say anyone was surprised.

My best advice to give brides is to enjoy each little phase of your planning. Don't rush it! It was important for me to make invitations, linens, dresses, food, and centerpieces all their own exciting adventure. This isn't something that you get to do again and again and again so I wanted to make each a memory as best as I could.

I can't wait to share ALL of our wedding goodness with you all but in order for Nick & I to concentrate on ourselves and the excitement leading up to our wedding I will share everything with you all AFTER - I promise!

I'm so happy for you and congratulations from the bottom of my heart! This is such an exciting part of your life and I wish you all of the best!