The staff of Wedlink Media is booming with brides-to-be, as well as a couple of newlyweds! Working in an industry where they’re in-the-know on all things weddings has its advantages when it comes to planning the big day. Watch our team members take you through their planning process, the things that surprised them, and the parts they’ve enjoyed most about wedding planning.

What were you looking forward to most about planning a wedding?

• Madison: I am most looking forward to making my 7 years in-the-making Pinterest board come to life.
• Carleigh: I really love designing everything, especially the reception, so that’s been the most fun. I like designing place settings, so I think that’s been my favorite part so far.
• Lesley: I’m looking forward to getting to spend time with my friends, especially during the bachelorette party and wedding showers. All my bridesmaids live across the country, so I don’t get to spend a lot of time with them.

How has it been planning a wedding while working for a bridal magazine?

• Carleigh: It’s been so easy! I love it! I feel like I have a leg up from everyone else sometimes since I already knew a lot of the vendors and where to find them.

• Carsyn: It’s been so easy due to working at a bridal magazine. I’ve been in the industry since I graduated college, and it’s been great to know a bunch of people and who I can trust and a lot of referrals.

• Madison: Really distracting! But it’s been really fun, and I’m constantly surrounded by inspiration and people who have been working in the industry for years and give great advice!

• Lesley: I’ve been getting too many ideas, so I think it’ll be hard to figure out the details bc I’ve been getting so much inspiration.

What vendor was most helpful while planning?

Quincy: My florist — he did everything to help me with tablescapes, the backdrop of my ceremony, and all the other moving parts, so I was really grateful that he brought my vision together.

What was your favorite part of your wedding day?

Lauren: Right after our ceremony, Curtis and I went upstairs and had about 30 minutes to ourselves. We got to have a drink, talk through the ceremony, and talk about how we felt throughout the whole process

What are you most looking forward to at your wedding?

• Carleigh: I’m really excited for the first look! I think it’s going to be really cute, and I’m really excited for the pictures. I’m also really excited to dance and party it up.

• Madison: My fiancé seeing me in my dress for the first time! We’re not doing a first look, so when he sees me coming down the aisle it will be the first time we see each other that day and I’m really excited about it

• Lesley: The main reason we’re having a wedding, because we’ve been together for a long time, is to have that party with the people we love most, so I’m excited to spend time with them and have fun!

What’s one piece of advice you would give to other brides who are planning a wedding?

• Lauren: Hire a wedding planner!
• Carleigh: Give yourself plenty of time!
• Carsyn: Do whatever makes you the most happy! It comes down to your vision what you want. Tune out the noise, and if you want to do something unconventional- don’t be afraid!
• Madison: Do it the way you want to do it and don’t think impressing other people too much!
• Lesley: Remember, it’s just one day! It’s mainly about the marriage and becoming a family together, so I wouldn’t stress too much about the details.
• Quincy: Just be present in the moment and enjoy it, because it goes by so quickly. Step back and see all your family and friends that are there to celebrate you and your love.

Pre-wedding jitters? Have no fear! Our community manager and associate editor, Lauren, is sharing all her tips for preparing for a stress-free wedding morning!

How did you minimize stress the night before?

“The night before my wedding day my bridesmaids and I rented an airbnb that was super close to the venue so we would not have to wake up super early! It was really nice to be able to have everything packed in the car and everybody all in one place!”

Tips on starting the day right?

“I made sure we got there super early. We had breakfast for all of the girls and we were able to just relax and get ready for when hair and makeup started! It was really nice to have that extra time and not be stressed!”

How did your makeup artist help you relax?

“I had my makeup artist Carolyn get there and do my makeup and she let me do a face mask! It was a nice time to just be calm and take a breath!”

How did you stay organized?

“Before the wedding night, we made sure the car was all packed up with all the food, the drinks, all of the robes that we were going to be wearing, the bridesmaids dresses, and my dress! When we got to the venue we laid everything out so that it was organized and everybody knew where everything was!”

What are some ways brides can have a slow morning?

“Do things that make you happy! Have a cup of coffee or write in your journal if you have one! I actually wrote my vows the morning of my wedding, which might sound stressful but it was really nice getting to reflect over the relationship and think about how the ceremony was going to be!”

Who did you have present the morning of your wedding?

“The morning of my wedding in the bridal suite I had all of my bridesmaids getting ready with me! I had my mom, my grandma, and my soon-to-be mother in law! When you’re getting ready the morning of your wedding, it’s so important to make sure you’re surrounded by people that you love and that will keep you calm!”

Get your wedding guests on the dance floor! These tips from our social media strategist, Katie, will help you choose the perfect wedding playlist!

When curating your wedding playlist, there are so many special moments to take into account! From cocktail hour playlists, processional and recessional songs, and your first dance, having songs picked out that are special to you and your significant other will make the day even more meaningful and memorable!

If you’re having trouble figuring out how to make playlists then Spotify is for you! With options to make different playlists and folders, you can be stress-free and organized on your big day! Another way to personalize your music is to mirror it to your wedding theme. If your theme is cozy & intimate, going for more acoustic music vibes will pair with that theme beautifully! More than anything, you want the music to mean something special and reflect you and your partner’s personality!

Need inspiration for your wedding playlists? Head over to Wed Society on Spotify to see some of our specially curated and themed playlists! Happy playlist making!

From timeline management to crucial vendor connections, wedding planners are pros at bringing your vision to life. Our account executive, Quincy, is sharing her top reasons to hire a wedding planner!

Bringing Your Vision to Life

Planning a wedding can be very overwhelming in the beginning stages. From picking out your colors, to your style, to all the details you want to make your day so special, it can be hard to pinpoint exactly what you want. Your wedding planner has all the wisdom and expertise to help you nail down your vision and bring it to life! Having someone who knows the ins and outs of weddings can really help you decide what you want your day to look like. Not only can they help you develop your vision, but they know who to recommend and contact to make those wedding dreams come true.

Manage Your Budget

Keeping up with all the details of the wedding budget can be a daunting task on your own, by having a wedding planner you have another set of eyes on vendor costs, tips, and all other expenses to make sure it all stays within budget. Planners can also offer wonderful tips and tricks on how to create and stick to your budget while still planning the most beautiful and special day.

Vendor Connections and Recommendations

Wedding planners can offer so much information about local vendors that you may not be able to find anywhere else. As it is their job to work with different vendors, your wedding planner can offer you insights and recommendations that perfectly match your vision! Your wedding planner will be able to identify vendors that they believe best match your wants and needs and can alleviate the stress of having to search for and manage all of your vendors on your own.

Keep Your To-Do List on Track

Keeping up with events, vendor meetings, and deadlines for your wedding can be a full-time job and can be difficult to manage with all the other things going on in your life. Having a planner to check in and remind you of what important dates and events are coming up can ease the stress of an already chaotic season and make engagement and the wedding planning process more manageable and enjoyable! Just having another person to help you keep track of all the things on your to-do list can make a big difference!

Stress Reliever

Your wedding planner will be your ultimate stress relief during the wedding planning process. You can trust that your planner knows how to throw an amazing wedding and will be your go-to person for any questions and concerns throughout the entire process. Having a professional partner in this process will take a huge amount of stress off of you and leave you to enjoy all the fun and exciting parts of your engagement!

Vendor Contracts

Vendor contracts can be intimidating and even difficult to understand at times, having an extra pair of eyes to look over all of the contracts can be a huge weight off your shoulders. Your wedding planner will know what to look for when reading over these contracts and can offer you peace of mind that you aren’t missing any major details when signing with a vendor. Your wedding planner may also keep up with all the contracts and organize them into one place so that you know exactly where to go when you have any questions about a certain vendor or service!

Problem Solving

On the day of your wedding, you are not going to want to handle all the little mishaps that are going to happen. By tasking your wedding planner as the key person to handle any day of problems, you are able to enjoy your day without the stress of having to worry about every little detail. Your wedding planner will be able to handle all of the details of the day, leaving you to enjoy your day completely stress-free!

Timeline Manager

Creating a timeline for your wedding day can quickly become complicated. Figuring out when to take pictures, cut the cake, and all the other important events of the day can be an added stressor that you didn’t anticipate. It is so helpful to have a wedding pro to help you navigate your day in a way that best fits you and your partner! Having structure and direction on the day of your wedding will take off so much stress and let you enjoy the day with all of your favorite people!

Thinking about eloping for your big day? Our sales manager, Angie, is sharing her tips on all things wedding elopements!

All the Things You Need to Know About Elopements

The past year has brought many changes to the world of weddings and has taught us how to adjust to unexpected circumstances with creativity! One of the biggest trends that has continued since 2020 is the growing popularity of elopements. We’ve seen some of the most beautiful and intimate weddings, and we’re here to help you plan all things elopements!

Elopements vs Micro Weddings

Elopements are the actual act of getting married. They are typically shared between just you, your partner, and your officiant, but they can also be extended to a very small group of people. Micro Weddings are just like your typical wedding with a ceremony and reception, just scaled down to a more intimate group of your closest family and friends.

Why You May Choose an Elopement

There are several reasons you may choose to elope, and it comes down to how you want to celebrate your day with your partner. You may choose to elope to save money, as elopements can be beautifully executed on a much smaller budget, as well as if you’re getting married in a shorter time frame. If you’re getting married quickly, an elopement can provide a quicker option while still being romantic, intimate, and fun!

Elopements During the Pandemic

Elopements haven’t changed much since the beginning of the pandemic. They continue to be celebrated in different locations and incredibly creative spots! This past year, we’ve seen elopements and micro weddings in backyards become more popular, and we absolutely love it! Whether it be with florals, rugs, or candles, there are so many ways you can transform your own home into the wedding venue of your dreams!

Choosing a Location

It’s important to consider who you want with you when choosing your location. If you’re inviting close friends and family, you need to consider if the location is accessible to everyone. If it’s just you and your partner, consider a place that will be special for the two of you and make it happen! Don’t be afraid to think outside of the box and choose a location that you wouldn’t have considered before!

Getting Family on Board

All families respond differently — they may be excited and all for it, or they may be more hesitant. It’s important to sit down with your family and explain why you want to elope. If they want to be able to celebrate with additional friends and family, it may be helpful for them if you offer a reception later on where more people can attend!

Reception After Eloping

There are several ways you can celebrate a reception after your elopement. You can host a small dinner party or go all out and plan a big reception! There are no rules on how you should celebrate your marriage! You can celebrate with additional friends and family a few days after your wedding or a few months after. You can also incorporate little details from your elopement into your reception if you’re doing something locally and want to highlight those special moments from your elopement destination.

What to Budget For

Everyone’s budget will look different based on what is important to them. Some things you may consider budgeting for are a wedding planner, photographer, florist, and even catering! We recommend sitting down with your partner and discussing what is most important to you on your big day. Then you can move forward with which vendors you want to make sure you budget for!

Want to look and feel your best on your wedding day? Our office manager, Madison, is sharing her best tips on how to kickstart your wedding beauty and fitness regimen!

Daily Skincare and Health Routine

Prepping and planning for your wedding can bring on some added stress, so it’s the perfect time to be implementing healthy habits into your daily routine! When looking for ways to practice self-care, the best way to get started is to begin with the basics! Setting aside time for yourself during both the morning and at night can make a huge difference. Spend time creating a skincare routine that best suits you, even these small steps can add extra relaxation to your day! It is also important to make sure you are getting enough sleep and drinking plenty of water. These habits seem so simple, but they make all the difference!

Beauty Professionals

This is a time where you get to pamper yourself and pay extra special attention to taking care of your body! A great way to do this is to meet with an esthetician or licensed beauty professional who will work with you to create a routine that will help your skin look its best! Making time for facials and other beauty routines for yourself will give you a break in the busyness of wedding planning and allow you to relax and enjoy this process.

Workout Plan

If you are looking to begin a workout routine in preparation for your wedding, know that there are so many options available! The gym can be intimidating for some and to others it’s a place to destress, there are so many options that can fit for anyone! A personal trainer is a great option for those looking for one on one help. Your trainer can help you create workouts that fit perfectly with your goals and build your confidence in the gym. There are so many workout programs online that you can do at home or in the gym, as well as group classes for all different types of exercise routines! Find some friends and hold each other accountable. Don’t be afraid to start right where you are!

What to do the Week Before the Wedding

Use this week to remain as relaxed as possible! Take time to continue to pamper yourself, get your hair done, make your manicure appointment, just don’t make so many appointments that you feel overbooked. You want to spend this week doing things that make you feel good! You want to plan ahead to take as much off of your plate this week as possible. Make time to spend with your partner as well as family and friends, and get excited for the best day ever!

From one corona bride to another, our wedding editorial director, Hanna, shares her tips for planning a wedding during the COVID-19 pandemic!

Planning and the Pandemic

Vendors have worked incredibly hard to keep wedding planning a fun and exciting experience. Even amidst the shutdowns and the new regulations, we have seen vendors come up with new and creative ways to keep their doors open and continue to make couples’ wedding dreams come true! Whether that be finding new ways to allow couples to do cake tastings, virtual wedding dress shopping, or even video chatting your officiant during the ceremony, we’ve seen people pull together to create the most special days for couples during the pandemic.

Staying Positive

Don’t forget that you are not alone! There are couples all over the world experiencing the same thing, but we have continued to see love overcome even the most difficult moments. At the end of it all, you will be married to your spouse, and what could be better than that? We know that it can be devastating to have to adjust your expectations for your big day, but it comes down to the love between you and your partner, and there is nothing that can stop you from celebrating that!

Remaining Stress-Free

Since the onset of the pandemic, brides have felt less pressure to create the perfect wedding. We have seen new trends and ideas that make weddings unique to the couple and to this season. Embrace the opportunity to face your wedding with more creativity and imagination than you may have before. There are no rules! It’s your day and at the end of it remember to take it one day at a time and keep your eyes on the big picture! Find ways to treat yourself and make this season a time of fun and excitement!

Wedding Planner

With all the chaos of the pandemic, a wedding planner can help alleviate the stress of planning your wedding. Now, almost a year after the beginning of the pandemic, wedding planners have figured out ways to continue to make your wedding day special and fun while still being cautious and safe! Reach out to a wedding planner and utilize their skill and expertise while planning in this crazy time! They can make the process much smoother and stress-free!

Let’s talk wedding registries! Our Community Manager & Associate Editor, Lauren, covers everything you need to know about registering, from when to where to how!

How do I set up a registry?

“There are many ways that you can set up your wedding registry! You can go in-store to do it and take the big clicker and just scan everything that you want, or you can also do it online if you are not able to go in-store!”

Where should I register?

“It’s really important to register local as well as registering online or with national chains! When you register locally you are supporting a local business, you’re able to find things that other people won’t always be able to have at theirs so you have some unique pieces, and it’s also really nice for your guests to be able to go in-store to pick out something!”

How should I let people know where I’ve registered? 

“When you send out your save the date or your invitation, you can add a little registry card or add it at the bottom of your invitation! If you have a wedding website, a lot of times you can link your registries to those websites so people when they log onto your website can easily find the registry as well!”

How soon should I have my registry completed? 

“A couple should make sure they have their registry completed at least when they send out their invitations. A lot of times people when they RSVP they will try to buy a gift for the couple and get all of that done all at once so they don’t forget and have to worry about it!”

Any tips for buying someone else a wedding gift? 

“Always always always get something from the registry! Whenever someone is getting married, they register these items for a reason! Unless you have something super sentimental or something that you know 150% that they will want, it’s always best to just go off the registry! If you really can’t decide, you can never go wrong with gift cards or things like that as well!”

From which vendors to tip to when, our sales manager, Angie, is sharing all her advice on tipping your wedding vendors!

When it comes to tipping, the bride should tip anyone from the musician to their makeup artist to their wedding planner! Your wedding vendors will go above and beyond on your wedding day to make sure everything is absolutely perfect, and tipping them is a simple way to thank them for everything they’re doing. Brides should plan out when exactly they will be tipping their vendors. Not all vendors will be present on the wedding day, so having a plan in place on when to tip them will keep you organized and stress-free! If you aren’t able to tip your vendors, there are other ways to thank them for their services! From writing a heartfelt thank you letter or online review to giving them a gift, there are so many ways to make your vendors feel just as special as they made you feel on your big day!

Watch for a COVID-19 wedding recap as our assistant project manager, Madison, looks back on her whimsical backyard corona wedding!

Madison’s original plan was to  marry her beau Chase in her parent’s backyard surrounded by 400 of their closest friends and family. Unfortunately, when the pandemic hit, she had to alter her plans. While their ceremony consisted of immediate family only, that didn’t stop them from having a beautiful and memorable day! Madison was never too attached to the idea of a big wedding, so she was able to think of the new plan as a blessing in disguise. Being able to look around the table at all the people that truly matter in the couple’s lives was something that made the day so incredibly meaningful. Madison, her new husband, and their families were able to celebrate their big day in such a special way that they will surely never forget!