Bailey + Bill
September 28, 2012
Ketchum, Idaho
This is it Ladies. The most classic advice you’ll get. Here’s a quick rundown of the top advice every bride should know: If you’re having a destination wedding hire a planner. Eat something. And don’t compare your wedding to other weddings! Yep you heard that right. I know you love this blog and all of the pretty weddings on it. I know you’re addicted to Pinterest and Etsy. But your wedding is YOUR wedding and it WILL be perfect…if you let it be ;-) See below for details and more Hindsight advice…
Why a mountain wedding?
My husband and I chose to have our wedding in Ketchum, Idaho because he grew up there and I lived part of my childhood there. We have a strong connection to the area and our roots run deep with family and friends who still live or always come back to the area.
Where did you find your inspiration?
My greatest inspiration was my favorite color, orange. Of course I had to have the wedding in the fall because not only is it my favorite time of the year but my favorite color dominates the color palette. Starting from there everything came together really well. Having strong colors like orange, garnet and purple really made everything pop and without having to do much. We kept things fairly simplified and had the Knob Hill Inn and the scenery around it be our main design element with those three colors as our accent pieces in the flowers and clothes of the bridal party.
Things you’re glad you did
- I am really glad that I kept it small. Having a small wedding made it very intimate. It was nice being able to talk and of course dance with everyone. I realized that the people I want to share this special day with me are the people that will be with me and my husband throughout our lives. So our wedding was mostly family and our really close friends.
- I am so happy that I had a wedding planner, Taylor’ D Events, helped me and my mom create the wedding of my dreams. Having a destination wedding made it very difficult to put the wedding together since I was unable to meet with people and see my options in person. So having a wedding planner really eased my stress and my mom’s as well. I must say that in having a wedding planner you have to give up some control and really have faith that everything will work out. For instance I had no idea what my flowers were until the day of the wedding and it was a really nice surprise. I am happy that Taylor used local flowers that were in season and readily available.
- Having the bridesmaids pick out their own dresses in cut and color was a great idea. I of course set a guideline and gave them color options but I did not tell them what dress they had to wear. This made all of the girls happy because they got a dress they would love and wear again.
- One big success with my wedding was having mini pies and cobblers instead of a wedding cake. Having the pies in mason jars made it fun and easy to serve. Of course eating pies really made it feel like fall.
Things you wished you had done
- I am really happy with how my wedding turned out. The only real thing I wished I had done was designate someone to collect the table cards, menu and other things you may want as a keepsake.
- I also wished I had requested the song Gangnam Style early in the night so then I could see my little nephew dance.
- Oh, I of course wish I had some of that delicious cobbler or pie. I was just having so much fun dancing that I didn’t enjoy the fantastic dessert or fine wine.
- I wish I ate something and drank more water because after dancing all night I got hot, dehydrated and felt a little sick. So be sure to hydrate yourself and eat well.
- Since I am known for my amazing toasts I wish I made a toast to my loving husband.
Anything you wished you hadn’t done?
- I wish I didn’t back out on getting dance lessons for the first dance. My husband began to worry about our first dance only days before the wedding, which caused some stress. However, in the end I thought our dance was wonderful. I honestly can’t think of anything else I wished I hadn’t done. I am really happy with how my wedding turned out.
Three things you wish you hadn’t worried about?
- I really wish that I did not compare my wedding-to-be with other weddings. I know it is hard to believe but everybody’s wedding is different and special in its own way just like those who are getting married. People will have fun and enjoy your wedding no matter how you throw it because the bottom line is that they love you and are there to celebrate you and your love.
- Having my family and the groom’s family meeting for the first time at rehearsal dinner really worried me and my husband to be. We assumed what each family would think about the other and we were a little on edge. But after they met we realized we were crazy to be so worried. Everyone got a long and said nice things about each family.
- The last big thing I worried about that I wish I didn’t was having my step-dad walk me down the aisle. I chose him instead of my dad because my step-dad was the one who raised me and was always around when I needed him. I wasn’t even sure if my dad was going to attend my wedding. But none the less I worried about upsetting my dad, hurting his feelings or causing a scene at my wedding. In the end everything worked out just fine and there was no need to worry about hurting one’s feelings. I had to tell myself that this is my wedding and what’s important is what makes me happy. I am sure many ladies face this dilemma or one similar since the definition of family has changed and become much more complex. As you can tell I worried a lot about what people would think, how they would feel or even how they would react and there was no need since everyone had a wonderful time and showered me with their love.
What is your very best hindsight advice?
- My best hindsight advice is to remember that your wedding is about you and your husband to be. All that really matters is what makes the two of you happy.
- Another piece of advice is that all of the little things that make your wedding are not important enough to stress about because no matter what your wedding will be awesome and everyone will remember it and love it. In the end it won’t be the color of the table linen or the flowers in your bouquet that will be remembered it will be the people that surrounded you with love and celebration.
TEAM WEDDING
- Photographer- Hillary Maybery
- Wedding planner- Taylor Sturges of Taylor D’ Events
- Wedding Pies: The Sweetest Crumb
- DJ- Lenny Joseph
- Hair and Makeup- Jamilynn Smith
Team DIY
- My mom knitted me my shrug and made my cage veil. She also sewn the date of my wedding in blue stitch in the hem of my dress.