Can you guys believe we are in the middle of December?!  Holy crap! 2020 was INSANE.  

We have been fortunate that we have been able to have several post lockdown weddings.  Though they looked a little different and we had new rules to follow, the celebration of LOVE was overflowing.  

We hope you enjoy their wedding.  It was a true celebration of love for these two.  They have been together through high school, college, dental school and now off to residency in Texas.  They share a deep love and a strong faith and it shows in their photos!  

Casey and Rachelle had to find a new venue 4 weeks before the wedding.  We went into overdrive and were so blessed that The Ben Hotel, Downtown West Palm stepped in and helped us create magic.  We met with the Chef and learned about enhanced safety procedures in food service, we learned all about the new sanitizing procedures at the hotel (that were all natural and chemical free), and we learned how the staff was being educated and trained on new safety procedures.  Extensive communication with the guests allowed them to make informed decisions on whether or not to attend the wedding. All of these steps were critical in making sure we created the safest possible wedding celebration.  We complied with all state and local guidelines (at this time there was no mask mandate in palm beach county - it was optional for guests....all staff and vendors wore masks).

As always, we are only as good as the team around us!  So a huge thank you to the following:

Venue:  The Ben West Palm Beach

Decor:  Xquisite Events

Photography & Video:  Jack Bates Photography

Wedding Dress:  Bacio Bacio Bridal

Tuxes:  The Tux Shop Palm Beach

Entertainment: Custom DJ Services by Leonard Bryan Events

Planning: Fabuluxe Events

Hi Y'all!  So we all know that wedding planning is super stressful in the best of times.  Now in the middle of a global pandemic, wedding stress gets a little crazier.

The rules for gatherings are in a constant state of flux.  Guests may or may not want to travel to your wedding.  And even attending a wedding is a life or death decision for some people with health risks.  Top that all off with changes in food service, availability of some items such as special flowers, additional lead time needed for ordering items.  It's enough to make you want to pull your hair out...well don't do that!  We have some tips for saving your sanity while planning your wedding during these crazy times.

1.  Take at least one day each week and make it a NO WEDDING day.  That means no talking about the wedding, no stalking instagram and pinterest, calling your wedding vendors.  NO WEDDING related items.

2.  Date Night - Remember why you are getting married.  Date night may look different right now and that is ok - make dinner together, go for a long walk, watch a movie you haven't seen, binge watch your favorite tv show together, "netflix and chill" is always a great option!

3.  Set boundaries with family and friends.  It's ok not to want to talk about the wedding every waking moment.  And even though they usually have the best of intentions..it's ok to step back.

4.  Let your wedding planner help you!  Your wedding planner is going to have the most up to date information on venue guidelines, federal, state and local rules, travel restrictions and more.  Your wedding planner is a huge resource of information.

5.  Self-care - this could be something different for everyone - a hot bubble bath, an exercise class (virtually or in-person), girls night out, a mani/pedi, a massage, binge watching Gilmore Girls for the 100th time.  Whatever works. 

Recently this wedding planner was looking for something to help with stress, that could be done at home, and it didn't cost a fortune.  

I stumbled across Yoga with Adriene and can you imagine how excited I was when I saw that she had a pre-wedding yoga practice.  I am still working through all of her beginner videos, and videos for neck and shoulders. 

There are 13 practices all designed to help with the unique stress and anxiety associated with wedding planning.  Click the link below to check it out.

Yoga for Anyone Planning a Wedding!

*please note that I have not received any compensation for sharing these videos, nor is it an official endorsement.  It's just something that I found that may help!

 6.  Talk to a licensed therapist or counselor.  It is ok to reach out for help.  We are living in unprecedented times.  And during this strange time, you are trying to plan your dream wedding.  Sometimes, a neutral, third-party can help you sort through some of "noise".  My therapist has been on zoom-speed dial since lockdown in early March.

7.  Turn off the news and stay off social media...Covid will be here for a while.  Your planner will keep you updated. Constant watching of the news and "doom-scrolling" wont suddenly change things.  

8.  Take up a new hobby.  Coloring books, virtual painting classes, reading a new book, petting your dog or cat, journaling, knitting...all receive rave reviews for helping calm stress and anxiety.

It's so important to take care of yourself while wedding planning in normal times.  Well, we aren't in normal times, so taking care of yourself becomes even more important!

Stay well my friends!

Jen

We got to ring in 2018 with the gorgeous and totally fun wedding of Emily and Alex at the West Palm Beach Hilton. 

They celebrated the New Year in style with so many unique and fun elements!  And the gorgeous evening ceremony was so full of love and tradition.  The whole weekend was a blend of the traditional and modern.  

A huge thank you to:

Hilton West Palm Beach

Atlas Event Rental

Tropics Entertainment - Entourage

Fabuluxe Events

Celebrations by Kathy

Creations by Blanca

Chris Kruger Photography

Calypso Wedding Films

It came as a shock to everyone in the wedding industry, future brides and grooms and many more that Style Me Pretty shut down with no advance warning.  New content stopped being posted last week and the entire site will shut down as of April 30.

Style Me Pretty was the gold-standard in our business.  Everyone wanted to have their weddings featured on the blog.  Being a Style Me Pretty vendor gave you a "cool factor" but then more and more wedding blogs appeared.

Something happened...many blogs all started to feature the same type of wedding and photos that Style Me Pretty loved.  The same aesthetic started popping up all over the internet.  

What started as something where creative and unique weddings were celebrated, became the same thing over and over again.  Mountains, boho vibes, perfect size 2 brides and grooms in suspenders and beards with just the right amount of scruff were everywhere.

In our world real weddings feature people that aren't all size 2 models.  Real weddings are in ballrooms and on beaches and in churches.  In our world real weddings are beautiful, and unique and wonderful.  They reflect who the couple is and we celebrate them for their uniqueness.

While, we are sad to see Style Me Pretty go, there is a piece of us that hopes that the blogosphere will acknowledge the differences and celebrate Love in all shapes, forms and celebrations.

What do you think about the end of Style Me Pretty and how wedding blogs portray weddings?

We would love to hear your thoughts!