WEDDING BLOG

How to Choose Your Wedding Date

December 7, 2017 | Junebug Weddings

photo by Jonnie + Garrett Wedding Photographers

If you’re recently engaged, you’ve probably heard the following more times than you can count: “Congratulations! When’s the wedding?” If you don’t have an answer to that question yet, today’s post is for you! Before trying on dresses or tasting cakes, you’ve got to know when the big day is happening so you can set everything else into motion with a timeline in mind. In case you’re not sure how to choose your wedding date, we’ve got a few things for you to consider before setting a date in stone.

photo by Vicky Baumann

Consider Seasonal Florals, Colors, and Fashion

The season you decide to tie the knot can actually have a lot more to do with your wedding than you’d think. The first major seasonal consideration is your flowers. Is there a particular bloom you want to feature in your floral design? You’ll want to check to see when that flower is in season to know if you’ll have access to it for your wedding décor. If you haven’t started thinking about flowers yet, you might want to see what plants do bloom in different seasons and choose a date based on which available flowers you like the best. Part of your color palette will come from the florals you use, so keep that in mind as you start to envision the look of your day! While your color palette isn’t necessarily determined by the season in which you marry, the two can definitely have an effect on each other.

Another seasonal aspect to consider is wedding day fashion. If you have your heart set on wearing a long-sleeved gown, you probably don’t want to say “I do” in the middle of the summer. Similarly, your barefoot wedding look may not be weather-appropriate at a snowy winter wedding. Do you want to rock an awesome custom bridal jacket? A fall or winter wedding would go perfectly with that! Envision yourself in a strappy dress on the beach? A summer wedding is more your style.

photo by Cassie Rosch, Photographer

Email Priority Vendors

Whether it’s a wedding designer you love or a photographer you can’t imagine getting married without, avoid heartbreak by contacting potential vendors to find out their availability as soon as possible. Many couples set a date with their venue first, but it’s a good idea to go into your venue bookings knowing what dates your dream vendors have open. Vendor calendars begin filling up over a year in advance, so if you have your eye set on a particular videographer, for instance, inquire with them before you have your first venue tour. Once you know what dates they have available, you can choose one of the venue’s open dates that syncs up with theirs.

If you haven’t started researching vendors yet but you have a venue in mind, the same rules apply! Venues also fill their calendars incredibly quickly, so don’t put off this important planning step, especially if you’re aiming to tie the knot in less than 10 months.

photo by Love Stories Co

Consult with Must-Have Guests

Unless you’re eloping, there are likely at least a handful of friends and family members you wouldn’t get married without having in attendance. Before you set your date in stone, make sure those must-have guests aren’t traveling out of the country or undergoing an important surgery on your potential big day. We’re not suggesting that you change all of your plans because your brother-in-law doesn’t want to request off from work to come to your wedding, but it’s good to touch base with your immediate loved ones to ensure they can make it.

photo by The Image Is Found

Check the Weather

This last tip is going to sound totally old school, but trust us on this one! There is a seriously helpful resource called The Old Farmer’s Almanac where you can search for any date of the year and see what the weather has been like for the last several years. Say you’re considering April 25 (AKA the perfect date) for your wedding. You can go right to the Weather History page on The Almanac website and search the zip code where your wedding will take place along with April 25, 2017, 2016, 2015, and 2014 to get an idea for what the weather will most likely be on that date in 2018.

Especially if you’re having your wedding in an area that floods or has tornadoes or hurricanes, this tool is a helpful way to plan around the weather! Of course, April 25 still might get a spring shower even if The Almanac doesn’t call for one, but at least you go into your wedding planning with some historical context for the weather that day.

Not feeling quite ready to choose your wedding date? You might want to stop and consider whether you want a local or destination wedding before moving forward!

Steel Blue and Blush California Wedding at McCloud Guest House

December 7, 2017 | Junebug Weddings

Elisha and Gabe’s wedding at McCloud Guest House has the most nostalgic backyard vibes. From getting ready in the guest house and exchanging vows just a few steps outside, you feel as if you’re at a Sunday family gathering in your grandparent’s backyard. The warm, welcoming vibes continue by Elisha and Gabe bring surrounded life long friends and family, including the best man and maid of honor from elementary school. The outdoor reception space came together beautifully with long tables from Solano’s Event Rentals full of greenery and florals from Mount Shasta Florist. All of Elisha and Gabe’s sweet love and details of the day were beautifully captured by Hannah Merritt Photography.

The Couple:

Elisha and Gabe

The Wedding:

McCloud Guest House, McCloud, California

SHOP THE POST

I did most of the wedding planning, but I also had a lot of people around me that were willing to pitch in and help. I would say to future brides, ask for help especially on the wedding weekend–it can be fun if people are involved and get to be a part of the day. Gabe and I had an awesome bridal party and family that helped put up lights, set up the dance floor and chairs but we also had a volleyball net set up next to us, we were able to take breaks and enjoy the day instead of focusing all on the preparation.

Hannah and Justin were awesome. They made us feel so comfortable and got absolutely stunning shots. My favorite moment with them was right after our first look and before going into the main house to hide as all the guests arrived. My maid of honor had brought me a quesadilla and I took a couple minutes of downtime with them before everything started. It was sweet to take a brief moment of rest, they checked in on me and just sat with me – they’re the best.

My husband’s parents found the venue in McCloud. They live in Redding, about an hour south and have always loved the quaint town. They visited the McCloud Guest House after we got engaged and FaceTimed us while they were there. It was the first and only venue we visited–it was the perfect place.

Steel blue, gray, light pink, gold and textured greenery were the main colors at the wedding. I started with steel blue because I thought it would look good on all my bridesmaids and I simply loved the color. I found different color palettes with the blue on Pinterest and decided on the other colors from there. The light pink idea came from Kori at Mount Shasta Florists, I told her about what I wanted and she suggested the light pink in stock flowers and blushing bride protea–she was so right!

Gabe‘s dad did most of the DIYing. He built the arbor and awesome bar! The bar was made out of an old door and the bolts he used were from an old saw mill–it was such a cool piece.

During the ceremony, I mainly remember staring at Gabe the entire time we were at the altar and squeezing his hands, anxiously waiting for my turn to say my vows. We had debated getting married earlier but agreed we wanted more time to plan a wedding and get everyone we loved there so at that point we had been engaged over a year–I was ready.

Gabe and I both wanted everyone coming to feel welcomed and comfortable. We were so excited to get married, but mostly we wanted the wedding celebrations to be about bringing the people we love most together and enjoying everyones company.

We seriously loved all of the vendors that were part of the day. Everyone was very easy to work with and all are genuine, kind people. It made a huge difference that we enjoyed the people we were working with.

The Wedding Team:

Photography – Hannah Merritt Photography
Event Planning – My Dear Weddings
Venue – McCloud Guest House
Floral Design – Mount Shasta Florist
Catering – Raymond’s Italian Catering
DJ – DJ Doug Cain
Invitations – Dunkirk Designs
Makeup Artist – Rebekah Arndt
Hair Styling – Lexie Curtis of Hair City Company
Wedding Dress – Made With Love Bridal
Bridal Accessories – Moondance Bridal
Bridesmaids’ Apparel – Show Me Your Mumu
Groom’s Apparel – Men’s Wearhouse
Rings – Baxter Moerman
Rentals – Solano’s Event Rentals

Thank you to Junebug member Hannah Merritt Photography for sharing Elisha and Gabe’s sweet wedding with us! If you loved the backyard DIY vibes to this wedding, then check out the amazing woodwork in this crafty backyard wedding.

These Neutral Bridesmaids Dresses are Subtle Showstoppers

December 6, 2017 | Junebug Weddings

photos by (clockwise top) Lauren Apel, You Are My True, Amber Gress, Kayla Johnson Photo; (clockwise bottom) Anni Graham Photography, Grant Daniels Photography, Kayla Rocca, Joel and Justyna

Neutral color palettes can have a beautiful effect on your wedding while providing a versatile backdrop for any kind of wedding style. Whether you envision an elegant affair, a down-to-earth backyard dinner party, or something in between, relying on neutral colors is an easy way to achieve a certain sophistication in your overall design. To keep things cohesive from your table decor to your fashion choices, consider dressing your best babes in neutral-colored gowns. These neutral bridesmaids dresses in ivory, cream, taupe, grey, brown, and black are subtle yet showstopping simply gorgeous.