Image by Shutterfreek. Keep scrolling to know the financial questions to ask before marriage
One of the most common issues that result in arguments, resentment, and couples separating is disagreements over money. You’d be shocked at how many problems are glossed over or entirely disregarded, despite the common belief that everyone has those big relationship discussions before they get married. And these problems won’t go away. Once you get married, anything you don’t resolve will come roaring back.
While there are things that are beyond your control, you can make sure your relationship is as strong as possible to overcome obstacles. And, ideally, that starts way before you even start planning the wedding. It’s completely normal to disagree on some issues. And asking the right questions can start you on the right foot for married life.
Money always makes things awkward. The last thing we want to discuss with our partners is money, but we know we should. And because getting these conversations out of the way now can spare you so much heartache later, here are five financial questions to ask before marriage.
Even though no one gets married with the intention of getting divorced, it’s important to communicate to your partner whether or not you’re comfortable with signing a prenup. In reality, a prenup is a legally binding agreement that can protect everyone involved, not just the wealthier party. It protects your financial assets and allows you to lay out who will be financially responsible for what. And if you have children from previous relationships, you can decide how they’ll be taken care of.
Do You Have Any Debt?
Before marrying, you must understand the legal and financial risks. If either of you has a sizable debt, now is the time to create a strategy for paying it off. One spouse’s premarital debt doesn’t automatically become the other’s upon marriage, but that debt can still affect your joint finances. So, if you or your partner has poor credit, both of you can start thinking of a plan to improve it.
Do You Have Financial Obligations?
All of these financial responsibilities—whether it’s paying child support, a parent’s medical expenses, or a sibling’s education—need to be worked out with your spouse. Even though you don’t have to pay support, knowing that some of your partner’s money is going elsewhere could affect long-term goals like investing or buying a home. Just being aware of what percentage of their paycheck is going somewhere else will help you come up with a management plan.
Do We Manage Our Expenses Jointly or Separately?
If you have other individual financial responsibilities, you need to figure out whether you’ll be managing finances with your partner or on your own. It’s important to decide which approach for managing money as a couple feels the most comfortable to you. There is no right or wrong answer here. What matters is that you are both on the same page.
What Are Your Financial Goals, and How Can We Reach Them?
You can achieve your financial goals by setting up a household budget. The best time to start saving, investing, and planning for retirement is right now. Even if you don’t know all the answers, it’s helpful to get a sense of where your partner stands. Then you can evaluate further what you each might need to think about. You can also decide when to start saving for your goals if neither of you is ready yet.
Before you exchange vows, you need to have serious, brutally honest conversations with your partner about real-life financial scenarios and how you’ll handle them together. Every couple has different ways of managing their finances and communicating spending. But creating a safe environment for an open discussion is crucial. Do it at the right time and explain why it matters to you. Overcoming financial hurdles is never easy, but being on the same page certainly helps.
Planning a wedding includes many moving parts. There are wedding dresses to choose from, colors to match, vendors to hire, and to top it all off the bridesmaids you’ve chosen to stand beside you on your big day also need to order their bridesmaid dresses. The neverending list of wedding prep tasks might start to feel like chores. When it comes to bridesmaid dresses, you’re in luck—shopping for bridesmaid dresses online has never been easier.
To help your bridal party find bridesmaid dresses that fit, flatter, and make them feel like a million bucks, we’ve rounded up the best places to buy bridesmaid dresses online. These retailers have the latest in bridesmaid fashion with styles to fit any wedding vibe and handy features like online showrooms, at-home try-on, or even custom dresses made to your bridesmaids’ exact measurements. Many of them even offer free shipping and an easy return policy.
Why we love them:BHLDN is Anthropologie’s sister brand dedicated to all things wedding. You may know them for their trendy and often affordable bridal gowns, but BHDLN also has a stellar collection of bridesmaid dresses in a wide variety of styles from romantic gowns to glitzy midi dresses to boho maxi dresses. One of our favorite reasons to shop with BHLDN is their gorgeous bridesmaid separates, offering your bridal party a unique look with mixed and matched tops and skirts!
Why we love them:Dessy is an incredible resource for finding elegant bridesmaid dress styles by some of the top designers in the game. Alfred Sung, After Six, Jenny Packham, and even Dessy’s own signature line are all available on their website. Each dress comes in a wide variety of color swatches, making it easy to mix and match styles in the same shade. Whether you’re looking for formal dresses to match your black tie theme or just looking for a perfect fit, look no further than this online shop.
Our favorite Dessy feature is their interactive online showroom which allows brides to save their favorite styles and swatches and get the opinions of their bridal party through likes and comments. Use the code WEDD15 to get $15% off on orders $50+
Why we love them:Marchesa is a one-stop-shop for formal bridesmaid looks. We love their inclusive sizing (from size 0 to 26) and the mix of tasteful patterns and solid colors. Your entire bridal party will be looking oh so chic standing by you on your wedding day. And don’t even get us started on their jaw-dropping bridal gowns.
Junebug readers can get 20% off their Marchesa order and free shipping by using code JUNEBUG at checkout!
Why we love them:Show Me Your Mumu is our favorite shop for boho bridesmaid looks. Whether you’re creating a mismatched look or your vision had all your bridesmaids in the same fashion, they offer a variety of styles in as many colors. They even offer a shop by color option to help your bridal party choose their favorite styles themselves in your chosen hue.
Why we love them: Planning a glamorous or black tie wedding that requires formal dresses? Look no further for your bridesmaid dresses than Adrianna Papell! These showstopping gowns have beading and sequins for days that will make your bridal party feel like a million bucks–without spending it. There are so many stunning looks to be created with Adrianna Papell gowns whether you go for mixed metallics, a little embellishment on a romantic gown, or simply dramatic in matching pure gold bridesmaid dresses. Check out their online store to get started.
Why we love them: No matter what you’re looking for in a bridesmaid dress, it’s safe to say Nordstrom is truly a one-stop shop. Nordstrom bridesmaid dresses offer a large variety of designers, styles, and price points. Including junior bridesmaid dresses if you have younger family members to include in your wedding party. Nordstrom also carries many of the other designers and retailers on this list—including Adrianna Papell, Jenny Yoo, Dessy, Show Me Your Mumu, and Lulu’s.
But online shopping doesn’t stop there. They’re also home to popular designers like Dress the Population, Hayley Paige, Alfred Sung, WAYF, #Levkoff, and WTOO. Because Nordstrom has brick-and-mortar stores all around the world and offers easy alterations, they are a great option if you have bridesmaids coming from near and far.
Why we love them: Bridesmaid apparel that comes second to a fashion apparel line makes sense. Lulu’s understands the style, fit, and flare of their consumers. They’ve taken their expertise and translated it into beautiful bridesmaid dresses your bridal party will actually want to wear again, and again—and again.
Why we love them:Revolve bridesmaid dresses feature low backs, cut-outs, flirty ruffles, and strappy silhouettes in their selection of designer bridesmaid dresses online. Don’t see the right size for someone in your bridal party? Submit a special order inquiry and Revolve will contact the manufacturer to see if the item is available for special order. This feature is free to use and there is no obligation to purchase.
Why we love them:AW Bridal has hundreds of bridesmaid dresses available to shop online and their gowns are so easy to sort through. Shop by color, sleeves, silhouette, fabric, hemlines, and even back detail. Your bridal party can even customize their gowns for free. Bonus: AW Bridal bridesmaid gowns are available in plus and junior sizes so everyone involved in your big day can look and feel as amazing as they are.
Why we love them: David’s Bridal has been been an industry favorite for years thanks to their affordable dresses and wide range of options in both wedding dresses and bridesmaid dresses. With locations all over the US, Canada, and the UK, it’s easy to find a store to try dresses on in person, but they also offer a variety of their dresses online and can have them shipped directly to your front door.
You’ve selected the dress, but have you considered what undergarments you’ll need to complete the look? If your dress is plunging, sleeveless, strapless, or backless, you will most likely need a bra alternative. And luckily, our friends at Lollipetals have the most beautiful reusable nipple covers available. Lollipetals are made of high-quality, thin silicone that sit discreetly underneath everything you wear. No bubbling effect. No creases. Just smooth and seamless. They’re a must for anyone looking to go bra-free.
When a couple’s fully committed to the look and feel of their big day, you can be sure that it’ll be one to remember. And Ryann and Tim planned their big day just in that way. With a bold romantic color palette, show-stopping floral arrangements, and the perfect rustic industrial venue—the pair’s Upstairs Atlanta wedding combined unexpected elements with thoughtful touches. This celebration was one-of-a-kind, dreamy, and unforgettable!
For the ceremony, they transformed the raw open space into a romantic setting with eye-catching overhead blooms. But they didn’t stop there. They added a floral-lined aisle leading to a statement-making backdrop adorned with lush ground arrangements and disco balls. The same set was repurposed for the wedding cake display as the space was flipped for the reception. They elevated the vibe further with tablescapes filled with lush florals and taper candles in glass sleeves.
Savanna Sturkie captured every meticulously planned detail that made this flower-filled soiree one for the books. Are you ready to steal lots of gorgeous ideas? We guarantee this Upstairs Atlanta wedding has all the inspo you’ll be excited to share with your vendor team.
Working Together As A Team To Bring Their Upstairs Atlanta Wedding To Life
This was a really collaborative process for us. Tim is a brand designer by trade so he was able to create a color palette and theme based on inspiration photos we selected together. We wanted an in-town Atlanta wedding and a venue that had plenty of natural light. We were excited to be having a late summer wedding, so the color palette and florals could be bright and vivid. Once we toured the Upstairs, we knew the space could take a lot of florals, one of my must-haves!
The Moment They Knew They Found The Perfect Venue
We looked at a lot of venues, but some of our nice-to-haves like natural light and a modern setting were harder to find. Our photographer, Savanna Sturkie, recommended The Upstairs to us, and it was perched on top of a hill over Grant Park. Inside it had these beautiful windows along the side and windows at top of the vaulted ceilings, with this window behind the altar. The light was beautiful, and we knew immediately it was the place we wanted to get married. It was modern and it wasn’t a completely blank canvas.
DIY Ceremony Backdrop Customized In Their Wedding Colors
Our dad built the ceremony backdrop in our backyard on a Sunday afternoon. It was a great bonding project and helped us save on rental costs. Plus, we were able to paint its colors in our color palette so that the altar matched our overall look.
Personalizing Their Ceremony Through Music, Handwritten Vows, And Having Loved Ones Involved
Our band was able to learn a few tracks with a three-piece version of their band to play, so we had them play Jose Gonzalez’s “Heartbeats” on the intro, Van Morrison’s “Sweet Thing” as Ryann walked down the aisle, and The Rolling Stones “She’s a Rainbow” on the exit. We each had written our own vows to read to each other. They felt personal, funny, and really impactful in the moment. We asked Tim’s cousin to perform the ceremony and he truly knocked it out of the park. He was funny, thoughtful, and really worked with us to personalize the ceremony. We also had Ryann’s sister-in-law do a reading of Pablo Neruda’s love poem, “Your Laughter.”
Establishing Priorities At The Beginning Of Wedding Planning
We both have strong visual opinions and our own must-haves, so it was making sure we accommodated both. Our advice: figure out your must-haves early on. For me, it was florals and for Tim, it was the invitations and signage. Those were pieces we knew we wanted to invest in. Second, do your best to find vendors you can really trust to help see through your vision. Your vendors also have a wide network and can recommend other great people they’ve worked with.
Stationery And Signage Designed By The Groom
All of the printed elements were designed by Tim and printed at a local Atlanta print shop, Press Shop. Tim designed almost 50 unique pieces for the wedding, drawing custom illustrations of their dogs and unique patterns of their time in Atlanta on a risograph-printed map of Atlanta. Everything from invites, signage to matchbox favors were consistently designed.
Choosing A Color Palette That Tied Everything Together
I worked with the print vendor to select the perfect shades of pink to compliment the floral palette. Our floral designer was given minimal direction minus the colors and a mood board but delivered a unique, stylistic floral setup of our dreams. We were proud to work with so many vendors whom we could give very little direction and able to let them do what they do best and it really came out spectacularly.
Letting Their Personalities Shine Through Their Wedding Fashion
Wedding dress shopping was one of the first things I did. I took a small group with me, just my mom and my maid of honor. I knew I wanted something classic but with tons of personality. The streamlined silhouette of my ceremony dress by Laudae was perfect, and the fun confetti sleeves allowed us to carry a subtle polka dot motif into Tim’s ties and socks. I also knew that Atlanta in August would be warm, so I opted to change my dress for the reception into a short Carol Hannah dress that featured both sequins and ostrich feathers. It was the perfect way to set the party vibe. Tim wanted to embrace those warm colors of our palette and his personality and have a saturated color suit, so we settled on this dark maroon. We had a little vintage nod with the squared-off ties.
Custom Wedding Favors Designed By The Groom
We gave our guests custom matchbooks designed by Tim. We love to collect matchbooks from our favorite restaurants and hotels. And we wanted guests to leave with a small, useful token to remember our day. We also had a photo booth with custom photo strips.
Congratulations to Ryann and Tim on their Upstairs Atlanta wedding, where the florals were the star. And a big thank you to Savanna Sturkie for beautifully capturing every gorgeous detail and moment this couple will cherish forever.
One of the most exciting parts of planning a wedding is figuring out the florals. So, how do you go about picking the perfect arrangements for your big day? Take a deep breath and relax, we’ve got you covered. With our florals checklist—and of course, talented florists—deciding on which blooms to pick will be a fun and special process for you and your partner.
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