Welcome to the first issue of the new year. By now, meals have been enjoyed, traditions embraced and gifts shared—including more than a few engagement rings. We couldn’t think of a better time to release our first-ever Special Wedding Issue. These pages are full of beautiful love stories (including mine) and advice for couples entering the wedding planning phase.
This month, two years ago, I was already elbows deep in planning for my June 2023 wedding. As a seasoned wedding photographer, I had seen it done hundreds of ways, with various traditions, timelines and budgets. This experience gave me an understanding of what’s essential and what’s just not. At the end of the day, the only thing that needed to happen was signing a marriage license—everything else was up to us to dream into reality. So, we built our dream wedding from the ground up.
Before you dive into this issue, I’d like to offer some advice regarding weddings in the digital era: Be yourself. Follow your gut while you’re planning, and don’t rush to book your vendors until you’re confident that your plans are rooted in authenticity. It can be difficult to plan a Pinterest-perfect wedding, but it’s even harder to plan a genuine one.
So let’s get started on creating a wedding day that feels like you. Looking for more real wedding inspiration? Read about Megan and John’s wedding day at 7 Vines Vineyard & Winery. And it’s never too early to focus on healthy skin. Esthetician Emma Reibel of Emma Whitney Beauty has helped us craft the wedding beauty timeline of your dreams, with everything from recommended treatments to routine care tips and day-of suggestions. (This advice is not just for brides!) We also dive into topics like bridal accessories, post-wedding care tips and desserts.
Sending well wishes in this season of love!
