If you recently said “yes” to the man or woman of your dreams, congratulations! There is so much love and excitement surrounding a newly engaged couple that it’s easy to forget, you now have a wedding to plan. We know that wedding planning can be a little daunting for most folks but no worries, we’re here to help! One of our own, Amanda Leszczyszyn, recently got engaged and we couldn’t be more excited for her. We also thought what better way to help (you newly engaged couples) than by sitting Amanda down for a little Q&A session on her wedding planning journey and what she is learning along the way.
Let’s begin shall we…
Can you tell us about your #justsaidyes moment?
It was Christmas Eve, and Zach and I were hosting our first holiday get-together with both of our families at our house. We prepared food, drinks, turned on Dr. Seuss’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas, and had a White Elephant Gift Exchange. When it was Zach’s turn to choose a gift during the exchange, he picked up his gift, pulled out a little blue box, and got down on one knee. It meant so much to me having both of our families there to cherish the moment and celebrate!
Where are you getting married and how did you find a wedding venue?
Since we both grew up here, we’re keeping the wedding at home in Soda City! Zach and I sat down shortly after getting engaged and talked about how we envisioned our wedding day, and we agreed on seeing ourselves in a venue that had both outdoor and indoor space. We went to The Knot, Wedding Wire, and social media to search for venues in the area that met our criteria. The venue we decided to go with also provided catering and bartending service. Having one point of contact for all food, beverage, and room set up needs is a huge help. It’s also saving us time and money!
How did you find your wedding vendors?
We utilized The Knot, Wedding Wire, and Google when we started looking. After we figured out who we were interested in, we went to social media to find weddings that they had done to see their work.
When are you sending Save the Dates & Invites?
My save the dates will be in the mail by the end of March and invites by the end of August. I have family coming from out of state and country, so the sooner I get them out, the better.
Have you decided on a wedding theme or color scheme?
We’re going with rich, jewel toned colors with a ‘boho chic’ feel. String lights, gold accents, hanging floral, so dreamy!
Are you doing anything to minimize costs?
We do have a budget to keep in mind, so we’re keeping ourselves on target by prioritizing items that we really love versus items we can live without. This way whenever we’re making final decisions, we can see where we should allocate more money to.
Do you have any advice for busy brides to be?
My biggest piece of advice would be to have the least amount of vendors possible. Try finding ‘one-stop-shops’ that can provide more than one service. Having too many vendors can cause a lot of confusion on the day of if it isn’t planned appropriately. This can help alleviate the amount of moving parts; eliminate confusion, and the room for error!
What has been the best and toughest part about wedding planning?
The best part of wedding planning is honestly planning everything with Zach. We’re trying to take in and enjoy this season of engagement as much as we can, so planning everything together is a lot of fun.
The toughest part will be having everything planned and in place, but having to wait for the date to get here.
Have you figured out what style menu you want yet? If so, what made you decide to go this route?
We want a heavy hors d’oeuvres and stations style menu. This gives us the ability for more unique food items! A plated dinner would be nice and beautiful to set up, but we’re going for a more casual and fun atmosphere.
Is there one thing that is a ‘must have’ for your wedding?
Yes! Having our dogs be part of our wedding day is a must. They are our babies, and I truly can’t picture the big day without them.
