wedding planning, episode three

A photo posted by Amanda B. Nguyen (@amandabnguyen) on Sep 12, 2015 at 4:27pm PDT

Apologies for going AWOL here... but as you guys may understand from watching re-runs of "Say Yes to the Dress", I'm turning into one of them... those bridezillas, and until the day is over, I have nothing but the wedding to think, dream and talk about. Just kidding... but really, who am I kidding?

Wedding planning is seriously no joke. Wonder where I've been these past months? Either working, getting back in shape, or planning the wedding. Many have asked why I didn't go ahead and hire a wedding planner/coordinator.. and the answer was... I'm a control freak and thought this can't be too hard, right?

Welp... I was wrong. It's not easy. The decisions are endless, but thankfully, I'm blessed with an awesome fiance, Mama Nguyen (who's just as much or more of a control freak as me), and seven doting aunts who are beyond thrilled to contribute some part to the big day. BUT with that many people, it can be overwhelming. You are just bombarded with so many opinions, and then it all mushes into one big, confusing jumble of madness.

Luckily, all the big decisions had been figured out this past summer (venues, photographer, the dress and DJ), so now with six months and counting, it's just the (many) little things we need to figure out such as:

Florals, hair and makeup, shoes, tux rentals, party favors, and the list goes on and on...

We even went back and forth on whether we needed a videographer, too. We weighed the pros and cons, consulted our recently married friends and badgered our family for their opinions. In the end, we ended up getting one. Why? Because what are the only things left after the wedding that will help remind us of the day? Photos + the Video.  Boom. As soon as we realized that, it was a no brainer. So we reached out to our photographer, Bryan, and asked for a reco. There you have it, Watertown Films then became a part of our #HappilyEverAxten support crew.


Okay, okay -- so  some of you are starting to think this "comeback post" is boring since it's me explaining about how my wedding has taken over my life... but I promise... it won't be all about the specifics of my wedding. Over the next few weeks, I plan to share some of the neat things I learned along this #HappilyEverAxten journey, and I'm very excited about it. (You heard that right! The blog is backkk!). Stay tuned for general wedding tips and tricks -- which includes everything from creating the perfect registry, selecting music for the big day, making the official wedding hashtag, and more. And of course, I've got some other fun things up my sleeve. Valentine's Day is right around the corner.. and you know what that means.... gift guides. 

xoxo

#happilyeveraxten engagement photos

A few weeks ago, my main squeeze and I ventured down to Dundee, Oregon to meet up with Bryan Rupp for our engagement photos. Bryan was referred to us by a coworker, and as I did my research prior to calling him, I found out he had done many weddings for folks I went to high school with. I thought, wow... what a small world. This was totally meant to be! 

As we arrived in Dundee that morning for our 8 am appointment, I got nervous. What if we smile weird? What if K and I look super awkward in our photos? Bryan reassured us that we didn't have to be anyone else but ourselves, and that definitely put us at ease. We took photos by this beautiful lake area called the Paddle Launch, and just a few steps away was a gorgeous hazelnut orchard where we took some more serious photos. I absolutely loved the gold wheat field we stumbled upon too. Those were all within less than a minute of each other, but it seemed as if we went to four very different locations. He was amazing to work with, and I think he captured wonderful photos that day. I'm beyond thrilled to share with all of you a few of my favorites today. (The rest can be found on Facebook for those of you who I'm Facebook friends with.)

Thanks, Bryan for capturing these happy moments! 

We can't wait for our  #HappilyEverAxten wedding photos next year. 

wedding planning, episode two.

This past weekend, we officially kicked off the #HappilyEverAxten festivities with a bridal party brunch. I met with my bridesmaids and man of honor at Rockcreek Seafood and Spirits and enjoyed delicious beignets, coffee and an amazing breakfast.

During the brunch, we discussed a few important things such as color palettes, dress styles and then of course, a few initial idea for the Bachelorette Party! To note, they wanted to keep it a surprise, so this chat was more of a "What do you not want at the party..."

Overall, it was a great chance for my cousin Anna to meet and get to know the other girls in my bridal party. As well, it was her first time meeting my best friend and man of honor, Robert. What was so special to me was that we were all ADPis and it's really awesome to see that sisterhood is forever not just four years. (insert cheesy, teary-eyed emoji)



So thankful and beyond blessed to be surrounded by great friends this past weekend and look forward to continuing the celebrations and planning for the big day!

Fellow brides-to-be, how have you kicked off your wedding planning?

xoxo

wedding planning, episode one.

#HappilyEverAxten is well underway folks. Some say I went turbo speed and got a little too crazy, but my fiance is beyond thrilled that we're ahead of the game. 

Within one month of our engagement, we secured our date, ceremony location, reception venue, our photographer and took our engagement photos! Oh... and I also found my dress. I guess that's what happens when two "Type A", highly organized/OCD folks get engaged... you get a lot done, hella fast. 

Where are we getting married, you ask? For the ceremony, we've chosen a beautiful cathedral and are having a big, traditional Catholic wedding. Fun Fact: My family has gone to this church since I was a wee little one, so it definitely has a special place in my family's hearts. And for the reception, think rustic meets industrial for our venue -- exposed steel and wine barrels. Large open windows, lush greenery and twinkle lights. It's very modern, romantic and a little whimsical. 

Color Palette? I'm in love with the rosy blush, cream, grey and platinum scheme.

Our photographer? The amazing Bryan Rupp. I heart his charismatic personality, his stunning talent and how at ease he made me and K feel when we were at our engagement photo session. Simply the best! 

Now that we've gotten through the big pieces, I feel like we can take our time with the rest of the planning. I mean we have a whole year! With that, I've been practicing my calligraphy (see above and check out my Instagram for more!), and want to incorporate this personal touch to the wedding. So far, I've created all of my bridal party invitations from scratch (thank goodness for Paper Source!), and hope to do some more fun little DIY projects for the big day. I'm thinking of creating my own seating chart, the table numbers, maybe even self-addressing the invitations with script. 

Those are all the details I have for now! 

Follow along my Pinterest board for a taste of what's inspiring #HappilyEverAxten, 

and feel free to share any wedding planning tips. 

xoxo

Follow Amanda B.'s board #HappilyEverAxten on Pinterest.

The Dream Look for a Rustic Chic Wedding with Lover.ly

Today, I'm beyond excited to share my latest work with Lover.ly - the ultimate wedding planning search engine. For those of you who aren't familiar with Lover.ly - it's basically a dream come true for any bride! Lover.ly is a one-stop-shop wedding planning where brides and grooms find new ideas, people to hire and oodles of things to buy.

To quickly clarify things: no, I'm not getting married anytime soon (not that I know of... haha) BUT when Lover.ly and I both got to talking, we faced the facts -- let's be real, every girl already has some sort of "dream wedding" pinterest board.... am I right? So of course, when they asked me to take part in their "Set the Scene" challenge, I said yes!

Challenge: Create a dream wedding look for a specific themed venue. 
Beach affair, city glam or rustic chic - which did I choose? Rustic Chic. Yes, yes, I know... a lot of my friends would quickly dub me to pick city glam. But for some reason, I love how rustic chic is more simple, romantic and intimate.

Challenge Accepted!

See below for my take on the rustic chic "dream wedding look"!

Since I have tendencies to add glitter to everything... going for a romantic, rustic setting required me to hold back from the glam Vera Wang ball gown. BUT in a weird way, I actually didn't mind at all. Personally, I don't see layers of tulle as a look I'd like for a wedding. I've always envisioned either a sleek satin mermaid fit or the simplicity of a silk empire waist gown. For some reason - simple is just better to me. 

As such, when I spotted this beautiful BHLDN Odessa gown - I just knew it was perfect for that rustic chic look. A simple silhouette, but with a gorgeous lace open back - I fell in love with it. It has a sweet, romantic style with just the right amount of intricate detail in the lace but without overwhelming embellishments. 

For the headpiece - I considered a non traditional look - such as the vintage clip (above) as well as this birdcage veil. Then last but not least... I certainly had to add some sparkle to the mix - hence the touch of bling on the beautiful Kate Spade D'Orsay heels, the box clutch and pave drop down earrings. 

What's your dream wedding style?

Would you do it all big and glam or go for more a simple, romantic look?

Share in comments below!

xoxo

Planning your wedding day look? Shop my rustic chic picks here! 
To find more dream wedding dresses, be sure to visit Lover.ly's Dresses page. 

Disclosure: No compensation was involved in the development of this post. All thoughts are my own! 

Five Wedding Gift Ideas

image via

Wedding season is quickly approaching... and for those, like me, who lived with a 100+ girls in a sorority that means countless invitations to answer, bridal showers to attend, bridesmaids dresses to try on and more. Along with all of these festivities comes gift shopping.

What do I know about wedding gift giving? It includes the couple's registry and typically household goods. Below are a few of my top picks for wedding gift ideas. Hopefully, it'll get your noggin' thinking around the best wedding gift ideas for your favorite lovebirds who are tying the knot.

And as for any gift - don't wait until the last minute! It's a special day for them, and a real treat to celebrate with them. Show them you care and give a gift from the heart.

Put a Ring on It

Remember my wedding posts "I Do" and "'I Do' Part II" and how my obsession with the white dress and flower arrangements resulted in hours upon hours on Snippet and Ink? Things haven't changed a bit... Still obsessed with weddings and planning that magical day. #loves

I've recently started using Pinterest as a tool for gathering wedding photos and inspirations for decor. With Pinterest, virtual scrap-booking for the big day has been made much easier. Here are some lovely photos I've found:

#tendermoments #thebigday #whitedress