10/20/2010 Featured Bride Lauren W., Wedding Location: Wayzata, MN | Wedding Date: October 8, 2011

First things first: Wedding cereomny, reception, and photographer!

Hello, Hello! Wow... it has already been a whirlwind of wedding planning - and we've only been Engaged for two weeks! :) What can I say... it helps when you're in the industry. You definitely know what you like. So, our first thing off the checklist was of course, the LIST, aka the wedding guest list. Well... that is never super easy, but luckily we both come from families that are extremely understanding and helpful! So, with that we are accounting for around 250 to be at our Big Day on our wedding guest list. Next, it was time to book the 3 necessities (in my opinion)... WEDDING CEREMONY SITE - WEDDING RECEPTION SITE - & (of course) WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER!

Ceremony location:

We will be having our wedding ceremony at a beautiful, outdoor venue near Lake Minnetonka... The Woods Chapel. We are so excited to be surrounded by fall colors and family when we say our vows. It was one thing that we were sure of right off the bat. Not to mention, The Woods Chapel also offers an on-site, Rain location so if we don't have the same wonderful weather that we're having this year... we have a place to hibernate. :)

Reception location:

The wedding reception hall we chose happens to be a fabulous Country Club which is also absolutely stunning and very customizable... Golden Valley Country Club! We have been working with an absolutely amazing coordinator as well (Christine!) and we're so pumped! ...it also helps that the fiance is an avid-golfer!

Choosing a photographer:

Of course... last but very much not least... our Wedding Photographer! This was almost the most important thing to me in planning... most likely because I happen to be a Professional Wedding Photographer myself with my business, LCPhotography, LLC There were a few BIG things that I was looking for that I include in all of my packages:

• Shared Rights to all images
• Select amount of Edited images
• A DVD of all images
• Engagement Session
• and also the overall, Photo-journalistic/artistic eye

We could not have found a better fit than with our wedding photographer, Viveria Photography. A husband/wife duo that does a phenomenal job! This experience has definitely allowed me to evaluate my own professional goals and package details. Man, do my clients get a good deal! ;) lol. Next... after these 3 biggies were complete we had a mini-session with my co-shooter, Kathleen for our Save the Dates! We really wanted to utilize the gorgeous colors so we headed over to Wayzata Beach at sunset (the best time to shoot E-sessions... hint, hint!). Kathleen shot around 300 images of us and we went home and chose our favorites! Then, I drafted up our Save the Date! Photoshop is unreal and has saved us a boat-load! If you are looking to have Save the Dates made or invites - consider having a friend or your photographer (if they are able) put together a design for you! Save on design fees and then print wherever you prefer! We have saved over $100 already in printing and are so excited. Be sure to also check with employers in your family that may have print centers that offer discounts! You can't go wrong there.

Deciding on colors:

Last but not least, we have decided on our COLORS and I bought my dress! We will be having a Sage Green and Violet color palette with the guys in Grey suits and the girls in Green. I can't wait to see it all come together! Well... I won't be saying much about my dress on here since my fiance does read this... but just know that THE WEDDING SHOPPE IS THE PLACE TO GO! My Mom and I had such a blast with so many beautiful gown choices and so many different price points! I ended up spending just what I wanted but also was able to find a dress that really flattered my figure and style! Keep in mind... you may go in thinking one thing and end up with something TOTALLY different!!! That was my case! :) Keep a mind open and go with only a couple people if not just your Mom. It was overall a fabulous experience and I will never forget it. See what amazing styles the Wedding Shoppe has for you!>> Well, that's all for now! Here is another one of our photos from our Save the Date Session! Cheers! LC Other Posts You'll Love: What to Look for When Selecting your Wedding Photographer Location, Location, Location! Picking a Wedding Venue Our newest Bride-to-be: LC of LCPhotography

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