It's really exciting when things happen to change the course of your life - and getting engaged is certainly one of those times. We work with tons of newly engaged couples to find dates, venues, and get on the path to planning their curated, experiential wedding... but there are lots of couples who find pitfalls instead of rainbows - and here are some tips to avoid having a stressful beginning to your wedding planning process! These are 6 tips to help you start off on the right foot with planning your wedding! 

​Moral of this story - hire a wedding planner at whatever level you can afford. 

• ​They are worth their weight in gold. They often save you as much as their fee costs in not making mistakes, getting the right vendors for you r budget, and showing you cost-saving tips and tricks! 
  
• Whether it's us or another planner - They're the only person in your day who has your best interest at heart in EVERY decision that's made. 
• Planners are a wealth of knowledge - it's why they do what they do. They know all the things, and all the people. That's part of what you're buying with a wedding planner's services! 

Sweetly Paired offers custom stationery, invitations, and paper for weddings in Colorado, Austin, and destination weddings all over the world. We can do custom printing for all of your stationery needs. We also do custom seating charts, table names and numbers, and welcome signs! We do custom watercolor invitations as well. 

There are so many little details when it comes to wedding planning that by the end of it you may be making choices just to make the problem go away. But keep in mind that these little details really do make all the difference when everything comes together on the big day.  You'll be so ahppy the you made mindful choices that really represent you and your loved one. One of those little (major) details is the guest book.  The guest book is a key detail because everyone who attends the wedding will see it & (hopefully) sign it. Here are a few tips to picking out the perfect guest book.
1. Representation: This day is all about you and your loved one becoming ONE unit.  So what is something that the two of you love to do? Do you love to travel together? Use a globe. Do you love to ski together? Use a set of skis. Do you love to drink wine together? Collect corks and have people sign them. There are so many possibilities, but keep in mind that it is best when it is about you.
2. Aesthetic: You can choose something based of the theme of your wedding.  Is your wedding more black-tie? Stick to a classic alternative of a beautiful bound book that will shimmer in the night. Think about the rest of your decor and see how your guest book can compliment it.
3. Keepsake: Your guest book is a keepsake that you and your partner now get to keep forever til death do you part. Want to hear a great tip? Pick something you like! Pick something you treasure and want to keep displayed around your home, not just a memento that you are going to put in a box and forget about. A framed picture for people to sign is a great decor piece that you can add to any part of your home.
4. Find inspiration: Still struggling to find "the one" for your wedding.  Turn to others for inspiration.  Ask your friends and family members what they used when they got married, or take a peek at the guest book of any weddings you may attend in the near future. Inspiration may strike at any moment! And then there is always the internet which is packed with some of the most creative ideas known to man.  So grab a cup of Joe and surf the web a bit looking at wedding blogs, Pinterest, and wedding inspiration pages. 

1. The most important thing to consider is how comfortable your dog will feel. It may mean a lot to you to have them there, but consider your dog's personality.  If they adapt well to new places and don't mind large crowds of people then they will be just fine.  But if your dog has a lot of anxiety and will be frightened, it may be best to think of just doing family pictures some other time. 
2. What role will your dog have? Will they just be a guest of honor or are the going to walk down the aisle carrying the rings? If you are giving your dog a starring role make sure your pet is well-behaved because it can turn into a wild goose-chase very quickly! They may also get spooked depending on the venue location (i.e if your in the mountains and there is other wildlife) or with the large group of people watching them trot away. 
3. Talk to your venue. Depending on where you are, some venues will not allow pets of any kind (or possibly only allow service dogs).  Talk to the managers and see what the rules & regulations are.
​4. Designate a handler. Before, during and after there ceremony have a family member or close friend be in charge of your furry companion.  You and your loved one will be whisked from here to there and back again so adding a dog to that plate will be too much. This way you know your pup is safe, happy, and not getting into any trouble.
5. Have a ride home for your dog. Some venues will allow dogs for the ceremony but they will not be allowed in the reception hall.  So make arrangements in advanced for someone to take your dog home or for someone to pick them up. 
6. Talk to your photographer beforehand! You definitely want to get some awesome shots of your dog on the big day so make sure they are aware to set a little time aside for a little dog friendly photoshoot! (And maybe bring a bag of treats to help them look the camera as well). 

There are plenty of details you can add in your wedding to really wow your guests. Your grand entrance or exit is just another opportunity to show off your style and make a few head turns along the way.  There are many different modes of transportation you can book, rent, borrow, design for your big day and here are just a few out of the box ideas for those looking to make an impression.

So you're engaged... now what? We're using December... the month of engagements... as a chance to share these tips with newly engaged couples and set you up for success! Planning a wedding can be stressful if you don't have all the knowledge you need, and that's where we come in! We have planned, designed, and executed more than 1000 weddings, and we have contacts all over Colorado for many types of vendors. We can help you make the right decisions in the wedding planning process so that you have less stress through the planning process and don't make mistakes. Mistakes are the most expensive part of planning a wedding.  We help you to prevent them!