Tag:

wedding planning

Bridechilla BlogGuest Post

A Guide to DIY wedding florals

by Danielle Gonzalez
written by Danielle Gonzalez

Your wedding is your day—whether it’s a full design or small, memorable details, incorporating some DIY touches is a surefire way to create an unforgettable day that is unique to you and your other half. Believe it or not, a DIY wedding doesn’t have to be overwhelming. With a well thought out plan and the right tools, you can successfully navigate your wedding planning process as a relaxed bride, while still saving some pennies through your DIY projects.

Use these tips to harness your creative chill vibes while designing your dream wedding.

Image by Blythely Photographing 

First off: Why DIY

When you purchase a bouquet from a florist, remember that it’s not just priced for the flowers. You are also paying for the expertise spent on professional arrangement, as well as all of the other expenses that come with running a floral business: preparation, storage, labor, production, supplies, and transportation. Couples can easily spend upwards of $2,000 on flowers alone, and you can cut that cost by more than half by ordering DIY flowers and creating your own arrangements. If you feel up to the task, purchasing in bulk is the best way to save on DIY arrangements, as you can purchase them at a discounted rate and have them sent directly to your home.

Save money smartly

You can save even more money by being smart about your arrangements. Simple things like scaling down the size of bridesmaid bouquets or sticking to seasonal flowers are a great way to trim down your budget for your DIY project. Worry less about flower type and focus on colors—that way you can supplement a few bold statement pieces with budget-friendly blooms. Greenery is also a cost-effective choice that looks gorgeous woven into a wedding design.

Image by Chelsie Burkhart Photography

Plan your DIY wedding projects strategically

Planning is important for DIY projects as a whole, but it’s a must for DIY floral arrangements. Collect photos for inspiration, find out what you’ll need to achieve the look you’re after, and figure out whether those flowers will be in season for your wedding date. Always have some alternatives ready at hand in case a certain bloom is unavailable. Flowers are living things and can be unpredictable, so it’s always best to have a plan B. Try doing a test run, if possible, so you can estimate how many flowers you’ll need and which colors you’d prefer.

Don’t take on too much

Maybe you’re not equipped to take on all of the DIY design—that’s fine! You can still save by doing what you can and outsourcing the more important details. For example, you can still make all of your bridesmaid bouquets and boutonnieres, and have a professional create your bouquet and centerpieces. The choice is yours!

Images by Lauren Westra Photography

Embrace the uniqueness

Remember: You’re not striving for perfection, you’re crafting a day that belongs to you and your partner. No wedding is perfect, anyways! Rather than stress over every detail, enjoy the creative process and have fun infusing your day with an inside joke here and a nod to your relationship there. When it comes to floral design, understand that flowers are natural—they will always have variations in colors and sizes, so be prepared to create a one-of-a-kind bouquet!

In addition to the savings and personalization, an added bonus of a DIY project is the feeling of pride you’ll feel on your wedding day as you see all of the beauty unfold around you. Stay chill, tap into your creative juices, and have fun with it!

Danielle Gonzalez is the Marketing and Social Media Specialist of Blooms by The Box, an online wholesaler for premium-quality flowers, floral design supplies, and accessories. They are a popular favorite for couples to purchase flowers to DIY themselves.

Header Photo by Fernanda Méndez 

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Bridechilla BlogBridechilla Podcast

362- The Serious Side of Wedding Planning Q&A with Aleisha

by Aleisha
written by Aleisha

Planning a wedding can seem like a trivial affair. After all, you are just planning a big party. However, because it involves the people you love and the history that accompanies many of those relationships, the wedding is anything but trivial. The Bridechilla podcast is dedicated to dealing with the real issues that come with planning a wedding and just being a human being. In this episode, Aleisha talks about the serious side of wedding planning by answering questions that come directly from the Bridechilla Community. Listen as she shares tips and advice for how to address common and often difficult experience that arise when planning a wedding.

Listen to episode 362 of Bridechilla

Handling hurtful family members

When someone who loves you finds out you are getting married, it is quite natural for them to want to be a part. But what if that person has destructive issues in their own life that could jeopardize the joy you experience during your wedding? Or what if they have caused you harm in the past in such a way that you want exclude them from the event? The most important thing is that you plan a day that you will fully enjoy. Chelsea is concerned with having her mom around during the wedding and asks for advice on how to limit her influence on this special day.

Listen to Aleisha’s advice and hear her explain what she calls production management.

“We’ve all got someone in our lives that lets people down and you want to fix them, but you can’t.”

Is a wedding really that big of a deal?

Kate from D.C. is excited to be getting married, but doesn’t understand why everyone else makes such a big deal out of this one event, when she has accomplished many other great things in her life. She feels like those achievements are being overshadowed. Aleisha reminds the Bridechilla community that while some people allow the wedding to be all encompassing, other people desire to hold their wedding in balance with all the other important obligations in life. How you approach the wedding doesn’t lessen the importance of the day.

Photo by Marius Muresan 

How to include your child in the wedding

How do you incorporate children into the wedding? This is the question that Katie wanted Aleisha to address. If you or your partner has kids, you will likely want to include them in the ceremony. Aleisha encourages couples to make sure you have a game plan. Because rehearsals and weddings can often be lengthy and involve a lot of standing around, it is important to consider what you will do with the child. Aleisha also discusses important considerations for planning a wedding if you are pregnant.

“If you are planning to involve the kids in the wedding, I think it is just sensible, as I’m sure you would, to have a bit of a game plan.” 

Photo by Sweet Ice Cream Photography

What to do when everyone has an opinion

Whenever you have a big event that involves family and friends, it is likely that people will try to start giving you advice. Often, opinions are given even though they are unsolicited. If they truly love you, they have your best interest in mind and are really just trying to be helpful. But we all know that a multitude of conflicting opinions can be anything but helpful. How do you deal with this awkward situation? As always, Aleisha is a proponent for bold, honest conversations and this episode is no different. Listen as she gives advice about the serious side of wedding planning during this episode of the Bridechilla podcast.

Listen to episode 362 of Bridechilla

Show Highlights

  • [0:38] This episode is another question and answer session with host Aleisha. She addresses questions submitted from the Bridechilla community.

  • [1:19] Morgan tells her story about how the Bridechilla podcast helped her handle the issue of wedding money with her dad.

  • [4:09] Chelsea asks for advice about how to deal with her Mom who has a substance abuse issue.

  • [11:49] Kate from D.C. left a voicemail explains how she feels uncomfortable with the attention the wedding is bringing and how it overshadows her life’s accomplishments and wants advice on how to deal with that.

  • [21:17] Katie asks if there are any podcasts addressing how to handle a wedding when you and your partner have kids?

  • [24:53] Bridechilla Kelly wants to involve her stepdad in the ceremony and how to approach that with her dad.

  • [26:55] Kelly also wants to know how to tell her future-spouses family to keep their opinions to themselves.

  • [29:48] Kelly adds a P.S. about how to find great makeup and hair artists.

Thanks to our Bridechilla Partners- ZOLA

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Bridechilla BlogGuest Post

What happens to Weddings When women Stop Saying Yes?

by Aleisha
written by Aleisha

On episode 356 of the Bridechilla Podcast I was joined by Honey Dew founder's Michelle and Lucy. In this blog they continue the conversation of finding balance when wedding planning and work (and life in general!).
We work on weddings every single day. As founders of a startup that wants to do all the grunt work of wedding planning, this makes sense. After talking to hundreds of couples, we realized with great horror that those that are wedding planning are working on their wedding every single day too. With full time jobs.

Listen to episode 356 Of Bridechilla

The wedding industry just assumes couples will say yes

Hey, I can’t give you the price of the venue over email — can you call me at 3pm?

Hey, could you tell me your budget before I tell you how much these flowers will cost?

Hey, we can’t give you a quote for how much our catering package costs, because it differs for each couple. Will you set up an appointment to discuss more?

These are questions that the wedding industry assumes couples will say yes to. And honestly, the assumption is valid — couples don’t have the expertise or option to say no, because the next wedding vendor will request the same. The industry doesn’t care if both people have a full time job, don’t have time at work to slip away for a vendor phone call, and don’t have an exact itemized list of what flowers or entrees they want. Somehow, in this $70 billion industry where couples spend on average $35,000 on a wedding, they are at the mercy of the wedding vendors who won’t pick up the phone or post prices on their website.

Photo by Edward Cisneros

Without information transparency, couples can’t say no

The Internet allows price comparisons between a pillow on Amazon.com and a pillow on Walmart.com. Uber tells me my trip will cost $11.80 so I can decide to ride Lyft to my music class instead. Now: imagine if you had to email Uber for a price before booking your ride. Imagine if you had to call Amazon about their memory foam pillow to ask whether it was in stock. It’s laughable, right?

Yet, lack of information transparency, especially around price and availability, is the single biggest driver of time wasted and stress when wedding planning. No wedding solution today actually solves this because their revenue comes from wedding vendors (sponsored ads and memberships). Wedding vendors get fewer leads when their prices are readily available online. This makes them less happy.

Who’s championing for the couples’ happiness, then?

The email inbox of a couple caught up in wedding planning

What happens when couples stop saying yes?

One night, we were fuming about the numerous mediocre wedding vendor websites out there, and we had a Eureka moment. What if we systematically retrieved vendor information, and made it transparent? What if couples stopped the hours of research and correspondence they were doing and let us call and email wedding vendors for them? What if we became the buffer between the wedding vendors and the couple, so that couples could STOP reading through 17 page wedding packets for each vendor they talked to, and just…let us screen vendors for them?

What if we did it online, low-touch, and didn’t charge them $10,000 (like a wedding planner) for it?

We grew confident that once couples got a taste of this freedom and control, they’d come to demand it as a baseline, table stakes experience from every wedding company.

We decided to start Honeydew.

Photo by Alvin Mahmudov

Honeydew is the personal assistant and personal champion for your wedding

Imagine a human powered search engine that personalizes exactly to your preferences and constraints and presents you vetted options with decision-critical information. Ok maybe that’s hard to imagine.

Instead, imagine clicking a button and instantaneously feeling confident enough to book a wedding vendor. Imagine your whole wedding planned like this.

Now try us out! We’re live, and we’d love to talk to you!

Show image by Sarah Diniz Outeiro

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Bridechilla Blog

Top Tips for Keeping the Chill in Bridechilla When you First Get Engaged

by Aleisha
written by Aleisha

Top Tips for Keeping the 'Chill' in Bridechilla
When you First Get Engaged

It doesn’t take a mind reader to know what thoughts are running through a newly-engaged person’s head. What’s the perfect Instagram announcement? Can I pull off my dream Pinterest wedding board? Will my wedding pictures go viral and make Meghan Markle swoon with jealousy? Don’t worry, we’ve all been there. Meghan Ely from OFD Consulting and her team of wedding industry experts chime in on what you might be overlooking in the early stages.

Photo by Kyle Loftus

Enjoy being engaged for as long as you can

The first few weeks (or days, if you’re a planning fiend) after you get engaged are perhaps the best, and they should be cherished! Mary Angelini and Jamie Albury of Key Moment Films say, “It’s easy to get swept into a planning frenzy after getting engaged. Family members may immediately start asking you questions about dates, but take at least a few weeks to enjoy engagement bliss with your fiancée without any of the pressures of planning.”

Jamie Chang of Passport to Joy adds, “Take a trip for some alone time or at the very least a few days to be together without family or friends (or social media) asking questions.”

Photo by Savs

Take initial wedding planning slow

One of the first instincts of any Bridechilla is to snowball your engagement into a full-on planning process within hours of getting engaged. While those thoughts are totally normal, outline the most important to get you through the initial month first.

Shannon Tarrant of Wedding Venue Map says that this can be as simple as planning out what you’ll say to all of the questions you’ll surely get. “Have a standard answer to the planning questions so it won't aggravate you! ‘Do you have a date? What kind of dress are you looking for?’ Know that those questions are coming, so be prepared with how you want to answer them. A great example is ‘I'm enjoying being engaged and haven't started the planning yet!’ That is a great way to shut them down but still be positive if you’re not quite there yet.”

Start Planning with the Bridechilla Guides

Take baby steps making planning decisions

If you’re antsy to get the ball rolling in true Bridechilla fashion, we promise it’s absolutely okay to start putting feelers out. Tommy Waters, event planner and owner of The Renaissance says, “Typically, the heaviest decision will be your ceremony and/or reception sites. Start making a list of your favorites and reach out to get some information, availability, and prices.

A ‘need’ and ‘want’ list will be your friend at this stage in the game. 

For example, some pretty common ‘needs’ are vendors like photographers, a DJ (or band), florist, and baker. If you’re the type to want a horse-driven carriage or a few ice sculptures, I always suggest putting these items on your ‘want’ list.”

Waters adds that communication is key, and nothing has to be made official just yet. “Start engaging with some planners and get a feel for who will work well with you. Be savvy - some hotels and reception venues have planners already included so you could save some major dollars there by getting ahead of the game.”

At the end of the day, you know better than anyone when it comes to the pace of planning and setting your priorities straight. Don’t worry so much about outside input or what the ‘norm’ is for timelines. Take as little time or as long as you feel comfortable with, and remember the reason for your big day!

Meghan Ely Bridechilla

Meet Meghan

Meghan Ely is the owner of wedding PR and wedding marketing firm OFD Consulting.

Ely is a sought-after speaker, adjunct professor in the field of public relations, and a self-professed royal wedding enthusiast.

Show image by Sarah Diniz Outeiro

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352- Big Wedding, Small Budget- Bridechilla Claire

by Aleisha
written by Aleisha

This episode of Bridechilla is full of some great wedding ideas on a budget. What is the appropriate amount of money to spend on a wedding? How can you have the wedding of your dreams without going completely bankrupt? The good news is, you don’t have to break the bank to have a fantastic wedding. But you do have to make a plan and stick to it. On today’s Bridechilla podcast, you’ll hear from Bridechilla Claire who planned a wedding for 400 people for only $15,000. She shares some tips and tricks for saving money and offers encouragement for how you can have a great wedding even on a limited budget.

Listen to episode 352 of Bridechilla

Sticker shock is a huge thing. I know a lot of us start wedding planning and have a complete meltdown when you realize how much stuff actually costs or how much people are willing to pay for things.

How big of a budget do you need for your wedding?

There is no universal budget for a wedding. The cost often depends on the location in which you live and the individual circumstances related to your wedding. So how do you go about setting a budget. And how can you avoid the dreaded sticker shock of planning a wedding? Having a budget doesn’t mean your cheap. It just means you are choosing to focus on what is most important to you. Your budget should be guided by your priorities. Once you’ve established what is non negotiable, then you can determine how to best allocate your money. Hear more tips for how to sidestep sticker shock on this week’s podcast.

Photo by Sladjana Karvounis

Decide what matters most

Bridechilla Claire is an inspiration. She reminds us that you don’t have to spend tons of money to have a great time planning your wedding. The key is to be flexible and creative. Claire and her fiance decided that one non negotiable for them was the people. Having 400 guests is no small party. But rather than sacrifice and have to cut the guest list, they decided to compromise on other details that weren’t as important to them. There are so many details that seem important, but the go virtually unnoticed by most people who come to the wedding. Skip those details and focus on what really matters. Listen as Claire share more wedding ideas on a budget during this episode.

It’s time to be a satisficer

Claire warns against the dangers of trying to maximize every decision. There are going to be some plans that fall through. There are also going to be some things that you want that you may have to cut in order to stay on budget. If your priorities are already set, then you’ll be able to handle those kinds of situations in stride. Claire also introduces a term in this episode that is helpful when making the many decisions that come with planning a wedding. She encourages others to be a satisficer. Listen to this episode to hear exactly what that means and how you can become one.

Photo by Jazmin Quaynor

Cute and creative wedding ideas on a budget

Weddings are all about the people and the place. The greatest cost will be feeding the people and providing the place for all of them to gather. It might be helpful to consider function over form when it comes to the wedding venue. You don’t have to rent the most expensive venue in order to accommodate your guests. Find a budget friendly venue and use your creativity to make it more appealing. There are also creative ways to provide food for the wedding. Claire shares how a Costco membership made a huge difference in the way she is going to feed her guest. Listen to this episode of the Bridechilla podcast for more cute and creative wedding ideas on a budget.

Photo by rawpixel 

Listen to episode 352 of Bridechilla

Show Highlights

  • [2:21] This episode is a call back to a previous episode with Bridechilla episode related to wedding budget.

  • [6:29] Introduction of Bridechilla Claire, who organized a wedding for 400 people for only $15,000.

  • [10:51] The details of how Claire is pulling off planning her wedding with such a strict budget.

  • [12:15] Being flexible and creative, avoiding the trap of trying to maximize every decision by focusing on what is most important.  

  • [18:00] The biggest expenditures for a wedding are the people and the venue

  • [26:44] Claire talks about how investing in a Costco membership helped with essentials for the wedding

  • [28:18] Lean on your community to help with decorations and set up for the wedding

  • [32:50] Find a way to make things special and spend quality time with those closest to you.

Memorable Quotes

  • “Sticker shock is a huge thing. I know a lot of us start wedding planning and have a complete meltdown when you realize how much stuff actually costs or how much people are willing to pay for things.”

  • “You can have a fun, nice wedding and it not cost you a total arm and a leg.”

  • “Be a satisficer. Don’t try to maximize every decision.”

  • “Weddings are about people, places and things, according to kindergarten.”

  • “It’s all about flexibility and it’s all about saying no to the idea that we have to do things a certain way.“

Meet This Episode’s Guest

Bridechilla Claire left a voicemail explaining how she planned her wedding for 400 people and only spent $15,000. Throughout the episode she shares some of the tips and tricks that she’s discovered while planning her own wedding. From utilizing a free venue, to leveraging a Costco membership, Claire has a ton of great input for wedding ideas on a budget.

With thanks to our Bridechilla Partners

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An Intimate Whirlwind Italian Destination Wedding Adventure

by Aleisha
written by Aleisha

Lindsay and Ben take us on a journey through the stunning images from their intimate Italian destination wedding at La Tagliata in Positano, Italy.

Lindsay shares about this magical trip with their closest friends and family as well as the challenges of planning a wedding on the other side of the world when you don't speak the same language as your wedding vendors!

Tell us a little about you and your partner!

Lindsay: I know it's cliche to describe your significant other as your best friend, but from the moment we met almost 11 years ago, Ben and I were best friends. It wasn't a particularly unique meeting - mutual friends in college - but what happened from that moment on was one of those incredibly easy, storybook-without-all-the-problematic-nonsense kinds of love. And the proposal couldn't have been more representative of that; Ben had been on tour with his band in Japan, and I flew over to explore with him after his last show. We arranged to spend a night living among the monks at a buddhist monastery. When we arrived, we were graciously gifted with friendship bracelets that had been blessed to bring us happiness in our lives. The next day, sitting on the banks of a river surrounded by beautiful Japanese lanterns, Ben pulled his Buddhist friendship bracelet out of pocket, wrapped it around my finger, and asked me to be his best friend forever.

Tell us all about your event!

After working years as videographers in the wedding industry, we had seen it all. Our first priority was to find a way to do it that didn't feel like a day at the office. Considering our love of travel and incredible food, a destination wedding seemed like an obvious choice.

The process was intensive at first. We performed all the requisite steps - checking with the VIPs to make sure everyone is on board, signing up for every flight alert known to man, and going to 12 different dress appointments before giving up and buying my dream dress online, sight-unseen. I spent more hours Googling (in multiple languages!) than any human should ever have to.

Once we found La Tagliata, a family-run restaurant with private terraces overlooking the Amalfi coast, our dream wedding was pretty much set. It was easy take a step back and let everything else come together as it may. I told the bridal party to wear whatever they wanted, I never gave a thought to tablecloths or napkins or centerpieces, and I made a bouquet with flowers we found around the property we rented for our friends. The only thing that mattered to us was having an incredible adventure with our closest friends and family, and that's what we got!

I did DIY two projects that I absolutely love. First, I'm an amateur metalsmith and I specialize in fine jewelry, so it was an absolute joy to make our rings. After the original proposal in Japan, I came home and set to work on my engagement ring and wedding band. I'm excited to look down at it in 20 or 50 years, and be able to say, "Wow, I made that."

Second, I wanted to do something special and unique for my best friend, who had been so supportive throughout the planning process. In lieu of a traditional Maid of Honor gift, I hand painted matching leather jackets so we could be beautiful badasses everywhere we go together.

To be honest, the most special moment of the entire process was looking around the table at the end of the night, seeing so many people who love us enough to fly across the world to join us on our adventure, and seeing them all so joyful. That moment was worth everything.

What was totally worth it?

Honestly, everything. Every moment of research that brought us to our venue, every moment spent agonizing over making sure everyone I knew was getting the BEST deal on their flight possible, and every moment I spent worried about not being able to control every detail from the other side of the world was 1000% worth it. But if I have to choose ONE thing besides the destination itself, I'd say investing in a house big enough to spend the week with our closest friends. Not only do we have an entire week's worth of memories together that I'll cherish for a lifetime, but it alleviated some of the financial burden of travel on them - and that was so important to us. We specifically chose a venue that allowed us to afford this, and we're so glad we did. We were able to have our dream, without it being a huge burden to our loved ones. 

What was not worth it?

Sweating the details. You have to be willing to let some things go when you plan a destination wedding. I tried to focus entirely on the experience - if a detail directly impacted my guests' enjoyment, it was worth my attention. If not, whatever happens, happens. For instance, we decided to splurge on having a musician entertain guests throughout thelong meal, and it was a hit! Everyone loved dancing and clapping along, and trying out the traditional Italian instruments. But every moment I spent worrying about not having any decor (who wants to fly with luggage full of wedding decor?) was a moment wasted. It was beautiful. People were happy. Candles wouldn't have changed that!

What did you throw in the Fuck-It Bucket?

Our Fuck-It Bucket was full. The nature of a DIY destination wedding means that a lot of traditional aspects won't apply: lots of guests, lots of decor, and lots of control. We DIY'd the little things like hair and makeup. But the most important thing to put in the FIB was other people's expectations. This was OUR dream, and even those who didn't understand it eventually got on board and had an incredible time.

What advice do you have for other couples planning their weddings?

If you're considering a destination wedding, DO IT. I mean, have a series of very frank conversations with your must have guest list about timing and cost, make sure everyone is on board, and then DO IT. It takes research and the ability to let go of the little details, but the affordability and pay off can be incredible if you find the right vendors.

Lindsay & Ben's Rockstar Vendors

Photographer: Alyssa Lentz of A.Lentz Photography

Venue, Catering, Dessert, & Transportation: La Tagliata

AirBnB: Villa Deli

Rings: Dearest Darling Co

Lindsay's Gown: Watters from BHLDN

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Bridechilla Podcast

343- How to feel more comfortable in front of the camera

by Aleisha
written by Aleisha

Not everyone was born to be in front of the camera. But everyone can look like they were on their wedding day with the right photographer. On this episode of Bridechilla, I talk with Cavin Elizabeth', an international wedding film and digital photographer based in San Diego about how to feel more comfortable in front of the camera. During our conversation, Cavin gives tips on choosing the right photographer, how to pose, who should do your hair and makeup, and how to treat your photographer and other vendors right. 

Listen to Bridechilla episode 343

It all starts with a good relationship

Many brides and grooms don’t feel comfortable in front of the camera. Perhaps they feel like they don’t photograph well. It’s even harder when the camera is being used by someone you don’t know. Cavin Elizabeth says the foundation of success for a photo shoot it trust and relationship. She suggests using the same photographer for engagement photos and wedding photos. This will build trust and help you better understand how the photographer works. Trust puts the couple at ease and makes them look more natural which makes for fabulous photographs.  

Strike a Pose

Let’s be honest, posing for pictures can be really awkward. How should you stand? Where do you look? Where do you put your hands? But posing is important if you want great photographs. And we aren’t talking about those weird prom poses. The goal is to look natural and organic. Cavin says that from her experience, most couples need coaching and direction for how to pose. Choose a photographer who will guide you and help you look the best while you strike a pose.

Cavin-Elizabeth-Photography-

Being confident in your hair and makeup

Who is going to do your hair and makeup on your wedding day? Hiring a professional hair and makeup team can make a huge difference not only in your confidence but also in the way you photograph. However, not all hair and makeup artists are created equal, and photoshop can only correct so much. Cavin Elizabeth encourages brides to choose wisely when it comes to picking your hair and makeup artist.

Tips on Tipping

During our conversation, Cavin Elizabeth gives great advice on tipping. Often, couples fail to consider tipping their vendors at the wedding. However, in many cases it is both expected and appreciated. Cavin breaks down three categories of vendors based on their approach to tipping. She also encourages couples to allow the wedding planner to help hand out the tips so you don’t forget or have to be concerned about that while enjoying your wedding. Hear more tips and advice on how to make your wedding the best it can be on this episode of Bridechilla.

Show Highlights

  • [0:42] Introduction of Cavin Elizabeth, wedding photography from San Diego, CA.
  • [3:05] Cavin’s background and style of photography
  • [5:46] Lessons Cavin is learning while planning her own wedding
  • [10:16] Tips on how to feel more comfortable in front of the camera
  • [13:11] How Cavin works with people to help them feel confident with being photographed
  • [21:16] Posing is a fabulous when it looks organic and natural
  • [26:14] Finding a hair and makeup look that photographs well
  • [34:50] Cavin gives tips for tipping

Memorable Quotes

  • “Bride’s and groom, please respond back to the photographer.”
  • “The only people that have not photographed amazingly on the wedding day are people that just don’t smile, ever, and they look sad all day.”
  • “One of the foundations of success for getting a couple to feel comfortable in front of the camera is trust and getting to know the photographer.”
  • “Posing is not a dirty word. It’s actually a fabulous thing.”
  • “I refer people who are nice to me, nice to my clients and are good at what they do and have work that photographs beautifully.”

Meet This Episode’s Guest

Cavin Elizabeth is an international wedding film and digital photographer based in San Diego. She operates a boutique studio with a focus on personal connection that makes couples more at ease while being photographed for their special day. This gives Cavin’s picture a natural, authentic and romantic look. She also wrote a book entitled A Bride’s Guide to a Picture Perfect Wedding that teaches brides how to get the most out of their wedding photography and have magazine worthy images.

Show image by Cavin Elizabeth

With thanks to our Bridechilla Partners

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Get Planning with the Bridechilla Wedding Planning Guides

by Aleisha
written by Aleisha

Unlike the majority of wedding planning books, the Bridechilla Guides aren't promising to help you plan a 'perfect day' or encouraging you to follow traditions that don't have meaning to you. Instead, they guide you through the process of planning your wedding step by step, providing bullshit-free advice and a laugh or two along the way.
Like the Bridechilla Podcast, the guides were created with real couples in mind.

The Bridechilla Guides aren't your regular wedding planning guides, They're for everyone, straight, gay, millennials, generation X, whether this is your first marriage or fourth, you will find value, guidance and wedding planning chill in these pages.

They're not just full of rehashed wedding jargon and things you 'have to do'... I wanted to give you information that is both practical and useful and easily implemented in your planning for all budgets and wedding timelines.

The Guides support the ethos of Bridechilla

  • They're fun, colorful and non-gendered
  • They're a resource that you will enjoy going back to and feel empowered every time you open them
  • They're stylish. I want you to take them along to vendor appointments and proudly whip them out to refer to the hundreds of helpful questions that you can ask to make sure you have everything covered. 

So, what is the difference between both of the books? 

The Survival Guide is the 'how' to guide and explores all of the areas that the wedding blogs and other books ignore... relationships, money and budgeting, the emotive factors that go into this period of your life. 

From dealing with wedding donors, parents who give you money, to ditching obligation guests and meaningless details (so long garters and f*ck chair covers), The Bridechilla Survival Guide will free you of wedstress and the quest for perfection, which btw doesn’t exist!

"My partner and I have been together for eight years and we've been talking about getting married for a while. We just got engaged officially a few weeks ago and all of the sudden all of my pinning and hypothetical dream wedding bullshit had to start becoming a reality and I was panicking a tiny bit. This book is the answer! It is so cohesive and helpful. It's beautifully designed and my fiancé and I have been reading through it together to stay on the same page and help keep us at bridechilla and groomchilla levels!" Bridechilla Cara

The Bridechilla Field Guide contains all the lists, questions to ask vendors and logistical details you need to plan your wedding without losing your chill. Take the Field Guide with you wherever you go and keep track of all your plans and wedding details in one place. It’s bullsh*t free, useful and fun. Bridechilla Field Guide is a fill-out-able must-have for modern couples who want to organize like a boss and stay focused on what matters most.

"The Field Guide offers a range of tools for managing you and your partner’s wedding expectations and ways to structure your goals. It works as a conduit for difficult money conversations and facilitates compromise. It also helps to structure your timeline in a way that reminds you of all necessary considerations. In short, it reduces stress by creating fun un-intimidating structure for every step and detail in the wedding process. It also makes you feel that it’s ok to ditch things that don’t work for you." Bridechilla Jasmine 

Whether you are working with the wedding planner/coordinator or going it alone, the Bridechilla Guides are your go-to wedding planning bibles. ​
They don’t contain promises of perfection or planning the 'best day of your life.' Nor do they encourage you to follow traditions that have no relevance or meaning to you. 

The Bridechilla Guides are all about you focusing on what matters the most, planning an awesome love party to celebrate finding your fellow weirdo and sharing that joy with your family and friends!


The Bridechilla Guides are independently published, which means that we have created these books for you without the involvement of mainstream publishing and PR, I have referred back to the Bridechilla Community throughout the writing and publishing process and have tailored the contents to the people that matter the most, the Chillas in our community.

Invest in the Bridechilla Guides together, in the Bridechilla Pack (with a free Happy Days tote) or separately. They also make a fabulous engagement gift!

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Bridechilla Podcast

342- Bridechilla Wedding Planning Q&A

by Aleisha
written by Aleisha

This week’s Bridechilla is a special episode of wedding planning Q&A with you, the listeners.

Bridechilla is all about community. Even through the medium of a podcast, we are able to come together to support, encourage, and learn from one another. Sometimes it’s nice to just hand the show over to you and let you ask those pressing wedding planning questions that you want answered. And I promise to do my best to answer them.

Listen to Bridechilla episode 342

Help! I Can’t Stop Buying Stuff!

When planning a wedding, it is easy to get caught up in buying a lot of stuff. Some people buy for the thrill of it and some buy as a way to cope with the stress of wedding planning. How can you avoid overspending? Marie Kondo gave some great advice about how to determine whether or not to make a purchase. You must be able to assess the amount of joy a given purchase will bring. It’s a great way to prioritize and decide if you really should buy or not. Listen as I share how Marie Kondo’s advice can help you make better buying decisions as you plan your wedding.

Striving for a healthy body image

Body image is such an important topic to discuss. Everyone has their own body image issues. Some brides feel like they are too overweight and others are struggling to gain weight for their big day. The starting point to health is being honest with yourself and others. Support from friends and family is key to working through these types of issues. The main idea is to look after yourself and take care of your body.

A mum as a bridesmaid?

Being a bridechilla is all about choosing what makes you happy and doing it. Even if you choose to do some things in your wedding that are unconventional, you shouldn’t let anything keep you from it. One question that we talk about on this episode comes from a bridechilla who wants her mum to be a bridesmaid. Her partner is not on board. Is it ok to have your mum as a bridesmaid? Is there any reason why she shouldn’t be a part of your wedding party if that’s what you want? Find out what I think during this episode.

Photo by Hermes Rivera

Getting along with your wedding planner

When planning your wedding, you don’t have to like your vendors. But you do have to be able to work with them. You are paying them to do their job. What do you do if you are having a hard time getting along with your wedding planner? We talk about the importance of communication and how a crucial conversation can help resolve tension and conflict. Listen as I take on more of your question and try to give helpful answers to your wedding planning questions during this episode of Bridechilla.

Photo by rawpixel

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Show Highlights

  • [2:15] Caitlin, also an Aussie, thinks I am funny and wanted to share that a recent episode about Wedding Donors (Episode 337) helped her after her in-laws were very objectionable to her not getting married in a church.
  • [7:45] Amelia wants some advice about planning a bilingual wedding celebration
  • [12:20] Sam another Aussie is getting married five hours away from their hometown and wants tip to curb her buying binges.
  • [18:30] After listening to a Bridechilla body image episode, Taylor became motivated to make positive changes to her routine and lifestyle. She was inspired to share her story with the Bridechilla podcast
  • [22:58] Alyce really wants to ask her mum to be her Bridesmaid but her partner thinks that it it weird. What should she do?
  • [25:41] Leanne Is having communication issues with her wedding planner. She thinks that her wedding planner might not even like her. How should she handle it?
  • [31:06] Megan Is planning to elope and plan a surprise wedding for their family and friends in conjunction with her new husband’s 40th birthday, but how do they ensure that everyone turns up and doesn’t bail on the party?
  • [33:41] Cecily is struggling with daytime brunch timeline and the logistics that come with it

Episode Resources

Memorable Quotes

  • “Does this need to be bought? What’s it going to do to dolphins?”
  • “I think we are all going through our own body images thoughts and feelings and everyone should be acknowledged and made to feel supported no matter what.”
  • “The big thing with timelines is to work backwards”
  • “When it comes down to it, vendors have to do their job. You are paying them to do their job.”

Thanks to our Bridechilla partners

Happily Ever Borrowed Bridechilla
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Stephanie & Jesse’s Impromptu Retro Inspired Dive Bar Wedding

by Aleisha
written by Aleisha

Bridechilla Graduate, Stephanie, shares her impromptu wedding to Jesse which they planned in 48 Hours at their favorite dive bar!

Tell us a little about you and your partner!

We first met at our wedding venue through a close friend and both would go there just to run into each other and talk all night for years. Fast forward a long while and we have a five year old daughter, an adorable house, full time careers, and are BUSYYY! We make time for date night, family vacations, forts in the living room, movies in the back yard, and fall in love more and more while having so much fun. He completely balances me and is the best co-parent I could ever imagine. He proposed to me with our daughter; at bedtime he called me in to kiss her good night and she had the ring box open in her little hands! He got down on one knee and took my breath away (even though I kind of knew it was coming form the romantic dinner and seeing a box shape in his pocket all night!)

Tell us all about your event!

We always feel like we are married and already have the end result. At least once a week for over a year he would say "Can we just get married tomorrow? I don't want to not be married to you anymore". This week I agreed and my over achieving, obsessive planning self threw our latest "May the Fourth" speakeasy jazz brunch concept directly into the FIB...AND IT FELT SO GOOD! The next morning (Wednesday) I texted him at work and said "Let's take the day off Friday and get married at the Courthouse!" He loved it over iMessage and thought I was joking until I called him at Lunch telling him we couldn't get a judge in time so my best friend had just gotten Ordained online. He was over the moon since I am driving him mad and have changed the date, concept, and venue about 6 times because of my indecisiveness/ complaints from my mother and made us loose 2 deposits in the process. It made most sense to have the wedding where we met and where we celebrate everything important to us; Nolan's Corner Pub! My newly ordained lifelong best friend tends bar there on Friday evenings and a wonderful friend of ours owns the establishment and was thrilled to let us hold it there. Wednesday we let everyone know (Luckily our families could make it on short notice on a holiday weekend).


We had a LOT to do in two work days and didn't have attire or rings. I used the accessories I wore in my sister-in-law's wedding and just ordered my $35 bridesmaid dress again in white (thank goodness for Amazon one day delivery!). We scored and got his entire ensemble along with our rings at JC Penny. Our mothers and Aunts pitched in and took care of everything else, it was amazing! My aunt who lives out of state got our flowers, cake, brought my grandmothers pearls, gifted me heirloom crystal glasses, AND picked my daughter up at daycare so I could get ready in peace! Our mothers kept magically showing up and paying for random purchases like plates and decor. My friends from work came with a couple dishes, my MIL brought salad, and my parents ordered way too much pizza after the ceremony. I was up late the night before unexpectedly altering my dress and am so glad I took the entire day off friday! I dropped my daughter off, found somewhere to press my dress in an hour, died my hair, got an up-do from my mom's best friend (and drove there with wet nails, and met my fiance at City hall to get the marriage license after he left work at lunch. I did my make up, we got dressed and got to the venue an hour before the ceremony to set up with my two best friends. Everyone showed up, mingled and drank until 6:30 pm, when I quickly pulled our sisters outside and had asked a close friend play a song my dad loved (on his iPhone) for me to walk into with my Stepfather with. My best friend seemed as she was made for this moment and gave the most heartfelt, personalized, hysterical, nerdy ceremony I could have ever imagined. I couldn't get myself to look up, but my husband said there was not a dry eye in the room and I could feel the room about to explode with love. It was everything I could have every imagined and am so thrilled everything happened the way it did. We stayed at the bar late and loved the reactions of our friends spilling in realizing they were at our wedding! Photography has always been the most important component to me through every wedding we planned, and I am so incredibly lucky to have an Uncle has a hobby that he is unbelievable at! I can't stop looking at the photos!

What was totally worth it?

Going with our gut, taking charge, and doing what we wanted on OUR DAY! Also, there was no time for anything to spin out of control! My mom was a little appalled at pizza and champagne but to us that is heaven on earth!

What was not worth it?

I was stressing out too much about markers and the sign for our globe guest book...no one cares!

What did you throw in the Fuck-It Bucket?

THE ENTIRE WEDDING!

What advice do you have for other engaged couples?

I was so concerned about pleasing our families (especially my mother) but realized a lot of that pressure was self-made and everyone just wanted us to be MARRIED.
Take charge of your vision but also give in to the things that aren't as important but are to your families. For example: We didn't want toasting glasses but agreed because both our mothers wanted them, and why not if it makes them happy? Then my Aunt gifted us a beautiful crystal pair her and my uncle used on their wedding day and my best friend gifted us Star Wars inspired no-stem glasses. We were dead set against it (Who brings glasses to a bar?) and ended up taking photos and toasting each other with BOTH sets of glasses that we will always treasure!

How did Bridechilla help you plan your wedding?

The concept of the FIB was a radical game changer for me and completely revolutionized the way I viewed my wedding. One day on the way home from work I was listening to an episode where Erica talks about her Elopement ceremony and had everyone meet on a whim and go to a food truck rodeo and it blew my mind and has been in the back of my mind for MONTHS! Without The Podcast and the Bridechilla Community I wouldn't have gotten into the mindset to take charge and do exactly what we wanted. THANK YOU!!

Stephanie & Jesse's Rockstar Vendors

Venue: Nolan's Corner Pub

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