India Earl captured a unique proposal
What to do when you get engaged?
First, CONGRATS on your engagement! If you’re like most newly engaged couples, you’re wondering, “What do I do now that I’m engaged?”. Visiting Green Wedding Shoes (GWS) is a great first step because we serve up daily wedding inspiration for creative, fashion forward couples! If it sounds like we’re describing the two of you, we’re pretty sure you’ve come to the right place! Your engagement is one of the best times in your life + one that should be celebrated + enjoyed – BIG TIME! :)
First, a Few Things to Remember
Before we jump right into all the planning process, our team of already-married gals has a little been-there-done-that advice to pass on to you:
- Enjoy the Ride – Some couples let the planning process weigh them down, but who wants to plan a wedding with stress? We want you to enjoy it! Remember, if things ever get a little too stressful, take a break + don’t talk wedding for a couple of days. After a little bit of time off, you’ll come back refreshed + ready to start at it again with a new perspective!
- Make it all about YOU – Everyone will offer you advice and opinions (whether you want to hear them or not….) about how you should plan your wedding….thanks but no thanks. Your day is all about YOU, don’t let other people take control of your vision for your wedding! So before you get too far along in the planning process, it’s critical for you to discuss your priorities and expectations for your wedding as a couple. Getting on the same page early on only makes things easier as the process progresses.
Bottom line…..HAVE FUN!
Farbklang Fotografie created this wonderful winter inspiration
Finding the Perfect Wedding Venue
Kaley from Kansas captured this amazing tree lined ceremony
Select your wedding venue first. Your wedding venue is the foundation for your day, it sets the tone for your day and it’s the canvas upon which you’ll create your wedding design….so it’s important you find a venue that is both functional and your style. Plus your venue is the backdrop for all of your wedding photos, so you’d better like to look at it!
We all know that selecting a venue is a bit of a daunting task, especially if you’re willing to travel (trust us….we know!). To make your life easier, check out our handy wedding venue guides that showcase unique, stylish and GWS approved wedding venues and venue styles.
Finding a Team of Vendors for Your Wedding
Nirav Patel captured this magical Harry Potter wedding designed by Crosby + Jon
You’ve likely never planned a wedding before, unless you’re in the industry or just a great friend, so it’s best to surround yourself with a few key wedding pros to guide you through the process. Plus, they’ll each have contacts with other wedding pros that may come in handy for your day.
Unless you’re already in the wedding industry, finding the right team for your wedding is no easy task, So, to give you a jump start we created the GWS Wedding Vendor Guide. Our vendor guide features GWS vetted and approved professionals from all around the country + world that will help you design and plan the wedding of your dreams! We feature many of these talented professionals here on GWS, but our wedding vendor guide is the quickest way to search by service type and geography.
We suggest first finding your dream wedding photographer, then find a killer planner, and then an amazing floral designer….this will give you a core team and once they’re working with you, you’ll find that things start falling into place quite nicely for you and you’ll be AMAZED by the results!
Daily Wedding Inspiration
Love to the Core Photo captured this stunning Marchesa gown
Between your job, relationship and planning a wedding….you’re going to be pretty busy, so we created several ways for you to easily see our daily updates to ensure you’re always inspired and up to date on the latest wedding trends!
- Email – sign up for our daily and weekly newsletters to stay up to date on the latest wedding trends and fashions
- Instagram – follow us on Instagram to get inspired throughout the day
- Pinterest – follow us on Pinterest to browse our collections to inspire you through each phase of your planning
- Facebook – follow us on Facebook if that’s your preferred social network
Determine Your Wedding Style
Anna Roussos captured this inspirational ceremony
Designing it is impossible until you’ve determined the type and style of wedding you want. Lucky for you we’ve curated collections based on wedding type and style for you to browse through until you find the one for you…..or until you decide that you’re more eclectic and opt to borrow bits and pieces of inspiration to create your own style!
- Browse our Inspiration Boards to get color palette + design ideas
- Check out the most lovely, well designed Real Weddings to see it all come together
- Gaze at aspirational Styled Shoots designed by GWS and top-tier wedding professionals that will help you take your wedding design to the next level!
Wedding Flowers
Ash & Stone captured these bold fall florals designed by Woods & Bloom
Flowers are a must at any wedding and the right florals such a wonderful, ethereal feel to any wedding. So, to get you started on the right track we crafted our handy Flower Guide. Our guide will help you understand which flowers are available in each season (Pro Tip – being aware of flower seasonality is an absolute must before considering floral design). So check out our floral guide before meeting with your florist or, for those of you who are a bit more crafty, before you begin designing the florals you’ll DIY for your wedding day or bridal shower flowers!
If you’re new to working with flowers, check our flower inspiration gallery to browse all the possible designs….so much pretty!
Finding the perfect wedding dress
photo by Wild Whim Design & Photography
Fashion….our favorite part of the wedding! In fact, we love it so much that we made our own wedding dress collection, as a bridesmaids dress collection with Show Me Your Mumu and a shoe with Rachel Simpson.
It would be great if there were a secret to finding your dress, but it takes time, patience and a good sense of your personal style and body type. Shopping for a dress isn’t like picking up an outfit for the weekend, it’s a unique shopping experience for sure. The best part…when you find the one, it’s a magical moment you won’t forget!
To inspire you as you begin your wedding dress search, be sure to visit our Fashion + Beauty section. In addition to all of the gorgeous Wedding Dress ideas, there are tons of inspiration for your Hair + Makeup, Shoes + Accessories, and ways to style your Bridal Party!
If you’re ready to buy but don’t want to spend your time scrolling through inspirational posts, stop by The GWS Shop which did all of the searching for you and curated a collection of the best collection Wedding Dresses, Bridesmaid Dresses, Groom Style, Veils + Hair Accessories, Decor that you can purchase in just a few clicks!
Planning Engagement Photos
Tyler Rye captured this blue tule dress + photo inspiration in Utah
On the fence about if an engagement session is right for you? We have a little insight that may help you decide! An engagement session is a great chance to meet and work with your photographer before the big day, plus it gives you a chance to get a bit more comfortable in front of the camera! (It’s not so easy at first if you’ve never done it before!) Plus, it’s so fun to get some amazing photos of the two of you to remember this special time. Get inspired by the collection of our fave Engagement Sessions ever!
Okay, who’s ready to talk Honeymoon?!
Lilly Red Creative captured lovely portraits in Marrakech
Deciding where to get away on your first great adventure as a married couple is a pretty big deal! It’s like a gift to yourself for all of your hard work planning the wedding.
We’ve scouted out some amazing places that are guaranteed to work for whatever style of Honeymoon you’re imagining. Picturing an adventurous glamping honeymoon? A relaxing island escape? Or maybe a romantic trip abroad? Check out some of our favorite honeymoon spots and if you think of a spot we’ve missed, let us know!
Just in need of some good, new-fashioned Inspiration?
Check out our totally pin-able Galleries to discover and save our favorite photos to your own Pinterest boards!
Kelly Brown captured Mandy Moore in this pink stunner!
So, grab a cup of coffee (or three) and let the planning begin! Happy Wedding Planning!! ♥