When Jackie first came and pitched the idea to me of hosting a Hampton Roads workshop for DIY brides, I wasn't so sure. After all, I am not a big fan of speaking in front of people, and I am definitely not a wedding planner that can help brides with their vision of the wedding day! However, when she explained to me the heart behind it I was immediately all in.
The DIY bride workshop is for Hampton Roads brides who are creative in some aspect and want to express that in their wedding day. DIY brides don't necessarily do EVERYTHING by themselves - in fact, the quintessential DIY bride will hire a day-of coordinator and sometimes even a wedding planner because they know they can't do it all alone! She is someone who is creative and has a vision for her wedding, and who knows how to make the wedding uniquely beautiful.
In a lot of ways, I was this DIY bride. There were many aspects of my wedding day that were 'normal' and 'expected' - of course I walked down an aisle, had a pretty dress, and had a blast at the reception. At the same time, there were several elements that made my wedding unique and memorable. The most special moment was when Nathan played guitar and sang me down the aisle. Another detail I DIY'ed was our cake topper, which instead of something traditional was two giraffes, since that was meaningful to us at the time.
On the other hand, I did NOT do it all myself! I got help from friends, families, and professionals as much as possible. I hired a florist, who did an amazing job and saved me from a potentially big mistake with what I wanted. My cake decorator was wonderful - so sweet and imaginative with all the little details. I could go on, but you get the point. I made my wedding my own by asking for the help of others.
With that in mind, we are launching a workshop just for DIY brides in Hampton Roads! The first one will be on Saturday, September 19, hosted at Starving Artist Studio. We will teach about timelines - both on the wedding day and leading up to the big event, budgets, decorating, and so much more. Afterwards we will take a trip over to Scratch Bakery and Blush Bridal (if you're in Port Warwick, how could you not stop by both those places?).
To find out more about the DIY Bridal Network and the workshop coming up this month, click here. I'm so excited to host this with Jacquelyne Edith Events, Kelsey Ann Events, Jami Hinton, and Luxe and Luna Couture Events. I can't wait to meet each lovely lady who considers herself a DIY bride that will come, learn, save money in the long run, and leave with plenty of goodies!
