Caitlin's Dream Wedding

At the rip age of 24, I have a few more years to go to make this dream wedding a reality, but one thing's for sure, working in the wedding industry gets my mind flowing with tons of ideas of elements I want at my future wedding. None of these are set in stone and I obviously have a few years to change my mind (once, twice, or even three times), but right now, this is how I envision my dream wedding. 

The Theme

The overall theme of my dream wedding would most likely be a mix between vintage and modern, combining them in a unique and interesting way. I would want many elements to be DIY or have that handmade feel, with other artistic elements brought in. I would most likely lean towards my favorite color, green, and introduce colors like yellow and gray. I want the main focus of the night to be about great food, great music, and lots of fun. 

The Invites

I love the idea of doing a "tying the knot" invite, by opening the card you tie the knot! I definitely want to include a card in the invites where every guest could include a song or two they would like to hear at the wedding! Then the band or DJ can play all  (or almost all) of them throughout the night. 

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The Venue

The venue selection will probably be the hardest part of this whole decision, but one thing's for sure; I definitely want to keep everything at one location. As a non-religious person and non-baptized person, churches are out of the question, so I would look for a location that had a great intimate ceremony space, as well as a unique reception space. Ideally I would love if it had an outdoor element as well, as I dislike feeling stuck in a banquet hall or hotel ballroom and find that old mansions, warehouses, and other unique venues add for an interesting layout and feel. 

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The Decor

To go along with the theme, the decor for the night would be a mix of vintage elements and modern details as well. I would like everything to be personalized in some way making it our own, like the handmade backdrop  below for the ceremony. For the reception, I love the feel of long tables instead of round tables and also would bring the modern feel in with the geometric patterns and shapes. I would love to include lots of family photos and pictures of us throughout the time we dated. 

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The Flowers

I always like to do things a little different, combine that with my intense allergies, especially to flowers, and you're left with this awesome yarn bouquet. The benefits: it won't die, you don't have to worry about any water, you won't get any stains from the flowers on your dress, and it will last forever! Now, the hard part would be figuring out how to make it! If I do decide to include flowers in my wedding as centerpieces or other elements, it would most likely include more grasses and greens along with sunflowers, my favorite flower and one that happens to not make me sneeze (maybe only once). 

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The Food

Where do I start? I don't usually eat large meals and tend to be a snacker so I see the same idea carrying over to my wedding day. Instead of a seated dinner, I would likely include stations of various food options. Lots of stations during cocktail hour and more options during the reception as well, would give guests something new to taste! I would definitely do signature drinks and have lots of craft beers and specifically chosen liquors for the night. 

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The Cake

I love cake, I really do, but I have to say that more often than not, my favorite cakes are those that are homemade or just taste like it. Finding that perfect bakery with that perfect cake might take a few tries, but I'm more than okay doing several tastings. Just like flowers, I have limitations on cake too, I'm allergic to both nuts and food dyes, so I'd have to find an organic bakery or keep the flavors and design pretty simple. I like the simplistic, modern yet funky feel to the cake below. 

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The Music

I definitely think I want live performances at some point during my wedding day, whether it is guitarists at the ceremony or a full live band at the reception. I still don't know, but music will definitely be a big part of the day. Music sets the tone and moves the event along so having distinctly different music is always a good thing. 

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The Photos & Video

Having a great photographer is definitely one of the most important elements of your wedding, and having a video is something I'd love to have as well. I definitely want a photographer who takes more of a photojournalistic approach to shooting, capturing the event in a more dramatic way with unique angles and light, with mostly all photos being candid. I also love photos like the one below by Hoffer Photography, one of our favorite local photographers! As far as videography, that would have to be a must too, because a video alone can tell more stories than just the photos. 

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The Dress

I don't know the exact dress look I would go with but there a few things I know for sure. No matter what your body type, I almost always feel like strapless dresses can be unflattering. Nobody likes to see the bride pulling up her dress all night and side boob in pictures is also never a good thing! I think I'd prefer to be comfortable in a small cap sleeve. I also dislike anything sparkly and don't want to look like a prom queen or a pageant girl, so I would probably choose a dress that is more form fitting and most likely lace. A bright white dress with my super white skin also would probably not work, so ivory will have to do!

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The Hair

I'm not a huge fan of wild updo's altogether and find simple is almost always best. I think I would take the vintage route when it comes to hair and get a more retro relaxed style like the one below.

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The Veil

Going along with the retro hair look, I would also opt for a birdcage veil. I think it keeps the look classic and vintage, a style I prefer over long veils. 

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I think that's enough dreaming for now!!

-Caitlin

Get to Know Proud to Plan: Caitlin

If you've been following the blog, you've seen posts from all of our staff and we thought it'd be a great idea to have you all get to know some things about them. We made a Q&A for all of our staff and once a week, we'll feature a different employee for you to learn about!

First up is Caitlin, who wrote the blog on Invitation Basics we posted yesterday! Read on below to get to know her better!

Photo courtesy of Jennifer Childress Photography

Tell us about yourself: 

I was born and raised in a small town in Northeastern, PA in the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton area of Wyoming Valley and after graduating from high school, I went on to the University of Delaware where I studied public relations and journalism. I am now a young professional trying to make my mark in the public relations and wedding planning industries in the Philadelphia area, while also trying to enjoy my 20's.

I'm energetic, love being active and tend to get over involved. I'm independent but don't usually like being alone because my motto is that everything is always more fun if someone else is along for the ride. I love life and love to be a part of our clients' lives while planning their weddings.

Where do you live?:

After graduating from Delaware in the spring of 2010, I moved right into the heart of Center City Philadelphia for a few months, but have since relocated to Manayunk- a section of Philadelphia about 15 minutes outside of downtown. Manayunk is a perfect location for me, since most of the residences are between 21-30 years old and many are graduates of local colleges- you are always bound to know someone. It has a cute downtown area with lots of shopping, restaurants and bars and is only a quick ride into Center City!

Give us three words that best describe your personality:

Sociable, ambitious and super-organized.

How did you get involved in the event industry?:

I always knew I wanted to be a wedding planner even at a young age, but I didn't fully get into the industry until I began the Wedding Planning and Consulting Certificate Program through Temple University. Through the certificate program, I began meeting many local wedding planners and attending events in the Philadelphia area. I have since worked weddings and events with a few local planners and am now excited to be part of the Proud to Plan team!

What's your favorite part of a couple's wedding day?:

My favorite part of a couple's wedding day would have to be the second the bride gets to the beginning of the aisle, right before starts her walk- as I fluff her dress, she usually gives me a look of sheer excitement and nervousness all wrapped into one. As her eyes move away from mine she looks up to see a crowd of all of her family and friends and her fiance standing at the end of the aisle and her eyes light up and she smiles. Her fiance smiles back and that's when you know you are part of one of the happiest days of the couples lives.

When you're not doing events, what do you do?

When not running around working weddings on weekends, I work in the public relations industry in Philadelphia. I engage with media, plan events and work on updating and tracking social media sites to get clients publicity locally and nationally. 

Do you have any hobbies? What do you do for fun?:

Outside of weddings and work, my hobbies include: playing field hockey and soccer (I have played both for most of my life); skiing, hiking and camping (I'm a wilderness girl at heart); cooking and baking (my specialty is cake balls); travelling the world (I have been to Ireland, Egypt, Ethiopia, India and Thailand to name a few);  going to flea markets to find vintage items and decoupaging anything I can (I love to craft); and being an avid tea enthusiast (I used to work at a tea shop and love the benefits that tea can have).

Fun question, if you could eat only one food for the rest of your life, what would it be and why?:

ICE CREAM! I am a huge ice cream lover and could honestly eat it everyday - even in the dead cold of winter. My all time favorite flavor is Ben & Jerry's Oatmeal Cookie Chunk - try it if you never have, you won't be disappointed.

Check back next week to find out about another member of our staff!