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Congratulations! You’re engaged! While it’s perfectly ok to soak it all in for a few days, don’t wait too long to start planning your wedding. We are sure you’ve heard planning a wedding can be stressful (we can help you with that!) but what’s even more stressful is falling in love with a wedding vendor only to find out they aren’t available on your special day. We’ve compiled some helpful advice on where to start with your wedding planning! CREATE A WEDDING EMAIL Creating a wedding email address that you ONLY use for wedding related things is SO helpful! Everything wedding related stays in one spot and doesn’t get mixed up with everything else in your regular inbox. CREATE A WEDDING WEBSITE There are multiple places you can create a wedding website. This is a great place to include all of your wedding details and registry info for your guests. This way your guests can easily find all of your wedding infomation in one place and you can update it as needed. CHOOSE A VENUE/DATE You may have heard you should pick a date first, but that’s not necessarily true. Sure if you have a special date you’re set on, that’s fine of course, but it could limit your venue options. We suggest choosing a venue first. This way you can choose a date based on your dream venue’s availability to ensure you’re getting married exactly where you want. CREATE YOUR REGISTRY Its time to decide what kind of registry you want to have and to create it! Check out our blog post about gift registries vs. a honeymoon fund. Both are great options! CHOOSE YOUR OTHER VENDORS We’ve spoken to several Austin wedding vendors and have put together a date range of how far out they tend to book out. This will be really helpful when you start booking your other vendors! Keep in mind this could vary a bit depending on the location. One tip would be to look at companies that have the ability to do more than one wedding per day. Venue: If flexible, within a year. If not flexible, at least 1.5 years out Planner: 6 months to over a year out Photo/Video: 6 months to a year out Band/Musician/DJ: 9 months to 1.5 years out Hair/Makeup: 12-18 months out for larger weddings Lighting: 3-6 months out Cake/Dessert: 2-6 months out Catering: 10-12 months out Officiant/Minister: 1-2 years out START A PINTEREST Starting a Pinterest will really help to give you so many different ideas that you’ll be able to decide what kind of style you are going for. You wedding style is something you’ll be thinking of when you make most of your wedding decisions, including things like your dress, invitations, signage, etc. WEDDING PARTY If you want a wedding party, now is the time to at least start thinking about who you want to be standing by your side on your special day. It can be hard to choose, so make sure you give yourself plenty of time to make this decision. Also keep in mind that the people you choose will most likely be helping with things like a wedding or bridal shower and bachelor/bachelorette party. *Pro Tip: CHECK REVIEWS!!! Do not forget to check reviews on credible wedding websites like The Knot and Wedding Wire! START YOUR GUEST LIST You won't need to finalize your guest list for a little while but its a good time to go ahead and start. Make sure you are both on the same page about who you want to come, including your stances on plus ones and children attending your wedding. Photography: @monicadaniellephoto | @theteaguesphoto | @mainsqueezephotography | @april_mae_creative | @brandialysephoto | @alisonheffington | @madisonkatlinphotography | @lightasgold | @nikknguyenphoto

Planning: @ashleynicoleaffair⁠ Photography: @april_mae_creative⁠ Venue: @maesridge⁠ Florist: @fleuraffairco⁠ Catering + Bar: @rosemaryscatering⁠ Hair/MUA: @luxbeautyandbridal⁠ DJ: @thepremieraustindjs⁠ Rentals: @premiereeventstx⁠ Dessert: @crumblcookies⁠ Videography: @photohousefilms⁠

Ashley Nicole Affair Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi Inn at Loretto Spa Molly Morgan Photography Fleur Affair

Planning: Ashley Nicole Affair Photography: Opal & Onyx Photography Venue: Addison Grove Florist: Native Bloom Floral Hair/MUA: Silk & Flow Officiant: @julia_mija_martinez DJ: @itsdjbray / @smithersproductions Catering: Royal Fig Catering Baker/Cake: @michellespatisserie Strings: @musicaldiscoveryaustin Cold Sparks: @sparksandco_ Lighting: @brightersideeventlighting Getaway Car: @4leaflimoatx Bride: @pomandgriff

Planning: Ashley Nicole Affair Photography: Neva Michelle Photography Venue: Villa Antonia Catering/Bar: Red Book Events Cake: Cake Llama Florist: Whites Floral Design Hair/MUA: Lux Beauty & Bridal Officiant: Short & Sweet Weddings Musician/Band: Sienna Strings Quartet DJ/Photo Booth: Premier Austin DJs Videography: Peter Zuniga Productions Check out our other recent blog posts! CHRISTYBETH + TREVOR; IAN'S CHAPEL | CAMP LUCY - DRIPPING SPRINGS, TX AUSTIN WEDDING COMMUNITY GIVES A FREE WEDDING TO AN INJURED BASTROP DEPUTY

You’re married, CONGRATS! Now - if you're wanting to - it’s time to change your last name. We know not everyone plans to change their last name after getting married, but for those who ARE planning on changing their name, we're here to help. It can seem like a daunting task, but it doesn't have to be! The first this to do is to make sure you get your marriage certificate. This is different than your marriage license - which gives you the authorization to get married. A marriage certificate is legal documentation that you have been legally married. With all of the excitement of your big day, it can be easy to forget to get the proper signatures and documentation for your marriage license. Appoint a friend or family member (or ask your wedding planner) to help you make sure you get what you need and you know where your marriage license is at the end of the night. This will allow you to proceed with filing for your marriage certificate and change your last name. You can look up how to file for your marriage certificate online based on the state you live in. Check out this article from The Knot for a more detailed explanation about marriage license vs. marriage certificate. *Pro-Tip: Make sure you get a couple certified copies! After you have your marriage license and marriage certificate squared away you can begin the process for changing your last name! The easiest way to do this is to use a company like Hitch Switch or Newly Named. Companies like these make it extremely easy to change your name because they have all the forms ready to go so you’re not spending hours searching for and filling out the same info on each form. Not only are all the forms in one spot, but they use auto-fill to fill in the same information for you on each form! They have thought of everything including things like voter registration forms and even forms for TSA pre-check. We hope this info helps make changing your last name a breeze. Good luck! Photography: @opalonyxphotography | @sarahkjphoto | @mollymorganphotography

Planning: Ashley Nicole Affair Ceremony: New City Church Venue: Olympus Event Center Photography: The Livelys DJ: DeNakius Band Catering: M'tucci's Rentals: AA Events & Tents

Vendor Contributions: Photography: Dani Quiroz | Venue: Stonehouse Villa | Planning: Ashley Nicole Affair | Florist: Fleur Affair Co. | Catering + Bar: Branded Ash Grazing Co. | Baker/Cake: Casa Costa Bake Shop | Hair/MUA: Darling and Dapper | DJ: DJ the Mood | Ceremony Musician: Texas Wedding Cellist | Mariachi: Mariachi Clasico | Videography: Huckleberry Wedding Films | Late Night Snack: Whataburger | Transportation: Baby Blue Drives for You

Full Service Planning: Ashley Nicole Affair Venue/Catering: Camp Lucy (Sacred Oaks) Photography: Amber Vickery Photography Videography: Moonlit Weddings Florist: Christie Turner Designs Musician: Terra Vista Strings DJ/Band: DJ Chosen Cake: Rose Haven Donut: Mochinut Rentals: Whim Hospitality Casino Tables: Elite Casino Event Photo Booth: Oh Happy Day Transportation: Your Day Charters

Trying to decide if you want to do a first look before your wedding ceremony can be a hard decision! We are here to help! In this blog post we will go over what a first look is as well as some fun alternatives! WHAT IS A FIRST LOOK? A first look is when the couple decides to see each other before the ceremony. This can help calm any nerves but also allows you to take a ton more photos prior to the ceremony leaving more time to party afterwards! However, not everyone is a fan so we have put together some other ideas for you! FIRST TOUCH This is when a couple will typically stand on either side of a door or wall and without seeing each other, get a chance to hold hands and talk to each other or exchange private vows for a few moments before the ceremony. EXCHANGING NOTES/GIFTS Some couples like to write each other a personal note and/or send each other a gift prior to the ceremony. Get ready for the water works! *Pro-tip: If you have a videographer, make sure they know this in advance and that they are there when each of you reads your note, especially with a microphone! FIRST LOOK WITH PARENTS/FAMILY Some couples opt to have a first look with one or both of their parents. It is so sweet to see a parent’s reaction to their child all dressed up in their wedding attire for the first time! We've also seen first looks with other family members, like younger siblings and kiddos who get to see their mom looking like a real life princess! FIRST LOOK WITH WEDDING PARTY Sometimes couples choose to have a first look with their bridesmaids or groomsmen! It is always fun to see these photos, and everyone's different reactions. SURPRISE FIRST LOOK Every now and then we have a creative couple who does something completely unexpected. How would you react if you thought you were about to have a first look with your future partner and instead you turn around to a groomsman in a gown or dinosaur costume instead?! We love when our *cheeky* brides surprise their partner with a little booty grab, too! No matter which route you choose, your wedding day is going to be a wonderful day you’ll never forget! Photography: Dani Quiroz | Carhart Photography | Ann Mark Photo | A Sea of Love | Moodyography | Brandi Allyse Photo

Planning: Ashley Nicole Affair | Photography: Main Squeeze Photography | Ceremony Venue: St. Mary Cathedral | Reception Venue: Vista on Seward Hill | Catering + Bar: Courtney's Catering | Florist: Wild Bunches Floral | Cake: Michelle's Patisserie | Hair + Makeup: Lola Beauty ATX | DJ: Texas Pro DJ | Stationery: Green Girl Design Co. | Rentals: Monarch Events ; Premiere Events | Beer Burros: Sweet Magnolia Events | Hotel: Austin Marriott Downtown |. Transportation: Lux Limo | Bridal Salon: Melange Bridal & RK Bridal | Yard Games: Austin Yard Games

Vendor Contributions: Planning: Ashley Nicole Affair Photography: Ann Mark Photo Venue: Mattie's Florist: Kismet Flowers Catering, Bar & Cake: Mattie's Hair/Makeup: Cassidy Elise Artistry Musician/Band: New Dawn Entertainment ; The Austin Nines Rentals: Loot Rentals ; Premiere Events Lighting: Tomei Electric Hotel: South Congress Hotel Stationery/Signage: Green Girl Design Co. Transportation: Austin Charter Services