Welcome to The Hampton Roads Wedding Guide Newsletter where you can plan the wedding of your dreams from start to finish. From inspiration to checklists and planning articles, to the best wedding professionals in Hampton Roads, it's all here!

May 2020 Newsletter
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Virtual Wedding Planning

Will Hawkins Photography

For everyone in the wedding industry, we've had to shift gears and come up with creative ways to help couples plan their weddings virtually. And if you're in the beginning stages of wedding planning, there is a LOT you can do from the safety of your house. Here's where you should start:

1.  Come up with a budget. Weddings can be pricy, but there are so many creative ways to cut costs. Talk with your parents if they're contributing to the funds and your fiancé and have a really frank talk about how much you can/want to spend. Our 
budget calculator can help you sort out all of the finances. 

2.  Create your MUST BE THERE guest list. Some couples have huge families, while some couples couldn't imagine a wedding without their many friends there. Create your must be there guest list and then that will be the starting off point. From there, you can add people if the budget allows, but with a baseline, you can see how many guests you need your venue to accommodate. 

3.  Think about the style of wedding you want. From laid back to upscale and everything in between, there is a style for  every couple and this will determine so much of where your planning goes from here. If you want a backyard event, you might be looking for an amazing BBQ caterer like  Mobile Pig-Nic Catering . A garden inspired wedding means you'll want to set a good amount of the budget aside for florals. Once you know the style of wedding you want, you can start focusing your search. 

4.  Get organized. One tip we love: create an email just for all things wedding! This can help you stay organized and make sure you don't miss an email from a guest or a vendor amongst your daily emails. This can be the email you hand out at bridal shows, too! 

Discover Ideas with Pinterest



That's right, good ol' Pinterest can be your best planning tool right now. But there's a right way and a wrong way to explore Pinterest and sort your wedding planning. It's very easy to get overwhelmed with pins. The easiest way to plan a wedding using Pinterest is to create a new board for each aspect of the day versus putting everything into one folder. Even better: use the email you created for contacting vendors and create a new Pinterest account JUST for weddings. This will keep everything organized. 

Create boards for:
flowers
venues
bridal gowns
bridesmaid dresses
wedding photos that you love
centerpieces
lighting

Once you have your boards created, be picky about what you pin. Pin overload is a THING and it's easy to get overwhelmed with ideas. Find the boards of vendors you love! Chances are, they will have a ton of ideas that are attainable for you, too. For example, if the florist you've had your eye on has pinned gorgeous bouquets in the colors you love, they should be able to recreate those in some way for your wedding too. Pinning those can help you remember them so you can chat with them about it later.

Learn About Wedding Gown and Bridesmaid Styles

As bridal salons slowly reopen over the next few months, it's likely they will only be taking brides a few at a time. So do your homework before you go in! Check out their websites and then learn about the different silhouettes of gowns. Go into your appointment (whether it's virtual or in person in the salon) with an understanding of the silhouettes and what you will feel great in. 



Angela Elise Photos, Silk Bridal Studio

Then think about bridesmaid dresses! Do you want your bridal party to be uniform, or are you envisioning something a little more freeform? Pin wedding party photos on Pinterest and think about styles and colors you want to focus on. Maybe you'd like your bridal party to all pick their own gown in the same color- now is a great time to let them know so they can start searching! 

Courtney Timms Photography, Ava Clara Couture Bridal

Use Instagram to Find the Perfect Photographer

Heather Hughes Photography

A photographer's Instagram is a great way to see, quickly, the work they've done! You can see if weddings are their main focus or if they don't do them often. You can see the STYLE of wedding they tend to photograph and if that vibes with your style. You can see their overall style of editing and if that speaks to your vision. Are all of their photos dark and edgy or are they light and bright? Every bride has a style of photography that they love, so find a photographer that matches that style. Instagram is such a great way to see that style quickly. You can also learn so much about your photographer's personality through their social media. Their personality, and whether or not it meshes with yours, is so so so important. 



David Schwartz Photography
Check Out Our Latest Issue!

The latest issue of Hampton Roads Wedding Guide is available in  over 50 locations throughout  Hampton Roads as well as digitally on our website. For a complete list of where you can find a copy check out our website! 

In our latest issue you can learn more about all of the incredible vendors we have featured, from venues to photographers to delicious catering options. Plus, you can learn some great tips for your big day!



"You have bewitched me, body and soul, and I love, I love, I love you. I never wish to be parted from you from this day on." - Pride and Prejudice
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