Your engaged!! Congratulations!!! 
Get ready for a barrage of questions from family & friends!
When are you get married? Where are you getting married? What are your colors? etc....
Chances are you have thought about the answers to these questions, but haven't really discussed them with your fiance and parents, so feel free to answer those questions with a simple
"We will let you know when we know!!"

Follow these first steps to start your planning off right!

1. BREATH! Take some time to be in the moment and enjoy this special time in your life!

2. Create a guest list- It is so important to know how many people you will be inviting. Give your parents a chance to go over the list and add to it, so there are no surprises down the road. 

3. Discuss a budget limit- This is sooo important. Discuss with your fiance how much you will save and contribute, then schedule a time to sit down with your parents and have a serious conversation about what they can contribute. Please don't just spring this on your parents, let them know you are coming to discuss the subject. It can be a difficult conversation to have, but trust me you will feel relieved to have it out of the way at the beginning of your planning process. Make sure to discuss how the payments will be handled. You can expect to pay about half of your wedding budget at the beginning with deposits.

4. Create a budget breakdown- You will need to breakdown all your wedding expenses to determine what you can spend in each category. There are some formats you can follow online, but you will need to adjust to your area, type of venue, etc. It is best to hire a professional to help you with this. 

5. Choose some dates- Get the parents and other VIP's in on this discussion. Pick a year (discussing the budget will help with this, if you need another year to save up for the wedding of your dreams!) Then decide what season you want to be married in and pick some dates that look good to you. Send those dates to your parents and possible bridal party members to be sure there are no conflicts! It's best to have a few dates in mind so your will have a better chance of getting the venue and vendors you want!

If you follow these steps before rushing out to book a venue or buy a dress you will have a much better planning experience!!!

Happy Planning
Mindy

Ahhhh! The Bouquets!!!
They are one of my favorite things to see arriving on a wedding day! I think Brides always have a little voice in their heads wondering if the bouquet, the flowers, the decor will all be what they pictured. I can't even explain the anticipation and excitement I feel when I see the floral designers show up!! I know it's only moments away that my bride will see their vision come to life!! I know each one will be overcome with joy when they realize it's is not only what they envisioned, but so much more!
I am so confident in the teams of vendors we put together, that I grab my tissue's, because I know somebody's crying with happiness! And yes, I will be shedding tears as well!

Here are some of our favorite bouquets of 2015

Hannah's free flowing fall bouquet was designed by Lotus Floral Designs. Photograph by Erika Follensbee. (Above)

Hannah's flower girls carried small bouquets of baby's breath, which also was used to make these adorable head wreaths.  (Below)
​
See more of Hannah and TJ's Rustic Barn Wedding here.

Molly's late spring bouquet was beautifully designed with pops of color to compliment her Haley Page Wedding Gown. The bouquet was gorgeous, unique and stunningly perfect just like the bride herself.
Floral Design by Lotus Floral Designs. Photograph By Mon Petit Studios. 

We are proud that Molly & Jim's lakeside wedding was featured in the Spring/Summer Edition of The Knot New England magazine.

See more of Molly and Jim's Lake Winnipesaukee Wedding here.

Amy's favorite color is red so she wanted it to be the main color for her Fall wedding on her family's Squam Lake compound. Mary at Lotus Floral Designs incorporated blush tones to compliment the reds and whites of the dresses and linens.

Amy was in awe of her whole wedding!! J. Harper Photography captured the very moment she saw everything!! Can't wait to share that with you in our upcoming post The Reception Flowers of 2015.

See more of Amy and Alex's Lake Squam Fall Wedding here.

Abigail wanted to incorporate hues of purple and silver into her Spring lakeside wedding in Meredith, New Hampshire. 

Lotus Floral Designs created beautiful bouquets that smelled as lovely as they looked!  Photographed by J. Harper Photography.

See more of Abigail and Jay's Wedding here.

Melissa was a classic bride who wanted mostly white flowers with a touches of  green of navy blue to compliment her bridesmaids dresses. I designed an all white bouquet for the bride with a navy blue lace stem wrap & mostly white with touches of green for the bridesmaids. The flower girls adorned daisy floral crowns, making them feel like princesses for the day!

See more of Melissa & Freddie's New Hampshire Barn Wedding featured on The Knot here.

Photographs by Mon Petit Studio

Our final bouquet is Amanda's designed by Lotus Floral Designs. Amanda wanted a wildflower style bouquet with pops of yellows complimenting the navy blue (a popular color for 2015!) of the bridesmaids dresses and rest of the design we created.

See more of Amanda & Nick's Wedding Weekend, complete with a 5K race the morning of, by Ron Kolias Studios here.

We can't wait to see what 2016 brings!! Thanks for stopping by!!
Happy Planning!!
​Mindy

We would love to hear your thoughts!! Leave a comment below!!