I’ve always considered the number 3 to be a lucky number in my life. Maybe it’s because I was born on the 3rd day of the month and subjectively decided that’s my lucky number, or maybe there really is something more cosmic behind it. Regardless, I’ve gone through life choosing to believe that good vibes come from the number 3. So believe me, I definitely took my move into Apt. 303 as a positive sign of things to come. (Also, I wrote this 2 months ago, and it’s not lost on me that I just checked into room 303 at the start of my trip to Bangkok.) Apt. 303 was the first apartment that I’ve lived ..read more

This past week I felt like writing again. It’s something I’ve always enjoyed and quite frankly, something people have always told me I’m good at. It’s one of the reasons I started this website - to share blog posts of encouragement in daily life and in wedding planning. I always feel at peace when I start writing and finally hit publish on a new post, and I’ve often felt that writing is my most natural form of communication. Blogging has taken a backseat these past few months, but it’s something I want to make time for again. Even if it’s just a short monthly post, even if it’s not wedding pl ..read more

Taylor and Tyler are one of those special couples that booked me for month-of coordination about 18 months before their wedding. When it comes to day-of coordination, my experience has been that either couples know well in advance of their big day that they want someone else to coordinate, or couples realize closer to their wedding date that they really don’t want the stress of dealing with the day-of details. I always tell couples that the sooner they book, the longer we get to be friends. I was especially thankful to be there for Taylor and Tyler as we navigated the craziness of COVID in the ..read more

Planning a wedding is never an easy task, but planning a wedding during COVID-19? Crazy challenging. If there’s one thing this pandemic has taught us, it’s the true importance of a wedding day: the marriage. Intimate weddings with closest friends and family have been the norm this wedding season, and Niki and Kyle’s wedding was one of those special weddings, with about 50 of their favorite people there to celebrate them. Back in the spring, I had an honest conversation with Niki about the wedding, and at that time I felt we might need to postpone. However, I’m so glad we waited it out and kept ..read more

Would it surprise you if I said that I’ve already started drafting the guest list for my future wedding? (If you’re new here, I’m not engaged…) One day I just started tracking names in my Notes app. The wedding planner in me just wanted to get a realistic picture of how many people we might expect to have at our wedding, how large of a venue we might need, and how much money we might spend. I think I started it over a year ago, and during that time I have already edited the list, removing and adding people. To me, this shows how much life and relationships change over time, and how important i ..read more

Although I’m a little hesitant to post a money-related topic with everything going on, I feel like this topic is more important than ever. I actually started writing this blog post before the pandemic, and now I can’t stress enough the importance of a wedding coordinator. Dealing with last minute changes and conversations as a result of this pandemic is not something couples should have to do alone. Wedding coordinators are trained to handle these details while remaining calm and focused. In fact, being a calming presence and cultivating a stress-free wedding day are some of the things most of ..read more

Bri and Andrés had their beautiful fall wedding on a sunny day in September 2019. Before I even met them, I was already scheduled to work their wedding. I work closely with II Sisters Event Design and Rentals, and they had asked me to assist with setup and teardown. I was super excited because that’s one of my favorite parts of the wedding day - seeing all the beautiful decor come together to bring the couple’s vision to life. During my conversations with II Sisters, they said Bri and Andrés were also looking for a day-of coordinator. Would it be possible to do both? In this case, yes! (Note ..read more

It’s okay to grieve the loss of the wedding day you imagined. Not only that, but it’s also okay to grieve the loss of your wedding planning experience that has been turned upside down by all of this. I know some couples have been able to keep their wedding date, but they may have had to cancel their bachelor/bachelorette parties, their bridal showers, and other special celebrations. It’s okay to be a little sad, scared, disappointed, or straight up mad. You have spent so much time, energy, and money planning your dream day. It’s okay for your family and friends to feel disappointment too, as t ..read more

This past weekend my mom and I attended the first CUltivate Central Illinois Women's Retreat at Allerton Park in Monticello. Back in September, CUltivate Central IL sent out a call for session speakers. For some reason, I felt drawn to submitting my application to lead a session. I can only believe this was divine intervention, because I am NOT someone who feels comfortable with public speaking. I just really felt it on my heart to share my story and the resources that have helped me, in hopes of helping other women on their own journeys. So, I submitted my app and I was added to the weekend l ..read more

Soak it all in. You're finally engaged! After you get engaged, you'll likely be flooded with tons of questions from friends and family like: "When are you getting married?", "Have you picked out your colors yet?", "Where are you having your reception?", and “Am I invited?” (the worst). It's easy to get swept into wedding planning as soon as you get the ring, but try to hit pause. Give yourselves a couple weeks to just soak it all in as a couple. You should definitely celebrate with friends and family, but don't feel like you have to have all the answers to their wedding questions right away. Y ..read more