Welcome to Day 1 of our Wedding Planning Advice Series. I am uber excited to share these posts with all of you. I have to primarily thank the wonderful brides (now wives) who took the time to send me pictures and answer each and every one of these questions. You guys are the best!

Today's feature bride includes myself (I had to, of course). Enjoy!

Bride and Groom: Melanie and Alex Fernandez
Wedding Date: February 8, 2014
Venue: Fairchild Tropical Botanic Gardens

1. How you felt when you got engaged.

So happy and very excited to plan our nuptials. I always tell brides that there is no feeling like the engagement because it's technically the only portion of the wedding process that isn't planned and is a surprise.  You sort of expect everything else because you plan everything else.

2. Step One - what you did first and what you would have done differently, if anything.

I set a date first. I got engaged 1 year and 3 months before our actual wedding date so I had time to think things through thoroughly. Venue searching was difficult for me so it helped having time to spare. I don't think I would have done anything differently - I exhausted venue options until I found the right one and don’t regret taking my time. I would definitely recommend that brides plan a wedding with enough time to really plan things out with detail. But then again, that's what House of Lilac is for. 

3. What was most overwhelming about the process?

The amount of vendors and options out there. And really figuring out what you want. Wedding planning is a reflection of not only a bride's but a couple's identity and picking the right items to help build that vision is difficult. The venue searching was problematic for me primarily because I wanted an outside venue, but I also wanted the wedding to run late (and wanted a night time wedding). But, there wasn't one outside venue in Miami that would let me have a wedding past 12am. At the end of the day, I had to pick what was most important to me, and that was having the wedding outside. Silver lining, my wedding lasted all day - 1:30 to 12am, and because of that, i was able to enjoy every second of it. 

4. Your wedding look - how did you get to the final result, i.e., how you picked your linens, flowers, bridesmaid dresses, color scheme, venue, etc. What sources or people helped and what was their advice?

A work in progress. Again, I knew I wanted an outside wedding. Crazy in Miami, I know, but I had this obsession with a draped tent (We got married in Fairchild Gardens). From there I knew I wanted neutral tones and a vintage look - very me and very us. I explored dark browns and kept a lot of the darker tones for the wedding day. However, I found this beautiful silver lace/sequined fabric for my bridesmaid dresses and, at that point, knew I had to incorporate silver. I decided at that point to use metallics throughout the wedding. When it came time to pick flowers, I knew I wanted royal tables and flower runners, and I worked with the best florist (Avant Gardens) to design the flower space for my sit down tables and my lounge area. My flowers were all white (roses, hydrangeas, phalaenopsis orchids) but I added a hint of the sahara rose to complement my wedding dress. It really did execute beautifully (I am highly obsessed with my wedding day). We tied everything together with vintage details (gold based lounge furniture, frames, chandeliers, napoleon chairs). 

5. Do you feel like a company like HOL, which focuses on event design and vendor referrals, would have been beneficial with respect to your answer in No. 4 above?

YES! I am biased, clearly. But I started the company with my planning in mind. I was blessed enough to find the best wedding planner ever, Francesca Gonzalez from Events by Francesca, and I needed one because of my demanding job (she literally held my hand through everything) but it really did and does get difficult to sit and hash out venue design sometimes, especially when it came down to the minute details - the actual printing and paper products, favors, even actual place setting design (color napkin, chargers, how to match all of this with flowers, linens) etc.

6. What you found most helpful during planning, whether a wedding planner, a parent, a friend, certain vendors

.Francesca, my wedding planner and my mother. I would have never done it without either. My job was too demanding. 

7.  What you found most difficult during planning.

This bounces off number 5 above but making sure everything, literally everything, came together and looked like one cohesive theme/wedding.

8. How you found your vendors and how you feel like HOL would've helped and facilitated the planning (including for your wedding planner).

I found my vendors through Francesca (the best part about full-time wedding planners). However, vendors are a work in progress - I remember we found our dance floor because I saw it at a wedding, became obsessed with it, and tracked the vendor down. There are a ton of vendors out there and a ton worth exploring. My goal with the HOL concierge services is to help expand the vendor network for planners and for clients alike. At the same time, I wanted to specialize in the creative aspect of weddings, specifically the details that are always difficult to find and request from just one vendor (and I know planners go crazy with this).

9.  Looking back, you would have done this differently (in general):

It was really hot the day of our wedding. The ONLY DAY IN FEBRUARY that was so hot. You know that saying, things never go as planned? Yes, that totally happened to us. I strategically picked February because based on past years, it tends to be the coldest month here. Anyway, I totally took the Miami leap of faith with an outside wedding and somewhat failed (it even rained on my wedding day - well sprinkled). 

BUT, the sprinkle brought in some cooler weather later, which I believe was God answering my year of cool weather prayers! What I'm saying is that I often wonder whether we should have had an inside wedding -BUT I don't think my vision would have executed itself if I would have planned the reception inside a venue. Or at least that's what helps me sleep at night. (haha)

10.  Your advice to any bride planning a wedding is:

Enjoy every second. It's really easy to get frustrated with the whole process. Especially at the end because you just want the day to arrive. Also, plan a wedding that is you and your groom. I think besides your home and your clothes, like I previously mentioned, your wedding is a huge reflection of both you and your future hubs. Make everything about that day everything about you and him. For instance, we wanted to have a party. If you know Alex and me, we're pretty social people and love to host and (i) love a good party. We also technically met at a club on south beach but that's beside the point. Anyway, my DJ played for 6 hours. He literally played everything. And we invested in an amazing DJ. But that was important to us. Other people like bands, other people may not like music. Again, do what makes you a couple and let people celebrate in that love with you! Oh, and call house of lilac!

11.  Your favorite moments during the whole planning process were:

My florist appointment, my tasting, and seeing everything finally come together. J I had already posted pictures of our wedding in my wedding picture post below, but here are some additional pictures that are also some favorites. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tomorrow's bride, my dear friend Veronica Veliz. Stay tuned!