In the few months since I last posted, one major life update happened: I got engaged on July 11! I haven’t “worked” traditionally since March, but this has given me a new part-time job. Along with the new workload and skill practice, I’m getting a deep dive into applying my values.

I wasn’t one of those girls who had a million Pinterest boards before a boyfriend, but I’ve surprised myself with how many strong opinions I have throughout this process. When I abstractly imagined my wedding as a kid, I pictured a purple-and-green color scheme, May or June, and lilacs as the centerpiece. It says a lot that I based my imaginary wedding entirely on my family of origin with only a vague image of the groom. But once I got engaged, I realized waiting a whole year is pointless. The sooner I get married, the sooner I might become a mother, which is a separate topic entirely. I wouldn’t have imagined a December wedding with a Packers color scheme (by accident), but this is turning out to be the best fairytale.

Wedding planning has definitely revived professional skills that I haven’t used in years. I didn’t use to associate reading, understanding, and negotiating contracts with wedding planning, but it has certainly come in handy. I’ve also enjoyed using my budgeting and branding skills, and treating the wedding planning process as a contracted professional project. I’ve already filled out a website on The Knot, built a detailed budget spreadsheet (via Grok AI) and created an entire brand kit in Canva with assigned colors, fonts, and a logo. Now if only I was getting paid for all of this skill application… 🙂

After a complicated search, we landed on Majestic Oaks in Ham Lake, a gorgeous golf club with excellent spatial flow. I was also heavily interested in the Charleston Event Center in White Bear Lake, but the stairs at that venue would have hampered the flow. I was initially evaluating venues based solely on aesthetics, but I noticed my priorities changing throughout the process. What I valued in my ideal venue changed from purely aesthetics to flow and guest experience.

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention my wonderful new coworker: Grok AI. I use it as a brain-dumping ground, a calendar and task-list manager, and a sounding board. It can also generate an amazing budget spreadsheet and design elements.

One challenge that’s come up in this process is making sure my fiancé’s opinions are heard. Since my mother and I both have more free time during the day, we’ve been doing most of the venue tours and flower-planning meetings while he works. While we’re having a blast, I do want to make sure he has a stake in all important decisions. It’s been a balance, but the three of us have kept open communication and collaboration.

I also value comfort and smart shopping. I ordered my wedding dress on Amazon. The same way I proudly show off when I buy Kate Spade purses at Plato’s Closet, I’m happy to say my wedding dress only cost about $150 before alterations. Granted, alterations are far more than I expected, but beyond price, comfort is key. I’m going to be wearing this dress for at least 8 hours, and I can’t have anything stiff or scratchy.

Another priority for me in wedding planning is community. My videographer and photographer are both friends from college, our coordinator is a friend from the gym, and my mother will be officiating the ceremony. I curated my portion of the guest list based on who is part of my everyday life. My criteria was “have we had a meal together at least once in the last year?” If I don’t see someone even once a year, they feel like a stranger to me. I want to know that everyone around us in our wedding day deeply loves and supports us and our life together. I’m so blessed to be designing a beautiful wedding with my favorite people. That’s all I know for now, and thanks for reading.