Writing your own vows is an extremely intimidating process, even if you are a natural writer. It involves reflecting on all of the time you shared with someone and figuring out how to narrow every experience down into just a few paragraphs or pages. On top of all that stress is the stress of knowing the words will be spoken in front of everyone you love most. These doubts overshadow the real importance of vows -- writing something beautiful for your partner to hear -- and many couples skip this part of their ceremony because of daunting task writing brings. I am 100% an advocate for writing your own vows because there are very few times in life that you’ll have a chance to stop, breathe, and completely dive into a microscopic view your relationship and its future. Though, I also understand what it’s like to have writer’s ...
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Freakin’ Cool Weddings with Bre is Fun
Even after having been in the wedding business for many years, it wasn’t until a few years ago when I connected with Bre from Bre is Fun at the Neu Neu (previously 514 Studios) in Minneapolis during, obviously, a wedding. Most of the time, planners and coordinators don’t speak much to me or speak down to me (is it because I look like I’m 12?!), but I’ll never forget the first time I talked to Bre. She was completely different than any planner that I had talked to before -- down-to-earth, humble, professional yet incredibly interesting to start a conversation with. Her blue hair (which is probably a different color now) was certainly a factor that stood out, but that’s the best part about Bre -- she feels like that cool, best friend you have that isn’t afraid to be herself while running a business. There’s nothing fake about her, and she ...
When Should You Use a Friend to Officiate Your Wedding Rather than a Pro?
Ah, such an age-old question. There are countless articles, Facebook posts, comments online I’ve seen asking this question. Anyone who has had their friend officiate their wedding will either tell you utterly charming stories or completely horrific ones. So how do you know if you should ask your friend or hire someone? Your friend has officiated a wedding before and is a frequent public speaker I can’t stress this enough. If your friend hasn’t officiated a wedding before, they’re not going to know how to officiate a wedding. Period. Sometimes, Google is a wonderful tool to find correct information but a lot of the time, Google is wrong. If your friend doesn’t speak in front of large crowds a lot, why would they be good at officiating your wedding? Your wedding ceremony is the one moment of your wedding day in which ...
Should You Get Married in Winter?
I’m not going to lie -- I love winter weddings. I love all weddings, but especially winter weddings. There’s something so magical about having a wedding in the offseason. If you’re lucky enough to live in a colder region, snow falls from the sky, capturing the most mystical photos. Winter isn’t as overbooked with events like summer is, making it a heck of a lot more relaxed. Every wedding I’ve officiated in winter also seems to be heavily focused on the ceremony, which is of course what I love most. It’s completely understandable not to want a wedding in winter. It’s colder. It becomes dark earlier. People become cranky homebodies. So why on earth would you ever consider hosting your wedding in the winter? I don’t think this topic is discussed enough, so here’s a great list of reasons why you should get hitched in the winter, from ...
We Are So Thankful For You
We definitely know it’s absolutely cheesy and cliche to write a post about giving thanks this holiday time. But honestly, we don’t care! There isn’t enough cheesiness in the world right now, and everyone can use a little more cheese in their lives. (My personal preference is parmesan.) This post is dedicated to all of the couples who chose us for their wedding. A handful of you knew us back when it was just me, Liz, officiating by myself, and there are so many of you who picked us along the way. I don’t know the exact count of how many weddings we have been a part of, but it’s certainly over the 300 mark. Three. Hundred. It’s insanely unbelievable for me to write that number. When I first started Liz Rae Weddings, I never expected anyone would even want to hire me. But 300 of you hired us. I still get excited every time someone ...
What is Wedding Season and Does it Ever End?
Anyone that knows me (Liz) knows that I’m constantly talking about this mysterious “wedding season.” I plan for it year-round, remind my friends when I’m in the middle of wedding season, take more naps and sleep less full nights in the height of it. So what the heck actually is wedding season? For wedding vendors, wedding season typically arrives from the Spring to Fall months or whatever is the warmest months of the year. For us in the midwest, our wedding season usually happens from April to the end of October. During these months, we are at a minimum of one wedding per weekend but we average around three to four every weekend. In addition to officiating weddings, we conduct rehearsals, meet family and friends while attending rehearsal dinners, grab coffee or dinner with couples, and every other wedding activity in between. We ...
Joy Studios Introduction
Something we’ve wanted to do for a long time is share the stories of other vendors we have worked with at weddings or know from our personal connections. We launched a subsection of our website called Vendors We Love, and we are so excited and honored to write about them each week. We’re kicking off this feature by briefly narrating the amazing story of husband and wife team, Joy Studios Photography, Ryan and Bethany Terry. Liz first encountered Ryan while working side by side with him at Apple for a few years in logistics. It had always been obviously clear even in the most mundanely uncreative tasks that Ryan could make anything a creative project. Shortly after, Liz was introduced to Bethany. Ryan and Bethany’s interactions with one another as a couple is so much more beautiful than any photo they could ever take. At the core, they ...
These are the Type of Vendors You Need in Your Wedding
When I wanted to start writing this blog, I wasn’t planning to write the first post about the kind of vendors couples should actively hire into their wedding. To be honest, it’s frightening to put such a bold blog post out, especially as the first one, but what matters most is making sure this is heard. I started a wedding business years ago to provide a safe space for couples to be married with someone who truly cares about them for who they are, regardless of their gender, sexuality, nationality, or any other labels unwillingly given to them. I wanted to tell their stories as it was meant to be told, not from a differing viewpoint or copied from a generically Googled script. As the world becomes a more tumultuous place to be alive, it’s important that those of us in the wedding industry express very clearly through our work what ...
Yay for New Blogs!
We've got a new blog, and we can't wait to share some tips about weddings with everyone! ...
