Remember Kindra Graef and Stephen Rangel's pink and girly wedding with a Man-of-Honor and lots of dancing? I know that I adored Kindra and Stephen's wedding because of it's obvious focus on family, friends, and fun so I'm super thrilled to have them both sharing their wedding planning experience with Tulle Nation!
Images Courtesy of: Teresa K Photography
Kindra remembers their September 17, 2011 wedding as, "... absolutely the best day of our lives! It was filled with family, friends, and fun!!!" while Stephen felt it was, "Amazing. We were completely relaxed and excited. There was no drama. Our guests enjoyed us and we enjoyed them. The staff catered to us as if they were Disneyland crew members! They did everything they could to make our day unique to us."
Images Courtesy of: Teresa K Photography
Read on for an exclusive interview with Kindra and Stephen and their "Wedding Advice for Newly Engaged Couples"...
How long after your got engaged did you begin planning the wedding?
Kindra: Like any girl, I dreamt of what my wedding would be like since a very young age. Once Stephen proposed, he begged me to not talk wedding for exactly one month. And we did exactly that, it allowed us to enjoy the moment. Looking back that was the most serene time of our engagement. As soon as that one month was up… look out world I was a bride on a mission for the biggest bang for my buck!!!
Stephen: My wife and I always said we would wait a month after the engagement although I’m pretty sure my wife had everything planned before I even thought about popping the question.
How did you determine the wedding’s budget and who contributed what?
Kindra: We were very fortunate that each of our parents assisted us with the cost of the wedding. The thing that worked best for us was the envelope system. We created an envelope for each major expense. Every month we would cash our paychecks and set money aside to pay off our big ticket items. We used this versus a bank account because for us it was too easy to access money in the account.
Images Courtesy of: Teresa K Photography
How did you keep track of your wedding planning (book, planner, Excel, other?)
Kindra: Lists, Lists & more Lists! I kept a binder with me nearly every day during the final planning stages. It was important to me to keep the costs low so I constantly wrote lists of what I needed and then went coupon hunting! Joann's online coupons are the best for decorations, invitations, and last minute items.
When you discussed the wedding, what 5 things where most important to the two of you?
Photography – Teresa K Photography = AHHHHMAZING
The Experience – We wanted our guests to have the time of their lives!!!
Reflection of Relationship – The wedding should be a reflection of our relationship
Music – DJ Jo
Location – If your heart's not feelin’ the location, you’re not going to be comfortable
Images Courtesy of: Teresa K Photography
How did you incorporate those 5 things into your wedding?
Photography – We looked into a few local photographers and it was convenient that they were located in the same area, but they really didn’t gel with us. It’s really important to find a photographer that you are comfortable with and that will try their best to make you look good on your day. We continued our search by looking for photographers that have worked at the venue we selected. As I was browsing the Internet, my husband walked by and saw one of Teresa’s photos and just said, “Book her!”
The Experience – We didn’t want our guests to worry about anything. One of the things I really don’t like about weddings I have attended in the past was that I had to move the chair I sat in for the ceremony over to the reception location. I would recommend spending the extra couple of bucks to ensure the comfort of your guests. We also made sure there were plenty of adult beverages available because that usually makes the mood lighter and carefree. We tried to get the crowd involved as much as we could by having them dance and we made them sing a love song before their table could be released for dinner.
Reflection of Relationship – Stephen and I are an out-going couple that really like to have a good time! We had a surprise procession as we exited the aisle. Everyone in the wedding party had their own dance routine as they danced down the aisle to "Forever" by Chris Brown.
Music – We really wanted to have a DJ that understood what type of vibe we wanted to have at our wedding. Jammin’ Jo understood us from the start and she is such a great entertainer!!! We really wanted someone that had MC experience - it really helps the flow of your wedding day.
Location - We are Christian folk, but we did not want to be cooped up in a church for our special day. We love the outdoors so we found a place that was green and luscious. Remember the location will be the backdrop for your photos.
Did you register for gifts and was it a good experience?
Yes, we registered at Target and Bed, Bath, & Beyond. Registering at Target was a relaxing experience with my husband and myself. Bed Bath & Beyond was a totally different story! We were assigned a consultant that seemed to have a quota to meet. We ended up registering for everything under the sun! By the time we left, we had registered for over 800 items. Thank goodness we could edit it after we left because I surely did not want to end up returning an Elvis duvet cover!
Could you share some wedding planning advice for newly engaged couples?
Kindra: Set your priorities and make sure you know exactly where the money is going! Plan time alone with each other the week before your wedding. My husband and I packed a picnic and headed off to the lake to enjoy an afternoon free of wedding chaos. This really gave us time to regroup and refocus on our relationship.
Stephen: Let your wife get most of what she wants…It’s basically her day.
Images Courtesy of: Teresa K Photography
Where did you splurge and where did you save?
Note to all brides ~ SPLURGE on photography. After you put in all the time, money and effort into planning your special day, the pictures are going to be the only thing left to remember how awesome it was.
I saved the most on flowers and decorations. If you are willing to do your own flowers, Costco is extremely reasonable. You need to make sure you place the order at least two weeks prior to your wedding. If you are having flowers that open up like lilies, it is best to have them delivered a few days sooner because it will take a while for them to open. As far as décor goes, I used a lot of paper products. It’s really nice to have things labeled such as wedding party chairs, candy bars, & reserved signs. You can get multiple prints, textures and colors that will compliment your wedding. I was constantly watching for Joann's 6 sheets for $1.00 sale.
What specific cost surprised you (pleasantly or unpleasantly)?
I know this sounds chintzy, but the bridesmaids dresses were from Forever 21. The dresses were the exact style I was looking for and they were only $19.50!!! My Bridesmaids really appreciated the savings and they were excited that they could splurge a little more on shoes.
Images Courtesy of: Teresa K Photography
Could you share a favorite DIY project from your wedding?
Cranes add a beautifully delicate touch to a wedding. They are time consuming, but they look beautiful!!! I made approximately 300 cranes and the strung them on fishing line. They were beautiful, but after looking at the pictures I would have doubled the amount. Recruit a few of your friends and you should be able to knock them out in no time!
Did you have to handle any tricky or delicate issues while planning your wedding and how did you cope with them?
We really did not want children at our wedding. First off, we didn’t want to have the added expense and secondly, we really wanted our guests to have a good time without any distractions. However my mom really thought people would be offended if we formally asked them to leave their kids at home. At first, I intended on writing something to the effect of, “This celebration is an adult affair. Please keep the little ones at home.” For my mom’s sake, I needed to find a way to be more subtle. I simply wrote on the response cards “We have reserved ___ seats for you at our wedding.” If there was a family of four with two children, we only wrote that we reserved two seats. People did not seem to comment and we only had one youngster in attendance.
Could you share some wedding day advice for newly engaged couples?
Kindra: I was nervous about tearing up on my way down the aisle. I looked up a few suggestions and the only one I could remember on my wedding day was to repeat the word, “watermelon” in your head over and over. It really did help because I was so focused on that it kept me calm.
Take time during the wedding to really thank everyone that helped you put your wedding together.
Plan extra time for each aspect of your wedding so that when you’re running late, you will already have extra time added into the equation. I would suggest at least one hour for photography and plan something for your guests to do in the meantime.
When it gets stressful, remember why you are there. You are there to CELEBRATE your love for one another.
Stephen: Drink plenty of water - the excitement can really distract you, but it’s important to stay hydrated. The last thing you need when you standing at the altar is to faint in front of all of you guests.
Could you share your favorite photo from the day and tell us why you love it?
Images Courtesy of: Teresa K Photography
I love this picture because it really captures us right before we started dancing down the aisle. It really displays our fun-loving relationship.
Images Courtesy of: Teresa K Photography
I also love this one because Teresa was able to pull us away for a minute from the wedding and the look we exchanged in this picture says a thousand words. We are ready to embark on this new chapter of our lives completely and 1000% together.
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Thank you, Kindra and Stephen! I loved how you discussed the importance of remembering that a wedding is about being a couple and about your relationship (but you can still plan a fun party)! Would you like to ask Kindra or Stephen any questions about their wedding experience? Leave a comment and we'll try to get back with you!
I didn't know costco did flowers! That is something I am definitely going to keep in mind for my big day! (:
Posted by: Danielle @ Itsaharleyyylife | 01 October 2012 at 07:01 AM
They do! And I've seen the flowers and arrangements in real life - they are lovely. Sam's also does flowers and their arrangements are great for retro-y or homemade-y weddings.
Posted by: KissMyTulle | 01 October 2012 at 08:04 AM