"The Bachelorette" Themed Bridal Shower of My Dreams

12:00 PM






The bride tribe and my sister (@soviloveshop) threw "The Bachelorette" themed bridal shower of my dreams! Yes, we even had a rose ceremony. It was important to me to have my fiancé there and we decided to make it a co-ed couples shower.





Decor was planned by my sister @soviloveshop and executed by the bride tribe. The delicious food was catered from Stonefire Grill (one of my favorites)! Two salads, two pastas, a tray of breadsticks, 4 pies, a large jar of raspberry gummies and a huge variety of sodas. 

Started taking my walk with God a lot more seriously this year and my mom/sister bought us this book called Beholding and Becoming which helps with daily worship. I've so excited to dig into this.

 The most beautiful lazy Susan to ever exist, created my by sister @soviloveshop.

 Such a super thoughtful gift from my sister (it's our engagement photo).
The issue with having co-ed bridal/couple showers. LOL! What you don't see is my poor mother's face.
 Bow bouquet - Keshia told me I was supposed to bring this to the wedding rehearsal for good luck. Definitely doing that!

This amazing "will you accept this rose" sign my sister made.

 My mom made me read her card aloud in Vietnamese, that's why you see the crazy focus in my face. LOL!


  
We played a trivia game and musical “chairs” with one of the décor pieces. Took some photos, opened some gifts and ended it with a rose ceremony for all the winners.


 This little cutie stole the show. She is also one of our flower girls!




Jonathan and I have always been so proud of being able to accomplish a lot of the things we’ve been able to accomplish on our own. But when I think back, we’ve never really been alone. We are so fortunate to have the continuous support from our loved ones. They have always been in our corner, cheering us on. It’s an incredible feeling knowing that we have a whole village standing behind us because they believe in us and the love that we share. So, it was only right that we invited them all to the couple’s shower.




A big giant, thank you to the bridal party and my sister for such a gorgeous shower. All décor was purchased or created by my sister @soviloveshop and styled by the bridesmaids. Thank you to our family and friends that were able to join us. We are so blessed to be surrounded by so much love.

 If there wasn't a balloon garland, was there even a party?

Thank you to my crafty sister @soviloveshop for helping out with all the decor ideas! I love how everything turned out!

Keshia, my Matron of Honor and her husband Kevin. @kevintsengphotography, thank you so so much for capturing all of these moments. We'll be able to cherish them forever. You are both the best.

Solie - my Maid of Honor

Lastly, a big thank you to my dear friends Jackie and Victor for inviting us into their home to have this bridal shower. I am so appreciate.
With love,
Linh


Décor
     - Happily Ever de Leos sign: @soviloveshop
     - “Will you accept this rose?” sign: @soviloveshop
     - Striped circle fan: Amazon
     - Red round puffs: Amazon
     - Rose backdrop: Amazon
     - Balloon arch: Amazon

Stonefire Grill (http://stonefiregrill.com)
     - Cesar Salad
     - Southwest Salad
     - Pesto Pasta
     - Garlic Bread sticks

Pies
     - Pumpkin (2)
     - Cherry
     - Apple

wedding

The Best Wedding Advice I Ever Received

8:08 PM


I have been enjoying the wedding planning process thoroughly. Maybe it's the fact that I'm obsessed with timelines and to do lists or maybe it's because I know at the end of it, I get to marry my favorite human. It's a little bittersweet to be honest with you. I've heard stories from both sides of the spectrum: people having fun planning their wedding and others who almost end their engagement because of it. Now that I'm in the thick of it, I can definitely understand both sides. Weddings are stressful and can be very, very expensive. Also, did I mention stressful? Everyone wants to give you advice (whether you ask for it or not). I have been taking down every tip and advice from anyone offering.

Let me explain. I never thought I was going to get married (that's the truth, ask my fiancé). I didn't grow up playing "wedding" or designing my wedding in my head. Around the age of 24, I dreamt of being a wedding planner. Not because I was obsessed with getting married myself, but I all I wanted was to help others make their dreams a reality. I wanted so deeply to be a part of making someone else's dreams come true.

Which leads us to now. Jonathan and I were going to have a court wedding November 2018 but somehow decided to plan a small-ish wedding instead. The first thing we did was pick the wedding venue and after that put everything on pause for 3 months. So, in actuality, we've only been planning this wedding for 7 months. I guess it's better that way, less time to change my mind. 🤣During the entire process, these were the top 3 tips I received from friends and family.

Photo by Trung Nguyen

3. Hire a Wedding Planner/Wedding Coordinator
There is absolutely no way to be your own coordinator on the day of the wedding. Okay, unless it’s a super small and simple wedding, but still, why would you want to. I’m a planner by nature and thrive in chaos but even I know better than to not hire a day of coordinator. You want to be able to enjoy your special day with as little worry as possible. I’ll be writing a full blog on the difference between a planner and coordinator but here’s a few perks of having a planner/coordinator:

·       Single liaison between venue, vendors, bridal party and guests
·       Answer/assist questions from venue, vendors and bridal party
·       Help keep the wedding timeline on track
·       Help decorate venue as needed

Photo by Wesner Rodrigues
 2. Relax, Enjoy Every Moment and Drink
I grouped these together because I feel like they all fit the same theme. Take in every second, soak up every drop of love and truly just enjoy the moment. This day will only happen once and there's no re-do so just let it all in. I think this applies to the planning process as well. But on the day of the wedding, you would have prepped everything you could possibly prep, so there's nothing to do but let it go.

Photo by Jonathan Borba

1. Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff (and it’s all small stuff)
This is also a great book by Dr. Richard Carlson. The #1 advice I’ve been getting from all my friends who have been through the wedding process is not to worry about all the little things. Nobody will notice, so let it go because it’s not that important. At the end of the day, what is important is that you’ll be marrying your best friend/soul mate. All of the other things are trivial.

Let me know what other tips you have, comment below.


With love,
Linh

wedding

Wedding Series: Meet Me at the Bar

12:15 PM


“I like the barrrr-tender”! Thank you, T-Pain, for making such a great song that I’ll proudly defend has stood the test of time. I’m not saying that a liquor is necessary for a party to be enjoyable, but it doesn’t hurt. In this blog, we’re going to dissect the different wedding bar options. By the end of this, you’ll have a better understanding of the difference between an open, hosted, pre-paid, cash and BYOB bar. Ask yourself the questions because you (and your fiancé) know your guest list better than anyone else. From there, decide which option will work best for your wedding day.

Bar Minimums
Always ask the venue or bar service what the drink minimum is, if any. This is so important! This tells you how much, at minimum, you must spend on this particular part of the wedding. Be sure to have a conversation with your soon to be spouse before you make any final decisions. Here are a few things to consider:

  - What’s your bar budget?
  - Is having an open bar important?
  - How large is your guest list?
  - Are there a lot of heavy drinkers on your guest list?
  - Is beer and wine okay or do you want liquor?

If you’re lucky, there won’t be a minimum requirement. But if there is, here are some important things to help you decide what option you want to go with when selecting the type of bar you’d like at your wedding.


Open Bar
This is exactly what it sounds like, a 100% open bar. For your guests, this means an unlimited supply of drinks. For the bride and groom, this means that they will cover the entire bar. Yes, I said ENTIRE.

Suggested:
  - If having an open bar is important to you for your guests to enjoy themselves
  - If you have a smaller guest list that doesn’t include a lot of heavy drinkers

Not Suggested:
  - If you have a large guest list and they are all heavy drinkers (if budgeting is an issue)

Hosted Bar
This is a cost per person based on the tier of your selection. Standard is usually beer and wine. Gold is usually beer, wine and standard liquor. Platinum would be all of the above plus top shelf liquor.

Suggested:
  - Shorter receptions lasting roughly 1-2 hours
  - Adult only reception where everyone drinks

 Not Suggested:
  - For weddings with guests who don’t drink a lot. This is an all or nothing option, you can’t say, “out of 100 people, only 25 are drinking so only charge me for those 25”.


Pre-Paid Bar
This is when the bride and groom set a $ amount for the bar. To the guests, it looks like an open bar but once they reach the specified $ amount, they can decide to add more to the tab or turn it into a cash bar and have guests pay for their drinks.

Suggested:
  - If you want to portray an open bar but still want to be able to regulate the flow of how much people are drinking (so you won’t be surprised with the total at the end)

 Not Suggested:
  - Depending on the minimum, decide whether or not your guests would be able to reach the minimum or go over it too quickly. Sometimes there’s a time limit added to the pre-paid bar option.

Tip: this is the option that my fiancé and I ended up choosing for all of the reasons you’ve read above. We asked for the cost per drink and divided it by the estimated # of guests that would drink to give us an average # of drinks/guest. For example, if our pre-paid bar budget was $3,000, with the average cost/drink was $6 and we had 100 guests that would be drinking, that would be roughly 5 drinks per guest. (Math: $3,000 / $6 drink = 500 drinks, 500 drinks / 100 guests = 5 drinks/guest). Also, to further manage the drink flow of the night, we decided to only serve beer and liquor during cocktail hour. The bar would be fully open after that.


Cash Bar
Guests are responsible for paying for their own drinks. I would only suggest this if both sides of the families do not drink a lot. Personally, I would highly discourage this option. Your guests are coming to celebrate you and your marriage, it’s okay to spoil them a little bit too. Cash bar use to mean cash only bar but with today’s technology, card payment is usually accepted, so please be sure to check. It’s called cash bar to let guests know that the bride and groom will not be providing alcohol. If you select this option, be sure to notify your guests beforehand so they can bring money.

 Suggested:
  - Your guests don’t drink a lot
  - You don’t want that cost added to your wedding costs

 Not Suggested:
  - If you don’t want your guests to worry about bringing money or paying for their drinks

Etsy: Down Home Pixie Decor

Bring Your Own
Some venues allow you to bring in outside liquor at a cost. Sometimes it’s a corkage fee which is per bottle or it could be a flat rate. Keep in mind that liquor licenses or liability insurances may be required (check with your venue on the requirements). It’s common in Asian cultures to have a bottle of wine or cognac at the table. This can be in addition to a cash bar or in place of. Be sure to check with your venue for corkage fees.

 Suggested:
  - If you have a favorite wine or champagne the venue doesn't carry
  - If the cost of bringing in our own is less than the bar package
  - If the venue doesn't have a bar service, if you have a liquor license

 Not Suggested:
  - If you’re happy with the liquor selections the venue/caterer offers
  - If you don’t want to worry about transporting the alcohol
  - Corkage fee is too high, that may be enough for you to say, “forget it!”

Other Costs
-  Bartender(s) or bar back(s)
-  Security guard(s), this may be required based on wedding size or venue regulations
-  Supplies: ice, cups, napkins (may be included)
-  State taxes and service charges

Some venues do not allow liquor or even beer or wine for that matter. If having a bar is important to you, be sure to ask your venue or catering company to see what is allowed. If the venue allows liquor but does not have a liquor license you will have to find a vendor that can provide the liquor for you or apply for a liquor license for the day of your event. Be sure to check to rules and regulations as they differ from county and state.

Etsy: Magnolia Papers and Co.
5 out of 5 star

Ask Questions
Don’t be afraid to ask the venue/caterer questions. If they don’t have a liquor your like, ask if they can add it for a cost, or sub it at no cost. There are plenty of workarounds and ways to negotiate rates. If you really love an expensive liquor, you can try creating a smaller liquor list so they can accommodate the kind you like. Signature drinks are also a fun and smart way to regulate the bar with a fixed menu. I kept the suggestions to a minimum because each wedding is unique. I only wanted to provide you with the knowledge for all of the available options.

As for my wedding, the venue offers a large variety of alcohol but I want to make it easier for the venue and guests so we will be creating signature drinks and select the type of alcohol they’ll be serving (2 of each kind, standard and premium). An example would be having two options of vodka, Tito’s vodka and Grey Goose vodka. I’ll be creating a bar menu as well so guests can see exactly what they can get. Let me know which option you like below. I’d love to know!

With love,
Linh

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