Planning a Wedding That Sparks Joy
My Favorite Wedding Planning Resources + Vendors
A Wedding That Sparks Joy
I got married on 5/20/23, and I’m going to be 100% honest — the wedding planning part did not spark joy for me 😆 However, the wedding day was wonderful and full of so much love. And I am SO happy that we stayed true to our themes: simple, joyful, and whatever felt like “us.”
The wedding planning world is overwhelming with so many options (decision overload!), so I’m highlighting some of my favorite things and vendors from our magical day. I hope this will help future couples in the throes of wedding planning!
Our Vendor Dream Team
We loved our vendors and highly recommend them:
Venue: Riverbed Farm in Anaheim, CA
Coordinator: Jess Marie Events
Hair & Makeup: Absolutely Beautiful
Photographer: Archer Inspired
Videographer: Valencia Visions
Photo Booth: DreamLight Photobooth
Catering: Love at First Bite Catering and Portos Bakery for desserts
DJ: Extreme DJ
Inspiration & Information
New resources and vendors are always popping up. I found these Facebook groups especially helpful for sourcing advice, vendors, and ideas on anything and everything. You can overwhelm yourself with all the options available, so I limited myself to these as my main places for sourcing information:
We also hired a month-of coordinator, who helped us create and manage the timeline and details, and she was also a great source for vendor recommendations.
Wedding Party Outfits
Wedding dress and jewelry from Lulus (Online)
Bridal shoes from Birdies (Online) - I’ve already worn them again since the wedding and they feel like you are walking on soft pillows!
Groom’s suit and groomsmen suits from Al Weiss (Los Angeles)
Bridesmaid dresses from Show Me Your Mumu (Online) - HOT TIP: pick your dresses and then check second-hand sites like Poshmark for extra savings!
Signage
Download Canva! There is a free version (I have the premium version) and it’s where I designed everything — save-the-dates, invitations, timeline of events, bar menu, seating chart, and more!
Welcome Sign made at Board & Brush Creative Studio - I got crafty and made this. Board & Brush made it simple and fun!
Printed our seating chart at Staples
Withjoy.com for our wedding website, registry, and for collecting RSVPs - and it’s free, too!
Flowers
We specifically chose an outdoor venue with lots of greenery and rustic vibes so that it didn’t require a significant amount of extra decorating:
Pergola garland (fresh) from Costco - Costco really does sell everything!
Eucalyptus and Baby’s Breath (fresh) from Trader Joes - I used these to fill our centerpiece bottles and vases; guaranteed fresh and affordable.
Ling’s Moments artificial eucalyptus garlands from Amazon - I used these as our table runners on our wood picnic tables.
Bouquets from Etsy - I chose dried flowers so that they could be keepsakes and used them as decor after the ceremony for our sweetheart table. My MOH beautifully created my bridal bouquet from a bamboo fan, dried flowers, and additional fresh greenery from Trader Joes (she did this with an inspiration photo I shared with her from one of the facebook groups!).
Wedding Decor, Favors & More
Table numbers from WolfsDenCraftCo - I received so many inquiries on these when I re-sold them!
Globe guest book from World Market - we love to travel, so a globe guest book fit us!
Sparklers from Superior Celebrations - we got the 36” Gold Sparklers for our sparkler exit (one of my fave moments of the night!). Order EARLY — ground shipping only.
Water tumblers for favors from Alibaba.com - we personalized tumblers with a wedding logo that I designed in Canva. It has brought us great joy to receive photos from our guests showing them being used after our wedding!
Vow booklets from Amazon - we wrote our own vows and they are now treasured keepsakes.
White votive candles from Amazon - placed in up-cycled glass jars for the tables.
I stalked these Re-Sale Facebook Groups and bought our centerpiece glass carafes, Mr. & Mrs. sign, and card box second-hand:
Most Important
Wedding planning is stressful. But, the wedding day goes by in a blur, so try to take it all in. The morning of my wedding, my good friend text me this, which helped put everything into perspective: “Happy Wedding Day! It goes by super fast so try to pause and enjoy your day. Remember, as long as you end the day married, nothing else really matters. Love you!”
Sending all my love to you, future brides & grooms!!! 🤍 🤍 🤍