Resourceful Resources

I never really thought about "my" wedding until I suddenly had a rock staring at me from my left hand. Luckily two of my fellow law school classmates were also planning weddings. One of them introduced me to Pictage. Since that moment it has been my go-to for alternative venue photos, examples of photographer's work and the occasional browsing of strangers wedding photos.

A few months ago I found a recent wedding at the venue I am hoping for. The photographer listed the last names of the couple....I typed their names into The Wedding Channel search and their wedding website came up. I emailed the bride, asked her a few questions, complimented her wedding and received an incredibly detailed response including vendor reviews....jackpot! Seriously...that email has been an amazing help.

I wouldn't even be blogging about this if it weren't for Kate of Kate's Wedding. I found her blog while searching for venue information at the very, very beginning. Not only was her blog incredibly helpful, but she took the time to respond to my emails and since then we've been able to stay in touch. Finding a local bride who is already halfway through the process and also happens to be extremely organized is invaluable! She inspired me to blog-and I'm so glad that I started when I did!

Another site that I don't hear a lot about is Project Wedding. I love this site and found it especially relevant for Northern California brides. It's easy to navigate and offers great information.

And of course good ol trusty craigslist! I found beautiful sofas for our formal living room on CL three years ago and have been hooked ever since. I found a beautiful rehearsal dress option for $40 not too long ago but decided to pass as it was just too premature. I also found amazing photographers listed on CL. My goal was to find someone who was just starting out, and while it takes a while to weed through the repeat posters, I found some incredible leads. More on that in the future...

And if you needed another recommendation to convince you to buy Mindy's The Wedding Book, here it is: I love it! One of my law school brides gave it to me for my birthday and I was finally able to delve into it this evening. While most of it may be repeat advice, somehow her layout really makes things click. And there's a sense of trust since it is Mindy Weiss.

Of course, I can't forget to mention how important photography blogs have been for me. They are so helpful! I love seeing real weddings from all over. I especially LOVE when the photogs take the time to describe the couple and more importantly-the details of the event!! When a photog lists the venue, the coordinator, the videographer, the dress maker, DJ, make up artist...it seriously makes my day! When I see that, I instantly subscribe to the blog. When you love the photos, it's essential to know who made that photo happen. Definitely a great resource!

Anyone else have great resources to share?