Ten Tips for a Smooth Wedding Day

Take it from a former wedding coordinator turned bridal stylist who has seen it ALL! After months and months of planning, you have dotted your I’s and crossed your T’s; however sometimes life JUST HAPPENS. Below are ten tips for a wedding day without any bumps in the road.

Photo: Anna Kinchen Photography

1.       Eat a good breakfast! It will be a long and emotional day with very little down time. A few bites of fruit and some crackers is not going to sustain you (especially after a few mimosas). Protein and carbs will help keep you going throughout the day!

Photo: Rachel Westley for Aislinn Kate Photography

2. The night before your wedding gather all your accessories, rings, shoes and paper details and set on a visible area. These are the small details the photographers/cinematographers usually shoot first. Having them all gathered will make the photographers job easier and you wont be frantically digging through bags in the middle of hair and makeup.

3.        Have cash tips and final payments for vendors in labeled envelopes.

4.        Assign a (responsible) friend or family member to keep track of the rings, marriage license and vows leading up to the ceremony. Wedding rings and marriage licenses are the two top forgotten/misplaced items on wedding day.

Photo: Amy Riley Photography

5. Distribute detailed timeline/itineraries for family and wedding party. This allows for everyone to know when and where they need to be during the day and less people asking/calling you the morning of.

Photo: Brenna Kneiss Photography

6. Have a detailed rain/weather plan that you are comfortable with. No one wants to think about the weather being bad on their wedding day, but not establishing a plan and waiting until the night before is a bad idea. Make a plan and discuss it with your vendors beforehand so if that weather call is made, you’re not scrambling on 48-24 hours out!

Photo: Faith Moore Photography

7.       Give your photographer a list of “must have” photos. Also writing out family groupings such as “parents’ W/ siblings” or “both sets of grandparents” this way nothing is forgotten or missed.

8.       Build and emergency kit with the following items:

·         Sewing Kit

·         Makeup Wipes & Oil Sheets

·         Shout Wipes/ Tide-to-Go Pens

·         Hair Spray & Texture Spray

·         Bobby Pins & Mini Elastics

·         Clear nail polish

·         Nail Clippers

·         Earring Backs

·         Back Up Shoes

·         Band-Aids

·         Aspirin & Tylenol

·         Deodorant & Mints

Photo: Dear Wesleyann

9.       Arrange transportation from the wedding reception to your hotel/rental home at the end of the night.

Photo: Lily and Sparrow Photography

10.   Hire a wedding planner! If all of the tips above are sending your head in a tizzy then seriously consider hiring a professional. Many brides fear they will not get to be involved in the details if they hire a planner but this is not true! You get to be involved in the fun creative process but the logistics can be left to someone else. Having a planner also relieves your mom/sister/best friends of duties and allows them to enjoy the night with you.

Photo: Eva Cranford Photography

Planner Pictured: Avis Glenister with Peach and Pearl Events

Margaret Ellen Bride | Kalah and Jeremy's 30A Wedding

Kalah Shockley, a Nashville native, is truly a one-of-a-kind person! Margaret Ellen Bridal had the pleasure of helping Kalah find her perfect dress for her 30A wedding. Kalah married Jeremy Hazen on October 14, 2018, 4 days after Hurricane Michael made landfall on the Florida Panhandle. Originally, the two were to wed at The Meeting House in Carillon Beach. Hurricane Michael threw a wrench in the original plans and the two were married at The Bellamy on 30A. Kalah wore a Martina Liana gown and looked completely breathtaking. Congrats Kalah and Jeremy on your marriage!

How did you meet your groom?

Jeremy and I met on Bumble! Our first date was at Chuy's and the rest is truly history!

Tell us your engagement story:

I was at the beach with my family on vacation. I had asked Jeremy to come but due to vacation days and an upcoming trip planned for him he wasn't able to come. I was bummed to say the least. It was a gloomy day because the tropical storm was making it's way to where we were staying. I think most of us stayed inside that day because the weather was so gross. That night we all went to dinner. The place we went was AWFUL! When we got back to the house that night I was headed upstairs and the front door opened and my mom said, "Look who is here to see you!" I was in shock!!!! Jeremy had just walked through the door! He was not supposed to be here. I teased him about messing up our numbers for game night that was about to start! He and I headed upstairs to put his things away. When we got upstairs we hugged and I could feel his heart beating out of his chest. He went to grab something out of his backpack and before I knew it he was down on one knee asking me to marry him! I couldn't believe it was happening! I of course said yes and asked him a million questions about how all of it came to be. His original plans included proposing on the beach, meeting me in the local bookstore, and several other grand plans. Unfortunately, the tropical storm led to a different proposal! It was perfect and when we walked downstairs his parents were waiting for us along with my family. It was so special to be able to celebrate with both of them right after it happened!

What was your favorite part of the wedding planning process?

Picking out my dress was my favorite! We got engaged on a Sunday, and I was in Maggie's shop that Friday. I had no intentions of buying a dress that day. I truly thought that nothing would fit me, and I would leave feeling defeated. The total opposite happened. Maggie and I hit it off immediately. My mom, sister, and dad all felt the same way. We felt so welcomed by Maggie and her lovely space. The moment when I walked out and we all knew it was the one was one of the best moments of the whole wedding process!

What is your favorite memory from the wedding day?

I have so many!!! Probably taking pictures on the beach after the ceremony! We got to relax and laugh. The day had flown by, and it was nice to pause with him as my husband on the beach!

What is one piece of advice you would give someone preparing for their wedding day?

Make a list of things that are non-negotiable for you and your groom. Jeremy and I had a very small and intimate wedding. It was what we wanted. I had a few things that I said had to happen and so did he. Once we knew what those were, everything else seemed little. Your wedding day is the most magical day. Enjoy it. Choose the people you want to be there and that love you both. Don't worry or stress about napkin colors or if something doesn't work out the way you planned. I can attest to that because we got married after the hurricane hit. It was mass chaos trying to make it all come together. Thankfully Avis is amazing at her job....oh that would probably be my number one advice! If you are in the 30A area and need a planner, Avis Glenister is your gal. She handled everything and our day was more amazing than we had originally envisioned. Seriously though, don't fret over the little things. At the end of the day if you walk away married to a man that loves and adores you that's all that truly matters!

Kalah with her planner, Avis Glenister of Peach and Pearl Events.

Why did you choose Margaret Ellen Bridal? How did you know your dress was "the one"?

I chose Margaret Ellen Bridal because Maggie made me feel right at home. The fact that I had the store to myself was amazing. I never knew something like that was possible. I wasn't comparing myself to anyone else and I had the opportunity to feel like I was the most important one in the room. Maggie made the entire process magical! I knew it was the one when I put it on for the second time and could see myself walking down the aisle to Jeremy!!

Following their wedding, Kalah and Jeremy celebrated their marriage by honeymooning at Sandals Montego Bay, Jamaica.

Photographer | Eva Cranford Photography

Videographer | StoryLive Productions

Venue | The Bellamy of 30a

Florist | Myrtie Blue

Wedding Planner | Avis Glenister/ Peach and Pearl Events

Caterer | Townsend Catering

Hair/Makeup | Gallant Glam

Cake | Angelino Cakes

Ceremony Musicians | Yasya Brown

Reception Music | GTS Entertainment

Invitations | Minted

Officiant | Jason Underwood

Dress | Martina Liana / Margaret Ellen Bridal

Margaret Ellen bride | Summer Hernandez Johnson's Destin, Florida Wedding

Would you look at this beautiful family?!? How precious is that baby girl?

Summer Hernandez changed her last name and became Mrs. Johnson when she married Matt on November 17, 2018. They wed and celebrated their marriage at the Destin Bay House in Destin, Florida. She wore a gorgeous gown by Martina Liana paired with a Sara Gabriel veil and LaGartier garter.

Summer is a local bride who grew up in Fort Walton Beach, Florida and we are proud that she was one of the first girls to find her dream dress after we opened the doors of Margaret Ellen Bridal in 2018. Congrats Summer and Matt on your marriage. Wishing you many years of happiness!

Tell us about your love story with Matt.

We grew up together as kids in the same neighborhood. Matt and I use to ride mopeds around our neighborhood together back when we were 12 years old. We would go on adventures and hang out from sunrise to sunset. We were each other first kiss. In middle school. I dumped him, haha! We went our separate ways for many years and didn’t have the same group of friends and never hung out in the same places. It wasn’t until many years later we rekindled our relationship, and from that day forward he went on to become an incredible father to our daughter and a wonderful husband.

What was your favorite part of the wedding planning process?

Finding the dress, duh! My favorite part was also picking out all the over all design for theme for the wedding. I’m super hands on with that stuff and I have had years of Pinterest pins that I wanted to bring to life.

What is your favorite memory from the wedding day?

Seeing how emotional my groom was. He was the perfect groom, and his vows were so sweet and perfect. People still talk about how emotional they got during our ceremony.

What is one piece of advice you would give someone preparing for their wedding day?

On the morning of your wedding, just breathe. Take a few solid minutes to be alone and collect your thoughts. No matter what’s wrong don’t freak out and get upset about the little stuff. It’s your day that you worked so hard for so just enjoy the ride.

Why did you choose Margaret Ellen Bridal? How did you know your dress was "the one"?

I chose Margaret Ellen because I somehow received advertisement of a new up and coming bridal boutique in my email. After having a not so great experience at another store my spirits were down. My mom booked my appointment with Margaret Ellen, and I was very excited. Maggie exceeded all my expectations of what a true bridal experience should be. Right when I walked in, my dress was the first one I laid my eyes on. After I put it on, none of the other dresses gave me that this is the one, feeling. When you know, you just know.

Summer and Matt will be honeymooning in Santorini, Greece in the coming months to celebrate their marriage!

Photographer: Aislinn Kate Photography

Videographer: Tim Scarbrough

Venue: Destin Bay House

Florist: Florals by the Sea

Wedding Planner: Tammy | The Eventful Planner

Caterer: The Eventful Planner

Hair/Makeup Artist: Tania Crawford

Cake: Publix Destin

Reception Band/DJ: Epic Entertainment

Invitations: Shine Wedding Invitation

Officiant: Harry Madison

Bridesmaid Dresses: Lulus

Tuxedos: Asos

Seamstress: Kathleen Cooper | Southern Simplicity

Dress: Martina Liana

Veil: Sara Gabriel

Garter: LaGartier