#76 Real Couple Ashley & Blake - Happy, Happy, Joy, Joy

Ashley & Blake were truly the most relaxed, joyful, smile-y couple from start to finish on their wedding day and while we know that some of that is just the kind of people they are, we can’t help but think that some of their day-of attitude was also by design. Christy was Ashley and Blake’s wedding planner at their wedding a month ago in Dallas, and we wanted them on the podcast today to share their advice and hindsight about their wedding day...and specifically how they both stayed so darn happy all day long. What they did, and didn’t do, that led to such a positive experience: We present to you, a retrospective, from Ashley and Blake, the happiest couple ever. Big Takeaways When Ashley and Blake started to plan their traditional wedding, the biggest hurdle was figuring out the venue, which in turn, informed the budget. Negotiating sometimes falls into your lap - when the hotel underwent some renovations, Ashley and Blake went with the flow. For a price. Advice from Ashley and Blake: Hiring a planner is key! Hiring a photographer that they instantly clicked with (puns!) was a big part of Ashley and Blake’s wedding planning success. Priorities! Blake and Ashley talked about the things that were really important to them when they started to plan their wedding and when things would get overwhelming or when decisions became tough, they went back to their list of priorities and stayed the course. By booking some vendors early - like their DJ - Ashley and Blake got great deals! Trust your vendors. This was easy for Ashley and Blake because they trusted their planner - who recommended these vendors. Keep your eye on the prize! Blake and Ashley never lost sight of the fact that the wedding day is supposed to be about getting married! They knew that was going to happen...and everything else was bonus-awesome. Invite people you know are going to celebrate YOU. If you have some judge-y, toxic friends or family members - maybe they don’t need to come to your wedding. Planning all the events at one hotel made the scheduling a lot easier for Ashley and Blake, their parents and their wedding party. Don’t skip the grand entrance! It’s once in a lifetime! Links we referenced Other TBWPP episode that relates to Ashley and Blake: Trish Dove, photographer: http://www.thebigweddingplanningpodcast.com/fall-in-love-with-your-wedding-photographer Other vendors that Blake and Ashley hired (that we talked about on the ep) Lizzie Bees Flower Shoppe: https://www.lizziebees.net Trish Dove - Beatbox Portraits: https://www.beatboxportraits.com LeForce Entertainment: http://leforceentertainment.com The Adolphus Hotel: http://www.adolphus.com The Big Wedding Planning Podcast is... Hosted and produced by Michelle Martinez. Edited by Veronica Gruba On Instagram @thebigweddingplanningpodcast and be sure to use #planthatwedding when posting, so you can get our attention! Inviting you to become part of our Facebook Group! Join us and our amazing members. Just search for The Big Wedding Planning Podcast Community on Facebook. Easy to get in touch with. Email us at [email protected] or Call and leave a message at 415-723-1625 and you might hear your voice on an episode On Patreon. Become a member and with as little as $6.99 per month, you get 2 exclusive, ad-free episodes, + Zoom Happy Hour with Michelle and fellow patrons every month! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices