SSLC Visits with Kentucky Bride Magazine

Simply Southern recently visited with Kentucky Bride Magazine for their Bridal Panel luncheon in Lexington, Kentucky.  We were very excited for the opportunity to visit with them, meet vendors in our region and get some insight into this industry from previous brides! 
We arrived and immediately felt welcome.  The tables were set and ready for a plated lunch, which let's be honest, we love food!  Some of you may know, but I am a vegetarian.  You should have seen the chicken they brought out for lunch.....it honestly made me want to start eating it again!  It looked and smelled delicious.  I definitely enjoyed the cute dessert they had set up for us, so yummy!  We were actually at a table with two of our favorite venues, Keeneland and Talon Winery.  It was so nice to sit down and chat with those ladies.  They were full of information and had great takeaways. 
Once we wrapped up lunch, we were introduced to the two brides that were generous enough to allow us to pick their brains.  I am not going to mention names, but will give you a high-level description of their weddings and what we took away from their experiences.  I have also included some pictures of our day!

Bride #1
This couple had recently moved to the Lexington area and didn't know a ton of information about the town or what it had to offer, especially when it came to a wedding.  The bride relied heavily on web searches and bridal shows.  Which we all know can be a blessing or a curse, depends on how we process them.  Their budget was between $25,000 and $50,000.  They did not start out with a planner but did acquire one with the venue they chose, which turned out to be a huge life saver in the end. 
With the majority of their guest list living out of town, they wanted  to make sure that their wedding was not just one day, but an actual event/get away that included their guests just as much as the bride and groom.  As I mentioned before, she relied on bridal shows as a resource for finding and booking vendors.  She actually went to 6 bridal shows! 
Some advice she provided SSLC specifically was that she needed to touch and feel her invitations before she bought them.  She actually booked her invitation vendor after visiting one of the bridal shows.  We will definitely put that into our marketing plan for 2015!  Something that was very important to this bride was building relationships with her vendors.  She felt she needed to completely trust them, ensuring their big day would be a success and everything would be as they had planned.
Our suggested take-away from this bride would be to create a new email address just for your wedding.  If you are attending bridal shows or events, it helps to keep everything in one place and eliminates confusion from work or personal email.  Great tip!

Bride #2
This couple was from the area and had a vision of their big day almost immediately.  One of the struggles the bride encountered, which if you have been the bride you will understand, was setting the budget with her parents.  No one could really say how much they could or wanted to spend.  It is so important to have some idea or estimation when you start talking to vendors.  Otherwise, you could get taken to the cleaners.  They did have a coordinator to tie up loose ends and for the day of the wedding.  There wasn't much need for a full blown planner, as this bride had everything selected and pretty much booked.  Another struggle this couple had was their guest list.  They really had to cut it down, but didn't want to hurt anyone's feelings in the process.  This is something that I think all couples struggle with and can relate. 
The wedding was set to be completely outdoors, however there was rain in the forecast.  Her coordinator kept asking what is Plan B if it rains.  The bride just kept thinking, I don't need one because it isn't going to rain.  Sure enough the day came and it rained, still no Plan B.  The coordinator had to take the event in her own hands, while reassuring the bride and groom that everything will be just as beautiful as they imagined, if not better.  She asked her to trust her and she said ok and it turned out perfect!  Ladies, you should always have a plan B.  No matter what!  Especially if your event is outdoors, you just never know in the Ohio Valley or really anywhere. 
Something that this couple took away from their planning was the projects they got to do with one another.  It really helped them grow as a couple and immerse themselves in the day, outside of just being the bride and groom.