Couples who have been married at Vue have graciously shared their insight on what surprised them about planning a wedding and how to create a modern wedding vibe. This time, we asked Vue couples what “must dos” they recommend for couples planning to say I do!
Planning Musts
Vue Bride Natalie Schulte recommends identifying what is most important to you as a couple to allocate your budget.
Natalie Schulte & Karl Schoeps wed at Vue in the fall of 2021. Photo: Brydon Lynn Photo
“We made a budget and decided on things most important to us that we would splurge on if need be,” said Natalie, who wed Karl Schoeps at Vue on Oct. 2, 2021 in a gorgeous fall wedding. “I felt like doing this made me feel everything we spent money on was completely worth the price after the big day,” she added.
Megan and Elisabeth Althouse-Stark, who wed Vue on Oct. 16, 2021 with a beautiful Sunday brunch, suggest couples recognize that traditions aren’t requirements.
“Our biggest “must do” from the planning process was understanding that it’s your wedding day and you can truly customize it and make it exactly what you want it to be. While many people still feel called by certain traditions to include things in their wedding (us included!) it really helped us through the planning process to know that if there was something we weren’t interested in, we didn’t have to do it. For example, we didn’t do a bouquet toss because neither of us really cared for it, and it made our planning so much easier to know that we could just cut that out,” shared Megan.
Wedding Day Musts
A common “must do” among Vue couples is carving out special one-on-one time amid the whirlwind of the wedding day.
We love Natalie and Karl’s choice to grab breakfast together before they separated to get ready. “It was so nice to spend the early morning together before our friends arrived to get ready,” Natalie said.
She added that they also “decided to do a first look and read letters to each other privately which was a really intimate moment that made the day feel like it was all about us.”
Megan and Elisabeth Althouse-Stark were married at Vue in the fall of 2021. Photo: Seibert Studios Photography
Megan and Elisabeth also spent time connecting before they walked down the aisle. “We got ready together, which I know isn’t the preference of every couple, but in our case it helped keep us calm and it was so exciting to see all the pieces of our outfits come together,” said Megan.
The couple also recommends planning a last dance at the end of the reception. “We loved getting to have a moment to wind down after a crazy day and have another dance together” Megan said.
Another wedding day “must” recommended by Natalie is to rent an Airbnb for bridal party the day of the wedding. “Airbnbs are so quaint and often brighter than hotels. It really felt like a home and my bridal party was able to spread out much more than a hotel suite would have allowed,” she said.
Staying in the Moment
Your wedding day is likely going to be a whirlwind! Being intentional about staying in the moment with your spouse can create lasting memories.
“We both wanted to make sure the day was about us,” shared Natalie. “We wanted to be with each other and really have special moments throughout the day.” Natalie and Karl made these special moments possible by ditching the cocktail hour and escaping to the Vue loft for some one-on-one time while guests mingled. They also opted for a sweetheart table during dinner to allow them to focus on each other.
“In general, I just didn’t let anything distract me from the fact that I was getting to marry my husband. I was so excited for the day I just focused on him and us. I am thankful to have had vendors I trusted so much that I knew they could handle anything so I didn’t have to worry or lose my focus on the special day,” shared Natalie.
Megan and Elisabeth recommend delegating, and enlisting your bridal party, friends and family to help handle details so you can enjoy the moment. “We didn’t have a planner but we had an awesome group of friends and family in our bridal parties who took on a lot of the responsibilities of making sure the day went by smoothly, which allowed us to relax and enjoy each little moment. We couldn’t have done it without them,” shared Megan.
Get more tips on planning your wedding on Vue’s blog.
