After The Wedding Day :: Love, Milk & Honey

Today I wanted to feature one of my new favorite daily reads...Love, Milk & Honey. Love, Milk & Honey is not just a blog, it's an online community for couples beginning their journey together after the glitz and the glam of the wedding day is over.  

Lauren Kelly, who also happens to be a wedding planner is the author of Love, Milk & Honey. In her words, "This site was started because I frequently see those couples deep in the wedding planning of it all lose sight of what comes after the big day. Couples need to spend just as much time preparing for days 2 – the end, as they do for day 1. The whole point of a wedding is to celebrate a MARRIAGE. Are you preparing for it?"

Well said, Lauren! I wholeheartedly agree! I highly encourage all engaged couples, as well as newly married couples to check out Love, Milk & Honey. A wide variety of topics are discussed weekly...everything from health and fitness, work-life balance, communication, and my personal favorite, what makes a "we". All things that many newlywed couples struggle with in the beginning of their journey together.

So, what are you waiting for?! Head on over to Love, Milk & Honey and start reading! : ) 

Top 10 Questions to Ask Your Potential Church

It can be tricky for couples to decide on a church when getting married, especially if they don't belong to the church already or didn't grow up in the church; therefore, it's important for couples to interview several churches to determine the best fit. I've compiled a list of questions to ask potential churches to help couples in the selection process. No matter what your religion, these questions will help get you off on the right track!

1. Are there membership requirements in order to be married here? If so, how long must we be members in order to book our wedding date?

2. Are pre-marital classes required?

3. What are the photography/videography restrictions during the ceremony? Is flash photography permitted?

4. Are there any decorating restrictions? (I.e. real flowers vs. silk flowers, isle runner restrictions, bird seed/rice throwing restrictions etc…)

5. What is the time frame allotted for ceremony? When can we enter the church before ceremony and how long after ceremony must we leave by?

6. Are there any receiving line restrictions after ceremony is over?

7. What are the fees associated with renting church for ceremony AND rehearsal? Are there additional fees for priests, altar servers, ceremony musicians, custodians, etc…?

8. Are there any designated parking facilities? Will the church block off section for limo/bridal party transportation?

9. Who is responsible for cleaning up after ceremony?

10. Are there any rules regarding wedding ceremony dates/times? (Some churches will actually have specific times that wedding ceremonies must be held at; for example, only Saturdays at 2pm or 4pm)

The Marriage Experience

As Summer approaches more and more couples will be glistening with excitement as their wedding day draws near here in the Pittsburgh area...all of the hours you've spent planning your wedding have finally paid off and you'll be able to get some much needed (and deserved) rest! Congrats, your wedding day is almost here! But with all of the excitement surrounding your wedding, its often difficult for couples to actually grow and strengthen their relationship during this time. Premarital counseling is a very controversial topic these days and I can certainly understand why. Many couples are strongly aware of who they are as a person and as a couple, and are confident that premarital counseling is not for them; however, on the other end of the spectrum, other couples feel that premarital counseling is an absolute necessity before marriage. As a wedding planner and just as an individual in general, I feel that while premarital counseling should never be pushed on to any couple, I certainly see a benefit in it. I'm a big advocate for reducing the divorce rate (how could I not be?!). My parents are coming up on their 26th wedding anniversary and even more impressive are my grandparents coming up on their 67th wedding anniversary (and they are just as cute as ever as they age into their mid 90's now!)

Many premarital programs aren't exactly fun...or let's just say they are less than thrilling! However, The Marriage Experience, a unique seminar for engaged and newlywed couples is coming to the Philadelphia area (sadly, no date for Pittsburgh as of yet) on Saturday June 7th. This seminar takes the idea of premarital counseling and turns into it a fun and creative weekend where couples can really get to learn about each other. The seminar takes place at the Valley Forge Convention Center in King of Prussia, PA. A variety of topics will be discussed from various relationship and marriage experts, including merging lives, gaining insight to and understanding your partner's needs, and why conflict is good for you. Couples can choose to stay just for the day, or the entire weekend. Following the conclusion of the seminar, couples will enjoy a "date night" with a dueling piano and comedy show. The cost to attend the seminar for the day is $189 per couple if you register early and $209 per couple for the regular registration. Weekend retreat costs are as follows: $1,349 per couple for early bird registration & $1,499 per couple for regular registration. For more information or to register for the seminar check out their website directly: The Marriage Experience.