Sophie King

Hi! I have been sorta testing out what it’s like to post a blog on any random day within the week. So if you have noticed that I haven’t been as consistent…I still am being consistent, just in a different way. 🙂

Little life update on wedding season:

– We have our photographer! Kim Johnson…the one who has taken so many of my lovely blog photos & my high school senior photos! I am so excited about Kim. She has been in Luke’s life since they were in like kindergarten and then we became friends in high school. But we actually became close in college. I love her SO much and she’s so gifted and great to be around. She also is super adaptable to any style, which is a gift.

– We have our videographer! I actually found him through seeing mutual friends wedding videos. He is super talented and I look forward to meeting him and seeing our video.

-We have our caterer! The Welgoss’ and I went to a tasting and it was super great. I am looking forward to the wedding food. My vision for this wedding has been “heaven on earth.” So the food will be fresh, healthy, and yummy.

-We have a baker! The same woman who has made all of mine and Luke’s cakes for occasions growing up will be doing our wedding too. So excited and sentimental.  From high school graduation to engagement and now wedding!

– We have our DJ! Our DJ is a friend from church who is not only a professional DJ but owns one of the best restaurants in the DC area. Him and his wife are the sweetest & coolest people. We are excited!

– We are talking with a super talented guy about our vision for the flowers. He has been workin with flowers for 46 years or something like that! So cool.

– My bridesmaids are coming into town soon and I am excited to be with them and celebrate.

ALSO, I am pumped about this. Luke and I have been selling a ton of our things to prepare for moving in together when we are married. I have sold lots of clothes and He has sold pretty much his entire bedroom.
But with that also means we have to buy things for our future.
We bought a bed! I am so excited about it. We got it on sale for Black Friday.

We also just bought our couch. I am SO pumped about this. We loved this style but couldn’t find one for less than $1000 anywhere. But then we found this one from World Market and it is not only SO cute but it’s SO soft and comfortable. It’s also on sale. If you are engaged and or newly weds and looking for a couch…this one is great! They have a sale going right now if you use the code: BUYANDSAVE (Click on photo for link)

And look at this cute chair that I just know will be my favorite spot to READ and WRITE!

Anyways, that is just a fun little update for those who like to follow along. And now onto the questions that were sent in:

Q1. Best practical tip you could give for planning?

A1. Okay so my friend, Ashley, told me about this website aisleplanner.com and I have REALLY appreciated it during this planning process. It helps just keep everything organized and multiple people can log in and see what the budget is, the invite list and addresses, the checklist of to-do’s. It has been really great.

Q2. What color are your bridesmaids dresses and groomsmen suits?

A2. Haha- okay I’m not sure why I am like this but I always want to keep those little details a secret until the wedding. I think it’s kind of fun to see it all in photos and videos for when the day comes. Let’s just say I am a big fan of natural, neutral tones and plants…so it could be that…could be different 😉

Q3. How are you combating the stress that comes with the wedding planning?

A3. Honestly- it’s tough. But I have the BEST Fiancé and families ever! They have been so helpful. But my best piece of practical advice for this would be…every time you start to feel super overwhelmed or stressed, buy something fun for your honeymoon like a cute dress, pjs, or decor for your home… it just makes you remember that there is so much goodness and fun to come!

Q4. Aisle runner, cake topper & flower girl baskets- I’m having a tough time finding good ones?

A4. I’m so sorry, I am actually not much of a help with this one because I am not going to have any of those. We are going to do simple flower petals or something like that for the aisle, and having a bare cake but maybe topped with fruit, and no flower girls. I grew up being a flower girl for more weddings than I can count and I just remember how overwhelming it was for the parents haha! We actually aren’t having kids at our wedding either except for family. Not because we don’t want kids but because of the guest count. BUT…I will say, Michael’s has super cute baskets on sale right now and you could just go with a natural looking basket. They also have some cute white one’s for around $15 on Amazon (click here).

Q5. What was the hardest thing you didn’t think would be hard? I know a lot of people say the “guest list.”

A5. YES. The guest list is hard. You want to invite everyone but it’s not possible. It’s difficult. But I think it’s also hard because there’s just SO much planning that goes into this day and most bride’s have never even planned an event larger than 50 people, so it feels like you’re having to be a professional at something you’ve never done.

Q6. Do you have trouble not turning into Bridezilla?
A6. HAHA- okay I have DEFINITELY had my moments. Ask Luke and my mom and sister. HA. Sometimes if I feel like my voice isn’t being heard I get super defensive and quick to shut others down when it comes to some minor details. I have been trying to work on it. They usually kinda laugh and say, “woah…breathe.” It irritates me but I know they’re right. HA. But I would say compared to the brides I see on Say Yes to The Dress I am an angel….. 😉

Q7. What do YOU think is important to do while preparing for wedding/ marriage?
A7. Pray. Spend time with Jesus. Take time to spend together. Read LOTS of marriage books. Seek godly wisdom.

Q8. How did you decide on a budget?
A8. Both sets of parents told us what they would gift us with, which was so kind and such a blessing to both of us. We both have been very mindful to make wise decisions when it comes to budget. Our families got together and just spoke about the vision of this wedding and we’ve all been very prayerful about it. It’s definitely a sensitive topic for many families and so we all make sure to respect one another.

Q9. Burning Question- Why have such a long engagement when you’ve been dating for so long?

A9. Haha- good question. Many things play into this. Luke and I both said that we would never want a long engagement or at least not one that went beyond one year. We will be engaged for almost one full year (off by one week) when we get married. We originally wanted to get married this past fall. But we both decided that it would be wise to wait until spring. There were major life changes happening. We graduated from college, we moved back home, we started new jobs and Luke is looking at going back to school. That is a lot for one to handle…plus starting a marriage. My dad is a pastor and we have always sought wisdom from our families. We decided to spread it out so that it wasn’t so much at once. I am glad we did. Also, in the area we live, most brides book their venues 18 months prior to their wedding day and they also plan before they’re ever engaged, so technically we were behind schedule already.

Q10. What kind of wedding do you want?

A10. Heaven on Earth, Romantic, Fun, Family

Q11. How have your/ his parents been through the process & how have you navigated that?

A11. Both parents have been AMAZING. Seriously. My parents are so sweet and really excited for us. They have been helpful and so loving to bless us with our honeymoon, the lower level of their home, and making sure our wedding can happen how we envision it. My dad & mom got me my dream dress, that was super special. Luke’s parents have been beyond amazing. They have been SO helpful and kind. Luke’s dad found our caterer, which was so great. Luke’s mom has been like the angel on my shoulder who helps me make decisions and implementer of my dreams. She’s truly gifted. I haven’t had to navigate them…they probably feel more like they have been having to learn how to navigate me? HA…I actually think we’ve all been working really well together. It’s been a great process.

Q12. What are your priorities for the wedding day and what’s your focus been for this engagement season?

A12. I think my answer for both of those questions is- truly taking the time to thank Jesus. He’s been so so good to Luke and me. We have seen Him show up so much during this season in our lives. I am truly amazed.

Well those are a lot of the questions that you all sent in! I will do another one of these in a couple weeks to update ya again! Love you all and thankful for you.

Thanks for reading,
Tay Ruth

*Engagement photos by Eliza Niforatos