Hey WNY! I’m Ali, the owner of Buffalo + Rochester Indie Weddings and I AM A WIFE! It’s still so new and exciting to think about. I still giggle every time I refer to him as my husband in conversations. I’ve been lovingly referring to Michael as “husband” to his face, even when I have nothing to say. I just like hearing it come out of my mouth. I say it all the time. I’m a f*cking wife! It’s AWESOME! I’ve got some quick tips from a new wife’s perspective that I think you’ll enjoy.
Since I am in a unique position as a wedding vendor who is now married – I thought it would be really helpful to share some of my experiences and advice with you all. I first have to warn you – I am a very non-traditional bride that did whatever I wanted and totally out of order. I do not suggest making things difficult for your vendors – so try and stick to some reasonable order for their sake, haha! However, I kept things super concise and tight so I did not have too many moving parts. Or… so I thought I did… Best intentions and all, right? Tune in with us on Buf / Roc Instagram’s as we share highlights from these posts in video!
Trust In Your Professionals
The first thing I wanted to stress was the importance of trusting in your wedding vendors. Find vendors that you vibe with. You’ll need to be upfront with them and feel comfortable communicating your wishes and expectations. We work best when we are pushed out of our comfort zones. Share your ideas and desires, but let us handle the rest! Here are some ways in which I let my pro’s really wow me!
My dress
So, the dress was all my idea, since that’s what I do in my other life. I knew that I wanted to wear a piece of art painted by my good friend, Alix Martin. She is Michael’s favorite artist, so the detachable train is my gift to him, since we will be able to stretch it after the wedding. I provided Alix with the dimensions, design drawing and photos of the venue and let her go to town. I didn’t see the fabric painted until close to the end of the dress making process, but it was one of my favorite memories! She nailed it in such a momentous way because she was able to do what she does best.
The flowers and decor
I was going to skip flowers completely. I wanted to work with as many local vendors as possible, and since I could not bring her as a guest, my friend Stacy came up with some ideas that I couldn’t pass up. She sourced some insane faux flowers that looked so real it was bananas. She also seriously upgraded my original idea for the backdrop by including the large scale crepe paper flowers. She then pulled together some more items and ideas for my venue to follow, including candles! Everything fit into a suitcase!
The food and desserts
I really didn’t have much of a choice here considering I could not fly to Mexico for a tasting. I did extensive research to find a caterer that was available and in my price range. I could only use reviews and look at photos, but my venue definitely backed up my choices. They were the ones who suggested my baker, and I’m so grateful. His work was some of the most beautiful I have ever seen.
The ceremony
I allowed our officiant to take the lead for the entire ceremony. Michael and I had our sights set on a handfasting ceremony, as well as a sand pouring ceremony with our daughter. Other than that, we left it all up to her! We also allowed our bridal party and close family to participate however they chose. My mother wrote the most beautiful message for us, and my maid of honor selected a meaningful expert from a book. They were all such lovely surprises on the big day.
I’ll be sharing a selection of new tips every month, but our blog and social feeds are always flowing with inspiration on the daily! Keep following along with us daily on social media for new inspiration, tips and advice for your own wedding right from WNY’s most talented group of vendors! Make sure our directory is your first stop when you’re searching for a vendor, get tickets to our upcoming events, and follow us on all of the channels! #partyonbrides #partyongrooms