Blogger Spotlight: Coastal Bride

You run the wedding blog, Coastal Bride. Tell us about how you got started!

I was a wedding photographer for eight years with my father. With so many years in the industry I know a lot about weddings and love sharing advice, so one day I just decided to take the leap and start my own blog!

Coastal Bride is for Southeastern couples. What does that mean? What are the characteristics of a Southeastern couple?

Coastal Bride focuses on the Southeast region of the US, basically Virginia down to Florida. The weddings we feature tend to be more laid-back and have a strong focus on friends and family.

Are there any wedding traditions specific to the Southeast?

I’m not sure if this is the entire Southeast but Southern wedding receptions traditionally feature stations rather than sit down dinners. Rather than breaking up the night with a formal dinner having stations allows your guests to wander and keeps the party flowing!

What’s been the best part about bringing Coastal Bride to life? All the dreamy wedding inspiration? Helping couples plan their weddings?

I love connecting with readers. It’s so fun meeting people and hearing that they enjoy my site or that it gave them inspiration in some way.

What are the best-kept-secret venues on the Southeastern coast?

My favorite venues are always people’s private homes. It’s intimate, personal, and usually totally unique!

What is it about the wedding industry that you love?

I love that every wedding is completely different and there is always room to be creative.

If you had to cover just one aspect of the wedding industry, what would it be?

That’s a tough one but probably photography because it touches on everything.

What are you most looking forward to as far as trends go in 2017?

I’m really looking forward to seeing more greenery and pattern introduced into weddings.

What would your dream wedding be like?

I have to be honest that I have never thought much about my own wedding. I would definitely want something on the smaller side so I can have a stress-free day!

We have a lot of couples who are looking to plan their dream wedding on a budget. What are you best tips for keeping costs down?

Spend on the top 3 things that are most important to you and then budget for the rest. If you want a band but that leaves less room for florals you can re-use your bouquets as centerpieces or fill the space with candles.

Never skimp on the photography….

There are lots of ways to stretch your budget and make it work. But never skimp on the photography, that is the one thing you will have left after your wedding, and it’s not something that can be re-created!

If you could splurge on one wedding item, what would it be?

A really fun wedding gown!

Lastly, at Joy we believe that even though a wedding lasts a day, joy lasts forever. What does that mean to you?

Planning a wedding is fun but what’s really important is the big picture. Your wedding lasts one day but your marriage will last a lifetime. Don’t get so caught up planning your wedding that you forget to enjoy your partner and make time for each other.