Tenley’s Wedding Planning Series: The Dream Team

{Photos by Feather & Stone | Fine Art Photography}  Photos taken at Venue, Chez Balliet

My one desire for my wedding day: To just show up and marry my guy.

And it's happening, and happening quickly! Just a few weeks away and I will be Mrs. Taylor Leopold!

In my hopes to share all of the behind the scenes leading up to this very special day, I wanted to start at the very beginning and walk you through our experience with finding "The Dream Team" that is making my one desire happen, and how we found our venue, and how we picked our quickly approaching date!

The night we got engaged set the tone for everything we started dreaming up for our wedding day. {Read our Engagement Story HERE} Actually… we'll jump backwards to my second date with Taylor, and that's what truly set the tone. As you read in our engagement story, Taylor and I have always been intentional about our relationship heading towards marriage, and he wasn't shy to bring it up on our second date! I remember him asking me what my wedding dreams were, and I shared with him, "To just show up and have the best day ever!" And that hasn't changed. But jump forwards now to the night we got engaged. Taylor had arranged a surprise Engagement Party to follow his proposal, which took place in one of our favorite places ever, his parent's backyard. It was intimate, is was laid back, it was a mix of our closest friends, some family, drinks, good food, twinkle lights, and even some live music. We were just missing a few important people. But as we held hands in the midst of our friends and family gathering around us, and celebrating our love, we looked at each other and said, "This is it. Let's make our wedding just like this."

Enter our Dream Team, Amorology!

I have been a big fan of Heather Balliet, the owner and creative brains behind everything Amorology for a very long time! I met Heather in 2011 as we were planning a (beautiful) fundraising event for a mutual friend of ours. I fell in love with Heather's heart and her creative abilities, along with the help and creative assistance of her husband, Troy (he's a big part of our dream team too)! I began following them way back when, and then got to catch up with Heather and Troy once again as they did one of my best friend's (and bridesmaids) Weddings! And on that day, my heart was so happy for my friend's marriage, but my heart was feeling a little weary (yet hopeful) in regards to my future. In between the excitement of my friend's big day, Heather and Troy had some sweet words that left me with some hope. So on the day I got engaged, naturally I wanted to let Heather know! I also didn't want to waste any time in seeing if Amorology could be the pillars of our Wedding Day Dream Team!

{Amorology- Photo by Ana Lui}

Thankfully Heather and Troy, "team Amorology" were excited to join us in helping us plan our Wedding! We are so grateful to have been able to book them for their "Full Service Event Design + Coordination Package". Remember that one desire I had? "To just show up!" Well, with Amorology's services, besides the big decisions to be made, Taylor and I with our families, will be able to just show up and enjoy this very special day! To give you just a taste, they are helping us with all details from start to finish. And with their experience and excellent reputation in the wedding community, they have helped us build the rest of our Dream Team by directing us the vendors we have booked! (More on our vendors to come!)

Now Where?

On the night of the engagement Taylor and I started dreaming up where this day of ours would take place. We were so inspired by the intimacy and backyard feel of his parent's home. We entertained the idea of even heading to Kauai (another favorite place of ours) and having a small backyard wedding there. But with our dreams of SIMPLE, we decided staying local in beautiful San Diego was the way to do it. But Where? 

Back to that Dream Team of ours. The day we went to visit with Amorology, we pulled onto their property in awe of how lush and green everything surrounding their home was. It was stunning. The perfect backdrop. I quickly began daydreaming of twinkle lights strung from their trees, farm tables set up on the grass lawn surrounded by their white picket fence, and a bonfire going while dancing in the late hours of the night. I could just imagine everything we had dreamed of happening there. So I asked if they have ever done weddings there, and if we could possibly have ours there. And of course, because they are "The Dream Team", they said, YES! And they've done weddings there at Chez Balliet and are excited to offer it as a venue!

{Chez Balliet- Photo by Ana Lui}

Now When?!

We have "The Dream Team", we have the dream venue, but now when will this magic take place? Taylor and I looked at our calendars, and with a big year of work for him, we narrowed it down to April and June! Knowing those ideal months, we asked Amorology and venue Chez Balliet what dates they had available! This narrowed it down to our wedding date which will take place at the end of April! Engaged in January and married by May!

A few people have seem surprised by our short engagement, but the two of us don't really understand a long engagement! It again goes back to that second date when Taylor asked me about the kind of Wedding I dreamt of. We've always talked about a short engagement. But to be honest, I feel like my heart has been engaged to him ever since we began dating because our intentions have always been towards marriage. The day of the proposal just made it official, and meant "It's go time!" If you read our Engagement Story, you also know that we spent the first part of 2017 working with mentors and in a pre-marital counseling course (pre-engagement- highly suggested!!)! So needless to say, we're ready!

So we have The Dream Team, we have a place, and we have a day! The rest has just started to fall together like magic. I wouldn't have been able to dream of the kind of day that is coming together for us, and the best part is knowing that with Heather and the Amorology team, we will be able to just "show up" and have the best day of our lives!

Now that I'm in this season of life, I'm so curious of how all of you are making your wedding day decisions! Are you using a Wedding Specialist/Planner? Short Engagement or Long Engagement, what's your preference? How did you pick your venue and date? Destination or local wedding? Share with me your journey!

"Where you go I will go, where you stay I will stay" - Ruth 1:16

Thanks to our wedding photographers, Feather & Stone for these beautiful pictures!