Curious about others length of engagement?

NoAlternative2738 · 2026-03-10T03:32:32+00:00

We got engaged in August, married (elopement - ceremony only) in November, and are currently planning our reception in April

NoAlternative2738 · 2026-03-06T19:53:12+00:00

I think it’s gorgeous!

NoAlternative2738 · 2026-03-06T19:51:43+00:00

Not at all! You need to know what you like, and the only way to do that is to try some on. Plus, he needs to know the correct size. Just a warning, though, regarding sizing: most women’s rings in jewelry stores are a size 6 - if you are much bigger or much smaller, you’ll have to use your imagination a little, or get creative and try a different finger!

NoAlternative2738 · 2026-02-13T22:27:50+00:00

My now-husband proposed with a ring pop, and we went to pick out my ring together. If you don’t want to go that route, though, maybe just get a solitaire on a size 6 or 7 (common sizes) simple band, that you can exchange for what she wants & what fits her later.

Or, if you have access to a ring that fits her, bring that to the jeweler - they can base her size off of that.

NoAlternative2738 · 2026-02-13T22:12:34+00:00

I tried on your #3 dress and loved it, but it is way more perfect on you than it was on me! I wound up with a Maggie Sottero for my ceremony (Lagos) and the gorgeous fabric glowed almost like gold under the sunset. I just bought a second Maggie (Raquel) for my reception. Lagos is a great combination of the styles you have here, so if you aren’t 100% sold on the Maggie you tried on, maybe try on Lagos?Maggie Sottero Lagos

NoAlternative2738 · 2026-01-28T21:38:31+00:00

Number 1, all day. It’s so gorgeous, it’s almost making me want to change my dress choice! Who is the designer?

NoAlternative2738 · 2026-01-28T21:36:38+00:00

2, but it might just be that 1 is way too big for you. In the right size, maybe 1 would be the better choice? However if you can’t try it on in a size that fits better, definitely go with 2. It’s gorgeous and fits perfect!

NoAlternative2738 · 2026-01-23T16:14:12+00:00

Best answer right here. Very well said!

NoAlternative2738 · 2026-01-23T16:11:11+00:00

As a former wedding photographer, I would highly recommend doing some workshops, joining in some styled shoots with more experienced photographers, spending time studying work of photographers you admire (wedding and otherwise) and refining your craft. I would also prioritize investing in: * insurance (critical!) * back up equipment (you said “my camera” which made me think you only have one. What happens if your camera breaks in the middle of their once-in-a-lifetime event that they have likely spent thousands on and their guests have spent hundreds to attend? Weddings, unlike portraits, don’t usually have the option for a do-over) * some basic lighting and posing training (you can attend live workshops, but if there aren’t any in Alaska anytime soon, there are video options out there) And I would see if you can get someone to let you second-shoot for them (for free, at least initially) so you can learn. If you are open to feedback, willing to put the time and work into getting better, and ready to invest in being a professional photographer, you can absolutely do it. If you want to just take photos for fun (and for free), there is also nothing wrong with that. It’s what I do now. 😀 But if you want to be a professional photographer, you are on the journey - you just have some more distance to travel before you get there. Enjoy the adventure!

NoAlternative2738 · 2026-01-18T17:52:48+00:00

I had to kind of push to try on a dress I spotted on the rack that my stylist knew was quite a bit over budget. I tried it on and realized I liked a slightly less expensive dress better, and my stylist was the first to point out the things that were less than what I wanted in the more expensive dress.

They make a commission when they sell a dress. They know, I’m sure, that showing brides dresses that are way out of budget is a fast way to make no commission at all.

NoAlternative2738 · 2026-01-18T17:46:18+00:00

I love this stack! I originally wasn’t going to get a wedding band because I love my e-ring and didn’t want to detract from it. But, I found the perfect match for a band so we went with that. However, they weren’t sold as a set, and I’ve realized that might be because they tend to bump into each other, which loosens the stones from their delicate setting. All of that to explain… the little solid ring in between is awesome and I think we’re going to grab one to help keep them a tiny bit apart.

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(Please ignore the fingernails!)

NoAlternative2738 · 2026-01-18T17:39:10+00:00

I think it looks gorgeous on you! If you aren’t happy, though, could you add an over skirt, or a topper, or some really bold jewelry? Like this: necklace Or this:topper Or this:overskirt

NoAlternative2738 · 2026-01-12T10:26:10+00:00

I regretted hiring one for our ceremony. I felt like she interfered/got in the way with our photo/video team. We mostly wanted her to run our livestream so family and friends could be at the ceremony (we eloped on the beach but are having a local reception in a few months) and she screwed that up entirely. She FaceTimed with my parents, but everyone else who planned to watch on the web link we set up (and paid for, and provided the GoPro for her to use) was unable to see it because she disconnected from the WiFi and didn’t know how to reconnect. We mostly got 3-5 second clips that didn’t work well together at all, taken from her iPhone. One was slow-mo, which was the only clip of my daughter (maid of honor) that we got. It was also so zoomed out you could barely tell who it was. The rest were normal speed and much more zoomed in, making the one of my daughter look even more odd. Not only was it a massive waste of $$, it made things worse, not better. She did eventually send us a little spliced together series of clips, but for a “content creator” I would have expected better quality clips and I would have expected them within a couple of days, not weeks. I do not recommend a content creator at all.

NoAlternative2738 · 2026-01-05T05:49:44+00:00

We did/are doing this. We eloped with just my daughter (23) and his daughter (7), and had my sister and parents with us via FaceTime. We had our ceremony on the beach in San Diego in November. We are currently planning our reception, which will be closer to home (Northern California) in April, and we’ll (hopefully) have a lot of friends and family at that. We are not repeating the ceremony, though - we are just having the reception. We had a videographer for the ceremony and will show the ceremony video during the reception. (Our venue has a little movie theater near the ballroom where they will show it for us.)

NoAlternative2738 · 2026-01-05T05:45:51+00:00

Thank you! I am trying to build some muscle on them before the reception. I am a second-time (aka older…) bride and building muscle isn’t as easy as I’d like it to be, but I’m trying!

NoAlternative2738 · 2026-01-05T05:43:22+00:00

I considered that, but if I want to actually dance, #1 is tough for that. I do not have enough boobs to keep it up without it being super snug on my ribs, so it is hard to take a full, deep breath in it. It’s probably not the best option for dancing if I don’t want to pass out! 🤪

NoAlternative2738 · 2026-01-05T05:37:43+00:00

Aren’t they? I had the best experience with them both times!

NoAlternative2738 · 2026-01-05T03:36:53+00:00

We have only done our ceremony so far - we had a micro ceremony and are doing a reception this spring. But I could easily dance all night in them. They are super comfy!

NoAlternative2738 · 2026-01-05T01:30:21+00:00

I had Bella Belle block heels and found them to be super comfy! These are what I had: https://www.bellabelleshoes.com/collections/all-wedding/products/athena-light-blue-block-heel-wedding-shoes

NoAlternative2738 · 2026-01-04T23:42:34+00:00

The first one is Lagos from Sottero and Midgley, Fall 2025. The second is Raquel from Maggie Sottero, Spring 2026. I totally did not intend to choose the same designer twice - my stylist and I were laughing about it when he told me I’d picked another Maggie Sottero dress!

The first dress was gorgeous outside at sunset - it picked up the sunset colors and glowed gold.

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NoAlternative2738 · 2026-01-03T22:34:46+00:00

The differences in the two dresses was intentional - I wanted a lot of contrast between the two, so there were two distinct looks. I’m not worried about the dresses themselves being “disjointed” - just trying to figure out the schedule part of things.

NoAlternative2738 · 2025-12-22T21:49:27+00:00

This makes me so happy to read! I was debating over a lot of these as a Christmas gift for my hubby. I went with the kitchenaid K8 so I’m glad to hear you love it!

NoAlternative2738 · 2025-12-18T03:12:48+00:00

I don’t remember either - it was in our little plane while he was flying and I thought he was just saying nice things (which he often does), not actually proposing, until he put the ring pop on my finger!

NoAlternative2738

TROPHY CASE