We are back for Part 2 of our introduction interview with Alli Santmyer of Allison in Wonderland! In case you missed our first post (make sure to catch up here), we’ve decided to start a new series called A Styled Wedding with blogger, advertising pro, and pop-up shop owner, Alli.
She reached out to us to talk about our content, and she revealed she’s in the middle of planning her October wedding with her fiancé, Connor. While we were talking, we realized we have always shared how to plan your wedding from our perspective as planners, but we had never shared from the perspective of a bride-to-be. So, we asked Alli if she wanted to join us for a new series we’ve named A Styled Wedding, and she happily agreed.
Today, we’re sharing the second set of five questions we asked Alli about her wedding planning process. We’re diving into what’s she’s most excited to experience and how she handles wedding planning stress. Plus, Alli shares what it’s been like to plan a wedding during the coronavirus pandemic. We hope you are as excited as we are to jump back into her interview!
SB: What do you value the most for your wedding day? How did you and your fiance make that decision?
AS: Intimacy! We’re actually having a micro-wedding because of that reason. We want the room to only be filled with those who we’re closest with. The thought of walking down the aisle with 200 pairs of eyes staring at you is so not us! We originally talked about eloping but there are a handful of key people that we really wanted there with us so then that turned into 10 people and then 20 and we eventually settled on about 30. We’re so excited to share our day with our best and closest family and friends!
SB: What are you most looking forward to about your wedding day?
AS: Finally being married! Connor and I have known each other for over 10 years and we’ve been together for over 5 so in a way, it feels like we’re already married. We’re so excited to make it official and be newlyweds! We think that stage of life sounds so fun and a little puppy might be in our near-future so I’m pumped for that, too.
SB: Have you ever felt stressed about your wedding day? How did you reframe your mindset?
AS: I was definitely stressed at the beginning. On the day that we got engaged this past December, before we told anyone, we talked about when we wanted to have the wedding because we knew that would be the first question people would ask when we shared our news with them. I’ve always wanted to get married in the Fall so I was automatically thinking Fall of 2021. Connor was pushing for Fall of 2020 so immediately, my mind was thinking, “Planning the wedding of our dreams in less than a year??? Oh no.” We made a deal that if we could find the right venue and it was available this Fall, then we would go for it, so I got down to business right away. I think I probably planned 75% of the wedding within the first three weeks so it was a crazy (but exciting) time! After that, it’s been much more easy-going!
SB: Has anything surprised you while planning your wedding?
AS: I have been surprised by the amount of vendors that stop responding to me after I tell them what a small wedding we’re having. Originally, I was thinking a smaller wedding would be easier to plan but in some ways, I think it’s been harder. We are getting married during the Fall which is pretty popular so I don’t fault businesses for wanting to wait to see if they can book a larger party or wedding but it wasn’t something I thought about beforehand. That’s something to keep in mind for all who’re going the micro-wedding route!
SB: Your wedding is in October! Have you changed any of your plans due to COVID-19?
AS: Luckily, we were already planning on a micro-wedding before COVID-19 happened. And I’m so thankful! We haven’t had to do much in terms of changing the size or scheduling of our day but finalizing plans with some of our smaller vendors was completely put on hold for MONTHS. We booked the big vendors before everything happened but the smaller vendors like furniture rentals have been put on hold which is nerve-wracking when your wedding is only a few months away. Even things like finding a space for a rehearsal dinner aren’t really possible right now because no one wants to book that far in advance with the threat of a second Fall-time COVID-19 wave hitting us. Also, not to mention going to showrooms or stores to look at things like guest favors in person hasn’t been an option. But I do feel very grateful that we will most likely still be able to have everyone at the wedding that we were planning on and that’s the most important thing to us!
Our series will continue, so stay tuned! Are you following Alli on Instagram yet?
