Kickstart Your Wedding Design with GHD

Just got engaged and have absolutely no idea where to get started? You’ve come to the right place!

Gathered Here Designs has officially launched a brand-new lineup of virtual wedding design services tailored for newly engaged couples looking to kickstart their wedding design journey. Whether you're planning a DIY wedding and just need a little extra support or don’t have a single design bone in your body, GHD has a service to match your needs!

3 of Virtual Wedding Design Services

Just like your love story, your wedding design needs are unique, which is why GHD offers 3 different virtual design packages:

1. Basic Package – Perfect for couples who need a creative spark, while also keeping to a tight budget! We help you define your wedding vision through custom color palettes, a wedding mood board, a collaborative Pinterest board and a discount code for wedding stationary so you can confidently move forward with your DIY wedding planning.

2. Deluxe Package – This is for couples who want more than just a starting point. In addition to the basic package, you’ll receive a customized list of products that match your wedding style, a 1:1 virtual meeting with yours truly, and FREE access to my wedding planning course (including budget trackers, guest-list trackers, templates, and more!). 

3. Ultimate Package – The ideal choice for couples who want a fully realized wedding design. You’ll receive TWO virtual 1:1 meetings, an extensive collaborative Pinterest board with up to 2 revisions, a centerpiece concept, and wedding flower suggestions - plus FREE access to my wedding planning course (including budget trackers, guest-list trackers, templates, and more!).

Why Choose Gathered Here Designs?

Our virtual services are designed with affordability and flexibility in mind, making them ideal for couples planning a wedding on a budget. As a former DIY bride myself, I know just how important it is to 1) have a plan & 2) stay on budget!

At GHD we believe that beautiful, well-planned weddings aren’t just for those with big budgets or full-service planners. With our expert guidance, you can confidently create a stunning wedding day that reflects your style and personality.

So, if you're newly engaged and ready to dive into wedding planning, let Gathered Here Designs guide you through the process! Explore our services and take the first step towards turning your wedding vision into reality.

Let’s make magic together—one wedding design detail at a time!

3 Wedding Decisions You Can Make Right Now for FREE!

Hey, there lovebirds! 💍✨ So, you just got engaged? Cue the happy dance! 🎉 But now that the excitement is settling in, you might be thinking, "Where do we even start?!" The good news? You don’t have to spend a dime to start planning your dream wedding! In fact, there are 3 big wedding decisions you can make right now, absolutely FREE. Let’s dive in!

1. Determine Your Wedding Size 🏰 vs. 🏡

Before you even think about venues or caterers, it helps to decide how big (or intimate) your wedding will be. Do you want to create a party-like atmosphere with 200+ guests? Or are you dreaming of a more intimate gathering with just your closest family and friends? Figuring this out now will make everything else—venue, budget, invitations—SO much easier later on. So grab your fiancé, make a list, and start visualizing your perfect guest count! For an in depth look at making this decision see here.

Consider what kind of vibe you want (party like or intimate atmosphere) when choosing your wedding size

If you’re needing more support making your wedding guest list, be sure to grab the wedding guest list template below!

2. Choose Your Wedding Party 👯‍♀️💙

Now that you know how many guests you want at your event, you can move on to determining your wedding party. Who do you want standing by your side when you say, "I do"? Your wedding party plays a huge role in your big day (and the fun leading up to it!), so this is a great decision to make early. Whether you’re going traditional party or mixing it up your wedding crew, the choice is yours! When selecting your wedding party, focus on quality over quantity. Imagine your 5th, 10th, 20th wedding anniversary, would you still be in touch with those in your wedding party? For my own wedding, we only had our siblings in the wedding party because we felt the most connected and supported by them. If you have a lot of close friends and really want them all in the wedding, go for it, but remember there’s nothing wrong with keeping it small or skipping the wedding party concept all together. You do you🥂

It’s okay to have a small wedding party of close friends or family

3. Select Your Color Palette 🎨✨

Choosing your wedding colors early sets the tone for everything—décor, wedding party attire, flowers, and even invitations! Are you feeling classic with timeless neutrals? Or maybe bold and vibrant hues speak to your personality? Pinterest is your BFF here! Start pinning color schemes you love, and soon you’ll see a pattern emerge. The best part? It costs zero dollars to dream up a color palette that makes your heart happy! For some color palette inspo see the GHD Pinterest board (jewel tones, pink & red, and purple) and this blog post (includes a FREE wedding color quiz).

Color Palette Inspiration

Ready to Get Started? 💕

Making these 3 decisions now will give you a strong foundation for planning your big day—and the best part? It won’t cost you a thing to get started! So, grab your partner, pour a glass of something fabulous, and start planning. You’ve got this! 🥂✨

Need more wedding planning tips? Be sure to sign up for the GHD Weekly Wedding email for extra wedding planning and design support ✨

The holidays are here & so are the proposals

Some of you might be counting down to the holiday season or eagerly awaiting the upcoming Super Bowl. Personally, I count down to something a little different…but with 100% the same enthusiasm - I countdown to engagement season!

November through February is what is referred to as “engagement season” or “proposal season” in the wedding industry. Basically from Thanksgiving through Valentine’s Day, proposals spread faster than a red wine stain on a white wedding dress. I LOVE engagement season and yes, I talk about it every year. See here for last year’s post about engagement season.

Around 40% of proposals in the US happen during this season. Now you might be wondering…

GIPHY

Why winter for proposals?

So why is winter the prime time for proposals? From my perspective, the season is basically tailor-made for romance. As Frank Sinatra croons, “It’s that time of year when the world falls in love…”

The Christmas Waltz - Frank Sinatra

With holidays like Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s, and Valentine’s Day all packed into a few short months, there are endless opportunities for couples to pop the question in a setting that’s naturally festive and intimate. Between cozy gatherings with family, fireside cups of cocoa, and snow-dusted backdrops, winter has a way of adding magic to any moment—and what better a moment to propose? It’s also a good 6-10 months out from “wedding season”(more on wedding season here), giving couples plenty of time to plan their special day before those peak warm weather months.

The role family & friends in proposals

In addition to the festive atmosphere, family and friend involvement has become part of engagements. Since the holiday season is also a time when families and friends gather together, it provides plenty of opportunity for couples to share this milestone with those who mean the most to them. Not to be a cliche, but I too said “Yes!” during engagement season in January of 2010 (see here for more on that story).

According to industry surveys, nearly 2/3 of people proposing involve their parents/family/friends in their proposal in some way. Whether it’s asking for them to capture the moment on video (you can always just tie a video camera to a tree in the woods like my partner did) or planning a family-filled celebration afterward - the more the merrier!

Most popular engagement dates

Thinking of an engagement season proposal? Here are the most engagement season days for proposals:

Christmas Day (12/25) – Christmas magic is in the air, and so are proposals! A true favorite.

Valentine’s Day (2/14) – The ultimate day of love, making it a classic for popping the question.

Christmas Eve (12/24) – Nothing like an early Christmas present!

New Year’s Day (1/1) – A perfect time to pop the question and celebrate new beginnings.

New Year’s Eve (12/31) – The excitement of midnight creates a beautiful moment for a proposal and the ultimate New Year’s Eve kiss.

Day before Valentine’s Day (2/13) – For those who want to celebrate Valentine’s as a newly engaged couple.

December 17th – The Saturday before Christmas Eve is ideal for a family and/or friend -filled proposal.

December 10th – Two Saturdays before Christmas, giving couples time to savor the engagement without being over shadowed by the holiday bustle.

December 23rd – For couples wanting to celebrate Christmas as a newly engaged couple

Personally, I think it’s a bit odd November dates didn’t make the list. I would think more couples would want to enjoy the whole holiday season as newly engaged humans. Then again, trying to split the holidays amongst families BEFORE you’re officially married can definitely pose a challenge.

What to do after the proposal?

So what happens after you say yes or after you pop the question? First things first - CELEBRATE!!! This is such a special time for you and your partner. Take a moment to enjoy it. Don’t let anyone push you into planning faster than you are ready. Chat with your partner and agree to how long you want to just soak in the engagement without discussing wedding plans. That way you’ll both be on the same page, when friends and family inundate you with “When’s the big day?” questions. Trust me, they’ll ask literally the moment after you tell them you’re engaged.

Once you’ve ridden the engagement high for as long as you agreed to, you might want some help with getting into wedding planning - that’s where I come in! Later this month, I’ll be launching my Engaged 2 Planning mini-course. This mini course will help guide you through the 3 key decisions you need to make in order to get your wedding planning off on the right foot.

The course will include slides, videos, and PDFs to help make your wedding planning journey easy. Know someone who is newly engaged? Be sure to share this post with them! They can sign up for the course waitlist through this link.

With so many moments designed to bring people together in the coming months, engagement season has become a beautiful reminder of how family, friends, and love come together to create unforgettable memories.

So, get ready for love to be in the air and social media to be full of engagement announcements because Engagement season has arrived, and with it, all the magic, excitement, and sparkle that comes with celebrating love.

Happy Engagement Season!!!