The Engagement Edit: Q&A with Kari of Sophisticated Whimsy

Photo: An Extraordinary Affaire

Kari Kriewald, our next bride-to-be in the Engagement Edit series is a Texas native and adds a touch of Sophisticated Whimsy wherever she goes! With her wedding around the corner, Kari gave us the inside scoop on her wedding planning process from her Napa engagement to her day-of details.

Name: Kari Kriewald
Blog: Sophisticated Whimsy
Location: Dallas, Texas
Wedding Date: October 8, 2016

WW: Congrats, Kari!! Your big day is almost here! What has been the most exciting thing about wedding planning thus far?
KK: Oh goodness, thank you so much! To be completely honest, I’ve enjoyed every second of the planning process. Seeing my vision turn into a reality has been so rewarding and exciting! Call me crazy, but my Type-A personality is has never been happier…

Aside from choosing the perfect venue and wedding décor, I’ve especially loved focusing on the smaller elements of the wedding day that can easily be overlooked. For instance—personalized hotel room drops for the out-of-town guests, wedding takeaways and party favors, and delicious sweet treats that will passed throughout the night.

Ensuring that all details, both big and small, are taken care of is so imperative throughout the wedding planning process. Because after all, I want everyone to feel special on the day of—not just Braden and me.

WW: You had the most picture-perfect engagement in Napa’s wine country. Can you tell us about your #JustSaidYes moment to your fiance, Braden?
KK: Well of course, I’d love to! First off, major kudos to Braden because he planned an absolutely extraordinary engagement that I will remember and cherish forever…

After spending a few days in San Francisco together, we made the short trip over to Napa to enjoy our last days of vacation in the wine country. The day started off in San Francisco with our usual coffee and breakfast run before hitting the road. Braden was in an exceptionally good mood driving north towards Napa – singing at the top of his lungs, playing the air guitar, smiling ear to ear, you name it, he was doing it…

Little did I know that this great mood of his was because it was THE day he was going to propose. Braden had been secretly planning this so called “spontaneous” vacation of ours for three months and we were on the move to make our wine tour appointment at Kunde Vineyards at 11:00am sharp. Once we arrived at the winery, we were greeted by our tour guide and shortly began the vineyard excursion. After a few tastings in the cellar, we boarded the bus and began traveling up the vineyard to an overlooking mountain which was breathtaking. Naturally, we began snapping photos of the scenery and enjoying the perfect 75 degree weather with wine in hand.

After snapping a few photos, Braden escorted me over to the side of the mountain with the most beautiful scenic view, he got down on one knee and popped the question! Of course, there was no hesitation in immediately saying YES to the man of my dreams!

To top it all off, Braden had hired a secret photographer to snap the entire proposal and snagged the most picture-perfect photos we’ll always cherish! The rest of the day was spent celebrating together over delicious wine and food and was perhaps the most magical day I could have ever dreamed of.

Photo: Kari Kriewald

WW: You have a full time job in social media as well as writing for your blog, how will platforms like Instagram and Snapchat play into your big day?
KK: It’s definitely no secret that I love social media – I create content 9:00am to 5:00pm Monday through Friday and then come home to create content for Sophisticated Whimsy. It’s hard to call it “work” when you enjoy it so much!

On our big day, I plan to be as present as possible. With that being said, I know I will be Snapchatting with my bridesmaids while we get ready using our custom wedding geo-filter, but I don’t plan to reveal any wedding photos on social media until after the event is over. Since this day is so special to Braden and me, I want to enjoy every second of it being totally present in the moment. But afterwards… you better get ready for wedding-photo overload!

WW: Have any wedding planning tools on WeddingWire been especially useful to you?
KK: The Hashtag Generator was one of my first WeddingWire tools to use! Braden’s last name is “Bliss” and while I am SO excited to inherit his last name, finding an original hashtag was exceptionally hard. After hundreds of ideas, #karifoundbliss and #misstobliss were the winners!

I’m also in the final stages of perfecting our seating chart, so the Seating Chart Tool has been my best friend for the last couple of weeks! So thankful for these free tools.

WW: Did you find any of your vendors on WeddingWire? If so, which ones?
KK: Before even getting engaged, Braden and I had already discussed one specific venue that we’d love to get married in. It was so charming and encompassed everything we wanted in a wedding venue.

Once the question was popped, we quickly scheduled time to take a tour around Lone Oak Barn. We instantly fell even more in love with the location and after reading the reviews we found on WeddingWire, it was a definite no brainer for us to book right then and there. It was so useful for us to read real reviews from real brides!

WW: How would you describe your personal style? And how do you plan on incorporating it into your wedding day?
KK: I would describe my personal style as simplistic with a touch of glam. I typically will opt for a simpler option, but I will dress it up with a bold lip or feminine accessories.

For the overall aesthetics of the wedding, we are focusing on are infusing a whimsical touch into a country-chic themed wedding. Think bright whites, subtle greenery, touches of distressed wood and outdoor string lights.

With Braden growing up in Amarillo, Texas and myself being from Austin—it only made sense for us to incorporate our two upbringings into our big day. Braden obviously bringing the country look and feel to the big day, and myself adding that extra bit of glam to balance the two out.

Photo: Benjamin Garrett Photography

WW: Any exciting details you can share with us about your wedding?
KK: I guess I spilled the beans too early in the previous question!

Whimsical and country-chic.

So, think tons of white, beautiful greenery and strung lights. And for the biggest reveal… my bridesmaids will be wearing this skirt with this top. #obsessed

WW: As you had a longer engagement, do you have any tips for the best way to plan your wedding when you're not against the clock?
KK: I think having a long engagement was so beneficial for Braden and me! We were able to soak in the “engaged life” and not compromise the internal happiness with wedding-planning stress. Since we had a year and half to talk about what we wanted, it seemed to go much smoother for us.

If you have a longer engagement, my best piece of advice is not to procrastinate. It can seem like the wedding date is so far away, but I promise you, it will creep up on you and your six months quickly turns into three months. I recommend to start planning 10 to 12 months out from your date and you should be good to go. Just know what you want and know your budget!