​Getting engaged is an exhilarating moment that marks the beginning of a beautiful journey with your partner. While the joy and excitement are undeniable, it's essential to navigate the post-engagement period with clarity and thoughtful planning. In this blog post, we'll provide you with a comprehensive guide on what to do after getting engaged, ensuring that you set the foundation for a memorable and stress-free wedding preparation.

​After the initial rush of emotions, take some time to celebrate your engagement. Share the news with your loved ones and enjoy the outpouring of love and congratulations. Host an engagement party or a small gathering to commemorate this special milestone. It's a wonderful opportunity to bring together close friends and family, sharing in the joy of your commitment.

​Next, create a timeline for your wedding planning journey. Determine the ideal wedding date or a range of dates if you have flexibility. Factor in any significant events, seasons, or holidays that might affect availability or pricing. Establishing a timeline will allow you to stay organized and prioritize tasks effectively.

​Researching and booking vendors early on is essential, as many popular wedding professionals get booked well in advance. Begin with the most critical vendors, such as the venue, caterer, and photographer. Read reviews, compare prices, and schedule consultations to ensure they align with your vision. Remember to keep your budget in mind while making decisions.

​With the essentials covered, allow yourself to indulge in the creative aspect of wedding planning. Start collecting inspiration from magazines, websites, and social media platforms. Explore color schemes, décor ideas, floral arrangements, and other design elements that align with your vision. Create a mood board or a digital folder to organize your inspirations and share them with your vendors.

​Embarking on the journey of planning a wedding after getting engaged is an exciting and fulfilling experience. By following this guide and taking things step by step, you'll set the foundation for a memorable celebration of love. Remember to enjoy the process, lean on your support system, and make decisions that reflect your unique vision as a couple. Congratulations on your engagement, and here's to a blissful journey towards your dream wedding!

​Viva Magenta can seamlessly transition from the ceremony to the reception, unifying the overall design concept of the event. For wedding ceremonies, Viva Magenta can be incorporated into the bridal party's attire, floral arrangements, and ceremonial backdrops. Its striking presence will add a touch of romance and elegance to the sacred moments of the day. As the celebration moves into the reception, Viva Magenta can grace the tables with beautiful linens, napkins, and centerpieces. Lighting can also play a crucial role in highlighting the richness of Viva Magenta, creating a warm and inviting atmosphere for guests to revel in.

​While trends come and go, Viva Magenta possesses a timeless appeal that ensures it's longevity. Its rich and captivating nature ensures that it will never go out of style. Incorporating Viva Magenta into your wedding or event design will create memories that stand the test of time. Whether you choose to incorporate it sparingly or make it the star of the show, Viva Magenta will continue to captivate hearts and minds for years to come.

​Viva Magenta, the 2023 Pantone Color of the Year, brings a sense of vibrancy, sophistication, and romance to celebrations. Its bold presence and versatile nature make it a perfect choice for creating striking visual impact and setting the desired ambiance. By incorporating Viva Magenta into your wedding or event design, you can infuse your special day with a timeless charm that will leave a lasting impression on both you and your guests. So, embrace the allure of Viva Magenta and let it elevate your wedding or event to new heights of beauty and enchantment.

Want to share your Viva Magenta wedding and event inspiration? Comment below!

Wedding florals and greenery have been a huge décor aspect for decades, but the styles have changed over the years. 2022 couples often chose to simplify their floral arrangements. From the ceremony space to their reception tables, florals have been very lowkey, simplified, and more inclined toward greenery than blooms. Even the bouquets have taken on a more petite form, completely changed shaped, or have been discarded altogether. Hoop bouquets or floral rings have become more popular. Martha Stewart Weddings says that this trend has taken the bouquets from traditional to trendy. With endless ways to style, many have fallen in love with this new trendy way to add a touch of uniqueness to their wedding day. ​

Alternative Entertainment has been a big hit with 2022 weddings! Some couples opted for a silent disco over a live band or DJ. Silent disco is a great option for the dance party part of your reception; it allows people the option of listening to the music through their headphones or chatting and mingling with friends and loved ones without shouting over the noise. Speaking of dance parties, we've seen many couples throughout 2022 doing nontraditional first dances or eliminating first dances all together. One of our very favorite new trends at Events at Judson Mill is the private lasts dance. A private last dance creates a beautiful, intimate moment for the couple. It’s a wonderful way to end the reception–and it makes for great pictures, too! ​

Let's not forget about a huge aspect of your wedding day–the fashion!! Wedding fashions are constantly changing and updating to fit in with the time period. Believe it or not, 2022 has brought back the 80s style wedding dress, with a 21st century twist of course. Bows, pearls, feathers, statement sleeves, and designs/patterns have seen a huge comeback this year. Even bridesmaids have been seen with patterned dresses! If you want some wedding dress fashion inspiration, check out fashionista.com or Brides.com. Are you a bride wanting a nontraditional or statement look? Try a bridal suit! They have also made an appearance throughout 2022, and we expect to see more of them in years to come. When it comes to wedding fashion, there are endless options for everyone to pick from to add uniqueness, flair, and most importantly, your own personal touch to the big day.  So, pick the outfit that YOU will feel your best in and rock it! 

Events at Judson Mill loves to see our couples add uniqueness and personal touches to their big day. Whether breaking traditions completely or adding a few trendy aspects to a traditional wedding, the big day should always display the couple’s personalities and love for one another in the ways that they see fit. Remember–as the couple, your wedding day is all about YOU! ​

Did we miss anything? Share a trend you love in the comments, and let us know what personal touches you’ll be adding to YOUR big day! 

2. Polaroid Pictures Guest Book
A scrapbook-style guest book, using Polaroids from the reception, is a fun twist on the classic guest book. Friends and family can snap a quick photo together and then write a sweet note to the happy couple!

3. Spotify-Inspired Acrylic Guest Book
​Do you and your partner have a song that is near and dear to your hearts? If so, an acrylic Spotify-inspired guest book might be the thing for you! Replace the album cover with a fun engagement photo, and you have the perfect keepsake for all of your guests to sign!

4. Patched Quilt Guest Book
​A quilt is the perfect way to look back on your wedding each and every day. If you and your partner are very sentimental, a memento like this is a fun and unique guest book idea for you.

5. Typewriter Guest Book
​If the aesthetic for your wedding is a bit more vintage-inspired, we suggest letting your guests type up their best wishes and memories on a typewriter. This idea is especially perfect for more intimate weddings, where all the guests know the couple really well.

​​There are several ways you can go green with your wedding invitations and save the dates, the first being to go completely paperless. E-invites mean fewer carbon emissions from transportation and no paper usage! However, if you love the idea of a physical invitation, we have another alternative for you. Biodegradable seed paper invites are equally as beautiful as the traditional options. Plus, they are made from recycled materials and can give back to Mother Nature! Once your guests have marked their calendars for your big day, they can cut up the invitations, plant them in soil, and the seeds will germinate in seven to ten days. Over the years, these plants will produce oxygen, provide nutrients to the soil, and protect against erosion.

Surprise!

Our team will temporarily be taking over the historic wedding and event venue at 405 Westfield, located in downtown Greenville, from October through January 2023. This 20,000 square foot event space, situated between the Reedy River and the Swamp Rabbit trail, is recognizable for its white exterior and sleek steel window furnishings. With floor-to-ceiling windows, an open floor plan, and a light and airy aesthetic, 405 Westfield is the perfect place for fall and winter weddings, family gatherings, corporate holiday parties, and celebrations of all kinds.


Potential new clients can visit our “405 Westfield” tab to learn more about the space, view the photo gallery, and see our pricing.

Wedding favors are a small gift traditionally given to wedding guests as a token of appreciation from the couple. While favors are by no means mandatory, they’re a nice touch to let your guests know that you appreciate their presence on your big day. With spring wedding season fast approaching, here are 10 cute, unique, and inexpensive ideas you can use to treat your guests on your wedding day!

What are some unique favors you’ve seen at weddings? Would you use any of these ideas for your spring wedding? Let us know in the comments!

​Those who are new or native to the city of Greenville may not know that the once largest mill in Greenville County is currently undergoing a major transformation into a space of sustainable living, prideful work, and passionate love.​

Named after Furman University professor Charles Judson, the textile mill served as a place of work, industry, and community. The 36-acre mill is part of the Mill Crescent, which is a collection of textile mills along the city of Greenville’s western border. It originally operated 53,000 spindles and 1,200 looms and was the first to produce fine linens in the south. In the sense of creating community, Judson Mill created a friendly atmosphere amongst friends, family, and neighbors. The mill originally opened in March of 1912, and formally closed in October of 2015. However, the closing of the textile mill could not put a stop to the soulful, historical community. ​​

​Since construction began in 2019, residents, community partners, stakeholders, and a development team have been working hard to preserve and encapsulate the history, soul, and character of the area. The idea behind the project is to create affordable places to work, live, and play. The transformation is creating three types of spaces: loft apartments, an entertainment center, and an extensive event space. Architectural details such as hundred-year-old masonry, oversized mill windows, and original timber beams, allow for the unique history of the area to live on through the future of this extraordinary venue. While the project mainly focuses on keeping an industrial aesthetic to honor the locations past, current building plans intend on creating plenty of green spaces for gathering, activities, and flourishing flora.