jarmstrong23 gives us the scoop on her simple celebration in Cincinnati.

Posted Tuesday, July 07, 2009 4:17 PM

Knot Name: jarmstrong23

Wedding Date: 10/24/09

Knot Annie: Tell me about the Knotties on your board that you post on. Have you ever joined them for a GTG?

jarmstrong23: The Knotties on the Cincinnati board are the best! They’re always willing to give you support, advice, ideas, and "Knottie-vibes" whenever someone needs it. There have been several GTGs since I’ve been posting on the Cincinnati board -- I’ve only attended one, but wished I could’ve attended all of them! The first GTG I went to was at the Cheesecake Factory, and we had a blast! We swapped email addresses and have contacted each other off-board for everything from random vents about coworkers to impromptu celebrations of a birthday. After the last several months of planning our weddings, many of the Cincinnati Knotties have developed great friendships. 

KA: Describe your wedding.

jarmstrong23: We’re planning a beautiful, simple celebration of our love and commitment to each other without being extravagant. We’ll be married at a Presbyterian church near our reception site by a reverend within the family. Currently, we're expecting approximately 200 guests. My fiance will have five groomsmen (his brother and his best friend will be the two best men), and I’ll have five bridesmaids (two of my best friends will be the matrons of honor). My fiance's two nieces, ages 9 and 11, will be our junior bridesmaids.

KA: How have the Knotties on your board helped you plan?

jarmstrong23: More than anything, the Cincinnati Knotties have been key to helping me find budget-friendly vendors and ideas to make our wedding day the best it can be. We have a smaller budget than most would expect for a 200-guest wedding, which has been difficult to maintain at times. The Cincinnati board is ripe with creative and bargain-hungry brides, so whenever I need a less expensive idea or a review of an inexpensive vendor, I can always count on honest answers from my local board.

KA: Favorite bio on The Knot and why?

jarmstrong23: Jamielynn627's "Yet Another Fall Bio." It's a compilation of beautiful ideas for a fall wedding -- and has truly served as an inspiration for ceremony, reception, and decor ideas for our own wedding.

KA: Best vendor that you’ve worked with and why?

jarmstrong23: Our photographer, Greg Christopfel. He works for Christopher Lowry.Greg has been easily accessible when I have questions and always has thorough responses. He's professional without being stuffy. While we haven’t yet had our engagement photo shoot, it’s coming up soon, and I'm positive the experience will be great!

KA: What will make your wedding stand out to your guests, and where did you find the inspiration?

jarmstrong23: Hmm...well, I have this idea...

I LOVE LOVE LOVE the "Blessing of the Hands" reading I’ve seen on several brides' bios, but I want to do something a little different. For each sentence of the reading, I want a member of our bridal party to read it. For instance, matron of honor #1 reads the first line, best man #1 reads the second line, etc. I've never been to a wedding where the bridesmaids and groomsmen are involved in the ceremony, and since those people are the ones we’re closest to, it only makes sense to have them "give their blessings" on our special day.  Now I just have clear this with the reverend!

KA: What are you looking forward to most on your wedding day?

jarmstrong23: This seems obvious, but I'll go ahead and say it. I'm most excited to share our love and commitment to each other in front of all our friends and family -- simply, I can't wait to marry my best friend.  

Thank you jarmstrong23! I love hearing a new and unique idea.

Link to bio: http://jennyandmattsbigday.weebly.com