PART ONE: Interview with a blogging Bridechilla™-to-be

One month shy of marrying her hubby-to-be, our Off The Beaten Path Bridechilla™ Julia Bayard is blogging away about her planning experience as well as everything “preppy and fabulous”. From Wedding Planning 101 to stylish adventures with her fiance, Tom, this Bridechilla™ is inspiring us to encourage all brides to start a blog on her journey to the aisle. Find more about Julia’s journey so far with this interview below and stay tuned for our PART TWO interview with Julia on her wedding day!

Photo by onelove photography

Tell us a little about your blog, Tartans & Sequins.

I describe Tartan & Sequins as a home for all things preppy and fabulous. I navigate party planning, style my bad self, play beauty parlor, and share my latest obsessions. It’s all the stuff you talk about with your girlfriends over wine, accessible anytime!

What made you decide to take a step in to the blogging world?

I have always had a love for all things preppy and fabulous. While stuck in a job I didn’t love, I was searching for a creative outlet. Turns out, Allison McDonald, my former blog partner was looking for the same thing. After months of texting/emailing/calling/liking/etc, I proposed the idea of us starting a blog together, and Tartan & Sequins was born. Allison recently left the blog to pursue other opportunities so I am now solely responsible for Tartan & Sequins. It’s an exciting new chapter for me!

We looove that you share details about your planning experience with your readers. How has blogging about your upcoming wedding helped you stay chill?

I think the thing about wedding planning is that no one realllllly tells you what to expect. Sure, people say that it’s hard and stressful, but no one really explains how or why. Sharing my experiences has allowed me to get support and guidance at a time when I really needed it!

How did you hear about Off The Beaten Path Weddings?

As soon as I got engaged and started planning out wedding, I felt overwhelmed with all of the details. I had given up on being able to afford a wedding planner until a friend suggested OTBPW. She had used OTBPW and said Mary Ellen was amazing at managing her budget and delivered a wonderful wedding. After meeting with Mary Ellen and visiting our now venue, I was sold! I would not be able to have the wedding we’re having without OTBPW!

So, only 1 more month left until your Off The Beaten Path Wedding! Is there any advice you can offer our Bridechilla’s that have just begun their planning?

Learn how to delegate. Whether it be to a wedding planner, your fiancé, parents, Maid of Honor, or all of the above, learn how to delegate! Whenever I get that glazed look on my eyes for too many days in a row, my fiancé sits me down and makes me go through my to-do list. He forces me to assign him items on my list. While I am resistant to give things up, ultimately, it is the key to surviving wedding planning!

Are you a Bridechilla™ sharing your step-by-step, month-by-month experience with the world? Please send your link to us so we can stay in tune with your planning experience and be on hand with any chill advice you might need for this experience!

Find Julia Bayard’s Blog, Tartan & Sequins by clicking here and also stay up to date with her planning via Facebook and Twitter.