The Wedding Planner - Why you need one...

The list of reasons to enlist the help of a professional (or even a willing friend!) is long and strong. I was a bride once too, so even I know the value of asking for help! Don’t just take it from me, though. Ask any of your vendors about weddings they’ve done and they’ll tell you…the difference between a bride who hires a coordinator and one who doesn’t is HUGE. Here a few of my TOP REASONS TO HIRE A COORDINATOR…

1. Planners actually enjoy planning. If you’re already dreading the details OR if you don’t even know where to start…ask a planner. We get a kick out of all-things-events! It’s our God-given super power and we want to save the world, one wedding at a time.
2. Planners offer you a reality check. So many brides want to have wedding that is so unique and so “them” that they plan things to death. Over-planning a wedding can a) cost you more money and b) cause you more stress. So a wedding coordinator can help you realize your wedding dreams, while keeping two feet firmly planted on the ground.
3. Someone needs to be in charge. Ever heard the term, “Bridezilla”? If you want to be a bride without the zilla, you need to let someone else take over for you the day of your wedding. Weddings have a TON of moving pieces and moving people and it is extremely difficult to wear the hat of blushing bride and professional planner. It’s hard to do, but letting someone else be in charge so all you have to do be in love is worth every pretty penny.
4. You want your friends, your family, and YOURSELF to enjoy. Piggy backing off of numero tres – one way to allow your friends and family to enjoy is to not be a crazy person worrying about how the wedding is going to turn out. And if you’re doing a DIY wedding, a lot of times friends and family end up doing all the grunt work to make things happen. And it can ruin the fun. Even just hiring a day-of coordinator can release those you love most to have the most fun.

How much does a wedding cost?

I found a phenomenal site today! If you have ever wondered if you're getting a deal or a dud in anything wedding-related, this site will give it to you straight. Check it out!

http://www.weddingstats.org/index.html 

The Ikea Idea

I went to Ikea this weekend just 'cause. I love walking around to get ideas and maybe the occasional soft serve cone too. Ikea is not only a great source of inspiration for the home, but for weddings too! In my own wedding, I used some clutch Ikea touches for waaaay cheap...

Here are some other noteworthy Ikea ideas...

 

 

The Anti-Checklist

One of the vital pieces to planning a good wedding is an obscenely detailed checklist. However one of the keys to enjoying a good wedding, is, what I like to call, The Anti-Checklist. This idea was shared with me by a good friend who was also recently a glowing mother of the bride, Judith Porath. Here’s how it goes…

Two weeks before the wedding, make a list of all the things you haven’t done yet. Title this list: Things I Haven’t Done Yet. Take a good look at this list. Pour over it. Ponder the significance of the items penned. Then…cross out the title and write: Things I WON’T Get Done. After taking a deep breath or two (wine also helps), hand this list to someone who will do these items for you or throw it away. At some point you have to stop planning and start enjoying. Let The Anti-Checklist lead the way.

*** Side note: If any of the items on your anti-list happen to involve obtaining your marriage license or booking your photographer, officiant, venue, or caterer…you may not want to throw out that list quite yet.

 

If you're looking for a good, detailed, and FREE checklist, The Knot is a great place to start:

http://wedding.theknot.com/wedding-planning-tools/tools-wedding-checklist.aspx

"Inspiration and genius-one and the same." Victor Hugo

Here are some of my current wedding/event inspirations. Bon appetit!

1. Burlap: It's the DIY wedding fabric right now. You can dress it a million different ways and it always looks fab.

2. Nothing says "wedding" like white: Sure, brides wear white, but why not the tables too? White is classic, beautiful, and not fussy. White is almost impossible to mess up!  

3. Backyard vibes: Creating some backyard fun at a wedding reception sets guests at ease, gives them something to do, and it's pretty stinkin' cute too.

Some brides go all-out for a grand production on their special day. I was not one of them. Ironically, as one who plans others’ events, I was quite mellow on what I wanted and deferred a lot to other’s suggestions and directions. One of the things I am most proud of, though, was how much we tried to make it a personal affair. So here are few personal touches from my big day that I hope will inspire yours…

Hire your friends & family. Our photographer (Eric Slay – Paperwhite Photography), our florist (Holli Do – Twig & Blossom), our ceremony musicians (Uncle Jimmy & Aunt Mary Kay), our event coordinator (Eryn Kraning), and on and on…are all friends and family. The benefits of working with these great people were three-fold:

1. All the time spent planning was spent with “vendors” who were already people we loved. And it was the same on our actual wedding day. it was a big family gathering, from start to finish.
2. We knew our money was going to a good cause. :o) If you gotta pay someone, why not pay someone you like and want to see succeed.
3. Mistakes become cute instead of catastrophic. When we pay people we don’t know to provide a service, our expectations are high. When we invite friends and family to play a part, we are grateful (or at least we should be!).

***If you don’t have friends or family to hire, you can borrow mine. They’re fabulous!

DJ: Play it, don’t say it! Our DJ did a great job. He played all the music we requested and created the right vibe at our event. Our main request of him though, was that he be on the mic as little as possible. As harsh as it may sound, he doesn’t know us or our guests in a personal way, so why should he be the voice of our wedding? Instead! We had close friends announce our grand entrance, toasts, and our departure. DJs can be a wildcard as far as what they’ll say. (Haven’t we all been to a wedding with a weird-o DJ?) So while we were kind of protecting ourselves from awkward announcing, we also honored our friends by having them play a part. They loved it and so did we!

Make the most of the rehearsal dinner. As much as we tend to believe a wedding is the bride’s day, I think it is just as much about friends and family too. Friends and family are desperate to contribute something special to you (a gift, words of wisdom, stories, a hug) and sometimes there’s just not enough time in the day. So! The rehearsal dinner is a great way to let friends and family get it all out of their system. For our rehearsal dinner, we asked specific friends and family to give toasts or share stories and many others chimed in too. It was a special time of sharing and laughing and it set a great tone for our wedding day.  

One of many great pictures by Eric Slay, Paperwhite Photography

Romatic centerpieces by Holli Do, Twig & Blossom

Our good friend, Dr. Bob, toasting it up!

Me and my college roommates at the rehearsal dinner. They had some good "back in the day" stories to tell.

Tip of the Week: Let Them Eat Cake...Or Not

An easy money-saving tip is to consider wedding cake alternatives. Wedding cakes can be a surprisingly pricey item and (shall we be honest?) people either leave before it’s served or don’t dig it that much anyway. Cake can run from $1.50 to upwards of $10 a slice. Not to mention a bride must consider if the venue will charge a cake fee and if you’d like fresh flowers as adornment or other fab toppers that’ll ring up the cost as well. So, if you’re considering canning the cake, here are few other ideas:

-          Ask your venue or caterer what their specials are and if any of their catering packages include dessert

-          Fake the cake! You can have a display cake where only one layer is actual cake for the face-smashing-fun…and the rest of the layers are decorated styrofoam. Then! Have your caterer cut and serve cheap-o sheet cake from your local grocery store from behind closed doors. No one needs to know.

-          Ask your friends and family to bake desserts and create your own dessert bar. (Holler, Brandy & Jason!)

If cake is your thing, then dig in and bring me a piece! But if you aren’t sold, consider the sweet alternatives.

PS – Shout out to my home girl, Katie Quesada, who had the best wedding cake I’ve ever eaten: red velvet from Sugar Me Bakery in Orange. Pounded two pieces of that crimson goodness and have never looked back.  

Katie Q's de-lish wedding cake