Tag Archive for: wedding planner

8 Reasons You Want Rain on Your Wedding Day (According to Real Brides)

Along with the many joys that come from planning a wedding are the inevitable worries. Paramount among these—particularly when planning an outdoor ceremony—is the fear of rain on your wedding day. While there are many things you can control about your big day, the weather will never be one of them, but that’s no reason to worry.

Instead of fearing the possibility of poor conditions, you can embrace what the world gives you and make the best of it. You might be surprised to find that dealing with rain on your wedding day could be a desirable mishap, thanks to gorgeous lighting for perfect photos, an excuse for you and your guests to get cozy, and an unexpected perspective to begin your marriage with.

To put your mind at ease, we asked brides to share what happened when it rained on their wedding day (and why they wouldn’t have had it any other way).

The Pictures Will Be Gorgeous

“Once we got our pictures back, the light was beautiful, and it was so fun walking around huddled under an umbrella together. Plus, our ceremony was outside, and everyone had blankets and cuddled together.”

It Can Cool Down a Summer Night

“Luckily we were already under a tent eating when the major downpour occurred. When dinner was over, the rain had ended, and the beautiful, foggy sunset was perfect for pictures and dancing. Considering our wedding was in July, I was happy that the rain brought a cooler night instead of scorching sunshine.”

The Perfect Ceremony Isn’t Always What You Had Planned

“It rained on my wedding day, and it ended up being a great surprise. I had an outdoor ceremony planned, and instead, we got married in front of our venue’s beautiful fireplace. Our planner and florist brought in the arch and still decorated. It ended up being so pretty, and the rain stopped just in time for us to take photos outside. It was the perfect ceremony for us, and our guests loved how cozy it was.”

Your Guests Will Get Cozy

“Aside from optimal lighting for outdoor photos (and making all the flowers and trees more vibrant), it got everyone a lot more cozy at our backyard reception. We were so happy to see both of our families and friends mixing it up, where they might have otherwise spread out into their separate cliques.”

You’ll Learn to Let Go

“There was a torrential downpour on my wedding day in July 2015. Our ceremony was scheduled to be outdoors, and we had to scrap everything last-minute and move the ceremony inside. At the time, I thought it was the worst thing that could happen, but what I didn’t know is how much the experience would change my perspective on things. I used to need control over every aspect of my life and couldn’t deal when things fell out of line. Since then, I am so much more laid-back, less rigid, and happier.”

Everybody Loves Dancing in the Rain

“My husband and I have been together for 22 years and married for 14. We were married at our 1915 farmhouse here in Colorado. The day before the wedding, I had my silk gown cut to tea length but left the train. I had a hunch it was going to rain. People were sitting around hot as sin not doing much. As soon as the skies opened up, and it rained, people began dancing like fools to our bluegrass band. My dress miraculously stayed clean, and people had a blast in the rain, and they say it was the most fun wedding.” —

It Makes for a Great Story

“It poured on my wedding day (along with the day we got engaged, and the day of our engagement pictures), but it was perfect. Our venue was an old factory, and the dark moodiness made the day-of pictures amazing. But mainly, we chose our venue so we didn’t have to worry about the weather, so it was almost meant to happen.”

The Day Will Feel Magical

“Our wedding was at Momofuku Daisho in Toronto. We did it all on the terrace that connects the restaurant to the Shangri-La Hotel. It was tented with string lights everywhere and potted herbs on the table, and when it started raining, it was so enchanting. And it made sure it wasn’t too hot for any of our guests. Not to mention, we got the most amazing photos before it started raining because of how cloudy it was. It worked out perfectly.”

November 17, 2020/by Chris Abell

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What Do You Expect From a Wedding Planner?

A wedding planner is a person who’ll take the tension of wedding planning from your head and does it herself. Although he/she will charge you for it *Blink* *Blink*. Despite all the numerous benefits of a wedding planner, people are still not sure if they want to hire one or not.

The Ins and Outs of Wedding Planner

1. Organizer

No matter how much well-organized you are, you can’t keep up with the arrangement if you are the bride. There is going to be a lot of work to do and if you plan on doing it yourself than say goodbye to the enjoyment. You need professional help.

A wedding planner will be in charge of all the organization from selecting vendors to catering all these are the duties of a wedding planner. Your wedding planner will create and review contracts with all the vendors. He will remind you about all the meetings and will create a comprehensive budget as well.

2. Design Guru

Wedding planners can help you with design as well. Many people assume that a wedding planner only does the organizing and management work. But there is more work they can do. A Planner will help you in deciding your wedding theme, décor, color palette, lighting, reception design, and many more things.

In short, he/she will help you choose the overall aesthetic of the entire event. You can even go out with her for your wedding dress shopping. She will be more like a friend who helps you out in preparation for your big day.

3. Settle arguments

There will be chaos in the house. Everyone will be giving suggestions on different matters. You will be overwhelmed by all the advice and often have fights. A wedding planner will play the role of peacemaker here. A wedding planner is equipped with the required negotiable skills to deal with such situations.

Whether it is about convincing your mother to buy the expensive dress or settling the argument between you and your fiancé over the wedding destination, your wedding planner will help in all these matters.

4. Wedding day coordinator

The primary day where you will need the assistance of a wedding planner is your wedding day. The wedding planner will meet all the vendors and make sure they arrive on time and take their designated position.

He/She will be responsible for dealing with any last-minute emergency. You don’t need to worry about a thing. You just stick back and enjoy your big day. The other things a wedding planner will do are as followed.

I am assembling the wedding party in their respective places.
Make sure the seating arrangement is right, and every guest got their place.
Deals with uninvited guests who are there just for the free food.
A wedding planner will clear the wedding and reception area for the couple.
Handle all the gifts and make sure they don’t get misplaced.
Lastly, handle all the leftover food and payment of the vendors.

5. Post-wedding payments

Although most of the payments are done in advance, there are still some payments that you have to do after the wedding. Your wedding planner will deal with all of the stuff. She will get the details from the photographer and will also pay those people who worked extra hours.

You can have a one-on-one discussion with your wedding planner and talk about the overall expenditure. After settling out all the matter, you can pay her dues, and everyone will be on their way.

November 26, 2019/by Chris Abell

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10 Mistakes to Avoid When Planning Your Wedding & Save Dollars

Most couples aim to save a lot of money when planning a wedding. Couples tend to scrutinize the budget multiple times to ensure that they have saved the most that they can. Even with the level of scrutiny wedding budgets gets, mistakes still occur that can lead to loss of a substantial amount of money, as much as thousands of dollars.

Here are our top wedding planning mistakes to avoid in a bid to save more money.

Renting instead of buying

Most couples do a lot of renting, especially with items that are assumed to be necessary for only the wedding day. Wedding vendors understand this thought pattern and provide rental services for a range of items. However, renting may be a more expensive option. To avoid this mistake, weigh your options even with items you think you might not need in the future.

Renting a Venue without Knowing its Terms and Conditions

Some venues come with furnishings. For others, you only get the space. Before committing a venue, ensure that the terms and conditions are convenient. Otherwise, you may end up spending a lot of money on getting services and items not provided by the venue.

Altering the guest list

The guest list is the first thing you should consider while planning your wedding. Other decisions are affected by the guest list. Be sure of who’s on the guest list, and be prepared stop invitations as soon as you make a comprehensive guest list.

Also, be sure of who gets to come with a date and stick to a strict policy. Change in guest list affects the venue, food, accommodation plans for guesting coming from afar and other activities planned for guests. Such changes can cost a lot of money.

Outdoor locations are cheaper

Yes, the cost of renting an outdoor space may be cheaper, but the cost of tents, power, chairs tables, lighting and other materials needed to make the outdoor space cozy may increase the cost of using outdoor locations drastically. Before you conclude on an outdoor location, ensure that the overall cost won’t cost much more money.

DIY projects are cheaper

Except you are sure of your competency with a particular task, do not attempt to do it yourself. Embarking on DIY projects for your wedding can lead to incurring more costs.

The cost of learning how to do a task, getting the right materials and tools and executing the task may be more than the cost of getting the task done by a professional. Except you are a professional or a near-professional, DIY project may not be the best call. DIY projects may cost you much more money.

I can do it all

No, you can’t. The more helpers you have, the better. The tendency to control every bit of their big is common with most couples, especially brides. Controlling every bit of your wedding can wear you out and lead to mistakes that will cost more money.

The more help you get also gives you time to focus on aspects that matter most to you. If possible, get a professional planner and allow them to take a lot of stress off you. If you can’t get professional help, accept the help of willing friends and families, and try not to overstress them.

Forgetting to make accommodation plans for out-of-town guests

Most guests coming from other towns and cities will arrive the night before. Most of them might also forget to make accommodation plans. To save cost and stress, provide accommodation options for out-of-town guests with an agreement on who foots the bill.

Bulk accommodation plans may also attract discounts. Waiting to the night before to procure accommodation for out-of-town guests may result in spending a lot more money as your preferred hotels could be completely booked.

Wrap Up!

Ultimately, every couple wants a day that turns out great without overflowing stress and expenses. Mistakes and inevitable when planning a wedding, and it is necessary to mitigate mistakes as much as possible, especially those that will lead to spending more money.

June 18, 2018/by Chris Abell

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The Advantages of Hiring a Wedding Planner

Do I really need a wedding planner? Most hands-on couples, especially brides, ponder over that question. Yes, you a wedding planning. Except you are a super multi-tasker and wouldn’t mind the stress of planning your wedding day, you should hire a wedding planner. Even if you like multitasking and have planned several weddings in the past, a wedding planning still offers numerous advantages.

Wedding planners are the go-to person for the bride and groom. They stay on top of everything and everyone to ensure that they deliver. Here are some of the benefits you stand to gain from hiring a wedding planner.

Hiring a wedding planner saves you money: It is easy to assume that hiring a wedding planner will cost you more money. However, the reverse is the case. With a wedding planner, you save more money. This is how a wedding planner saves you money. The wedding industry is a huge one, and wedding planners are a major link between the different parts of the industry. Wedding planners know how to get specific services at discounted rates. Wedding vendors also understand the importance of wedding planners in the industry and strive to maintain a good relationship with them. The chances of getting a discount with most of your services are enhanced with a wedding planner. At the end of the day, the discounts you get will cover the cost of hiring the wedding planner and more.

Wedding planners have their ways of getting things done: For you as a bride or groom, wedding planning is a one-off thing. For wedding planners, it is a career. Wedding planners have their ways with all sorts of vendors. They probably know someone who will provide every service you require for your wedding professionally. As opposed to scouring the Internet and hoping referrals will lead you to a right vendor, you get a professional with contacts from several vendors. With a good wedding planner, you can actually get your wishes instead of anything remotely close to your wishes.

Hiring a wedding planner saves you time: Time flies by when you are planning a wedding. Wedding preparations can take over every aspect of your life. A wedding planner saves you time by taking activities off you. Except you want to handle a certain activity yourself, you can actually leave your wedding planner to handle all the activities associated with your wedding. That way, you get to create cherished moments before your wedding instead of planning into the wedding without personal moments. Weddings signify the beginning of a marital journey. When you hire a wedding planner, you get some time to prepare for the marital journey.

Wedding planners offer professional help: Friends and families will offer to help with wedding preparations out of goodwill. Although help from friends and families is good, professional help is better. Wedding planners can bring that idea you saw on Pinterest or Instagram to fruition. Wedding planners also know how to ensure that vendors deliver as promised. Wedding planners can even help with ensuring that the most difficult family members are on their best behavior. A wedding planner’s job is to understand your dream wedding and deliver its best version. When you hire a wedding planner, you can go to sleep knowing that someone is on top of your wedding plans instead of worrying if a vendor will deliver. You might have all the ideas you need, but you need someone to bring them alive, a wedding planner. With the changes in the trends, when you hire a wedding planner, you will get the professional help that ensures that your big day has your required mix of trends and your unique style.

Wedding planners save you stress: Wedding planning comes with a lot of stress. From picking the right vendor to getting the right venue, wedding planning can break anyone down. With a wedding planner, the stress of ensuring that every tiny detail turns out as planned is taken off you. A wedding planner makes sure that the bride and groom have little to nothing to bother them. Stress can take away the fun and intimacy of a wedding. Wedding planners eliminate stress and bring the dreams of couples to fruition.

May 7, 2018/by Chris Abell

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Things To Know Before You Start Wedding Planning

When you first start planning your wedding, there are things that are nice to know (like the hottest wedding colors of the year). Then, there are things you need to know — advice so essential that any bride who’s lucky enough to hear it thinks, “I’m so glad someone told me that!” These are those.

1. DON’T BOOK YOUR VENUE BEFORE YOU HIRE A PLANNER

Venue selection is the starting point, but if you are able to work with a planner, involving them first can be a lifesaver. “Some clients inquire about our services after they have already booked their wedding venue, but the venue can dictate almost all of your wedding-planning decisions, which isn’t always ideal if you are not aware of this,” says Lindsey Norton of L. Brook Events.

“Does your venue have the ability to fit 200 people, with a dance floor and a stage for a 10-piece band? If your guest count exceeds a certain number are you required to rent bathrooms? These are all questions that you may not know to ask, but your planner does.”

2. PEAK WEDDING MONTHS ARE EXPENSIVE

June to August is peak wedding season, and everything is at a premium cost during this time. Consider getting married earlier in the year, when winter is no longer as severe, and spring is just about to arrive. Or, you can consider early fall for your wedding, as venues often slash their prices this time of the year.

3. LIGHTEN YOUR LIST

The easiest way to trim your wedding budget? Cut your guest list. We know that might seem impossible to those with large families and friends from all over the place, but consider this: Half of your wedding expenses go to wining and dining your guests.

If it’s costing you $100 per person, eliminating one table of 10 can save you $1,000. Not to mention, you just took away a floral centerpiece, 10 place setting rentals, 10 invitations, 10 favors, and more, saving you thousands.

4. IT TAKES TWO TO TANGO

You’re getting married, not having a birthday party. Remember: Your wedding is about two people coming together—and the celebration should reflect that. “Stop comparing your wedding to what your friends have done in the past, what you see on Pinterest, and what your friends and family are telling you need to do,” says Morgan Perrone of Valley Flower Company.

“It has to be what feels true to you as a couple. If it means having 1,000 red balloons because it reminds you of your first date, by all means, have the balloons and don’t let anybody tell you it’s stupid. Don’t worry what people think or say about your wedding.”

5. GET ORGANIZATIONALLY FOCUSED

Before you meet with any vendors or sign any checks, set up your online checklist, budgeter, and guest list manager. Get a three-ring binder to use to compile all your correspondences with vendors, notes you make during meetings, and photos or tear sheets from magazines you want vendors to see.

It’s also a good idea to set up a special email address dedicated to your wedding (so that you can easily access all wedding-related emails).

6. BEFORE YOU GO WEDDING SHOPPING

Wedding dresses are crucial to transforming you into a splendid bride, however they can be quite pricey. Before you step into the shop, do your research and know your options. Here are some ways to make the most of your wedding dress budget.

Consider more than one style: If you keep your options open, it is easier to find a dress that falls within budget. Do your research ahead of time, and identify which styles will look good on you. Then look at dresses in these styles and choose the one that you are satisfied with, both in look and in price.

Look at the clearance and sale section: Many bridal will always have dresses on discounts and on sale. Before you look at the latest collection, it may be a good idea to see what is available in the sale section. You may find a dress that is quite similar to what you love in the current collection, at a fraction of a price.

Wait for trunk shows: Trunk shows are a bride’s dream-come-true, especially if you are in a standard 8-12 size group. These shows allow you to find the dress of your dreams at a reduced cost. If you are engaged for a year or more, it is likely that you will come across at least one trunk show during this time. So, call up the boutiques in the area and find out whether they have one scheduled in the near future. Put off your wedding shopping session till after wards, so you can take a chance and hope to find your wedding dress at the trunk show.

7. PROVIDE ACCURATE DRIVING DIRECTIONS

Make sure guests know where they’re going. As easy as online map programs are to use, sometimes the directions are wrong or there’s a quicker, less traffic-prone route to take. Ask your ceremony and reception sites for printouts of recommended driving directions, which they often keep in stock for weddings and will give to you for free, and test out the routes yourself.

February 12, 2018/by Chris Abell