WEDDING NOTES™ – Hints from Planners

The professional wedding planners exchange ideas and are an excellent resource to tap.  Here are some of their key pieces of advice.

From: Stephanie Johnson, ParkPlacePlanning.com

• ·         Establishing the budget and guest list can be two of the most difficult parts of planning, but the sooner you get those tasks handled the better.  Booking venues and vendors before you have your budget and guest count settled is just asking for unnecessary stress.

• ·         What makes details truly over-the-top is doing something just a little unique or unexpected.  I had one of my couples surprise guests with a gospel choir at the end of their ceremony.  Another couple set up a make-your-own champagne cocktail bar.  The secret to including these kinds of wow-worthy experiences without blowing your budget is to pick just a single aspect and go all out with it.

• ·         Set realistic DIY goals.  Pick one or two significant details that are relatively simple to execute, and plan a crafts day with friends or bridesmaids. 

From:  Sarah Trotter, LastingImpressionsWeddings.com

• ·         Keep your vendors close.  There are always elements you have no control over on your wedding day.  That’s why you need great vendors.  Make sure you establish good communications with them early in the process.  You want to make sure that you find people with whom you “click” and who are willing to help make your vision come together.

• ·         You can really customize your wedding when it comes to food.  Just recently one of my couples set up a whole room filled with State Fair food like donuts, corn dogs and cotton candy.  As much as I love planning over-the-top luxe weddings, it’s really the food that is going to get people buzzing about the night.

• ·         A lot of my brides get really stressed about whether they’re supposed to be doing one thing or another.  Don’t get so caught up in the “rules”.  Instead, make sure you don’t have any regrets and that you’ve done everything the way you want a couple.  Enjoy the process of planning and don’t worry so much about what you think you have to do.