Planning an event can be a daunting task, especially if you have never planned one before. A lot of thought, time and research goes into each decision and it can be overwhelming, especially for such an important event. Even though times are tough for a lot of people financially right now, it may be more important now, than ever, to consider a planner. Not just for piece of mind, but also for budget help. A good planner can do amazing things with a small budget.
Wedding and event planners offer an array of services that even the tightest of budgets can accommodate if you plan accordingly. Each planner is different, but most offer, a complete coordination package where they will plan your entire event and be there the day of, a mid-level package where they come in closer to the event date to help tie up loose ends and execute everything the day of the event, and a day of package where they implement everything you planned for your special day. A number of them also offer a la carte packages, so if you need help on smaller, more specific tasks, more often than not, they can help.
If complete coordination isn't in your budget, consider a day of package. After over a year of planning and making sure each detail is perfect, you don't want to have to worry about anything on your special day, and you shouldn't have to. If there is a snafu the day of your wedding, without a planner, you and your fiance will be the ones fielding the questions and trying to right whatever went wrong.
Consider the following:
-What happens if there is a problem with your timeline and something is off? You don't want the head waiter or photographer coming up to you because dinner has to be pushed back. Let your planner do the worrying. Because 9 times out of 10, if there is a problem, and you have a planner, it will be taken care of long before you even know it existed. Your planner will be your liaison between you and your team of professionals.
-Even if not hired to help plan your entire event, some planners offer vendor assistance and consultations. They can help you find the right professionals for you! This will save you time and aggravation as they do the calling and research, so you don't have to.
-Planners are a wealth of knowledge and are great to bounce idea’s off of. They will give you impartial, honest feedback, which is invaluable when trying to plan a wedding - especially if your friends and family are just telling you what they think you want to hear.
-Thanks to your planner, the rest of the professionals you hired will all know what to do when, and be on the same page. A good planner will be their leader and have a solid timeline for all of them to follow. This makes the event that much more fun because each professional can concentrate on what they are good at, and that in turn, keeps your special day running smoothly.
Hiring a planner can stretch the budget a bit, but it will be worth it for the piece of mind you will get from knowing you and you're event are in good hands. And instead of worrying on your special day, you will get to enjoy every second of it!
-Becky
Showing posts with label Planning. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Planning. Show all posts
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Things I learned through the planning process ...
My three year wedding anniversary is coming up next month and I thought now would be a good time to share some of the things I learned (and realized), throughout the planning process and at the wedding itself, with all of you brides (and grooms) to be.
-Things will go wrong. It is inevitable. There are too many people involved and too many outside factors that come into play for things not to go wrong. But the reality is, you are most likely the only person that will know. My bouquet was supposed to be all white mini callas, tied with white satin ribbon with the stems showing. Instead I got a bouquet of 5 large white callas, fully wrapped with a bow. Everyone told me how beautiful my flowers were. My cake was supposed to have large “dots” of frosting around the base of each tier; instead there were two rows of "dots," with space in between, at the base of the bottom tier. Everyone told me how beautiful and tasty the cake was. In the grand scheme of things, did it really matter that the cake and bouquet were "wrong"? No.
-Take a minute to enjoy your day. Stop, look around and just take it all in. It FLIES by. If you can’t get to that last table to say "hi", or don’t feel like dealing with anymore formalities, then skip them. Do what YOU want to do. It’s your day and you don’t want to look back on it with regrets. Listen to what everyone has to say and decide what works for you and your fiancé. Whether it is seeing each other before the ceremony, incorporating religious customs and traditions, doing a bouquet and garter toss, donating or giving a favor, or whatever else, do what is most important to you. Don’t do something because someone else tells you, you “should” or you “have to.” You don’t.
-Your bridal party – it is your wedding, but you are choosing to include them in this big day. Consider them when making some of your decisions. It can be hard to find bridesmaid dresses you like, but if the one you love is $300, consider looking for something similar with a smaller price tag. Being in a wedding can be very expensive – try to take your girls or guys into consideration when making some of your decisions. All of my girls wore the same dress. They picked their own shoes and did whatever they wanted for hair and makeup. Everyone looked beautiful, but most importantly, they were happy! And even if they don’t all take an active interest in every detail of the wedding or do as much as you “think” they should., they love you and they are there for you on your special day.
-Decide what is most important to you and spend your money on those things. Photography was very important to me, but I let other people’s views influence my decision and ended up disappointed. I should have allotted more money for photography in the budget. Most people will remember the music and if they enjoyed themselves dancing. My DJ was great – I’m still hearing about him three years later. He wasn't the most expensive and he wasn't the cheapest, but he kept the dance floor packed. I was having such a good time dancing that I skipped eating to dance; which wasn’t the best idea because I was hungry and I still hear about how good the food was.
-Vendor recommendations are great. Listen to what people have to say, do your research, but in the end, make the decision you feel is best for you.
-Details, details, details. The little things you do will get noticed. They are what will set your wedding apart from the dozens of others your guests have, and will attend. People will remember them and they are a great way to show off who you, as a couple, really are.
-Throughout the planning process, remember what’s really important. Yes you want everything to be perfect, but you’re marrying the love of your life. That’s what’s really important. Not the color of the tablecloths, the shoes the bridesmaids wear, the exact number of flowers that will be in each bouquet, the writing on the escort cards, or anything else for that matter. You are marrying the person you love and at the end of the day, you will be husband and wife. That’s what the whole day is really about. All the planning, the stressing, as long as you are happy at the end of the day and come out a Mrs. or a Mr., it is ALL worth it.
-Becky
-Things will go wrong. It is inevitable. There are too many people involved and too many outside factors that come into play for things not to go wrong. But the reality is, you are most likely the only person that will know. My bouquet was supposed to be all white mini callas, tied with white satin ribbon with the stems showing. Instead I got a bouquet of 5 large white callas, fully wrapped with a bow. Everyone told me how beautiful my flowers were. My cake was supposed to have large “dots” of frosting around the base of each tier; instead there were two rows of "dots," with space in between, at the base of the bottom tier. Everyone told me how beautiful and tasty the cake was. In the grand scheme of things, did it really matter that the cake and bouquet were "wrong"? No.
-Take a minute to enjoy your day. Stop, look around and just take it all in. It FLIES by. If you can’t get to that last table to say "hi", or don’t feel like dealing with anymore formalities, then skip them. Do what YOU want to do. It’s your day and you don’t want to look back on it with regrets. Listen to what everyone has to say and decide what works for you and your fiancé. Whether it is seeing each other before the ceremony, incorporating religious customs and traditions, doing a bouquet and garter toss, donating or giving a favor, or whatever else, do what is most important to you. Don’t do something because someone else tells you, you “should” or you “have to.” You don’t.
-Your bridal party – it is your wedding, but you are choosing to include them in this big day. Consider them when making some of your decisions. It can be hard to find bridesmaid dresses you like, but if the one you love is $300, consider looking for something similar with a smaller price tag. Being in a wedding can be very expensive – try to take your girls or guys into consideration when making some of your decisions. All of my girls wore the same dress. They picked their own shoes and did whatever they wanted for hair and makeup. Everyone looked beautiful, but most importantly, they were happy! And even if they don’t all take an active interest in every detail of the wedding or do as much as you “think” they should., they love you and they are there for you on your special day.
-Decide what is most important to you and spend your money on those things. Photography was very important to me, but I let other people’s views influence my decision and ended up disappointed. I should have allotted more money for photography in the budget. Most people will remember the music and if they enjoyed themselves dancing. My DJ was great – I’m still hearing about him three years later. He wasn't the most expensive and he wasn't the cheapest, but he kept the dance floor packed. I was having such a good time dancing that I skipped eating to dance; which wasn’t the best idea because I was hungry and I still hear about how good the food was.
-Vendor recommendations are great. Listen to what people have to say, do your research, but in the end, make the decision you feel is best for you.
-Details, details, details. The little things you do will get noticed. They are what will set your wedding apart from the dozens of others your guests have, and will attend. People will remember them and they are a great way to show off who you, as a couple, really are.
-Throughout the planning process, remember what’s really important. Yes you want everything to be perfect, but you’re marrying the love of your life. That’s what’s really important. Not the color of the tablecloths, the shoes the bridesmaids wear, the exact number of flowers that will be in each bouquet, the writing on the escort cards, or anything else for that matter. You are marrying the person you love and at the end of the day, you will be husband and wife. That’s what the whole day is really about. All the planning, the stressing, as long as you are happy at the end of the day and come out a Mrs. or a Mr., it is ALL worth it.
-Becky
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
I just got engaged! Now what do I do?
I recently sat down for lunch with a close friend who is newly engaged. During our meal she said she was overwhelmed with the hundreds of decisions she has to make in the upcoming year. It got me thinking about how hard it must be for a “newly engaged” couple to plan a wedding if they have never planned an event before.
In our day and age there are so many different ways of gathering information. Before our lunch meeting my friend hit the news stand to buy every wedding magazine she could find. National and local wedding magazines are a great way to get ideas and find information on different vendors in the industry. From the editor’s depiction of the latest trends, to pictures and suggestions from local experts, a bride-to-be can get ideas for every aspect of her wedding.
The web is also a great source for wedding planning information. Not only can a bride-to-be find information about the latest trends, hot spots and ways to save, she can also chat with other brides-to-be and past brides on websites like TheKnot.com, WeddingChannel.com and MyWedding.com. Unfiltered e-information can not only help the bride-to-be decide what she does want at her wedding, but perhaps more importantly, it can also help her figure out what she does not want.
I personally believe that the best way to gather information about different vendors is to ask everyone and anyone about their experiences with them. Wedding planners, such as Perfect Weddings, The Queen of Hearts Wedding Planners and Proud to Plan, can offer a great wealth of knowledge about specific vendors or just planning in general that can help alleviate some of the stress. Reception sites also work with new vendors every week, ask them who they work with regularly and who they recommend. A solid recommendation is just as good, if not better, than any advertising a company can do.
Overall the best way to save yourself stress in planning your wedding is to start early. Give yourself plenty of time to shop around. Meet with different vendors, ask them all of your questions and make sure you’re comfortable with them and the quality of service they can provide. All the time spent in planning is carried out within a 7 hour period (ceremony & reception). The magic happens when it all comes together and the only thing left for you to do is show up,look beautiful, and have fun.
Good luck with the planning!
-Matt
In our day and age there are so many different ways of gathering information. Before our lunch meeting my friend hit the news stand to buy every wedding magazine she could find. National and local wedding magazines are a great way to get ideas and find information on different vendors in the industry. From the editor’s depiction of the latest trends, to pictures and suggestions from local experts, a bride-to-be can get ideas for every aspect of her wedding.
The web is also a great source for wedding planning information. Not only can a bride-to-be find information about the latest trends, hot spots and ways to save, she can also chat with other brides-to-be and past brides on websites like TheKnot.com, WeddingChannel.com and MyWedding.com. Unfiltered e-information can not only help the bride-to-be decide what she does want at her wedding, but perhaps more importantly, it can also help her figure out what she does not want.
I personally believe that the best way to gather information about different vendors is to ask everyone and anyone about their experiences with them. Wedding planners, such as Perfect Weddings, The Queen of Hearts Wedding Planners and Proud to Plan, can offer a great wealth of knowledge about specific vendors or just planning in general that can help alleviate some of the stress. Reception sites also work with new vendors every week, ask them who they work with regularly and who they recommend. A solid recommendation is just as good, if not better, than any advertising a company can do.
Overall the best way to save yourself stress in planning your wedding is to start early. Give yourself plenty of time to shop around. Meet with different vendors, ask them all of your questions and make sure you’re comfortable with them and the quality of service they can provide. All the time spent in planning is carried out within a 7 hour period (ceremony & reception). The magic happens when it all comes together and the only thing left for you to do is show up,look beautiful, and have fun.
Good luck with the planning!
-Matt
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Lighting Open Houses
At the open houses you will have the opportunity to learn more about wedding lighting, see what we have to offer, as well as meet some of our DJ's.
The first one will be held January 15, 2009 at Knowlton Mansion from 5:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m.*
The second one will be held February 15, 2009 at Paxon Hollow Country Club from 5:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m.*
*You can come to either at your convenience, although we do ask that you contact us to tell us which one you plan to attend so we can add you to the guest list.*
We will be displaying all of our lighting options, including, monogram projections, uplighting, breakup patterns and intelligent lighting, as well as photo montages and draping. We will also be running several specials at each open house so if you are interested in lighting, or our DJ services, but want to meet our crew before making a decision, please join us at one of these events!
We look forward to seeing you!
The first one will be held January 15, 2009 at Knowlton Mansion from 5:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m.*
The second one will be held February 15, 2009 at Paxon Hollow Country Club from 5:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m.*
*You can come to either at your convenience, although we do ask that you contact us to tell us which one you plan to attend so we can add you to the guest list.*
We will be displaying all of our lighting options, including, monogram projections, uplighting, breakup patterns and intelligent lighting, as well as photo montages and draping. We will also be running several specials at each open house so if you are interested in lighting, or our DJ services, but want to meet our crew before making a decision, please join us at one of these events!
We look forward to seeing you!
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