We received this email from our bride, Gabriel:

Leave a comment and let Gabriel know what you think of her inspiration board.

 

Like everything, there are pros and cons to having your wedding over a holiday weekend, like New Years Eve or Memorial Day. The pros, mostly everyone is in a festive mood and ready to party. A lot of people have off for the holidays, so there is less of a chance it will conflict with people's work schedules. Also depending on the holiday and what day of the week it falls on, you could get your reception venue and other vendors at a discounted price depending on their demand.

With that said, there's also going to be some vendors that charge more during the holidays. For example, roses will cost you much more if you decide to use them for your Valentines Day wedding. Another consideration is out of town guests.  If a lot of your guests will have to travel, their expenses are most likely going to be much higher during the holidays. Lastly people may already have standing plans for the holidays and may not be able to make it to your wedding.

 

A: The answer to this question is going to vary by region and depends on so many factors, like the size of your guest list, day of the week, time of year, etc. There’s a website called Cost of Wedding, where you can type in your zip code and it will tell you the average cost of a wedding in your area. 

Keep in mind this is just an average based on what other couples have spent. The average can be easily skewed higher by a few extremely large and expensive weddings or skewed lower due to several inexpensive and smaller weddings. So the average cost may not be truly representative of what the majority of people are paying in your area. 

Regardless, this should only be used to give you an idea of how much a wedding could cost. Your budget should be based on what you can afford and what you are willing to spend, whether that's higher or lower than the average. Remember, you can have a wedding on any budget. Sometimes it just means scaling down, thinking outside of the box and getting creative.  


Do you have a question? Email us and we will be happy to answer it.

 

There is a seemingly endless pool of wedding vendors to choose from. So, how do you separate the good from the bad? The honest from the morally-challenged? The dependable from the unreliable?

Below are some tips for hiring wedding vendors. These tips will help protect you from being taken advantage of, as well as ensure you are getting the best price, the best product and the best service you can.

Research – Even if you have a specific vendor that you know you want to use, shop around and do your research. Interview at least three vendors before making your final decision. This will allow you to compare prices and packages and ensure you are getting the most value for your money. This will also give you more negotiating power when finalizing pricing and package details.

References – Ask potential vendors for a list of recent references. When checking references ask about timeliness, professionalism, customer service and anything else that is important to you. In addition, go online and see if you can find any reviews from previous brides. Lastly, check the Better Business Bureau website for rating and reviews.

Contracts – A written contract should always be a part of the vendor hiring process and should be signed prior to giving the vendor a deposit. A contract is mutually beneficial and protects you as well as the vendor. Read through the contract carefully and ensure everything that was verbally agreed upon is included in the contract.

Before you start making your guest list determine the maximum number of guests you want at your wedding. When determining your maximum number, factor in your budget, the size of the venue, your preference as a couple, as well as your families’ preferences. Once you have your maximum number, start creating your guest list.

The easiest thing to do would be to divide the list 50/50 and give half to the bride and her family and half to the groom and his family. However, when you factor in the size of the bride’s family versus the size of the groom’s family or how much certain individuals are contributing financially, it may not make sense to split the list equally. Determine the proportions that best suit your unique situation and ask everyone involved for their guest wish list, with and emphasis on “wish”. Make sure they understand that their list will be modified if necessary.

Once you've collected everyone’s wish list, combine them into one master guest list. When you combine everyone’s list you may find that you are over your maximum and need to make cuts. If you are looking for a quick way to make some cuts, start with guests who are single. You can reduce your guest list by inviting single guest without a date. If you are looking to make significant cuts, consider cutting entire groups such as, children, coworkers, 3rd cousins, etc. If your guest list is still over the maximum go down your list name by name and answer the questions below. Based on your answers you should be able to make some more cuts.

o      Has my significant other or I ever met this person?
o      When was the last time my significant other or I saw/talked to this person?
o      Are we likely to keep in touch with this person after our wedding?
o      Would having them at our wedding make or break our wedding day?

Click here to view a checklist of the major tasks that need to be completed while planning your wedding. You should add and remove tasks from the list as it applies to your specific situation. The list is written in suggested chronological order, however you should work on completing the tasks that are most important to you first. Keep in mind each aspect of your wedding affects another, so you may have to wait for one task to be completed before you can start another. Or, you may find yourself working on multiple tasks simultaneously.