Tag: wedding planner

Posted on by — 3 Comments

The Right steps to finding the Best wedding planner

via pixabay
via pixabay

The term “wedding planner” broadly encompasses a number of services. Who you choose to hire for your wedding, should depend on what you want them to do. You can select between full service wedding planners and partial services. Either way, the final intention is to reduce your stress as the big day approaches, and have everything on track, in time.

We will now look at how you can find the right wedding planner from the numerous options available.

Full-service planner, a “day of” coordinator or Part-time Professional

If you want a professional to handle all the details of your wedding and you can afford it, choose a full-service planner. They will take care of all tasks including hiring and decorating the venue, creating invitations, booking the florists, caterers and band, all the way up to sending your thank you notes.

A day-of coordinator will take charge for everything on your actual wedding day. If you prefer to plan and execute everything yourself, but want help on the day, this is the ideal choice for you. Part-time professionals can help you perform chosen tasks. For example, you can hire them for décor suggestions, assistance with booking vendors etc. They charge a flat fee for the service they provide, and it is hence less expensive than a full-service planner.

Factors to account for when booking the service

The most important factor when booking a planner is your budget. A full-service planner is expensive, and they may cost up to 10 to 20% of your total budget. A “day-of” coordinator charges a flat fee for his job, and relieves you of the pressure of handling things on the day.

Compare costs of various planners and shortlist the option/options that seem ideal. Make sure that the names on the list are all professionals who are experienced and well-trained. The next part is conducting interviews to zero-in on the right choice.

Interviews and decisions

At the interview, obtain references of past weddings your wedding planner has conducted. Ask them how they work, how they handle emergencies and what ideas they can contribute to your wedding. The basic idea of this discussion is to determine how well the two of you can work together.

You will be spending a lot of time with your wedding planner, so it is important that you strike a rapport right from the start. You should be comfortable discussing your ideas, and he/she should welcome your ideas and be ready to build on it. If you are struggling to convince him/her of what you want, it is obviously not the right choice.

Discuss what will be included in the cost and make sure all the terms and conditions are included in the contract. Once you have finalized everything and your wedding planner has begun the planning process, be in touch regularly and ask for updates on the progress. With the right person to help you, you can be certain that your dream of having the perfect wedding will be realized with no difficulty.

Best for Bride has everything you need from wedding dresses, to décor ideas, invitations and more. Visit us today to get started with your wedding plans today.

Posted on by — 2 Comments

Five Reasons to Hire a Wedding Planner

You are newly engaged and you’ve set the date for your wedding, but you haven’t decided yet whether or not you’ll hire a wedding planner. Maybe you can do it all yourself, but you’ve considered getting a little help. Here’s five reasons why you should consider hiring a professional.

They Are Mindful of Your Budget

If you set a budget with a planner, they won’t go over what you’ve laid out for them. When you are planning everything yourself, it may seem easy to justify some additional costs here and there but those costs can very quickly add up.

They Leave You Stress Free

Wedding planning should be enjoyable, not stressful. A wedding planner will make sure everything is booked and all suppliers get paid on time so you don’t have to worry about deadlines and whether or not you are missing something. Spend that time looking for dresses with your bridesmaids instead!

Your Wedding is in Another City

Sometimes if you are having a destination wedding at an all-inclusive resort, a wedding planner may be provided, but if one isn’t, make sure you hire one. It can be difficult enough to plan your wedding from another city yourself, but with help it will be much easier.

You Have a Vision You Want to Make Reality

Wedding planners know where to find the supplies you want for your wedding. Whether it’s a theme they need to accommodate or you want your reception to look like the inside of an ice palace, they know exactly how to bring what you are imagining to life.

You Deserve Perfection!

It’s your wedding day, and everything should be just as you imagined it. You don’t want stress to leave you drained leading up to the big day, and a wedding planner has done dozens to hundreds of weddings before, so you are in good hands with a professional. Just do your research and find someone who fits the style you are looking for.

Need wedding ideas before you hire a planner? Be sure to visit Best for Bride for wedding and bridesmaid dresses, accessories and more!

Posted on by — 2 Comments

Wedding Planning – How to done right

budget

Wedding

So, at last you have made up your mind to settle down with your partner, making your relationship official by holding a beautiful ring exchange event. Have in mind that there are so many crucial things to be done and decision to be mad. So get ready and start planning for your big event as early as possible. It wouldn’t be appropriate to make rush decisions in the last me.

To plan your wedding well, with equal attention being focused on all segments of your marriage, it is ideal to come up with a good plan. If you want your day to be complete without hiccups, a wedding planning checklist is essential. Once you start to list things down, you will discover that there are so many things to taken care of, which you might have ignored because of the excitement.

Listed below are some tips that you can have in your wedding planning checklist.

Budget

 

budget

You have to come up with a budget for a number of reasons. Invitation cards, catering, after party and weddings in general are quite expensive, but the more you keep track of the money to be spent the more likely you are to stick with the budget you have set. Ensure that you put your budget into segments so you know you are being realistic, and then you can reallocate cash if you get a good bargain on the cake. You can also cut down cost by using wedding rental services.

Guests

On your big day, there will be probably some uninvited guest who will top up on your guest list. When busy look for the right wedding barn you should start by listing the people you are planning to invite. You will need to be figure out the numbers so as to get catering quotes, for venue size, and with the steps involved in the wedding planning process, so it is a good idea to come up with a list early enough.

Wedding Date

Instead of having one specific date set in your head, come up with several options. This will be much easier when you are trying to create the ideal barn for your reception. The more recognition you give to your guests the better, if you seek advice from family and friends, then you can settle on one. Once you have settled on a date, don’t make adjustments for anyone. It will be way more difficult than pleasing the person, and definitely three are some people who will not attend regardless.

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Crafting Your Circle: Tips to Create the Perfect Wedding Guest List!

wedding dress

Whether you’re planning a small, intimate wedding, or a huge ceremony and reception, you’ll need to decide exactly who you should invite. This seemingly simple task can actually be quite stressful – it can be difficult to make these choices, since they may affect your relationships with family, friends, and colleagues.

If you need a little help planning out your numbers, you’ll enjoy this quick guide to creating the perfect guest list for your wedding. With our expert tips, it will be easier to make decisions that feel right to you – you’ll also be better prepared to stay on schedule and on budget. Here’s are some things to think about:

Small, Medium, or Large?

bridesmaid dress

 

Your wedding size, the amount of people in your wedding party (bridesmaids, best man, ushers, etc.), and the number of guests you’ll invite are usually closely linked to your wedding budget. Therefore, knowing how much money you can spend on your ceremony and reception is priority one.

Today, many brides-to-be opt for smaller weddings that don’t cost a fortune – typically, as few as 15 or as many as 100 guests will be invited to watch you walk down the aisle in your white wedding dress! A medium-sized wedding will have 100+ to 300 guests, and a large wedding will have a list of 300+ to 500+ guests.

In order to set the right budget, you need to decide on the scale of your wedding – when you set up a budget, you should consider the cost of renting a venue, the price of catering and liquor, decor, your wedding dress, bridal rings, live musicians or a DJ, etc. You must also consider the cost of flowers, invitations, wedding favors…there are a lot of things to think about here. Sitting down and plotting things out will allow for a more accurate estimate.

If you’re working with a wedding planner, you must also think about the costs of their services…a wedding planner may actually save you money by finding affordable floral arrangements and decor, etc. Their expertise and connections can help you find deals during the planning process…

When you sit down to make a wedding budget, be generous with your estimates – it’s a rare bride-to-be who brings the whole thing in on or under budget…in other words, prepare yourself for overages and plan accordingly so you don’t run out of money. Using Excel software to make a wedding spreadsheet is a great idea – it lets you see the big picture every time you open your document. Any good accounting software package, such as Quickbooks, may also be useful.

If you’re not software-savvy, make your own ledger in a notebook – the important thing is write down every single anticipated expense, and to balance your ledger as you write checks regularly, pay for wedding-related costs, and see what’s left to buy or rent.

Once you’ve decided on small, medium, or large, it will be easier to begin crafting a guest list.

Look At Your Relationships

Everyone will tell you that it’s your wedding, and that you should invite whomever you want to…however, life is not really that simple. You must consider your relationships, past and present, when deciding who to invite. You must consider the “political” implications of including or excluding certain people – will they be offended? Will your choices have negative consequences? If your wedding is small, it’s often easier to explain the decision to invite only close family and friends. However, some feathers may still be ruffled by your choices.

Many couples find the selection process very draining, but it doesn’t have to be. Start by reviewing your contacts in Outlook email, “black books”, and social networking sites. Think about who you really connect with on a regular basis – you should honor the friendships and relationships that are nurtured every day. Aside from immediate family (who should always be invited, unless there is a lot of family drama or issues at play), these close friends who make an effort to connect with you should be second on the list.

Next, think about your career – are there any colleagues, such as a boss or partner, who might be offended if they don’t receive an invitation? It’s often better to include such persons on your guest list – after all, we spend so much of our time at work, that it just makes sense to keep our work relationships as healthy as possible!

Now that you have a master list of immediate family, close friends, and colleagues, add up your numbers. Can you make your “magic” number work with your size of wedding? If you have space left over, consider inviting more distant family members…or allow guests to bring a date. If you’ve got too many people for your scale of wedding, you need to narrow your choices down…or plan a larger wedding.

If someone else is helping you pay for your nuptials, you should be very sensitive to their desires, as they relate to the guest list. Yes, it’s your wedding, but they are spending lots of money to make your day special! In light of this, it’s a great idea to consult with your parents or whomever is paying for wedding dresses, venue, catering, and all of the bells and whistles, before you finalize the guest list. It’s all about diplomacy and showing your gratitude.

Stand Behind Your Choices

Once you’ve carefully considered your vision for your wedding, and how it can be realized with the ideal guest list, you should be confident with your choices. In the end, you’ve done your best to think of everyone. Now, it’s time to move on to the “fun stuff”! Choosing a bridal dress, bridesmaid dresses, and wedding accessories can be much more fun than planning the guest list. Stand behind your choices, and truly enjoy the romantic special occasion that lies ahead!