Wedding Planning Tips

It's that time of year for many women to begin planning their wedding.  It can be a great experience, however, it can  be stressful and overwhelming.  Here are a few suggestions that I hope you will find helpful.

1. Be Organized. Stick with a timeline of which vendor to meet in accordance with priority.  You can't discuss flowers if you haven't ordered/picked dress colors. You may have a date picked out, but that can and usually does change if the venue you want is booked.

2. Manner Mode. If you set the appointment to meet with a vendor- PLEASE don't do a "No call/No show".  We understand you get busy, you may change your mind about meeting with us, you booked with someone else, etc.  We WON'T be offended if you call/email us to cancel or reschedule.  We WILL be highly ticked off if you don't call, don't show.  Our time is just as valuable as yours and we may have turned down another bride because of your appointment time. 

3. Focus.  It sounds silly but it's best if you focus on one aspect of the wedding at a time.    It's easy to get overwhelmed if you are trying to make a million decisions at once.  Get a planner, a notebook, anything to help you divide and conquer all the things you need to decide on. This mirrors #1, but it really is important. 

4. Do your Homework.  Before going to see a venue, make a list of the things you would like to be available at that venue, (outdoor options, bathroom accomodations, etc).  Before going to the florist, look at various websites, magazines, etc to get a feel of what you do and do not like.

5. Be Honest.  Everyone has a budget. Everyone.  Vendors understand this.  The better you can communicate realistically your budget expectations, the better vendors will be able to tailor their services to your needs. If you have a budget range, say $500-$900 for flowers, give your florist your price range so they can steer you in the right direction.  We can make suggestions for alternative flower choices to help you acheive a similar look but that would suit your budget better.

6. Be Realistic.  If you really want that Martha Stewart Weddings bouquet from the front cover and the florist tells you it's $600,  know what you like about the bouquet and communicate that to the florist so we can present you with bouquet ideas that would be more economical.  We aren't inflating the price "just because we can".  Those bouquets are designed to photograph beautifully for the cover, etc, and not designed with budgets in mind.

7. Follow up.  If you receive several estimates from various vendors, it helps to communicate if you don't understand something in the estimate.  We can't answer questions if you never ask.  And if we're expecting a response from you, typically a "yes we want to book you" or "no we've decided to go elsewhere" PLEASE send us a response.  We won't be upset, but it helps us to know how to plan our wedding scheduling, etc if we know out of the 20 estimates for June xxth, we've heard back from 90% of them with a "yes" or "no". 

8. The Groom. Don't get so wrapped up in planning (we know it's exciting!) that you forget to communicate with your Groom!  He is important and this day is about BOTH of you.  His opinion counts and should be heard and considered.  Compromise so that you both get things you want included in the special day.  Communicate.  This is just the beginning.  Successful marriages are born from successful communication.