The Cost of Wedding Planning

I just read a super smart, well-written article from Shayna of Williamsburg Wedding Design about the price of wedding planning and what the bang really is that you're getting for your buck.  This is not about what a wedding planner should cost but an overview of what goes into determining the cost of planning packages and what you are really getting out of it.  Most likely a newly engaged couple has never thought about wedding planning and coordination before their engagement so have no clue how much one will cost when they start asking around for quotes.  The truth is a day-of wedding coordinator doesn't just show up on your wedding day for a few hours (I hope!!!).  There are hours and hours of prep time and getting to know you time that is involved which makes up the base of the cost on top of...ya know...regular ol' business/life costs.  Anyway...before you go out on the wedding planner hunt go read Shayna's post and download her awesome booklet.  You'll be able to make a much more informed and rational decision that will effect the outcome of your wedding day immensely! 

Wedding Planning Tips: Practice Makes Perfect

{me cracking up the first time I walked down the "aisle" by Davina + Daniel}

I can't stress enough how important it is to do a rehearsal of the ceremony. For the majority of folks, this will be the first time walking down the aisle and the first time your friends and close family walk with you and stand to support you. And since most ceremonies are unique in their style, timing, the music that is played, readings, etc. it is important to give yourself and your wedding party a little practice time. It can be difficult the day before to gather everyone and get them to pay attention. Most of your friends and family will probably be too excited or too busy thinking about what cocktail they'll order at the rehearsal dinner to sit still and let everything really sink in. If you don't have a coordinator, delegate someone to be the wedding party wrangler. Go through all the details of the ceremony - the processional order, the readings, etc. - with them so they know when and where everything is to take place. If you have a coordinator, this will most likely have already happened at one of your meetings. You don't want to be the one to sternly ask your sister-in-law to stop gabbing and stand in the right spot and you probably want to be focusing on your vows instead of signaling when everyone should begin walking. Go through the entire ceremony from the processional to the kiss to the order people will walk back up the aisle. If you don't feel comfortable with how everything went go through it again. Your wedding party will thank you later when they feel confident about where they are going and what they are doing. And if you are in the wedding party, please just take those 30 minutes or so to pay attention. Chances are the couple already has two million things on their minds and whether or not you know where you are standing should not be one of them. It will be quick and painless and, before you know it, the margaritas will be flowing and it will be time to party!

Davina, one half of the uber-awesome photography duo Davina + Daniel, wrote a rad piece about choosing the perfect photographer for your wedding. It just so happens that Davina + Daniel are our photographers. No, they are our photography soulmates. The universe put us together and I am so ecstatic for that. This quote from Davina about choosing HER wedding photographer is EXACTLY why I love them and can't wait for them to document our day.

"...we didn’t want to be spending our day posing and listening to our photographer tell us what to do. we wanted all the special moments and emotions of our day captured without needing to pay attention or worry about photography."

Though I'm sure we'll do some group shots to frame for the parents I mostly want to look back and see my fiance's big goofy grin, me laughing wide-mouthed and my friends fist pumping to Bon Jovi.

More advice from Davina -

"so once you’ve found what you’re looking for, i’d suggest NOT following all the advice you’ve read in bridal magazines (now this is davina the photographer speaking, not davina the bride). nothing makes me cringe more than seeing a bridal magazine recommend that brides bring shot lists to their photographers. eek! would you bring a list to your dentist that says, “check bottom and top teeth for cavities. clean between each tooth carefully. remove tartar buildup as necessary.” then why would you give your photographer a list that says: ”photograph bride walking down aisle… first kiss… first dance.” (by the way, i’m not even exaggerating) you should hire vendors that you trust. especially the ones who are doing creative work.

this brings me to my final point. on your wedding day, let. it. go. i mean really: relax. you’ll have a better experience and you’ll have nicer pictures! trust. your. vendors. then all you have left to do is enjoy your wedding day and get married! isn’t that what it’s all about?"

A Word on Trends

{my fiance and I being big dorks in the photo booth}

I don't know about you but I spend way too much time looking at wedding blogs. There are times when I see a certain trend in weddings over and over again and I wonder if it's overdone. Then I remember that the normal human being does not have over 100 blogs in their google reader. So if there is something you have been dying to do (photo booth is the big one for me) but you are afraid it's too trendy remember that the majority of your guests don't read Style Me Pretty or Offbeat Bride. This trend for you will be completely new to them. For example, this past weekend I set up a photo booth for my friends 29th birthday. We had a table of props and a backdrop and I took photos of all the guests with my Polaroid camera. Every single person was impressed with the idea. They had never seen a mock photo booth anywhere before and thought it was totally originally. So do the thing you have your heart set on and don't correct anyone when they tell you what a great idea it is!