Posts Tagged ‘San Antonio wedding Planning’

Planning Tips For A Stress-Free Wedding – San Antonio Wedding Consultant

inspiration board_kimAs a wedding consultant, I have worked with all types of brides when it comes to planning their wedding. At that initial consultation, I really get a sense of what they are like by how organized they seem to be, how much they have already planned before even meeting with me, how many Pinterest photos they have on their phone to show me, and how much they talk while I listen. The #1 reason why they have contacted me and considered hiring a wedding consultant is TO BE STRESS-FREE ON THEIR WEDDING DAY! They are the ones that get it and I LOVE IT!

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I’m going to walk you through tips on how to stay calm during the wedding planning process.

1. Make lists and keep organized

Make lists of what you need to do and keep organized by having a large binder where you can keep all your photos, contracts, notes, and receipts. Just be sure to not forget it when going to vendor appointments. I have seen this happen all too many times. As far as the lists…make them small, maybe a list of 4-5 items at a time so you do feel so overwhelmed. Also, feel free to delegate tasks to family members and friends. They would probably love to help you, just ask! The great thing about the internet, magazines and PLANNERS is that they all can provide you with a detailed monthly to-do-list during the wedding planning process. It will keep you on track on where you should be at which month and in what order you should plan everything. If you would like this list please contact me and I would be more than happy to email you one!

2. Hire great vendors

Attend bridal shows, open houses, ask friends that have already gotten married and read reviews on the internet to find great wedding vendors. Also, be sure to interview vendors before choosing one. In some of my past blogs I included lots of questions to ask different type of vendors. Please go back and read some of those blogs to get those questions. By choosing established vendors with good reputations you are in a win-win situation and you ensure a stress-free wedding day.

3. Take a break

If you are planning everything yourself you need to take some time off to get your mind off of it, occasionally. Please do this! Just relax for a weekend enjoying other things with your fiancé or friends. You will feel refreshed after a relaxing weekend with them. I have found that more often couples are planning their weddings more than 1 year in advance – you have plenty of time! There is no reason to rush through it all. After you have locked in the venue, the most important piece to the wedding, then just relax for a bit and get refreshed before tackling the to-do-lists.

4. Wedding issues can be resolved

If something doesn’t feel right or doesn’t quite go your way then step back from the situation and discuss it calmly with your fiancé or parents first and then with the vendors. A solution can happen. Most vendors will go over and beyond to ensure the couple is happy and will help to resolve the issue in any way. If they don’t, then maybe they aren’t the right fit for you. Hopefully, they will return your deposit and you can move on to another vendor that is a better fit.

5. Don’t sweat the small stuff

This is where I have seen brides across all spectrums…the laid back, easy going, happy about anything bride to the very detailed, organized, uptight bride that can’t relax on her wedding day. I feel so sorry for those 2nd type of brides. My job as a planner is to ensure a stress-free day for the bride but sometimes there is nothing I can say or do to change this. I work so hard behind the scenes to make sure everything is set up, vendors have arrived, the wedding party has what they need, and so much more. The bride has to trust me that I will take care of everything so she CAN relax. If something does go wrong (ex. starting late, someone in the wedding party doesn’t show, a vendor messes up in some way, etc.) please, please, please just try and brush it off and don’t worry about. Most of the time no one even knows what went wrong. Think about all the great things that went right that day…you’re getting married!

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6. Hire a wedding coordinator

I have mentioned several times in this blog just how valuable a wedding coordinator can be to having a stress-free day. I hope you seriously think about the advantages to having one! Not only can we help for the day of but we can help throughout the entire process. We can recommend vendors that are trust-worthy, help with décor ideas, tell you ways to save money, guide you in when/what you should be planning, help with hotel blocks, create timelines, ceremony lineup sheets, diagrams of the venue, assist at the rehearsal, and so much more! We can make your life and WEDDING…STRESS-FREE!

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If you are interested in hiring a wedding coordinator for the San Antonio area please contact me. I offer a FREE consultation and would love to hear all about your wedding and what your needs are. I also offer invitation and honeymoon services. Please learn more about my services at my website. Trudy Scott, http://www.royaltyeventsplanning.com, 210-595-9263 or Trudy@RoyaltyEventsPlanning.com

Wedding Venues – What to know and ask

10947212_10152938578565210_2045012686152028703_nCongratulations on your wedding! You just got engaged and you’re ready to start planning your wedding! This is the most exciting time of your life! What do you do first? The biggest expense of your wedding could easily be the venue at traditional locations. Those locations could be in a hotel ballroom, a building just for events, country clubs, historical buildings, museums, bed and breakfasts and restaurants. If you’re on a tight budget you could even have it at a church hall or at someone’s home. Lets dig deeper into all the details of choosing the perfect venue for you.

Research

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First, you want to look at those venues that will give you the look and feel of the style you are wanting for your wedding but will allow you stay within your budget. There are a ton of places you can look at so the following information will help in narrowing down your search. How do I find those places? If you do a search for “San Antonio Wedding Venues” (enter your city) there will be directories of popular wedding websites where venues are listed. You can normally see pictures, more details of the place and price range as well. Here is an example of a great San Antonio wedding website with tons of great information, http://www.sanantonioweddings.com/default.aspx. Asking your newly married friends could be a great way to gather information as well. They could tell you which ones they looked at or used that offered great deals, had good service and were easy to work with. Using a wedding coordinator can also be an asset for helping in gathering this information and making recommendations. Ultimately, though it will be couple’s decision in the venue they choose. Another creative way of gathering information is by asking photographers or videographers which venues they have had a great experience at before. They have been to many venues and probably have insights from those other weddings.

Something else to keep in mind is the catering. Some venues require you to use their in-house catering while with others you are allowed to bring in your own. You need to look  at their typical plate cost to see if the venue plus catering is in your budget. You can end up spending a lot more than you thought originally because of their menu pricing. However, you also need to look at what the venue is offering in terms of package discounts (some venue rental fees are even free with their in-house catering) and additional items (ex. linens, uplighting, table/chairs, centerpieces, etc.). You could end up saving money if those items are included into the price.  If you are thorough and research each venue carefully you can find one that fits in your budget and give you the look and feel you are wanting. Trust me!

What To Ask

You have narrowed down your search to a handful and now it is time to inquire with them about their packages and what is included. You can call and speak to the venue coordinator to get the initial information and then schedule a time to take a tour and see firsthand what the venue has to offer. It is important to ask the right questions to make sure you are getting the best package fit for your needs. If you can bring your wedding coordinator with you to the walk through I highly recommend that. They will know just the right questions to ask and what to look for. Here are example questions you’ll want to ask the venue coordinator:

How many guests will it hold (with table and chairs and dance floor)?

How many tables will fit? Types & size of tables?

Do they provide table and chairs (if so, what kind)?

Is set up and tear down of the table and chairs included in package?

Are linens included? If so, what colors?

Do they provide centerpieces? If so, what?

China included?

How many hours is included in the fee?

How much time do you have the day of to set up?

Is the AC on during this time?

Who cleans up?

How much time to tear down?

Is there a plan B for outdoor venues in case of rain? If so, what is it?

Is security required? If so, how many, who do we need to go through and what is their fee?

Do they have in-house catering? Or is outside allowed?

Liquor Rules?

Is dance floor included, extra or must be rented elsewhere?

How many people will the dance floor hold?

If having the ceremony at the same location you will need to find out about rehearsal time. Is it allowed, when and for how long?

Always ask the venue coordinator if there is anything else you need to know before leaving. You don’t want to miss out on anything!

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0028I love being a wedding coordinator in San Antonio! There are so many options when it comes to venue selection. We have the gorgeous Riverwalk with lots of hotel & historical locations. There are lots of Texas Hill Country options in the surrounding areas (ex. Boerne, Helotes, Castroville, La Vernia, Spring Branch, Comfort, etc.). There are beautiful museum options in the heart of San Antonio and also event rental venues all throughout the city. San Antonio definitely offers an option for every style – modern, romantic, traditional, rustic, Mexican, Victorian, etc.

If you need assistance in finding the perfect venue for your wedding, please contact me. I would LOVE to help you! Trudy, Royalty Events Planning, 210-595-9263, Trudy@RoyaltyEventsPlanning.com. Go to my website RoyaltyEventsPlanning.com to learn more about my services and go “LIKE” me on my FB page to keep up with events, wedding tips, pictures, and what I’m doing. https://www.facebook.com/royaltyeventparties

What to know about vendor wedding contracts

Recently, I met with a potential bride for my initial consultation for wedding coordinating. She pulled out her Ipad and showed me 38 questions she had for me. I was pretty impressed that she was being so thorough with her vendor selections. I spoke about all my services and what I had to offer and at the end I asked her if she had any additional questions. I had pretty much covered all her questions except for a few. So, after all the questions have been answered and you feel confident this vendor is a perfect fit for you what’s next? You’ll sign a contract. Your wedding is going to be one of the most important days of your life. It is very important that you pay great attention to all the legalities of all your wedding purchases…the contracts!

Tips

DSC_0149Make sure you get every business transaction in writing. This is very crucial! I had a bride, in the past, that hired a mariachi band for her ceremony and cocktail hour. I asked her for the contract so I could review it and she hadn’t signed one. They said they were good for it. WRONG! I insisted she get something in writing from them. They put together a vague one page sheet and guess what….they couldn’t do the ceremony at the last minute. It ended up working out after she said she wouldn’t use them at all if they didn’t come to the ceremony. However, their contract didn’t outline each and every location of service. She asked for a more detailed contract and could never get one from them. Be sure all specifics are laid out in the contract in writing! If they don’t offer you a contract then walk away!

Write everything down. This includes:

  •  When deposits and payments are made (write it at the top of the contracts to keep track of it).
  • When you arrange for a service (write down the name of the person you spoke to and the date along with the order plans). You would hate to be charged double!

wedding_vendor_contractRead the fine print. Inquire about additional fees they might be trying to sneak in. If you do not agree with them then ask that they be taken off. Most vendors will want your business and be open to this. Also be sure that all the details of their service and what was agreed upon is stated in the contract. I had a bride attend a bridal show and sign a lengthy & well drawn out contract that day so she would receive the show special, a free keg. The day of the wedding there was no keg and I asked where it was. They were not aware of the keg because they had failed to mention the show special on the contract and had forgotten it. They ended up running to the store and bought canned beer instead.

Don’t rush into signing a contract before you can take the time to thoroughly read it. Ask if you can take the contract home with you so you can review it at your leisure.

Just like the bride who came prepared with 38 questions for me, do the same with every vendor. Look online for, “Questions to ask your caterer, venue, cake vendor, etc.” You want to make sure the vendor you work with has experience, a good contract, shows professionalism and can answer your questions. Here’s a link to my Wedding Tools page on my website. If you have any additional questions about what to look for in your contract, contact Trudy Scott, Professional Wedding Consultant, 210-595-9263 or info@royaltyeventparties.com.

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and information about planning your wedding.

Should I hire a wedding coordinator?

austin_wedding_expo_2014Recently, I attended the Austin Wedding Expo and heard many great speakers talk about goal setting, marketing ideas, SEO tips, etc. One of the most interesting comments I heard there was by one of the speakers who stated, “Based on case studies, brides wish they would have hired a wedding planner (after the fact).” Hearing that is so frustrating as a wedding consultant in San Antonio, Texas. I went up to the speaker after the presentation and asked, “Well, how do you convince the bride BEFORE the wedding just how important planners are?” That’s a hard question to answer! Some brides will never get it but there is that small percentage that DO (thank you!). Here is a list of reasons to consider using a wedding planner & if hiring a wedding coordinator is the way to go – maybe I can convince those other brides.

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  • Have you planned a wedding before? There is a lot that goes into it…someone experienced can guide you and save you a lot of time trying to figure it all out. Have you thought about your plan B if it rains or who is going to move all those chairs from the ceremony to the reception? I have! How much time goes into planning a typical wedding (10 months prior)? “Say I spend 5 hours a week thinking about, researching for and crafting the wedding – which is probably a conservative estimate. At 5 hours a week, 40 weeks of planning = 200 hours,” blog from Wedding Bee, Time Well Spent. http://www.weddingbee.com/2008/11/06/time-well-spent/#ixzz3AIcX5ktk. Do you have this much time to plan? Wedding coordinators can cut that time in half!

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  • If you opt to hire a wedding planner, you can focus on the fun details of planning the wedding while your wedding planner takes care of the technicalities. Do you really want to spend time on the phone with transportation companies and hotels?

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  • I understand that planning your dream wedding is not cheap and you want a good deal on everything or you just don’t budget for it at all – like coordinators. However, couples need to keep in mind that this is one of the biggest days of their lives. I’ve been married for over 14 years and I still think back on all the details and the things I should have done for my wedding…I have regrets! I don’t want you to have regrets too! We really are essential for ensuring a smooth and stress-free day! Trust me, we are worth every penny!

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  • Do you think that your family, friends and wedding party really want to be given tasks to do for your wedding? They may say they would love to help but is it really fair to ask them to do all this manual labor work? Wouldn’t you much rather have them around you relaxing and enjoying one another’s company as they come together to celebrate this very special day with you? Think about those memories!! A coordinator’s job is to make sure all these tasks are done so others can relax too.

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  • So, going back to my question…how do I convince bride’s that consultants really are essential to have BEFORE their wedding? Here’s some reasons…vendor recommendations, give advice, review contracts (it seems like I always catch something), create timelines (I give one to the DJ, caterer & bride), do the leg work (calling vendors), attend rehearsal (make sure everyone knows what to do), pin boutonnieres & pass out flowers, ensure vendors arrive & set up, manage the entire event from start to finish, take care of problems (At one wedding I coordinated the toilet was overflowing in the bathroom….there I was with a plunger and cleaning up the floor so others wouldn’t slip – the bride never knew this!), load up cars with gifts and couple’s items, make sure vendors clean up (I want you to get your deposit back) plus so much more.

Consultants put in hours and hours of their time for each and every wedding they assist with. We love what we do and are passionate about it! I hope you will consider hiring an expert. I hope this blog has helped convince brides-to-be. If you need consulting or invitation services please contact Trudy Scott, 210-595-9263 or info@royaltyeventparties.com. I service the San Antonio, Texas area.

Follow Up: I posted this blog on a Linked In Wedding Group and here are some comments I received. Pretty interesting….https://www.linkedin.com/groupItem?view=&gid=86275&type=member&item=5906130834867372036&commentID=5906532529652912128&report%2Esuccess=8ULbKyXO6NDvmoK7o030UNOYGZKrvdhBhypZ_w8EpQrrQI-BBjkmxwkEOwBjLE28YyDIxcyEO7_TA_giuRN#commentID_5906532529652912128

 

 

 

Wedding Planning Etiquette: Using Email

I hope you liked the video I posted here last week! This week I’m returning to my series on wedding planning etiquette, looking at when it is and isn’t okay to use email in your wedding planning.

Email has made communication so much easier, and it can be a great way to keep on top of things with your weddings. However, it simply isn’t a stand in for traditional correspondence when it comes to your wedding.

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Do use email to coordinate with your vendors. Oftentimes, having everyone on the same page is easier when you send out a group email.

Don’t use email to invite people to your wedding. A wedding invitation must be sent by mail, as a hard copy. This is the first impression your guests will have of your wedding, so make it beautiful!

Do use email for RSVPs. It’s still better to get RSVPs from guests in the mail, but allowing your guests to send their reply to you via email can mean less chasing as your reply date approaches.

Don’t use email to thank your guests. This is another thing that must be done by hand. A handwritten thank you note is so much more meaningful than something quickly dashed off on your iPhone!

Do use email to invite guests to your shower/bachelor party. These pre-wedding events are less formal, and an e-vite is often sufficient. Of course, a paper invitation is always better, but it isn’t required in the same way as the wedding invitation.

Remember that with anything you do by email, there will be some guests who don’t use email or don’t check it very often. It’s always better to go more formal as you plan your wedding, so when in doubt, don’t email.

To find out more about wedding planning etiquette, or to find out how I can help plan your San Antonio wedding, give me a call (210-595-9263) or get in touch through my website today!

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