Posts Tagged ‘wedding planning tips’

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

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

 

 

 

Keeping It Cool At An Outdoor Wedding

Let’s face it…having an outdoor wedding during the summer months can be HOT! Maybe you got a great rate on a venue or you both are just very outdoorsy type of people, WONDERFUL! However, you need to be proactive in thinking about your guests that will attend & their comfort. Here are some ideas on how you can make your event more enjoyable during the hot summer months.large_mister_fan_wedding

  • Rent Port-A-Cool Units, Air Conditioners, Misting Fans, or Fans and place them strategically throughout the reception/ceremony. Having one near the bar and dance floor are the top 2 locations. The Port-A-Cool units can decrease the temperate from up to 10-15 degrees!  Most party rental places will have them and they aren’t as expensive as you might think. Great Events Full Service Event Rentals carries all of those in San Antonio.

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  • Tents…need I say more? Shade is essential and sometimes you just can’t rely on the trees to give you all the shade you need. You never know where the sun might fall throughout the day and just how shady it will be. A tent will give you the security too if bad weather arises. There are so many types of tents, very basic to the extravagant. Rental companies have different sizes, shapes, & features to fit any budget.

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  • Guests love beverage stations. This is essential for staying hydrated too! Make it fun and inviting by offering several types of beverages to choose from. The easiest way is to make flavored water with fruits, cucumber, mint, etc. Just slice and throw it in the water! How easy is that!! Having cute framed signs to tell the guests what each one is adds an extra touch too. I did that for one of my couples and they loved it!

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  • Program Fans at the ceremony are not only great for sharing information about the ceremony but also to use for fanning yourself in the heat! Guests can then bring them with them at the reception and use them there as well. The above picture is from printedexpressions.com. Carlson Craft offers a wide variety of these and you can receive 10% off by going through this link: program fans.

Royalty Event Parties is here to help! If you have questions about different wedding situations, wedding etiquette questions or need advice on the creative side, I am here for you! Give me a call at 210-595-9263 or email me at info@royaltyeventparties.com. You can find me at Pinterest, Facebook, and my website: http://www.royaltyeventparties.com.

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!

Wedding Planning Etiquette: The Invitations

Planning your wedding is full of etiquette questions. This week I’m taking a look at the questions that come up in regards to invitations.

After you’ve created your guest list, you’ll need to let them know you want them at your wedding. While you might be excited to let everyone know about your big day, you should wait until six to eight weeks before your wedding to send out the actual invitations. If you want to send something out earlier, consider save the date cards.

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Your invitation choice should reflect the style of your wedding, as they will give guests a hint about what they can expect on the big day. The invitations should also provide them with all the information they need to attend your wedding. This includes the basics, like date and location, but also details such as places to stay and dress code.

If you are planning a wedding website, use it to provide additional or non-essential information. Remember that many older family members won’t be comfortable finding everything out online. This is why it’s so important to have the vital details in the paper invitation.

Your invitations are a special piece of stationery, and your guests will be honored to receive them. To find out more about how to handle the etiquette of your invitations, or for help planning your San Antonio wedding, give me a call (210-595-9263) or contact me online.

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