Timing

They say that timing is everything. Timing is when you meet your future spouse. Timing is when you find your first house. Timing is when you ... well, you get the picture!

In wedding planning, timing is one of the first details that you'll face. The overall timing picture - will you get married in the summer or fall, winter or spring? Once you make that decision, it's on to deciding which particular month will be the best for you. Then, you get more specific - on which day of the week do you want to celebrate with your family and friends. Next you zero in on the actual date - let's say, Saturday, August 9, 2008 (which just happens to be my 10 year anniversary!).

Now, you may think you're home free with the timing thing once you've picked your exact date, right? Well, not exactly. You now move onto deciding when, exactly, on your date that you will be married and when your reception will be held. Now, this can be tricky. You don't want to have too long of a time in between ceremony and reception or your guests will get bored, lost, or worse yet - will simply skip the ceremony! However, you don't want to have too short of an in-between time or else you and your new spouse (and bridal party) won't be able to enjoy the cocktail hour because you'll be getting your photos taken -- not to mention a rushed break-down and set-up time for your vendors! I hope I've given you some food for thought to make the timing of your wedding just right!

Until next time, happy planning...

Security

This post is going to deal with a topic on which I've just received a crash course: security. Like insurance, security may be a "necessary evil" depending upon where you choose to have your wedding, or some of the players in it.

Let me tell you what happened this week: I had a client meeting at their wedding venue in Newark at 7:30 pm. I parked in a lot - albeit an open-air lot that I knew would not be attended upon my return. However, I bargained that parking in the lot was a better alternative to simply parking on the street. Well...when I returned to my car around 9:30 pm, I found my passenger side window smashed and my GPS unit stolen. No fun!

I spoke with my clients about this, and we are going to take extra security precautions at their wedding. Although there is a valet service provided, we are going to look into hiring security guards to patrol the parking lot during the wedding, just so that the guests (and me!) will feel extra safe.

This is just one example of how security may be advisable for a wedding. Think about where you are going to be celebrating your big day - could people enter your room without being noticed and grab something off the gift table? Do you have an ex who may want to intrude on your reception and make a scene? Now, my purpose here is NOT to scare you, but rather to make you think about a topic that you may have overlooked in your planning. So, I hope it gives you food for thought!

Until next time, happy planning...

Budgeting, part 2

Back to the realities of weddings -- if only lace and tulle were free! Every one of my clients has a budget; some may be larger than others, but no one doesn't have a total amount in mind to spend on their wedding. While Eva Longoria & Tony Parker, and Tom & Katie, may have spent over 2 million on their weddings, they still had budgets to stick to and, if we could ask them, probably had wanted more of something but decided against it because it was outside of their budgets!

So how to get the most bang for your wedding buck, so to speak? First, look to yourselves. What's important to you? Are you foodies - then spend a bit more on the reception site. Are you dance-a-holics - then invest in a superior band. Did you go to FIT - then your gown may be your splurge. Spend a bit more on your passion, but keep in mind that not everything can be your passion!

Another way to stretch your dollar is to make a statement - instead of having little centerpieces on every table, have 1 major one in the center of the room. Or have things do double duty, such as decorations in the church being moved to the reception room.

The best budget idea: hire a wedding planner! While it's true I, as a wedding planner, charge my clients a flat fee, it's also true that I can save my clients money. Sometimes I save them a lot of money by knowing the industry and certain tricks of the trade. I do not accept referral fees from vendors, and ask that the commission be given directly to my couples, so they see their savings directly. Other times the savings is by ideas. I try to recommend less expensive alternatives to achieve the same look and feel for the wedding. For example, if my client wants a very expensive designer gown, I can recommend a seamstress that can create a similar dress for much less money.

But the truth is, you are the ones responsible for your budget! My job is to recommend budget-friendly vendors and to remind you of your expenses - and to offer choices. Your job is to love each other, remember that your wedding day is a celebration of your love, and to share your happiness with your family and friends in a fiscally responsible way. As a wedding consultant, I'm not here to spend your money (although I certainly can do that!) but rather I'm here to assist you along your wedding journey in as happy and stress-free manner as possible.

Until next time, happy planning...