Who do we call first?

What does a wedding cost?

When do we start?

Where do we begin?

How do we get started planning our wedding?

These are a lot of the questions we hear from engaged couples, whether they are calling us, sending us messages on Facebook or they see us at a wedding show.  Planning a wedding can be completely overwhelming and it’s hard to even know where to begin!  While we would love for each one of these couples to work with us as our clients, we know that some will never hire a planner and some will choose a date we are booked for.  So, we’ve added a new info session topic to our line up: 

The Keys of Wedding Planning

Like all our other sessions, this one will be free.  This two hour info session will provide you all the information you need to get started, from how to create a budget, what to look for in a wedding venue to how to find the right vendors for your wedding.  We’ll also cover some basics on how to navigate the guest list, mistakes commonly made by engaged couples and much more!  Followed by a half hour q&a session with our certified planners, you will leave with all your questions answered!

For 2012, we’ve decided to offer our info sessions in Dallas and McKinney!  Bonus!  Choose the location best for you and reserve your seat today.  With all the newly engaged couples from the holidays, we expect these to book up fast.

McKinney:  Sponsored by the Grand Hotel, this session is on Saturday, February 18th, from 2 to 4:30pm.  Visit wedplankeysmckinney.eventbrite.com to register.

Dallas: Sponsored by Edison’s, this session is on Sunday, February 19th, 2 to 4:30pm.  Visit wedplankeysdallas.eventbrite.com to register.

We hope to see you there!

image by F8 Studio's Carter Rose

Circle Park Bridal – located in Addison, we’ve always been a fan of their customer service.  Circle Park Bridal currently has 18 total dresses to try on in the size range of 18-28.

Bridal Boutique of Lewisville – While Lewisville might be a drive, they have a large supply of plus size dresses.  Their selections can accommodate sizes 6-28.

Stardust & Lulu’s (same ownership) – Stardust is for the couture gown and Lulu’s is for the middle budget range.  They carry sizes up to 22 to try on.

Remember, they do not need to carry your exact size in the dress you want to try on, just something that you can get on.  That’s what all those heavy duty clips they have are for, to tighten and make it look like it fits so you can decide if they gown is for you.  Happy dress shopping!

When: Sunday, April 17th, from 2 to 5pm

Where: TPC Craig Ranch, McKinney

Cost: Free!

To register, click here.

photo provided by Jennifer Strain Photography

Preston Bailey, one of the world’s premiere event designer’s recently wrote a blog he titled “Venting: Explaining the Difference Between Planners & Designers” This little post packs quite the punch in explaining some of the ways you can spot a planner versus a designer. I think one of the easiest ways to describe this difference is that a planner deals more with logistics and a designer deals with creative aspects. Judge for yourself after reading his blog. We’d love to hear your thoughts!

photo by Carter Rose, F8Studio

pictured: Old Red Courthouse, wedding venue in Dallas

Each & Every Detail presents a FREE information session on the key to finding your dream wedding team.  From the wedding venue to the wedding cake, you’ll find out how to attack this process, what to ask and what are the key points in any vendor interview.  Hosted by TPC Craig Ranch, you will not want to miss this valuable information!

Details:  February 19th, 9:30-11:30am at TPC Craig Ranch.  A light breakfast will be provided and this session is free.  Please register to reserve your seat.

Register Here

photograph by Littrell Photography

Honeymoon registries allow you to register for either items on your honeymoon or cash towards your honeymoon.  For example, someone might want to get you some champagne and strawberries one night, or maybe a horseback ride on the beach one day.  Or maybe they just want to make the trip a little easier and send some cash your way.  Great, huh?  Not only that, but you can dictate what goes on your registry, so if your allergic to horses (I am), maybe you don’t have that as an option.

Another sneaky bonus of honeymoon registries is that often, you just get the cash for these items!  So while your guests think they are buying you a massage, you really are getting the cash to spend as you please.  Who doesn’t mind cash?

So, are you ready to set up your honeymoon registry yet?  Click here to visit the site we recommend:  rovia.honeymoonwishes.com

Happy registering and enjoy the honeymoon!

Here at Each & Every Detail we call it finding a “love match”.

Finding your love match doesn’t mean you and your florist need to be best friends. You don’t need to go to coffee or brunch with your photographer. No need to exchange BFF necklaces with your DJ.

A love match means finding someone you trust to come through on your wedding day. They understand your vision and help you come up with ways to get the desired results and stay within your budget. But most importantly they are someone you feel comfortable with, this person is going to be helping you on one of the most important days of your entire life and you need to feel comfortable to speak your opinion and say if you like something or how you want it changed.

Your budget and vendor pricing are of course a factor in finding your lovematch.  Sometimes you might fall in love with a florist, or another vendor, that is out of your set budget and it can be a hard choice whether to sign a contract with them or not. My advice is to continue to shop around, meet with other florists. You may end up finding a less expensive florist that you click with as there are lots of vendors out there.  However, while the less expensive vendor can help create your vision, you may not find you trust them as much. Sometimes the stress and worry you save yourself from can be worth spending more money than you expected to.  Go with your gut feeling.  It’s a personal decision and it’s a hard decision, but always know you have options.

I wish you all the best in finding your love match and as always Happy Planning!

Many  brides and grooms jump straight into wedding planning, if for no other reason, than everyone starts asking you questions.  When are you getting married?  Where?  Who will be your maid of honor or best man?  I want you to know it’s ok to answer “I don’t know”.  I want you to enjoy this time!  Spend time with your family and friends, show off that ring and enjoy your engagement without the pressure of planning, at least for a little bit. 

Who am I kidding?  I know you found this blog for a reason, because the wedding planning bug has already bit you and you just have to scratch the itch!  Ok, well, let me give you a few tips for getting started then.

1. Do start talking to your fiance (and possibly family) about what you want for your ceremony and reception.  Many a couple comes through my door and they’ve not really even had a conversation about what each of them want.  I encourage you to look at pictures in magazines and online and show each other what you like and what you don’t.  This will set the tone for your planning and make the road much smoother in the long run.  Using pictures helps you to articulate your preferences and can make the conversation much less stressful.  One of my favorite sites for pictures is www.stylemepretty.com.  You’ll find a great variety here and the storyboards give you the overall feel of a wedding, not just particular details.  Whether you want a beach wedding and he wants it on a ranch, this will get the conversation started.
2. Do start talking about your wedding budget.  Start with finding out who will be contributing to the affair.  If you know your parents want to pay for it all, great.  If not, it may be that you (the bride and groom) are paying for the bulk, and parents may just be contributing.  Also start talking amounts.  DON’T start with “What do weddings cost?”.  Ask yourself, what am I prepared to spend?  What are my parents prepared to spend?  This doesn’t have to be finalized yet, but you need a general range to work with before you jump out there.
3. Do start talking guest count.  You can never start on your guest list too early.  Plus, your wedding guest count, or head count, will absolutely dictate how your money is spent.  If you have a of $30,000, and want to invite 200 guests, it will limit your spending choices more than if you had a $20,000 budget and only 50 guests.  It’s time for you and your family to start coming up with those that you absolutely must invite and then make your “B” lists as to who you’d like to have.  The sooner you do this the better. 
4. Don’t start asking your wedding party to do you the honor yet.  While I know you want to immediately run to your close friends and ask them to be your maid of honor and bridesmaids, don’t do it just yet.  Many a times I have seen a bride in tears because their close friends do not turn out to be maid of honor or bridesmaid material.  I’m not saying don’t ask them at all, just take a step back and wait to see what your plans may start out to be before choosing who will be best for these roles. 
5. Do start talking about when you want the wedding to be.  For helpful tips on what dates not to choose, check out my previous post about avoiding the holidays.  Choosing when helps you know how much time you have to plan, which is key!

This list should get you started on your wedding planning, and will actually be quite a bit of homework.  I’ll expand on these four points in the next few blog posts, so keep an eye out for more advice on how to get started.  In the meantime, enjoy it!  Oh, and even better, show off that engagement ring!  We here at Each & Every Detail would love to see them, so send us pictures. Seriously!  Send us a pic and let us know how he proposed, and we’ll put them on the blog!

Congratulations again!

Holidays can give you three day weekends to choose from, which make it much easier to hold a celebration on a Sunday and possibly save a few dollars on your wedding costs.  However, travel and accommodations can be more expensive for you and your wedding guests, plus some wedding vendors will up charge their services to accommodate for time away from their families.  It also might adversely affect your guest list if your guests traditionally spend that weekend on vacation or with family, and choose to stick with their traditions versus attend your wedding.  Some of these holiday weekends include:

• Martin Luther King, Jr. Day – Jan 18, 2010 & Jan 17, 2011
• President’s Day – Feb 15, 2010 & Feb 21, 2011
• Memorial Day – May 31, 2010 & May 30, 2011
• Labor Day – Sept 6, 2010 & Sept 5, 2011
• Columbus Day – Oct 11, 2010 & Oct 10, 2010  (Since this date is 10/10/10, some couples may choose it, even though it is a Monday, to make their date more memorable.)

Holidays that are sure to increase your costs would be:

• Valentine’s Day – February 14th (Sunday for 2010 and Monday for 2011) – Floral costs for your wedding will be much higher!
• New Year’s Eve – December 31st (Friday for 2010 and Saturday for 2011) – Wedding venues often charge more for this day.

Religious Holidays will often either dictate restrictions on wedding ceremonies at the appropriate place of worship or may affect your guests availability:

photo by Kate Mefford Photography

• Palm Sunday – March 28, 2010 & April 17, 2011
• Easter Sunday – April 4, 2010 & April 24, 2011
• Passover – March 30, 2010 & April 19, 2011 (begins at sunset the night before)
• Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year)  – Sept 9, 2010 & Sept 29, 2011
• Yom Kippur – Sept 18, 2010 & Oct 8, 2011(begins at sunset the night before)
• Hanukkah – Dec 2, 2010 & Dec 21, 2011 (begins at sunset the night before)
• Christmas – December 25th (Saturday for 2010, Sunday for 2011)
• Kwanzaa – December 26th (Sunday for 2010, Monday for 2011)

Some choose Christmas, or a date close by, to take advantage of the many holiday decorations venues already have to help save money on decor.  Be aware that if you choose a Saturday during December, your costs may be higher due to the holiday season, but weekdays and Sundays will be lower.  Other holidays to be aware of when planning:

• April Fool’s Day – April 1
• Mother’s Day – May 9, 2010 & May 8, 2011
• Father’s Day – June 20, 2010 & June 19, 2011
• Halloween – October 31st
• September 11th
• Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day  – December 7th

Just an FYI, 9/10/11 is going to be very popular, so if you want it, book it as soon as you can!

Finally, keep in mind special sports days and watch for big convention days in your area.  For example, Super Bowl is on Feb 7, 2010, and watch for March Madness dates in 2010 that might affect your big day.  Here in McKinney, we always keep an eye out for local festivals in case a bride’s venue is on the historic square.  Parking becomes very limited and traffic can be a nightmare for guests trying to find your reception.  It is always your choice as to whether you choose a holiday for your wedding, just remember how it affects you and your guests and we’re sure you’ll make the best decision!

Are there any other dates that you have found won’t work as your wedding day for 2010 or 2011?  Which ones and why?

Look at Potential Planners with a Magnifying Glass

Q.  Are you certified and how do you continue your education as a planner?

A.  They should absolutely be certified as this is completely easy to do considering the amount of online courses available as well as those local to the Dallas area.  I believe everyone continues to learn, or they grow stagnant.  If they can’t tell you how they continue to learn, they aren’t learning.

Q.  How many full service weddings have you planned and coordinated?  What specifically did you do for these weddings that qualifies them as full service?

A.  Many who start out focus on “day of” weddings.  While there is nothing wrong with this, if you are their first full service wedding, you may not get the help you are looking for due to inexperience.  The second part of this question helps you both to realize what they’ve done for previous clients.

Q.  Can you give me referrals, not only from brides, but from vendors as well?

A.  Their relationships with vendors are vital to helping you get possible discounts or “freebies”.

Q.  What is the average budget you work with?

A.  If you have a $20,000 budget, you want a wedding planner that can operate within that limit.  Someone who consistently works with $80,000 and above may not have relationships with vendors within your budget range.

Q.  Do you take kickbacks or commissions?  If not, what do you do when offered this by vendors and venues? 

A.  Wedding planners SHOULD NOT take kickbacks or commissions.  They should turn this around and get it as a discount from the vendor for you.

Q.  Will you be the planner I work with, from planning to the day of the wedding?  Will I be the only wedding you have that week?

A.  Many companies have more than one planner on staff.  Make sure it is clear who you will be working with and that you are comfortable with them before signing. 

Q.  Is planning weddings your full time job?

A.  I offer this only because if you want full access to your planner, they may not be able to accommodate if they are working a full time job elsewhere.

Now of course this is by no means the entire list of questions I would ask, but it would at least get the conversation started.  And you can bet I will absolutely call their references, and probably a venue or two that they said they worked at.  This will give me lots of info as to if they work well with others, have great relationships, or if they just made up half of what they told me.  Not to be negative, but there are definitely those out there that are not professional and you deserve the best!  Want more?  Sign up for my next “How To Hire a Planner” info session.  The next class date is TBD, but we will hopefully set this soon!  In the meantime, please feel free to call me with any questions and best of luck in your search!