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Budgeting for your Wedding |
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Date: 6/26/07 |
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Wouldn’t it be great if you had unlimited money to pay for the wedding of your dreams? |
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First, know what your actual budget is. How much money is there to spend and who is paying? If money is being offered to you by family to cover expenses, is it a set amount or a range? Many times the total money is a combination from the families’ and the couple’s resources. The average spend on a wedding in Washington State in 2008 was $31,381*. You can have a beautiful wedding for less and could certainly spend more depending on your plans. (*Data from The Wedding Report)
Now that you know your budget, decide what is most important to you for your wedding celebration. If you have your heart set on a designer dress, luxurious location, or sumptuous menu, stick to your wishes. Write down what your dream day would be. Look at which aspects are most vital to you. Spend more in the aspects that really matter to you and less in areas that are not as important to you. Then stick to it! |
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This is where Simply Celebrations & Events can be most valuable. I can help you maintain and stay within your budget from start to finish. Good planning and creativity can save you money and you can still have the wedding you have always dreamed of.. |
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For most brides though, this is not usually the case. Budgeting is a necessary part of planning your wedding. Managing your expenses is also an important step in making your marriage financially sound after the wedding day is over! |
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How rewarding it could be to start your married life without the worry and stress of a pile of debt greeting you after the honeymoon! Sticking to a budget can be challenging as you get closer to your wedding day. All the expenses start adding up. |
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Call or email me for a complimentary one hour consultation and receive a free in person wedding budget review! Together we can assess which wedding items are most important for you while not breaking your budget.
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Now that you are engaged, you are starting to think about where and when to have your wedding. You have probably already thought about how your dress will look and what colors you like for flowers and bridesmaid dresses. The venue you pick for your ceremony and reception will affect many other decisions. OR you can determine ahead of time what you want for color scheme and style of wedding and then find a location that FITS what you want.
I suggest you ask yourself a few questions before you decide on a venue:
Do you want to have your ceremony and reception at the same location?
How many guests will be coming?
Do you want to marry indoors or outdoors?
What time of year do you want to marry?
Once you know these things, you are one step closer to selecting the right venue for you. Maybe you have already searched online to see what venues are available that fit your criteria. Once you have found a few locations that appeal to you, now ask a few more questions
What will the venue look like at the time of year you are marrying? Which plants, trees or bushes will be blooming at that time?
What is the maximum capacity for the venue?
What are the permanent colors in the space such as walls, carpeting, and maybe even the chair colors? Will these go with the colors you want to have or will the colors clash?
For reception venues, do they have an exclusive in house caterer or do they allow other outside caterers to use their facility?
What is included in the fee to rent the venue? Are tables, chairs, linens or their sound system included? Can you use the whole venue or only certain rooms?
Do they have a preferred vendor list and do you have to use their chosen vendors?
Your budget and timing for the day can be affected by all of the above. When you go and look at a few venues, ask lots of questions before signing a contract.
If you would like a full check list of questions for selecting a venue, call or email me for a complimentary consultation. I offer many wedding services including researching and recommending vendors to brides.
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Finding Your Perfect Place To Wed |
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Date: 11/09/2008 |
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Will you be working on your wedding day? Date: 5/02/2009 You have spent your time dreaming about, planning for and spending your hard earned money toward your wedding day. Friends and family have been invited and will attend to see you marry your groom. You have scheduled time off from your job perhaps before and definitely after your wedding day. This is the day you have been waiting for months, maybe even years! Will you still be working on your wedding day?
Maybe you will spend the week leading up to the day worrying, checking every detail, or calling all your vendors to confirm everything. Now your day has arrived and you are too tired or stressed to enjoy it. Getting married should be very fun and enjoyable. After all your efforts and money spent, YOU deserve to be able to celebrate it. Your guests and family want you to spend your day with them.
Hiring a bridal consultant who offers a Day of Wedding package could be one of the best decisions you make as your wedding day approaches. Many brides wish they had hired a planner either part way through their wedding day or the week leading up to their day. You don’t have to hire a bridal consultant….most brides can plan their own wedding fairly well. Brides who did hire a day of wedding consultant rarely regret having spent the money for this service.
Here are some of the things you will enjoy from a “day of wedding” bridal consultant: You will get a detailed "Day of" timeline for you and your wedding party. All your vendors like your photographer, caterer, videographer, and DJ will have your timeline and know when different events of the day are happening. (We are all on the same page.)All your wedding vendors will be contacted by your planner to confirm their arrival/departure time and the details of their service at least a week before your wedding.Your ceremony rehearsal will go well and any potential issues will be addressed that night. Your ceremony on the day of your wedding will be organized and run for you not by you.All the little items like the guest book, place cards, ring bearer pillow, and toasting glasses are turned over to the consultant at the ceremony rehearsal not on your wedding day. (Remember - no working on your wedding day!)Your vendors will be greeted at the ceremony and reception for delivery and set up. Any problems that come up will be handled without you needing to worry about it. You can enjoy your day.The corsages and boutonnieres will be pinned on family members and the wedding party.Your DJ and bridal consultant can work as a team to oversee the schedule throughout the reception so your events happen as planned. Meanwhile you can enjoy just being married and celebrating with your new husband, your family and guests.Final payments will be distributed to your vendors if needed on the day of your wedding. These too can be given to the bridal consultant at the rehearsal. (If you are handing out checks/tips to your vendors, you are working on your wedding day!)Your set up and breakdown will occur within scheduled venue hours per your contract so you don’t get unexpected charges after your wedding is over. At the end of the night, you will have “left the building” in grand style, perhaps in a limo that showed up on time. Your consultant can make sure clean up happens, all your personal items (guest book, toasting glasses, cake server, wedding gifts) have been returned to a family member. They will keep these safe until returned to you.Just in case someone in your bridal party gets a headache or a blister from their shoes or needs tissues, a bridal consultant provides an emergency wedding day kit. You should see what is in mine: Band-Aids, straws, mouthwash, hairspray, pain relievers, a pair of black sox, a needle and several colors of thread, tape….ask me what else I bring!Consider being a guest at your own wedding and leave the stress, details, and all the rest to a bridal consultant on your day. The only job you should do is to be a great hostess who has fun and spends time with her guests and family. Let me work on your wedding! |
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See my blog http://blog.simplycelebrations.com |
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Top 5 ways to get to your wedding day with the least amount of stress: 10/30/2009
1) Stay organized. Don’t wait until the last minute to do your favors or print your programs if you are making them yourself. Keep a well organized file or folder with records of what is done and what still needs finishing. Have a designated place in your home to store all your wedding information and materials. You won’t waste time looking for items related to your wedding. Use a check list and mark off the items you have accomplished already. Take satisfaction in the fact that the list is getting shorter and see how much you have done!
2) Ask for help. Yes, you have done the amazing job of organizing and planning your day, perhaps with little help from others. You do not have to do it alone. Delegate what does not have to be done by you personally. People feel good when they can contribute. Accept offers to do things for you. You deserve it! Your Maid of Honor or bridesmaids will enjoy being involved with some of those final projects. Ask your groom to help you with some of the things you know he might enjoy (maybe booking the limo, picking his favorite songs for the song list for the DJ, selecting the micro brews for the reception bar, your slide show technicalities, etc.) Hire a wedding coordinator to handle the areas for which you need expert help.
3) Take care of yourself. Stay hydrated - make sure you drink enough water. Not only does this keep you healthy but it will help make your skin look great for your wedding day. Eat as healthy as you possibly can. Add a few more fruits and veggies to your meals. Have your morning cup of coffee but don’t let your caffeine or sugar intake increase too much. These will make you jittery and then more tired. Get enough sleep. If you have a lot of things on your mind that are keeping you up, write them down and vow to handle these the next day. Exercise releases chemicals in your body called endorphins which helps you feel more relaxed and actually feel happier. It is true!
4) Plan each day for some non wedding time. Your groom will appreciate this! Take at least one hour every day that you do not talk about the wedding, work on the wedding or think about the wedding. Plan a date with your groom and make anything wedding related a forbidden topic during your date. Watch a favorite movie or TV show. Pamper yourself with an activity you enjoy. Take the dog for a walk and get some exercise.
5) Let go. As the day approaches, start focusing on what the day is really about: marrying your groom, the man you fell in love with. Yes, your dress, the flowers, the cake and the food is all important. Yes, you have spent a lot of money and effort to make this day happen. You want it all to be perfect! These are all totally normal wishes. Sometimes an unexpected or unplanned moment is what a couple remembers and cherishes most about their wedding years later. Most of what you want will probably happen smoothly on your day. In the end, the wedding day is only one first day in your whole long marriage. Have fun and enjoy it.
All of these are simple and basic common sense. When we get stressed and overwhelmed, we tend to forget the simple stuff. I hope these tips help to bring you back to the basics and to become a more relaxed, happy and calm bride. |