Today we are going to discuss some of the challenges couples are facing in 2019 when planning their weddings and answer the top 20 questions on everyones lips about how to plan a wedding.
Hiring A Wedding Planner
1.) When should couples consider hiring a wedding planner?
Ideally, Couples should be considering if they will need a wedding planner early on in their planning journey, to get the full benefit of having someone help them get organized. They should start talking to planners once they have a good idea of the basics and a date in mind.
2.) What is the biggest misconception brides have today about hiring a wedding planner?
The wedding planning field is saturated with different types of event planners and designers, there isn't a one size fits all version of the job anymore. Couple's work with their wedding planner more closely than all of their other wedding vendors, and they should look for a person they can connect with throughout the process and who can deliver the right outcome.
3.) What is the difference between a wedding planner and a wedding coordinator?
The biggest difference is in the time they dedicate and in the work they do leading up to the event. Your wedding planner is going to play a role in everything from the overall look and layout of your event, to organizing all of the minor details, and making your final arrangements. They can take everything off your plate for you. A wedding coordinator is going to step in towards the end and make sure your prepared and the day runs smoothly. They can do some prep-work but mostly they handle the logistics on the day of the wedding.
4.) What is partial wedding planning and why is it so popular in 2019?
Partial planning is the sweet spot between a full wedding planner and having a day of coordinator. It's a great option for brides that want to save a little bit of money and potentially do some of the work themselves. If they don't need much help with design and have some help from friends & family, they can hire a partial planner who is basically their assistant in the process. It's popular because its a great way to get professional help with your wedding, it is very flexible to your needs, and it comes at a smaller investment.
5.) How can couples get the most benefit out of a wedding consultant?
A wedding consultant is an excellent resource for DIY brides that they often overlook. Booking even one consulting session, can help couples that have never planned a wedding get a grasp on what needs to be done, they can also give you tools to help you stay on track with planning, like checklists and budget worksheets. To get the most out of consultant, do this early on in your planning process, be prepared with all of your questions ahead of time.
Planning Your Wedding Budget
6.) What can couples expect an average wedding to cost these days?
As with anything you'll find exceptions everywhere, there are people who will swear they have planned wedding for 100 guests at a $5,000 budget. Realistically, couples can expect to spend between $10,000 - $50,000 for an average size wedding (100-200 guests) in 2019 - With the median cost sitting at roughly $30,000 according to Value Penguin.
7.) What are some costs that often get overlooked in the initial wedding budget?
When couples first start planning their budget, they are really looking at the big picture items like venue, food, and hotels. Rentals are often overlooked in the initial budget simply because it's a big variable, extra fees and taxes can add up un-noticed in estimating phases, and transportation can be a huge expense that is often a last minute logistic.
8.) What are some ways a couple can save money on their wedding in 2019?
I recommend saving money areas that won't have much impact on the day of the wedding. Invitations and print products are getting easier and cheaper to design, order and distribute, it's the first place to save money when you order your save the date cards. The rehearsal dinner is an easy place to save money too, you can keep it simple and have a casual welcome party instead, they are more inclusive and more fun! If you have the time and like to hunt for a good deal, the wedding dress is a major budget item that you can slash without sacrifice, brides can find huge price cuts on top of the line dresses at in-store sale events and bridal expos, When new inventory comes in, dress shops will normally have a sale. Oh, and wedding cake, skip this all together and find an awesome dessert bar alternative.
9.)What are some things that couples should splurge on?
I always recommend splurging on photography, hiring a wedding planner, and serving excellent food. This will make your wedding day experience complete. Your wedding only happens once, you will want amazing photographs to look back on. You will also want to be the person getting married at your wedding, not the person in charge of everything. This is the one day you should feel like someone made your dreams come true.
10.) How do the costs often get distributed? Who pays for what?
Traditions have really gone out of the window with modern weddings. I recommend talking with your families together and coming to an agreement that works. Traditionally the grooms family will pay for the rehearsal dinner and the honeymoon, while the brides family pays for most of the event related costs. Wedding Wire has an excellent breakdown of the traditional payment system, you can read it here.
Wedding Planning Basics
11.) What are some of the first steps couples should take when planning their wedding?
The first thing they should do is research and get a good idea of location, date and number of guests. They will answer these three questions for venues and vendors they contact. The next thing is to either book your venue or hire a wedding planner to help you find a venue. The venue is going to lock in your wedding date and you may need to be flexible on the date to secure the place you want. After you have a venue, the rest of the pieces will start to come in to play. We provide our clients with a monthly wedding checklist after they book with us to help them along the way.
12.) How can couples make the most out of their vendor meetings and venue site visits?
Bring all of your questions and checklists! It will make it easy to address everything you're concerned about and you can check things off as you go along. Take photos of your venue you can refer to them when planning your decor and designing your layout, you can also put them on your wedding website to tease it to your guest list. If it's possible, the couple should attend these types of meetings together. You may have different questions and it will be easier to make decisions on the spot about important details.
13.) What is a wedding timeline?
The timeline is the full instructions and itinerary for the day of your wedding, it includes a detailed schedule of the activities and transitions throughout the day. This document is also the step by step instructions for your day of event team.
14.) What are some wedding planning resources that brides need in 2019?
2019 brides have access to so many great wedding apps and online resources. A modern bride is going to need a great wedding website and a planning app on a platform like Wedding Wire or ZOLA. I am a big fan of the subscription boxes for brides. There are also great facebook groups and forums where couples can ask questions, get advice, and share resources on all things and topics related to weddings.
15.) When should you attend a bridal show?
The best time to attend a bridal show is right before you start planning! These events let you talk and meet with, sometimes, hundreds local vendors and compare them side by side. They are great for gathering ideas and researching your options, and when you are ready to book your vendors you'll have all of the contacts you need. You may even win some freebies. The second time is if you are looking for something specific that you still need for your wedding and its coming up soon, you can get real time availability and sometimes book your services right at the show.
Trending Wedding Questions and Tips
16.) What are some new wedding ideas that couples are testing out in 2019?
Couples have been getting more creative every year with ideas for how to be different than other weddings. I think we will see longer cocktail hours at bigger weddings and more people looking at doing smaller weddings that are really decked out with details. The elopement trend is huge and there are some really special things happening in that area, couples are taking it to another level with micro-weddings and adventure elopements.
17.) What should couples avoid sharing on social media about their wedding plans?
I think it depends on the person, but for the sake of not offending too many people, the tips I give for social media is mainly A.) Try not to brag or complain about the cost. Keep how much you are spending/not spending a secret B.) Avoid managing your guest list on social media, discussing anything about who is/is not invited online can lead to tension and hurt feelings.
18.) Are there any wedding trends for 2019 that couples should be on the lookout for?
There are some I love, the velvet linens are one that I have a crush on at the moment.I cant stop saving images of those circular arches we have been seeing everywhere. Keep an eye on the extravagant floral arrangements. It's all about striking and dramatic fresh flowers this year - flower walls, flowers over the tables and on the tables, flowers everywhere.
19.) What are some alternatives to a dance party at your wedding?
If you want to have some activity after dinner to keep guests entertained but you don't have a dancing crowd, something to consider would be to move your cocktail hour to after dinner and have a jazz trio set the mood for a relaxing evening. I also like the idea of having your ceremony in the morning, serving brunch. It leaves the rest of the day open for any kind of activity or alternative way to commemorate the event.
20.) What are some wedding traditions that have changed going into this year?
Wedding dresses are changing so much, not only are brides not wearing white all the time, but they are wearing whatever they want. The way food is served is changing too, from food trucks to food stations, the sit down dinner is becoming less appealing to today's couples. The general outline of ceremony, cocktails, dinner, dancing - everyone is bored with it after so many generations, it it time to change it up in 2019.
BONUS QUESTION: What do you love most about being a wedding planner?
There is so much to love about the ability to be creative everyday at work and working with engaged couples is so fun, to be able to meet them where they are in their journey and help them take that next step, it can be such a rewarding job. There is one moment at every wedding, when everything starts to settle into this easy going mode, the guests are all having a good time and are well-fed. There is a sense of completion and hard work paying off, that you can get from any other job.
Need help planning your wedding? Always & Adventure offers wedding planning & event design for modern couples that want to enjoy every moment of the wedding day. Based in Lake Tahoe, we plan weddings in Northern California and adventure destinations. We'll help you personalize all the details and help you create a beautiful wedding day. Contact us today to learn more about our services.
Read Next: Are You Adventure Wedding Ready?
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