wedding

Home Weddings: Dos and Don’ts

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With COVID-19 still a threat in the world today, many life events like weddings have taken a different course. Many couple opted to spend their weddings at the comfort of their home together with their close friends and family. Still, a wedding should be memorable even when it’s done at home. Here are some things you should take note of when planning a wedding:

Do: Still Hire a Team of Professionals

You may be planning to have your wedding at home but it is still an important event not only for you but also to your family. A wedding at home does not mean that you should just take the preparations for granted. It will still be a great idea to hire an experienced wedding planner to help arrange the whole wedding and remove a bulk of responsibility off your shoulder. There are many ways for an expert to beautifully décor your house and turn it into a different place that is intimate and unrecognizable. Most of the people who did home weddings usually use their backyard. It is not a bad idea as it has great space and it lessens the expenses.

Do: Consider Other Elements

Check the season of which you plan to do the wedding. Is it cold, snowy or even a warm and hot sunny day? The whole wedding planning also considers this as a factor as you may need to prepare more things if it’s going be on a cold season as you have to prepare heaters in advance to make sure that your guests will not get too cold. Knowing the date and season will also help the wedding planners to anticipate what could happen at such time and they will immediately be able to come up with a solution months before the wedding.

Do: Have a Catering Kitchen

We usually have one kitchen in our house but we don’t really want them to make a mess inside our house don’t we? Unlike wedding venues, they have a designated kitchen area for the caterers. Since you don’t have it at home why not make one? You may use your garage or driveway, whichever has a bigger space, to have them a good enough space to prepare the food while being away from the eyes of the guests. Wedding planners have all the connections that they need in order to provide you with the best caterers in town.

Do: Consider the Flow of Events

This isn’t something that a couple who is about to be wed is concerned about. However, hosting a wedding at the comfort of your home means that you have to make sure that you planned out every step and every flow of the wedding event – from the guests’ perspective. Think of where the guests will park their car, how they will get to your house and where will they go before the wedding ceremony starts. This will definitely put your creativity and patience to test.

Don’t: Forget to Check your City Rules

Different cities have different rules. You may need to check with your city if home weddings are allowed and if there restrictions or noise ordinances that may affect your celebration. You wouldn’t want a group of police to be dispatched at your home and ruin your wedding celebrations, wouldn’t you? Better do your research before doing anything. Also, it would be nice to send some courtesy to your neighbors that you will have a wedding party on a certain date for them to be aware that there will be a number of people who’ll be going to your home.

Don’t: Assume your Bathroom will Suffice

Not all houses have the luxury of having more than 2 bathrooms in their home. If you have more than 2, then you are probably lucky. Still, don’t think that your bathrooms will suffice for your guests. We better expect the unexpected in order to avoid any mishaps during the wedding day. If you are not so confident with the number of bathrooms you have and the capacity of your sewage system, then you should consider hiring a portable bathroom. It does not only saves you a lot of time from cleaning the  bathrooms afterwards, it also lessen the hassle for your guests in finding the bathrooms.

Don’t: Forget to put Good Lighting

You may have done the ceremony during daylight, but don’t think that the wedding proper will be finished any time soon as the program will only start after the ceremony itself. Don’t forget to invest on a good lighting especially in the evening to make the venue bright and lively. Also, light a path from the backyard to the front yard in order for your guests to not get lost and easily find their way when going in or out of the house.

Finding The Perfect Wedding Venue

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A wedding is a ceremony between two people who deeply loves each other and are one in marriage. Wedding traditions varies from one culture to another. Luckily, marriage ceremonies nowadays are evolving and are becoming more open to changes. Let us guide you into finding the perfect wedding venue for you and your partner:

Get a Wedding Planner

You might be wondering why the first thing you should do is to get a wedding planner? The reason is simple – wedding planners definitely make your wedding planning hassle-free. They will become your best friend throughout the planning process. Also, wedding planners have so much experience when it comes to weddings that they are much more familiar with the capabilities of a space, layout, time and the possible items that you will need to achieve your dream theme. They are able to share their creativity skills and brighten your wedding even more.

How to Choose A Wedding Venue

1. Dates – before choosing the best place for your wedding, the crucial part and the first thing you should check is to whether or not the venue you have in mind is available for the dates that you like. You should coordinate with your partner and decide together the date you want to set your wedding. If your heart is set on a particular date, open your mind to the possibilities that you may need to adjust the dates according to the availability of the venue that you want.

2. Price – knowing your budget is important as it will dictate whether or not you could afford the rent of the wedding venue of your choice. Wedding venues have varying prices for weekend and weekdays. If you are flexible, you may choose a weekday schedule to save more money and allocate it for food or the design of the venue.

3. Facilities – venues gave out their pamphlets which contains the facilities that the venue offers. You may also go through their websites to see the different people who had their celebration there and how they designed it. If you have time, it is so much better to visit each of the wedding venue you are eyeing. It will feel more personal, and you will have an idea on the vibe and ambience of the venue. Aside from looking at the aesthetics, you will also need to consider the less exciting parts of the venue. If you want a summer wedding, better check if the air-conditioning is working properly and a heater if it is a winter wedding. Choosing the best venue is important but you should also ensure that you, your partner and your guests are well-hosted and will enjoy the celebration. Other things you should ensure is:

  • Is it accessible for disabled people?
  • Is parking provided?
  • Is the location of the wedding venue accessible to all guests?
  • How many bathrooms are there and where are they?
  • How big is the room and is it sufficient for a dance floor or a band?
  • What are the restrictions of the venue about what can be done with its facilities?

4. Vendors, food/drinks and other services – did you and your partner already decided on the theme of your wedding? What kind of cake you would want or the type of food that will be served on your wedding day? Would you want a three-course meal or a buffet for your guests? Do you want to rent a bar or just a couple of wine of your own choice? As you get through the wedding process, you will slowly see all of the details coming together. You don’t need to get the caterers, or the partners of the venue and you may opt to look of a vendor of your choice. Many of the venues may enforce a minimum food and drinks budget so better coordinate with them regarding this.

5. Staffing and coordination – every venue has their own staff who would help during the preparation of the venue. Coordinate with them to know exactly what the venue provides and how many people would you need to hire to help out in the wedding. This also includes the staffs provided by the caterer, bar or other rental services. Having a better idea about this will lessen the time they needed to consume for preparation and will make the wedding process hassle-free.

Spring Wedding Themes

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Springtime calls for blooming flowers and colors. After the cold, the warm and cold breeze comes in. The flowers are slowly showing their beautiful hues making the surroundings more vibrant. Spring is a popular season for wedding ceremonies as the ambience and the environment are in harmony. To make your wedding planning easier, here are some themes you could follow for your wedding:

Wedding Themes

Your wedding should be one of the greatest days of your life. It should be memorable not only for your guests but especially for you and your partner. Here are some inspirations for a memorable wedding of yours:

1. Eco-Inspired Wedding

One of the best ways to make it memorable is to have an eco-friendly and sustainable wedding. Many wedding these days makes use of so many decorations that people often forget about how it will be disposed right after the celebration. Going for a greener wedding not only lessens the expenses but also saves the environment. You can start by choosing a wedding invitation that were made of upcycled fabrics, leather and wood. Nowadays, it is so much easier to find suppliers who are concern about the environment too. Lastly, why not consider a lust forest, rolling hills or a picturesque vineyard as your wedding venue. It does not only give a different experience but at the same time, it helps with the conservation of the area and also save energy usage.

2. Tropical-inspired Wedding

With flowers slowly showing their beauty and colors, it is not hard to have a tropical-inspired wedding. The sun sure agrees with this as it boosts the colors of the bouquet and centerpieces when it shines upon it. Tropical touches do not mean that you should go – all Hawaiian on your wedding theme. It may be as simple as choosing sophisticated accents such a palm fonds, orchids and other flowers that can be seen in the tropics. Your wedding venue may not be in a tropical island or at the beach but at least it gives you and your guests a feeling of being there.

3. Old Wedding Inspired

While wedding themes evolved as years go by, nothing beats the classy and memorable weddings that has been done by our ancestors. Sometimes, the old may become the new and that’s amazing. It will be nice to see of your guests following a black-tie dress code while women are wearing hats or their traditional dress. It is uncommon to see such weddings these days and it will definitely give a fun, classy and sophisticated vibe for your wedding. Why not add a formal dance with your partner too?

4. Enchanted Garden-inspired Wedding

Who doesn’t love garden venues for weddings? They are not only easy to decorate but gives a romantic ambience too. Enchanted garden weddings are getting popular these days as it gives a feeling of being in a fairy tale. The floral chandeliers, greenery, romantic blooms and strategic floral installations gives off a magical feeling.

5. Intimate Wedding

Some couples opt to have a simple wedding with just a few of their close relatives and friends as guests. A simple wedding makes everything feels so intimate, romantic and sincere. You can start by re-checking the guest list and by choosing only those who are really close to your heart. Then, look for an intimate place –a significant place for you and your partner – that you would want to share with your guests. Intimate weddings creates a deeper bond between the newlyweds and their guests.

How To Design A Wedding?

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After getting engaged, planning a wedding is next. This maybe the hardest and most tedious part of having a celebration. Some couple hire a wedding planner for a stress-free wedding while some opted to have a unique on-hand experience of planning. Here’s what you should take not of when planning or designing a wedding:

Inspiration and Vision

Before you start planning any celebration, the most important thing to think of is your inspiration for the wedding or the event. It is the keyway for you to be able to start your planning and your preparations will all revolve around this. You don’t need to have a specific theme in mind immediately, just look around magazines or books to gather inspiration for your wedding. It is important to not pressure yourself and let the vision naturally occur to you.

One thing that you can also do is to write down some details about your relationship: How it started, things you do together, memorable places you went to, and lastly, favorite things to do.  Once you’ve thought through it, try to translate it into how you want your wedding to be. Who knows, you might make something amazing out of your ideas!

Curate and Focus

Once you got a lot of inspiration, it is time to put it on the board. Curate your ideas and put on a mood board. Create-your-own Pinterest board on a real board. Making a board will help you track what you like and will keep you focused on the right track. Once you’re all set, you will start seeing a trend setting in.

If you know someone who is quite experienced in designing, you may ask for their opinion to help you make your plan more organized. They will also help you remove some ideas are not practical or does not fit your overall plan.

Define and Describe

You’re done with the hardest part of finding what you want and what inspires you. Now, it’s time to finally describe and define your wedding. Describing and defining your dream wedding will pave the way to identifying which style it is close to or it fits. Knowing the style of your wedding will help you when looking for vendors and it also keeps you focused on planning.

Decide, Designate and Design

Now that you’ve finally successfully identified and found the style you want for your wedding; it is time to decide about its specific design elements. You may have an idea already where you want the wedding ceremony and even the reception will take place already, think about how you want the reception to look like, the centerpieces, the kind of food you like, the afterparty and other modes of entertainment that you would want in the venue. Knowing all your plans

Execute

Finally, execute the wedding of your dreams by incorporating the design that you worked so hard to plan. Coordinate with great vendors who can successfully provide the services you needed. It is highly recommended for you to have a wedding planner, but you may also try to do these things on your own if you want to have a great feel of your wedding.

Other Tips:

Aside from those mentioned above, here are some other tips that you can follow to have a more organized and hassle-free wedding planning:

Set your Wedding Budget – the wedding budget is one of the driving factors for any wedding-related decisions and it is the first thing that you will tackle.

List your Wedding Priorities – together with your partner, list down your top wedding priorities that you are willing to spend more on. This will also keep you on track and will prevent you on spending on things that you don’t need.

Get Organized – Make a checklist, a spreadsheet or buy an organizer for you to gather all your thoughts, budgets, suppliers, and many more in just a single place. There are also apps available that you can consider using too.

Do things together – involve your partner in decision-making and even the planning. Ask him what he thinks and his opinions regarding things. Keep him involved all the way. This will make your bond stronger and help you grow as a couple.

Make a Checklist – the best thing that you can do is to not forget things by making a checklist. Do things like a pro by keeping one. This will also keep you motivated as you tick of things on your list.

Honeymoon Ideas

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Planning a wedding amidst COVID-19 is definitely hard work. There are various restrictions and guidelines that we need to follow, limiting the number of places we can go to. Of course, nobody can stop you from getting married and also experiencing the honeymoon of your dreams.

COVID Restrictions

As the number of COVID cases increases worldwide and a new strain of the virus from UK is emerging, many countries are enforcing travel bans especially to those countries to which there is a confirmed case of the new and more potent strain. Still, some people

Honeymoon Ideas

1. Glamping

Glamping is becoming more popular these days as it gives people a stunning experience with nature while having a break. Glamping is so much better than traditional camping as the tents has hotel-like interiors giving you a unique experience over-all. Also, it is a very good option during this pandemic as glamping is done outdoors and good ventilation can prevent one from acquiring COVID-19. Lastly, there is still a limit on the number of people allowed in a hotel or any place. Making you feel safe while enjoying the company of your new wife or husband.

2. Road Trip

            If you are the type of couple who are in for a great adventure, then why not try having a road trip? Since traveling via airplane is limited, try renting out a camping van and plan out your destination. Make sure to do advance reservations on some destinations to make sure that you will have a smooth trip. Also, you will get to enjoy touring your country like you never did before. Don’t forget to bring your face mask, alcohol and wash your hands every time you go out.

3. Staycation

            Some couples may think that planning a honeymoon anywhere else may be too inconvenient for them. Why not book a hotel room nearby and enjoy each other’s the hotels services and enjoy each other’s company? Or you may also just spend the night at home hanging out with each other and order take-outs. Spending time at home will also help you get to know each other better.

4. Plan a post-COVID honeymoon excursion

If you are not in a hurry and you love planning out things, then this is for you! Instead of doing your honeymoon right now, why not wait for a few more months until the pandemic is controlled. Waiting allows you to do more research about the place you wanted to spend your honeymoon at and also allows you to save more money for it.  You may also try to book hotels or resorts ahead of time as you can do it at least 1 year prior to the date you have in mind. Saves you a lot of cash!

Here are some of the most romantic countries or places to spend your honeymoon in:

  1. Amalfi Coast, Italy
Beautiful colorful Positano town – scenic Amalfi coast of Italy

The Amalfi coast boasts a classically romantic scene of the Positano’s village. It is beautifully lit at night, giving the area a romantic vibe. Take a dip at the beach or just walk around the area and enjoy the beautiful view of the place.

2. Australia

You may choose between Sydney and Melbourne: these two are the most popular places for couples in Australia. Enjoy the urban adventure that the city has to offer. Don’t forget to have a taste of Melbourne’s mecca food which is very popular with tourists. Lastly, why not try a Chris Hemsworth approved glamping in the island of Discovery Rottnest?

3. Baja, California, Mexico

If you are interested about different cultures, this is a place for you. Mexico is popular for its authentic Mexican village in San Jose del Cabo where a lot of white beach are situated. It has a lot of world-class resorts with cool accommodation but without breaking the bank.

4. Bali, Indonesia

Bali is a popular destination for couples! It is said to be the most romantic place in the world. The place itself provides a romantic atmosphere while being close with nature. Lastly, the services of the resorts for couples are beyond everyone’s expectation.

5. Buenos Aires, Argentina

A sexy city with an exciting nightlife – Argentina. It is a popular place for people who wants to have fun and dance! Everyone seems to enjoy dancing in this place. Enjoy your tour around the area by riding a bicycle to go around.

These places are just a few of the most popular honeymoon destination all-over the world. Let’s just wish for COVID to be gone as fast as it could so that we all could go back to our normal lives pre-covid.

Wedding Planner Duties You Don’t Know About

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Wedding Planner

A wedding planner are professional people who assists a couple in designing, planning and managing a wedding. They take off the burden of planning from a couple and lets them enjoy their wedding day. Wedding planners usually have garnered connections through years of experience under the industry. This makes it easier for them to reserve popular wedding venue and book the best catering services.

Wedding planners does not need a college degree to be one. They can attend seminars or work under different event’s organizer to increase their experience in the field. When all of it is enough, they can establish their own events agency and slowly accept wedding planning duties.

Other Wedding Planner Duties

Wedding planners are more than just a manager and planner of one’s wedding. Some of them offers more than that. Here’s the other duties of wedding planner that people rarely know about.

1. Initiate Family Mediation – weddings mean making two families become one. As much as wedding planners don’t want to get involved with other people’s life, they need to talk to each party to understand their emotions and concerns. A wedding planner will serve as the mediator and will find compromises in order for both party to agree with each other.

2. Schedule Wedding Meeting – wedding planners does not only look for the best of the suppliers. They also make sure that you are able to book them ahead of the others. They set dates for meetings and blocks out the dream schedule of your choice.

3. Manage Wedding Finances – couples don’t need to worry if they have a steep budget. They just need to communicate with their chosen wedding planner, and they will immediately make a budget-friendly plan for you. They will make sure that even if the wedding is budget friendly, it will a memorable one for you too! Of course, you may opt to increase your budget if you want some necessary changes.

4. Design Elements – whenever people hear about wedding planners, they thought only provide planning, managing and wedding coordination. Wedding planners are creative individuals who has an eye for beauty. You may ask them for their services regarding the color palette, themes, décor and lighting.

5. Wedding Website – this is not known to everyone, but couples may opt to set-up a wedding website where they can upload photos during the wedding and even important events in their life after. A wedding website is a good souvenir for you and your husband.  Wedding planners provide this service and even sets up the website for you!

6. Track your Guests – RSVPs are usually forgotten once given out to guests. Wedding planners makes sure to keep track of the guests to minimize problems on the day of the wedding and at the reception. They call everyone on the list and ask for their response to it.

7. Wedding Customs and Etiquette – couples usually have some knowledge regarding wedding customs and etiquettes especially when they have attended a wedding previously. They may ask help from the wedding planner to determine which of the following should be included in the ceremony and which are not actually needed. They make sure to honor the tradition while providing a memorable wedding for the both of you.

8. Style Wedding Photos – styling events is a planner’s cup of tea, but it does not mean that they are limited to weddings only. They may also provide their styling services in wedding pictorials.

9. Manage Guests – Weddings means that there will be a lot of guests and sometimes, the couple can’t attend to all of them. Wedding planners are there cater to their need and also get rid of unruly guests that may cause a scene in the wedding.

10. No Moments Missed – weddings are moments that a couple wants to remember forever. Wedding planners will make sure that their loved ones are all present and will provide a “moment” that will be forever remembered in the hearts of the husband and wife and their loved ones too. 

Can Being A Wedding Planner Be A Side Job?

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Do you love events, especially weddings? You may have found a good side job – a wedding planner! Your passion for party, decorations, planning and events may just help earn extra money. Can your passion be a side job? Let’s find out.

Wedding Planner

Your passion for events and parties may help you earn extra money. You may try to work as a wedding planner on the side. Wedding planning is a field that is currently in demand for engages couples or partners who wants to have a hassle-free wedding. Wedding planning involves managing, organizing, designing and planning the whole wedding from the decorations, themes, venue up to the program during and after the wedding.

Wedding planners are professional individuals who have garnered connections throughout the years. Previous experience is a plus since it makes them more knowledgeable about different themes or receptions that some people may have no idea of. Aside from making the wedding stress-free for the couple, wedding planners are also good in sticking to the budget given by the engaged couple. They have the ability of making a budget wedding without compromising the overall feel and details of the wedding. Some wedding planners also offers designing for an additional fee.

Services Provided by Wedding Planners

Wedding planning is not all about the planning of the wedding. Here are the specific services provided by wedding planners to ensure a smooth and stress-free wedding:

  • Discuss with the clients regarding the planning of the wedding, the ideal date and the reception in mind. Also, talks about the budget if there is a need to increase or decrease it depending on the requests of the clients.
  • Look for a reliable florist and coordinate the ideal floral arrangement of the couple.
  • Look for suppliers for the wedding such as invitations, caterers, lighting and sounds.
  • Assist the bride in looking and choosing for the bridal gown and also dresses for the bridesmaids, groom’s wear and other needed wedding attires.
  • Assist in the picking wedding favors and look for suppliers.
  • Meet and negotiate with the suppliers and vendors in order to meet the client’s budget.
  • Schedules and initiates the wedding rehearsal
  • Manage the design of the reception area and ensure that all needed equipment is present.
  • Ensure that the wedding program flow will finish smoothly and deals with unexpected circumstances.
  • Making sure that the venue is clean, rental borrowed items are returned and the deposits are given back by the vendors.

Wedding Planning as a Side Job

Seeing that you have landed on this article means that you are interested in the wedding industry. There are many reasons as to why people are interested in wedding planning. It takes much research and guts to change careers completely. If you are one who is unsure and just testing the waters, then you may try wedding planning as a side job first. Who knows? This might be the career path for you.

People think that events such as weddings are continuous and has clients all-year-round. This is untrue, as the wedding and event industries have a seasonal component to it too. If you are lucky enough to be living in a tropical country or somewhere where it is hot all-year-long, then you might find yourself working all year. But if not, winter may be your enemy as it tends to discourage weddings or any types of events. Of course, it does not entirely mean that there will be no winter wedding anymore as we’ve seen some gorgeous winter weddings on magazine. Winter somehow discourages a lot of people to plan events resulting to a slow down during these snowy months.

If you are interested in making it as a side job, then the seasonal component of it may become an awesome opportunity for you. It gives you an advantage to work during the busy season without worrying about the slow months because of you still have your full-time job.

Like any other side jobs, there are things that you should consider before starting a new job:

  • Schedule – knowing your schedule will allow you to determine your free days where you can accept events.
  • Workload – if your work demand is heavy, then you may not have enough time to do wedding planning. You will have a difficulty multitasking and might lessen the quality of your work.
  • Company Management – is your management flexible enough? Do they allow you to go home once you finish your tasks at work? Do they allow their employees to have another job? Depending on the management, they may not allow you to work a side job according to the company rules.
  • Time Management – are you a good manager of your time? Wedding planning involves a lot of meeting and visits that may require you to take some days off at work. Are you confident that you can finish your task?

If you are confident of yourself and your planning skills, then you may earn more money by doing your passion – wedding planning. Let us know if you were able to start your side job and what have you learned during the process?

Using An Overseas Wedding Planner

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Interested in having a destination wedding? Preparing for the wedding may be quite a hassle due to the difference between the traditions and the wedding requirements you have to settle on a different country. An overseas wedding planner – who knows the roundabouts of weddings in your chosen country – is just what you need. Learn how to plan a destination wedding and how to hire the perfect planner for your dream wedding.

Destination Wedding Planner

Wedding planners all over the world has the same goal – to exhibit a couples dream wedding! Wedding planners are hired by an engaged couple to help with the planning of the wedding. The chosen wedding planner will be the one who will coordinate and look for the suppliers. They will also make sure that the ideas of the couple will bring to life. 

Destination wedding planners may cost slightly higher than your local wedding planner especially since there is a lot of planning and permits that should be taken prior to the day of the wedding. The wedding location, the planning services and the numbers of guests will also play a part in the total costing. Top wedding planners may charge at least 20% of your wedding budget. Here are the four ways that wedding planners’ price themselves:

  • Flat fee: for the day-of planners and packages.
  • Billable hours: the amount of time the wedding planner will be working is billed depending on hours.
  • Percentage of vendor and venue invoices: It is dependent upon the other wedding costs
  • Blended approach: the design, planning retainer and production fees are given at a flat rate, with vendor management and coordination at a 15-20% of those costs.

Reasons Why you should Hire a Destination Wedding Planner

Peace of Mind – All wedding planners aims to relieve the engaged couple of the stress that is involved in planning and managing a wedding. Wedding planners are there to answer your worries, give you the facts and offer an unbiased and professional opinion. They make decision making regarding your wedding easier and makes contingency plans when there is an unforeseeable event.

Great Experience – Aside from having the best background experience, top destination wedding planners will definitely give you what they promised. Their connections and relationships with suppliers and venues in the place of the wedding has been built through the years. Therefore, they know which ones the best is to execute your wedding ideas. Also, they’ve experienced almost every wedding glitch there is and so are able to manage them gracefully.

What Do Destination Wedding Planner Do?

Here’s the list of the common tasks that destination wedding planners are responsible for:

  • Guide the clients regarding the local laws, permits needed, marriage licenses.
  • Showcase the different vendors and venue that is suitable for the guest count, budget and idea of the clients.
  • Helps suit the budget based on the couple’s needs and desire and offer suggestions on where to cut some expenses and what’s worth splurging money on.
  • Offer travel guidance according to the knowledge and local research of the destination wedding planner for the clients and their guests to enjoy the country of destination.
  • Create contingency plans for unexpected events.
  • Coordinate with the suppliers and vendors regarding the wedding and the timeline.
  • Manage the reservations and guestlists.
  • Make recommendations for other services such as florists and audio and lighting equipment.
  • May suggest the best hair and make-up artist for the clients.
  • Negotiate, communicate and manage the catering.

How to Find a Destination Wedding Planner?

Not sure where to search for the best destination wedding planner on your chosen country or place? Here’s some ideas on how to find a destination wedding planner:

Social Media

Wedding planners who are quite popular often show their portfolio on their social media pages. This is a good medium for searching since you will also see the tagged photos of the clients themselves during their wedding and how much they loved the said planners.

Ask the Venue

If you are not really a fan of social media, then you may ask the venue you are eyeing for regarding their recommendations for wedding planners. Wedding planners often interact with these venues and knows which one the best is based on their customer service, vendor management, organization and professionalism.

Look for Testimonials

This is very important for anyone who’s business involves services. Read about other couple’s testimonials regarding the wedding planner. This will build your confidence and trust on them that they will be able to give you the wedding of your dreams.

Call

If you want to personally look for wedding planners but does not have enough time to go there, you may set up a call with a wedding planner that you are considering and talk to them regarding their fees, how it works and what their suggestions are. It is important to know also how these wedding planners will save the wedding during unexpected circumstances which requires fast decision-making. Lastly, ask for their portfolio and the most memorable wedding they’ve ever done. This will let you have a feel on why they love what they are doing.

How To Start A Wedding Planning Business?

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Planning Events is a lot of work but is a lot of fun, too! Weddings are particularly fulfilling to plan as you are taking part on a lover’s journey to being one. If you have the right passion and drive, you may actually become successful in this field too! Here’s something to help you in planning that Wedding Planning Business that you want:

Wedding Planner

Being a wedding planner is not an easy task itself. It involves managing, organizing, designing, and planning the whole event while taking the client’s wants, needs and budget into consideration. Wedding planners are professional planners that helps arrange the whole wedding and allows the couple to have a stress-free event.

An experienced wedding planner has made connections with a lot of potential business partner and has successfully organized weddings before. Their previous experiences make them knowledgeable about certain reception venues that have the perfect scenery which the couples will like and enjoy. They are also capable to sticking to the couple’s budget without compromising the event details. Some wedding planners also share their creativity and involves themselves in the designing process of the wedding for a fee.

Wedding Planner Services

We listed down some of the services that a wedding planner should be able to provide:

  • Look for florist and catering services
  • Look for a supplier of wedding invitations
  • Helps choose the bridal gown, bridesmaid dresses, groom’s wear and other wedding party attire
  • Helps in picking wedding favours
  • Involved in designing the reception look and vibe
  • Look for lighting services and visual details
  • Look into small details
  • Meeting and negotiating with the vendors
  • Managing the deliveries and the venue itself
  • Setting-up the wedding rehearsal
  • Setting-up the wedding venue and reception
  • Dealing with unexpected circumstances
  • Making sure that the venue is clean, rental borrowed items are returned and the deposits are given back by the vendors.

Pros and Cons of Wedding Planning Business

All businesses have their own advantage and disadvantages. These are the things that should be known by people who wants to open a wedding planning business. Here are some things that you should know:

PROS

  • A wedding is a once in a lifetime event. Thus, many people are willing to spend a lot of money to have that piece of mind while planning and to have the best wedding they could ever have.
  • You don’t need any type of certificate, training or education to become a wedding planner. Being one takes a lot of experiences and it is a skill itself.
  • If you are a passionate individual, you will enjoy the romance in these weddings.
  • You can run the business even at home and does not need a stall to sell your product.
  • If a wedding you planned was liked by the couple and their, you will probably get a lot of referrals.

CONS

  • Since this involves planning an event, you may be involved in a lot family drama. There might be couples who are not agreeing on certain matters or family member bickering that will put you in an awkward situation as a wedding planner.
  • Booking venues and churches might not be easy especially for the popular ones. Some requires you to make a reservation a year prior to the wedding to make sure that the date you want is blocked.
  • Many people only get married once. Meaning, you will probably not have repeat customers.
  • This job does not have a break and therefore, you need to work even on weekends.
  • Lastly, you will encounter some problems during the event itself that you did not anticipate. This will require you to be calm and composed at all times.

Establish you Wedding Planning Business

Education

Recently, there are many educational programs and even accreditations that you can apply for if you are interested to be on the wedding planning field. Although these things are not a requirement, these programs are designed to help you learn more about the business.

Experience

In order to be successful in this field of business you have to experience various events. If you are just starting this business, you may try to talk to your friends and family members to allow you to plan their weddings or little events. Any events are a steppingstone to your goal. Don’t forget to compile these successful events in a portfolio that you can show to your prospective clients.

Company Image

Developing a company image is important as it shows your style when planning. The couple put their trust on you, especially the bride, and your ideas can either make or break their wedding. Your company image will show a lot about what you can offer to your clients. If you know a graphic designer, make them help you design a logo at a reasonable cost.

Realistic Financial Goals

The second most important in reaching your goal is having the right startup amount for your business. Setting-up a wedding planning business does not require a lot of money and you can start with just $1,000 or more. You will have to invest on a computer, software, office supplies and other marketing strategies that you could try to use to promote your business.

Marketing Strategy

The wedding planning business usually starts from referrals by previous clients. But if your name is not yet known, you may need to spend some money to create a low-cost marketing strategy. You can try mastering a certain style – which you can offer to your clients through wedding websites or paid advertisements. Make sure that your website has an optimized search engine ranking to bring the prospect clients to your company.

Register your Business

All businesses should be registered to be considered as a legitimate company. Consult an attorney and learn about the requirements on how to properly register your business. Requirements differ from each state or place of business.

Build your Network

If you hadn’t realized it yet, your business relies on trust and network. You’ll need to build strong relationships between you and your vendors who provides services that you’ll need for your business. Consider joining groups or societies that can connect you to different caterers, photographers, videographers, florists, and more. The bigger your network the more successful your business would be.

Starting a business is never easy. Just thinking of what business to start will make your mind dizzy. Luckily, you know couplwhat you want and all you have to do is to make it work. Just go with your passion and love your business. I bet in no time, you’ll be in your road to becoming the best wedding planner in town!

What Is A “Wedding Planner Checklist” ?

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Congratulations on your engagement! We bet you are as excited as we were on this new milestone in your life. Planning a wedding may be fun and a bit overwhelming for you at first. Worry not, with enough time to plan and sort all the needed details for your dream wedding, it will definitely come true!

Wedding Planner

Do you always hear other people referring to a certain “wedding planner” to serve as the moderator and coordinator for everything that is related to the planning of the upcoming wedding? Ever wonder what do wedding planners really do?

Wedding planners are your gateway to find the best vendor referrals and contract negotiations that can execute your vision for your upcoming wedding. The wedding planners are the ones responsible for the behind-the-scenes of the wedding, making the planning as easy as possible. The wedding planner also takes into account the couple’s theme and also the budget. They are the best at what they do. Planning is a skill they gained from years of experiences from working under different companies or from planning their own events themselves.

Aside from planning, the wedding planners, upon request, can also share their design or styling services that can help in the creative specifics of your wedding day making it as unique as possible. Making them your stylist means that you don’t need to hire a wedding stylist which can help you save a lot of money.

Wedding Planner Duties

  • Spends about 80 to 250 hours in total in wedding planning.
  • Looks for vendor referrals and negotiates the contract according to the requests of the client.
  • Schedules and attend meetings with the vendors.
  • Created a detailed timeline and floor plans for the wedding.
  • Helps the client know their target budget and manage it.
  • Do site visits and menu taste test.
  • Shares ideas and brainstorm together with the client for the design details of the wedding.
  • Coordinates with hotel or resort booking and transportation of the guests and the entourage.
  • Plans a rehearsal for the wedding and manages it.
  • Oversees everything on the wedding day. Making sure that all vendors are coordinated and are able to come at the designated time.
  • Ensures that the couple’s vision will come true

Wedding Planner Checklist

Many people nowadays opted to hire a wedding planner just because they are busy with their jobs and don’t have time to plan every detail for their wedding. Some just want a smooth and hassle-free wedding that’s why they got a wedding planner. Whatever reasons you may have, it is your choice if you want to hire a planner or not. Still, you may need to know the timeline and checklist of a wedding planner.

12 Months

Before starting anything, the most important thing to do is determine your budget. You have to figure out who’s paying for what and how much you can shell out for your wedding. From there we can make a break down for the said budget and make your envisioned wedding possible. This breakdown will either go up or down as you go along with the planning. If you are planning your own wedding, better track your spending in excel.

I bet you and your partner plans to invite almost every person that pops in your mind. OF course, you cannot invite everyone right? When deciding your head count, always keep your budget in mind. Think of how much you are willing to spend to your guest and how many people will fit in your chosen venue. If you and your partner are going to share for the bills, always assume that you’ll get 70% of the invites, while 30% will split for both sets of parents. List down your potential guests then negotiate with each other who you both want to invite until you reach a final number of guests.

At this time, it is also recommended to think of whether or not you are planning to hire a wedding planner. Again, always think of your budget at the back of your mind.

Lastly, have an intimate talk with your partner and have a mutual decision regarding the theme of your wedding, the entourage, and the possible wedding venues that you have in mind. It is important to consider and respect each other’s vision of the wedding.

11 Months

Your wedding may be the best event that only happens once in your life. Make it even memorable by selecting the best caterer that fits your budget at the same time provides the best quality of food for you and your guest. Enjoy the menu tasting of each caterer and select the best!

Choose a color theme and slowly start thinking of the overall design of your wedding. Gather all the inspiration that you can get and draw your vision from these. Also, look for vendors who book up quickly such as photographer, band, DJ and videographer. Some vendors require almost a year of booking prior to the event as their services are wanted by many.

10 Months

Start looking for your dreamy wedding dress. You may or may not know exactly what type of wedding dress you want but going around different boutiques will help you find the best wedding dress for you. Next, start booking hotel or resort- room blocks for your guests. Some dates are popular and booking early will lessen the chances that you will have a problem with the bookings on your wedding date.

You already booked the photographer, why not schedule an engagement session since most of the photographers include this in their package. It will be memorable on your photobook. Lastly, start looking at invitations. Get inspiration from Instagram or from a movie you saw or another person’s wedding. You may even create your own design as you like.

9 Months

Buy your wedding dress. If last month it is all about looking, now you should have found “the one”. Also, this is the best time to make the wedding official by sending out “Save the date” invite which is different form a wedding invite.

8 Months

Bring your entourage and start the scheduling of fittings for your bridesmaids’ dresses.  Let them tell you what they want to wear and cater to it as long as its within your budget. Make sure that their dresses are not mismatched and are in sync with your chosen theme or color.

Look for potential florists. Flowers makes everything vibrant especially on a wedding. It creates different moods using different sets of flowers. It is important to find someone who can execute your vision well but fits your budget.

7 months

Schedule the rehearsal dinner and book the venue. You can also make it a family dinner at the same time to better know each-other’s family and make it as a casual celebration for your upcoming wedding.

At this time, you should have found and ordered rental items such as sound system, draping, linens, specialty chair, dance floor etc. That you may want to add on your wedding to make it even more fun.

Lastly, don’t forget to hire an officiant for your wedding. To make it more intimate, you can hire a relative or a close friend to do officiate the wedding.

5 months

5 months before the wedding, hire a lighting technician. It is the most important detail that some couples forget. Better lighting, especially at night, can make a difference for your wedding dinner and after-party.

Book the limo or specialty car that the newlyweds will use. If it does not fit your budget, you can opt to borrow a nice car from a relative or a friend.

Lastly, book your much-awaited honeymoon! This should be a surprise by the groom but of course, you can plan it together. After-all, the two of you will be the one to enjoy this vacation.

4 months

Begin your premarital counseling. Whether you came from a religious or non-religious background you are required to talk to a counselor to provide you with healthy conflict solutions that you can use in the future. Also, the Groom’s tuxedo should have been bought already. The tuxedo should be tailor-made and flattering when worn by the groom.

You should also be done with the final menu tasting and should have chosen and ordered your wedding cake. You and your partner should agree on what flavor you want for your wedding cake.

Lastly, don’t forget to buy your wedding rings! This is the second most important during the wedding and should not be confused with the engagement ring.

3 months

Finally, Order the invitations for your upcoming wedding. Make sure to carefully check each name and details to avoid confusion and error in the invitations.

Write your vows for your wedding. This can take a lot of time so do it ahead of time while you still have 3 more months. You can ask for help when writing the vow. Make sure that it is unique as possible.

Select the bible verses that you want the readers to read during the wedding proper. Also, meet with the officiant at this time and invite him or her to the rehearsal dinner. Make sure that the officiant is aware of the specifics of the wedding and how you want the ceremony to go.

2 months

Start sending out the wedding invitations with the reservations due a month before the wedding. Also, send-out rehearsal dinner invitation to the family of the groom and bride.

This is the time for dress fitting! Last minute changes or alterations should be done two months prior to the wedding. Also, don’t forget to pick-up your marriage license. Different states have different requirements so better ask for these before going to getting your marriage license.

Give selections of your favorite songs to the band or DJ and choose the song you want for the ceremony itself.

1 month

Don’t forget to pay all of the vendors in full. Create a seating chart to balance the relationships, egos and potentials of your guests seating together. Make sure to have a final walk-through with the venue and there are no problems with it.

Final week!

Congratulations! After months of planning, your wedding will finally happen in a few days. Take a deep breath and smile because you deserve it! During the final week, focus on yourself. Pamper yourself by getting a massage, go to the salon, get your eyebrows done or go to a waxing salon.

If your honeymoon is scheduled immediately after your wedding, better prepare your bags now because you will be very busy on your wedding day. Practice your vows out loud to release all the tension and increase your confidence when saying it to your partner during the ceremony.

We hope you enjoy the whole process of planning your dream wedding! Feel free to use or follow our checklist and modify it according to your taste.