“Why hire a wedding planner? I can just do it myself!”

I can’t tell you how many people I have rescued who started out saying just that! The reason why is that the wedding world has changed and evolved over the years. A wedding planner’s job is not what it once was, because being a bride is not like what it used to be. Brides now know exactly what they want for their wedding, and it is becoming easier and easier to take the reigns of your own wedding and DIY most of it! I get that, and to be honest, I love it! It makes for an even more unique wedding experience, because the bride and groom had a hand in the making of each moment. A wedding planners job is to assist with all of these plans that the couple has to make. A wedding planner is there to guide the couple to make the best decisions for their style and budget. Planning a wedding can be one of the most stressful things that a couple will ever have to endure together, so you want to make sure you do it right! Not nessesarily for the sake of having an amazing party (which you will!), but for the sake of a lasting marriage for decades to come. So I’ve come up with some ways that a wedding planner can assist you throughout your engagement.

Let me help…

Get you Started:

Beginning to plan a wedding is like trying to clean up a disaster zone. You can stare at the pile for hours before you even know where to start. That’s why looking to someone who has done it before can be so helpful! When you look to an experienced wedding planner, you gain the benefit of our knowledge and past experiences. A good Planner can tell you what you need to know when interviewing other vendors. We can even go with you on those meetings to help screen out the good, from the just okay. An educated planner can look over your contracts with other vendors to make sure you are not paying for things you do not need or fees that were not agreed upon. Most planners have a preferred list of vendors that they have worked with in the past. We know that those vendors are worthy of your money! Planners have also worked with vendors that are not so good (unfortunately)! We remember what happened in the past, the mishaps that they (the planner) had to make right. We can warn you to stay away from these troubled vendors, something that Yelp reviews may not always be able to do.

Save Time:

Time is money, and when there is a deadline, it is a stressor! There is no need to spend 24/7 researching how to’s or stressing over what flowers would make your bouquet pop against your white dress! A planner can do that for you. Save your beauty sleep, and schedule a meeting with your planner. We will research anything that you have a question about! Then we will present you with a few options and all you have to do is say “I want this one.”

Rescue your Relationships:

When you are engaged there can be a lot of family input, from both sides. Being a patient and kind bride will help to start your relationship with your in laws on the right foot. It is important not to step on anyone’s toes and not hurt any feelings. Part of a planners job is to act as a buffer, between the couple and their relatives. A planner can help smooth over any differences that you may have with your immediate or your future family. Also, We can help to prevent a case of “Crazy Bride Syndrome” from occurring a week before the big day. Our goal is to keep you as calm and as relaxed as possible, because the last thing anyone wants to deal with is a case of “The Freaked Out Groom”! Grooms: yes, your bride has a lot of things to deal with at the moment. no, they are not going to stay this way once you are married! Weddings do have a tendency to cause temporary insanity. Spare yourself and let the planner be the one to go through it.

Save you Money:

Although it seems counter productive to spend money on someone who can save you money, it really isn’t, I promise. Wedding Planners are expert bargain hunters. Even working with the most outrageous of budgets, a wedding planner is still faced with the obstacle that our clients don’t want to spend more than they have to. It is our job to find the best price possible.In 2011, based on a study from TheKnot.com and WeddingChannel.com, San Diego was ranked the 13th most expensive city to get married in. That’s a lot of pressure for a bride on a tight budget. Wedding Planners have the knowledge of the city and we can give you pointers on where to shop for the best prices! Working with a planner can help you find reputable vendors in the price point that you are looking to spend. Vendors on a planners preferred list will often either give a discount to the couple or will give the planner a kick back for setting them up with the job. At Simply Elegant Weddings, we Always pass this on to the client in the form of a discount from the vendor!

Make your day about You:

Wedding Planners are trained to notice, and fix, the details. You want your guests to be focused on you and your partner, not on the boxes behind you that someone forgot to move out of sight. But if you are getting dressed and having your hair and makeup done, who is going to look after these last minute details. This is the job of the Day-of Wedding Coordinator. We are there to make sure that every wrinkle gets unwrinkled, that every stray thread gets plucked, that every piece of glass is fingerprint free! Day of Coordinating is the most affordable form of wedding planning, and in my opinion is the most important. You can not be everywhere on the day of your wedding, it’s impossible. You will be getting hair and makeup done at the same time that vendors will be arriving to the venue to set up. You need to be focused on what is important, the major fact that you are getting married to the love of your life in a few short hours! It is a Wedding Planners job to make sure that the vendors arrive on time and that everything looks the way that you envisioned it would.

Many major wedding venues (like hotels and catering halls) come with the service of an ‘Events Manager’. These guys are great, but they are not your personal wedding planner. The role of an events manager is to take care of what the venue is in charge of (tables, chairs, linens, place settings) and to make sure that your event stays within the rules of the venue. Often times, that is where the service stops. They do not coordinate activities during the event and they do not set up (or clean up) any personal decor that you may want incorporated in your wedding or reception.

Fix what needs Fixin’:

JLo had an utility belt. Mary Poppins had a magic bag. I come with a Giant Tub full of last minute emergency fixes. I am sure that I haven’t seen it All, but I have seen a lot! Everything from blood on the wedding dress to broken boutonnieres, I’ve got you and your guests covered, all day long. Think of me as hands-on insurance! But we don’t just fix things on the wedding day, If you have a tiff with your future mother in law and you need to be reassured at 2am that going through with the wedding is the right thing to do, I’ll answer your call! If your DJ makes you angry by playing a song that you hate, I’ll take care of that too! My job is to make sure that you enjoy getting married and that you celebrate it with no stress attached!

Wedding Planners are a necessity for weddings. Maybe I am biased, but I really do think that hiring someone to take care of plans and logistics is essential to being able to relax and enjoy your special day. I think that the idea of hiring a planner or even a Day of Coordinator has become associated with being a Luxury expense when it comes to your wedding budget. However, when you factor in what a planner can save you, through connections with other vendors and shopping for the best deals, it can pretty much even out the price of their services. Plus, you get all of the other perks of having a planner, an extra set of hands, and the knowledge from their previous experiences.

So are you are still on the fence about whether it brave the process yourself or hire a planner? If so, I encourage you to schedule a FREE start up consultation! This is not a commitment ceremony, it’s Just a meeting. There is no charge, and it will help get you organized and focused! We will go over the different services that we can offer you and different ways that we can help that will fit into your specific budget. It’s not just a sales pitch though! We will also give you checklists and worksheets that will help you throughout your planning process, whether you decide to hire us or not!

Happy Planning!

-Juliette

How to use Pinterest as your best wedding planning tool!

Pinterest is the Greatest wedding planning tool to come along since the first wedding magazine was published! It might even be better! It is a great place to organize your thoughts visually, discover new and creative ways to do just about anything, and to share your ideas with others. In this post, I’d like to discuss 5 smart ways that you can use Pinterest to be the ultimate modern bride.

Use it with your Wedding Planner

First of all, if your wedding planner is not on Pinterest, you should probably find a new one, cause there is probably something seriously wrong with them! Pinterest is just as revolutionary for Wedding Planners as it is for brides. Creating a shared board with your planner can help you both get on the same page. Being inspired together allows great things to happen! Inspiration boards have been created by planners for their clients for decades. But Pinterest puts a new spin on inspiration boards, since both parties can post on it. To share a board with your planner, simply add your planners email address or name to the board settings when you create it. When you post a wedding element that you would like implemented in your own wedding, your planner can instantly see it and begin working on the details to make it happen for you!

Use it with your Florist

Share a board or two with your florist. This will allow you to keep your thoughts organized (a separate board for centerpieces and bouquet ideas). Being able to share visual ideas with your florist will make sure that your flowers are exactly as you envision them. I have seen it happen too many times where the bride will receive her flowers on the morning of her wedding only to realize that the “Nosegays” bouquet that their florist had been talking about, was not the “Hand-Tied” bouquet style that the bride was envisioning. Also, colors of flowers come in many different shades, so telling your florist you want peach colored roses to match the bridesmaids dresses, could result in a orange shade, if the florist does not have an exact visual to go off of. A shared board between your florist, your wedding planner, and yourself, can make sure that no exclusive industry vocabulary gets in your way of achieving your vision!

Use it with your Photographer

Any good wedding photographer will ask you for a list of must have shots that you want to have taken on your wedding day. This ensures that on the day of, when everything is going a mile a minute, your photographer can look at the list and know that you absolutely want a photo of you and your big sister back to back. Or a portrait photo of you and your groom 3 feet away from each other holding hands. It is much easier to post inspirational photos to Pinterest as you see them than to remember them 2 weeks before your big day when you are asked to have the list ready. It is also easier to show your photographer a visual example of the style of photographs that you want ,then to try to describe it in words through an email.

  Use it with your Bridesmaids

If you are like most brides, many or at least some of your closest friends don’t live near you. I know for me, 2 of my 4 bridesmaids lived in Utah. The other 2 lived here in San Diego, but they had small kiddos at home. This made getting together for dress shopping rather difficult. And I wanted their input, I didn’t want to be one of those brides that just said here’s your ugly dress, now fork over some cash! Now Pinterest can allow for everyone to have some input. You can post dress options you like for them, they can post options they like, and everyone feels like they at least have a part in the process. But remember, you are the deciding voice. It is your wedding, not theirs!

Use it for you!

Keeping all of your ideas visually in separate boards will help you to keep things organized! Organization and Lack of Procrastination are the secret keys to successfully planning a wedding without turning into a…, you know! Use it from day one, to organize your thoughts and inspirations. Your boards will evolve over time throughout your engagement. Turning from just inspirations, into how to tutorials that you know you can’t to forget, into a dialog between you and your vendors. It is also a great way for your vendors to connect before your big day to collaborate on ideas that will transform your wedding into the event that everyone else wants to emulate! An awesome wedding doesn’t need to cost a ton of money, it just takes creativity and work. If it seems like too much work, hire a wedding planner to help with some of the details or the coordination of it all! One thing is for sure though, use Pinterest! And be smart about it! It will help, I Promise!

San Diego Wedding Planner describes how to be smart about using Pinterest in all aspects of your wedding!

Happy Planning!

-Juliette

This is the face of the unfortunate realization that your outdoor garden party that you have been dreaming of will now be indoors due to rain… Trust me, you don’t want this feeling to be the one you remember about your wedding day! Pledge to Stay Positive

I recently found this article on TheKnot.com. I felt it would be helpful to my readers and clients! Some of these I wish I had made to myself when I got married! Enjoy

2. I will not end up on YouTube for the wrong reason.

Adorable processional dance? Totally acceptable path to stardom. Bridezilla freak-out on the florist who delivers hyacinths instead of hydrangeas? Not so much. On your wedding day, all eyes (and camera phones) will be on you, meaning your every move is subject to instant Internet infamy. Mind your manners and keep your panic attacks quiet to avoid the wrong kind of publicity. But that video of your dad doing the worm during your father-daughter dance? Internet gold.

3. I will not realize that grape isn’t my color — with two months to go.

You should feel free to rethink, redo, and revamp any element of your wedding that you want — unless you’ve accepted a ring from it (just kidding). This doesn’t have to mean yet another huge investment or reneging on a bunch of contracts — you’ll be surprised how easy it is to make simple additions or subtractions and change your whole style. Already ordered those pastel bridesmaid dresses? Think about adding a bold sash or accessorizing with chandelier earrings to liven them up a bit.

Unsure about the color scheme you chose? Pay an extra visit to your florist and work out changes to your bouquets and centerpieces — adding new blooms in all of your arrangements will introduce a new color throughout the room. Same thing if you’ve already ordered the linens — spice them up with bright table runners or overlays. If you decide you really can’t live with it, chances are you can go back on your first choice — just remember that it will have a cost. A good rule of thumb is that if you’ve already signed a contract or seen a proof, you will have to pay extra for any changes or additions you make. But if it’s still relatively early in your planning process, don’t be afraid to make the change. Remember, you’re getting married to your husband, not your centerpieces.

4. I will not use my Facebook status as a personal wedding journal.

Okay, we know you’re excited about planning your wedding, but that girl from your college history class couldn’t care less that you finally booked a reception band (not to mention understand that passive-aggressive comment about the best man). We’re not saying the everyday details aren’t interesting — we’d just recommend a different platform. Instead of overloading your Twitter feed with wedding details, create a wedding-planning blog for those who want to keep tabs on the ups and downs.

5. I will trust my vendors.

Before you start micromanaging every decision your wedding planner makes, remember one thing: You’re paying them for a reason. Consider their experience and expertise an opportunity for you to relax. They want you to love the result (after all, your recommendation hinges on it!), so they’re going to strive to please. And wouldn’t you rather help someone who trusts your abilities rather than second-guesses everything you do? There’s no harm in giving a good amount of direction at the outset, but asking for daily progress reports is overkill.

6. I will not feel guilty about having an adults-only wedding.

Whether you’re worried about babies crying during the ceremony or just can’t afford to seat entire families for dinner, it’s your decision whether or not you want to invite the little ones. As long as you’re consistent about this rule (no exceptions for your closest friends!) and upfront in your invitations and on your wedding website, you shouldn’t feel bad if you have to tactfully put the kibosh on your second cousin who tries to RSVP for her toddler triplets.

7. I will attempt (at least a little) DIY.

Even the least crafty bride can undoubtedly personalize a few details of her wedding, and the bragging rights — not to mention the savings — will be well worth the effort. Try your hand at creating your favors or ceremony programs. If those tasks seem to daunting, keep it simple: Put your excellent penmanship to use and write out the escort cards, or make your own welcome bags for out-of-town guests with maps of the area and a few local goodies.

8. I will acknowledge that some people might not want to be the “guest book attendant”.

You can’t put all your friends in the wedding party, but there are usually a few people left over that you still want to honor…so you create “special” jobs, like cake servers and guest book attendants. Our advice: Unless your guest book is especially complicated, an attendant probably isn’t necessary. Honorary jobs are still jobs, and chances are, they’ll have a much better time if you just let them enjoy the party rather than having them stand guard by the guest book.

9. I will actually eat the dinner at my reception. (That includes cake!)

Make sure you take time with your new husband to really enjoy the party you worked so hard to plan. If you spend your whole wedding day directing the photographer and making sure the bridal party makes their entrance on cue, you’ll be missing out on a lot of amazing memories. Even if you don’t hire a day-of wedding coordinator, put a trusted relative or bridesmaid in charge of making sure things go smoothly on the big day.

10. I will look on the bright side — no matter what.

Did your outdoor ceremony get rained out? Instead of panicking, throw on some cute rain boots, grab a big umbrella, and start posing for some adorable rainy-day photographs. The DJ played the wrong song for your bridal party’s entrance? Chances are no one else noticed. After months of obsessing over the details, it’s easy to get lost in them. Loosen up, keep in mind what’s important (you’re getting married!), and we promise that, even if the caterer serves twice-baked potatoes instead of mashed, it’ll all be great in the end.

This article was written By Justine Lorelle Blanchard at The Knot.com located here: http://wedding.theknot.com/wedding-planning/planning-a-wedding/articles/10-resolutions-for-every-bride-slideshow.aspx?page=10 

Invitations can be tricky things. They are the first impression your guest has of your event. The style of them alone tells your guests what kind of wedding it will be. Will it be a formal affair, if so, the invitation should be formal, double envelope and all. Will it be a casual and fun evening, make sure your invitation reflects this personality.

There is so much to think about, and the #1 thing that couples think about first is Price! Think about postage (x2 for the Return envelope and the whole invitation. Remember that the more weight of the invitation, the more postage it will take to send it.) You can eliminate the cost of the return postage by setting up an email for people to send their RSVPs, plus 1 information, and food choices.Wedding Websites are also a great way to open the lines of communication between you and your guests. Check out TheKnot.com and WeddingWire.com for free and super easy to use websites!  But remember, this brings down your points for formality and tradition, if that is what you are going for! Also, if you do set up an tech savvy RSVP, be sure to include a phone number for the old school Great Aunt Betty who may not have internet access to respond with.

Timing is also important. As soon as you know the Where and When, start looking for invitations! Order them as soon as possible. Allow extra time for them to be printed, made, and shipped to you. Invitations should be sent no later than 6 weeks before the event date. An extra 2-3 weeks (8-9 weeks total) should be added if the event is happening on a Holiday weekend, during the Summer, or if guests will be traveling extensively to get there.

Let’s talk Guest List. If a strict head count is needed, sort your guest list into 2 categorizes, an “A” list and a “B” list. The A list should be the people you cannot leave out! Family and close friends are in this category. The A list invitations should be sent out first, with a earlier than absolutely necessary RSVP date. Once the majority of the A list RSVP’s are in, you can start thinking about the B list, your back ups! The people that would love to be there, but maybe you don’t know them as well as you’d like to (co-workers, childhood friends you haven’t seen in years except for on Facebook, your mother’s second cousin once removed, etc.). If you have some “With Regrets” sent back from your A list, you can then fill those seats with people from your B list. Think of it like this, if you invite everyone you know and everyone who wants to come all at once, but your venue only has room for 150 people tops, you might be up a creek without a paddle if 200 of those people decide they will make it. Just what ever you do, DO NOT tell anyone what list they are on! A polite way to deflect a “where’s my invitation?” confrontation is to just little white lie it and say that you haven’t gotten the invites out yet, or that there was a mix up with the typographer and your working on getting the second half of them out soon.

If you and your groom are tight on time, just go online. Online shopping is GREAT for the busy working couple. You can work on your invites at midnight, and no one can say that they are closed! A good place to go is Inviting Invites or Paper Source Stationary. However, if you do do this, make sure to request a proof or samples before actually ordering the invites. There are many types of printing and different kinds of paper to choose from! So if you don’t already know your Letterpress from your Offset printing, you should probably make an appointment to have a consultation with a stationary company. May I suggest Seaside Papery in Coronado. They can explain the different styles to you and show you examples on site.

The Following excerpt is from a very helpful email I received from InvitingInvites.com. I hope it will be helpful to you as well!

“In general

• Make sure you do your research. Before you schedule your invitation appointment or begin your purchase online, look through bridal magazines and online invitation stores to get a feel of what’s trendy at the moment.  Do you like classic, modern, pockets, ribbon, bright colors, die cut shapes letterpress?  As you start looking you will start to see that you are drawn to a certain style of invitation.
• Know what you do and don’t want. If you hate ribbon or script font, keep that at the forefront of your mind when beginning the selection process. Don’t waste time on anything that includes an element you dislike. If you have no clue about what types of stationery you like, use this pre-purchase time to figure out how your wedding theme and colors can be used within your stationery suite.
• Decide if you want to go the DIY route or the professionally printed route. If you know for a fact that you want letterpress invitations, don’t waste time researching cardstock prices and pocketfold options. Instead, use your time wisely and spend it investigating different types of letterpress invites. The same goes for DIY brides — there’s no need to take up a wedding consultant’s time if you have always wanted to whip up your own unique wedding invites.  Just keep in mind that DIY invitations can take time and a bit of experience with paper, printing, and cutting.
• Remember your timeline.  No matter if you order online or through local stationery vendor, remember that you must send out your wedding invitation suite no later than six weeks before your wedding (ideally, you’ll want to mail them out around eight weeks, especially if your event is around a holiday or you have a lot of guests that are traveling). Give your invitations plenty of time to come from the stationery vendor or online vendor — glitches in the system do happen, and you don’t want to be that bride who doesn’t have her invites because of poor timing.

If you’re purchasing professionally printed stationery, I recommend making an appointment.  That way, you will ensure that a knowledgeable stationery consultant will be there to speak with you (and not the new person who’s still in training) and he or she will be prepared to spend time with you. This first consultation should occur three or four months before your wedding to give you time to make a decision and to give the store time to place your order.

Don’t rush the appointment. You’ll want to set aside at least an hour to talk through pricing options with your consultant, as well as look through the many options the store will offer. Give yourself time to think over what you’re seeing. If you feel overwhelmed, make another appointment, preferably with the same consultant. Keep the appointments close together so that your reactions to the stationery pieces are fresh in your mind.

When you’re ready to purchase, always pay for the proof. Most stationery consultants are extremely meticulous when it comes to writing down and entering the information, but they are human, and mistakes can be made. The proof comes from the stationery company, not the store you purchased from, and usually costs around ten dollars per item. It is a small price to pay for the assurance that your invites will be perfect.

Limit the number of people you bring to the appointment. Too many opinions create confusion. I recommend bringing (at most) two people with you, as any more people creates a crowded, frustrated environment.”

Have an awesome day, and Happy Planning!

-Juliette

This was my Wedding Invitation