Planner or No Planner...That is the Question.

Congratulations on your recent engagement! You just began the wedding planning journey of your life. Perhaps you are one of those women who LOVES to plan, maybe is a little bit of a control freak, and you are DEFINITELY on a budget.

Embrace it!

You’ve already heard from everyone and every website that you should get a wedding planner first. Sidenote: You are wanting me to tell you right now, “Go ahead! Be a Wedding Amazon Woman! Plan it yourself, save money, and take control of your event!”

Unfortunately….I can’t do that.

Now, I understand that you want to plan every detail, and I believe that some women can. However, the part you need to fast forward to is the…..

www.TwoPairPhotography.com

Wedding Day!

Imagine that you’ve planned your entire event: every detail is perfect, every flower in its place, every groomsman in his tux, and every hair perfectly coifed.  And then….the limo driver hasn’t arrived, the cake is no where to be seen, the Aunt you asked to put up the reserved table signs forgot, and now you are left standing looking around for a seat.

Ok – so that’s a little dramatic. But you can see how quickly a perfectly planned event can landslide into the shabby side of a shabby-and-now-not-so-chic wedding.

Say it with me: 

“On my wedding day, I want to be a bride – not a wedding planner.”

Whoa – take that in. In a day and age where women are uber-crafty, super saavy, and want to do it all, it’s hard to accept that you might not be able to touch the very important last detail of your wedding – the Day itself. But don’t worry, you won’t lose the right to say, “I planned my wedding.”

Having a Day Of Wedding Coordinator will accomplish the following for you on your wedding day:

1. You will have an advocate who is looking out for you and the event’s best interest.
2. Any small emergencies can be handled before you are ever aware of them.
3. You gain the gift of being a bride and getting completely immersed in what is actually going on that day: you are getting married to your best friend and starting a new family.
4. You gain another set of eyes, ears, and hands to go over every detail before the event. This will make sure that every idea is executed to perfection. 

Note: Please do not confuse a Day Of Wedding Coordinator with the venue’s sales planner that is assigned to your event. While they tell you they will “coordinate” the day’s events, what they really mean is that they will make sure the venue lives up to their contractual obligations. They are ultimately looking out for themselves, not for you.

A Day Of Wedding Coordinator goes beyond what is happening at the event, and steps in to run the rehearsal, set-up the ceremony location, set-up and supervise the reception venue prior to your arrival, keep all moving parts functioning as one, serves as a liaison among all parties, and guides your guests and you through each event of the wedding. They also serve as photographer and guest wranglers, cake cutters, production directors, and a listening ear to the Bride.

Ask me more about the Day Of Wedding Coordinator in my Candlelight Package on my website at http://www.emilyjamesevents.com/.

Happy Planning!

The Connection Wholesale Florist

Are you on a budget and have been known to have a creative streak? Do you want an inexpensive option for flowers? Enter: The Connection Wholesale Florist in Fort Worth, Texas. A DIY bride’s dream! The Connection offers wedding floral design classes throughout the year for $45, which includes all materials and instruction fees. Each session covers how to hand-tie a bouquet, corsage, and boutonniere as well as how to design a centerpiece. Each class is limited to 10 students, so you know you will get tons of one-on-one attention from Texas Master Florist, Virginia Glover, owner of Willow Creations, a wedding and event design company.

Disclaimer: While you might enjoy having a hand in your own flower arrangements, make sure to have a family member or friend around for back-up. If your bouquet unravels in the heat of your July wedding, you don’t want to be the only one who knows how to fix it!

Party Pick: Why not make it a girls night? Grab some of your hard-working wedding supporters, and treat them to this informational and fun event!

Even if doing all the arranging isn’t your “thang,” The Connection has great prices when buying your flowers in bulk. With great deals like the 15-flower “Texas Dozen,” you’ll be sure to find everything you need and still fit your floral budget!

New Pricing on Website

Check out the services section at http://www.emilyjamesevents.com/ for a new link to event pricing. Contact me in 'ask emily' today for more details!

Happy Planning!

***Photo by Erik Ekroth***

I'm Engaged!!! Now What?

The first and most frequent question I get from brides beginning their planning process is “Where do I start?”
For some who have been envisioning their special day since the age of 4, this sounds ridiculous. But I would urge even that bride to tap the brakes, and consider the following:

Form a Budget:

Ask yourself the question, “What is the most important thing to me about my wedding?”

For some the answer is “I want the most people possible to attend.” Perhaps it is “I want to have an amazing band.” Another common response is “I want it to be the most stress-free day of my life.”

Whatever your answer is, your budget will be dictated by it. In following our example answers, the first bride would need to decide what kind of food she could afford. This will help the bride decide if she can afford a full dinner or if she should have a cocktail reception. The second bride would need to price out bands, and then form a budget around the band of choice. She might have to sacrifice some on flowers, for example, but that is fine with this bride. Finally, the third bride would want to make sure her budget includes a wedding planner or wedding day coordinator to ensure she doesn’t have to deal with any problems that may arise on the wedding day.

Select a Venue/Save the Date:

Some people declare a date before shopping for a venue. While this is common, you might end up in a situation where the venue of your dreams is not available on that day. If time allows, I encourage shopping venues with a few different days in mind. This will provide you with the most possibilities in venue selection.

A Note on Picking the Date:

Make sure you run the date by any VIPs before signing contracts for that day – bridal party, grandparents, officiant of choice, band, florist, photographer, etc. Don’t let your day narrow down who or what you can have at your wedding. That being said, if there is a day that you know you want, you can definitely start from there, just be prepared for the potential of some people already being booked.

Get Emotional:

Select a few adjectives that you want to describe your wedding. Vendors will ask you this question a lot, so it’s good to have solid answers for them. Examples: Romantic, red, nighttime, candles; fun, celebration, lounge, big band; brief, daytime, casual, blue; elaborate, decadent, purple, lavish, fancy

Disclaimer: So I know the following sounds cheesy, but I promise it helps!

Set up a little meditation session for yourself on your wedding. Play the best sappy love songs you like, close your eyes, and let your mind wander. What do you see when you walk down the aisle? What do you hear? Is it dark or light outside? Are you surrounded by hundreds or only a few close friends? Is there sand under your feet? Are you on the steps of a cathedral alter? Is it cold outside?

Go with your instinct on this – do not think too hard about it!

These broad steps will help you start to develop a direction for your wedding.

Happy Planning!