Taylor's Top 4 Wedding Planning Tips

Getting married has to be one of the most wonderful things that we ever are able to experience in our lives. It’s one of those moments in time that we will remember forever, and knowing that, it can make the planning process and the whole experience a bit stressful and overwhelming. As a wedding planner, I’ve seen the good, the bad and the ugly when it comes to planning for & experiencing the day. I was recently married in the last few years and I realized a few things that I knew going into the planning process as a bride that I wish all brides knew. Here are my top 4 tips for planning & enjoying your wedding: 

1. Don’t build a budget for your plan, build a plan to fit your budget

Too often I see couples trying to plan the Royal Wedding on a Cinderella budget. When it comes to budgeting for your dream wedding, sit down with your fiancé and ask “What are our non-negotiable items?”. This will be different for each couple, whether it’s a big cake, “the” dress, a particular venue, etc. Knowing these up front will help you when you are allocating money. If favors aren’t on the top of your list, then put that money towards the wedding dress you’ve always dreamed of! Next, break down your total budget into monthly payments from now until your wedding date & ensure this will not put a strain on your finances. If it does, lower your budget and make some cuts or consider pushing your date further out so that you can better afford the monthly cost. If your parents or future in-laws are paying, make sure you have all agreed upon a budget and when payments are due. My biggest piece of advice - do NOT take out a loan to pay for your wedding, you do not want to start your new life together in debt. Just budget appropriately and stick to it!

2.            Hire a planner or day-of coordinator that you trust

Even as a wedding planner myself, one of my biggest priorities when I got married was to ensure I had a day-of coordinator that I could trust (shoutout to Liz DeKoyer at the Country Club of Asheville for being amazing!). Even though I could handle the pre-planning myself, I knew better than anyone that I did not want to be responsible for anything the day of my wedding. Your day-of coordinator will be the one receiving calls from your vendors, directing them on set up, greeting guests, and ensuring the day is running smoothly. They also handle any issues that arise without you ever knowing something went wrong (while you are enjoying champagne with your bridesmaids and preparing to marry your best friend). This is your big day & you should enjoy every moment - you shouldn’t be answering calls from vendors, decorating & stressing over details. Find a professional planner that you connect with, who can deliver a stress-free day to you and your fiancé.

3.       Hire professional vendors - you’ll thank me later!

Everyone that has ever gotten engaged has had a friend, aunt, cousin or mom say “Oh I can be your photographer/ planner/ florist/ etc”. While their intentions may be good, the outcome isn’t always the best. Although it may be cheaper to have a friend do the work, you will be sacrificing quality in the long run. Vendors in the wedding industry that have gone through the process to register their business legally, have learned & perfected their craft, and have gained clientele over the years are professionals and will deliver a professional product. Also, if you have friends or family that ARE professionals in the industry, consider if you want them working instead of having fun at your wedding. My grandmother is a professional photographer and offered to shoot our wedding, but I wanted her to be in the photos, not taking them. Hire professional vendors and your wedding will run much more smoothly.

4.            Be present 

This one seems like a no-brainer, right? Sometimes we tend to overthink, over analyze, ensure everything is perfect and exactly how we dreamed it. Trust your planner as they are there to make sure every detail you’ve planned will be executed perfectly. You don’t want to look back and remember how stressed out you were, you want to remember the women who surrounded you while getting ready, the sweet moments with your parents, and the look on your groom’s face when you walked down the aisle. Take a deep breath and enjoy every step of the day - it’s only going to happen once!

Building Your Wedding Budget

You’ve just said “Yes!” to your best friend and it’s time to start planning the big day you’ve dreamed about. The next most important “yes” to say is to your wallet - that’s right, it’s time to start thinking about your wedding budget! I know, I know, money is no fun to talk about and even less fun to plan around BUT if you want to start your married life on the right foot, a smart wedding budget is a must. 

Gone are the days where options were limited and you had to take out a second mortgage to pay for your dream wedding. Thanks to an abundance of vendors at varying price ranges and the option to customize your wedding to fit your needs, anyone can afford the wedding of their dreams - IF they plan smart. Follow these 6 tips to build the best wedding budget!

1. Have “the talk” with anyone who will be contributing

No, no, not that talk. The money talk! Sit down with your fiance and anyone else who will be contributing to your wedding budget (parents, grandparents, etc.) and set specific amounts that will be going toward the wedding. This can be an uncomfortable talk at first since everyone tends to get awkward about money, but having a realistic starting point is necessary. And if you get the “we’ll cover whatever you need” answer that parents love to give, ask what the maximum is - $1,000? $10,000? Make sure to be as specific as possible so that everyone is on the same page.

1. Don’t go into debt 

This may seem like a no-brainer, but we all tend to get bank statement blind when it comes to our wedding day. When determining your budget, plan so that you can have everything paid for, in cash, by your wedding day. Don’t put it on a credit card and don’t take out a loan. There are so many options for vendors, venues and everything else needed for your big day that you can always find the right options no matter what your budget is. If you want to spend more, I suggest planning further out so you have more time to pay for what you want without going into debt. You don’t want to come back from your honeymoon with a stack of payments from your wedding - you’ll have more important things to budget for, like buying a home or starting a family.

1. Determine your non-negotiables

What are those must-have, can’t live without it, willing to drop some cash on items? Do you absolutely need that Vera Wang dress? Is a 10 tier cake the most important thing to you? Lock down those must-have items first and allocate the amount of money needed to them. Then, you can decide what your non-essentials are. You’re not a fan of favors? Leave them off the budget and if you have money left over at the end and decide to get some, great! If not, you won’t be upset that they weren’t purchased anyways. Remember, this is YOUR wedding, you get to decide what’s important and what’s not.

1. Get organized

Next, organize your budget! Whether you put it in a spreadsheet or write it down on a piece of paper, make sure you have it in writing so that you can keep track of your spending. I personally love spreadsheets because you can add in formulas to show you how much over or under budget you are. This will also help you keep track of when payments are due. You can even buy great budgeting spreadsheets on Etsy if you’re not keen on making your own!

Here’s a wedding budget booklet we love!*

1. Plan your wedding around your budget, not the other way around

Remember those non-negotiables we talked about? Find what you’re looking for in your budget. If you only have $3,000 allocated to find a photographer, don’t spend $5,000 on a photographer! SImple as that. Use resources like your wedding planner, Facebook groups & The Knot to find a photographer that checks all your boxes and doesn’t blow the bank. 

1. If you can, do it yourself!

When it comes to saving money, HGTV has taught us all that DIY is the way to go! So roll up your sleeves, go on Pinterest, and figure out what you’re willing to do yourself. If you’re a whiz with flowers, have a party with your bridesmaids the night before the wedding and put your bouquets together! If painting is your thing, paint your own signs for the big day! Your creativity and hard work may just save your wallet!

These silk flowers are great for bridesmaid bouquets and centerpieces!*

Remember, at the end of the day, the most important thing is marrying your best friend. The money spent on the wedding isn’t as important as the love spent on the marriage so don’t let your budget distract you from the true meaning of the day. Stick to these tips and you’ll have a less stressful planning process and a beautiful wedding to begin your new life together!

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