WEDDING PLANNER SECRETS

If you work with full-time and professional wedding planners, you can learn a lot of the tricks to save money and to have the best wedding day you can think of.

The Wedding Cake Secret

If you are having 200 guests, you can save some money and order only a wedding cake for 175. Venues and caterers tend to cut smaller slices than wedding bakeries account for, not to mention that by the time your wedding cake is served, many guests are on the dance floor or have snuck out early. Ordering for about 15% less than your total count is usually a safe bet. 

The Dinner Down Count Secret

Always "down count" your final count to your venue or caterer when you need to provide the final numbers for your wedding. In our experience, we have never once had a wedding where at least two guests didn't cancel. If a couple thinks their final guest count is 206, it is ok to report 202 guests to the caterer.

Your Wedding Day To-Do List Secret

Don't save any tasks to do on your wedding day. You may think that sorting a few envelopes is a five-minute project you can do while getting your lashes on, but it is not! Even the best wedding planners don't leave tasks like this for the wedding day – they prep absolutely everything ahead of time – so you should too.

The Professional Lights Secret

Investing in lighting with a professional lighting company (not your DJ!) is always worth it. Lighting has an incredible impact, not just on how a room looks, but also how the people in it will feel. A skilled lighting designer knows how to manage the light in the room to create the right ambiance at the right time – from romantic and intimate to fun and energetic. And your images will show it too!

The Destination Wedding Secrets

If you are planning a destination wedding, never, ever, ever ship your wedding dress! Always carry it with you. Better wrinkled (which can be remedied) than lost in the mail.

The Details Secret

Keep your wedding details a secret. We all understand that you are excited about your wedding and all the wonderful, creative ideas you are thinking about. However, it is best to keep them a secret. Don't talk about your wedding obsessively, and don't post photos of your wedding venue on your website or social media. 

Just like in a movie trailer, you would never want to tell everybody the whole plot and then suggest they should go and see the movie. 

Save most surprises for your guests to keep them on the edge of their seats during the planning process and let them experience the wedding. 

The Think Long-Term Secret

When you have to make a big wedding decision, use the 25-year rule. Are you going to care about this decision on our 25th anniversary? If you think so, give it due attention. If not, let it go.

The Stressful People Secret

Surround yourself with the right people. What makes a great wedding is not how many people are there, but the quality of the people who are there. Easy-to-get-along-with personalities create opportunities for your guests to get to know new people and have a great time, whether they know half of the attendees or just the bride and groom. Don't spend your big day surrounded by people who increase your stress levels. Keep the people who know how to love and support you during tough times in your inner circle.

The RSVP Secret

You've got it covered with the cute little addressed and stamped RSVP cards included in your wedding invitations, right? Wrong! No matter how thoughtful you are, you can lead the horse to water, but you can't make it drink! Four weeks before your wedding, you will still be chasing up the last 40% who will say; I didn't think I needed to RSVP because I told you I was coming (On the day you got engaged.)

The Pinterest Secret

Imagine you create a collage from all the famous paintings in the world. Do you think the collage will be a great result? Relying too much on a "dream wedding Pinterest board" makes wedding planners cringe because that's when they know they'll be expected to pull off someone's fantasy with a fraction of the budget. 

The Sit Backward Secret

Wedding dresses are always longer and bigger in the back, so you need more room for them, and more room is available at the front of the toilet. And an extra wedding day tip, always have a bridesmaid go with you to the restroom.

The Floral Placement Secret

Floral installations are memorable but have your florist scope out the HVAC situation before you commit. A heating vent aimed at flowers could destroy the beauty before the day is over.

The Honeymoon Secret

While the honeymoon planning will definitely be one of the most enjoyable tasks on your pre-wedding to-do list, deciding when to leave for your honeymoon is always a big decision. We recommend having one "at home" day between your wedding and honeymoon. It gives you time to sleep in and rest, say goodbye to your guests at a farewell brunch, open your gifts and deposit checks, and check your honeymoon suitcase one last time before you will leave.