Do You Need a Wedding Planner? Would You Remodel Your Home Without a General Contractor?

I don’t get it. Why would you take on a project that can cost you anywhere from $10,000 to, well, as high as you want to go without having a professional by your side?

Here is the thing, would you take on a major home remodeling project without hiring a general contractor? Of course not. I know, you are asking how are those even remotely the same. Let me ask you,

“How are they different?”

  • Both have budgets in at least the 5 figure range. That is a LOT of money.
  • In both instances you want a high degree of personalization. In short, you want YOUR dream to be executed.
  • Both will require a long list of sub-contractors that you have most likely never dealt with before.
  • Both require tight scheduling to make sure everything comes together on time and on budget.
  • Both are going to have glitches and unexpected issues pop up that someone is going to have to deal with.
  • The results of both are going to be with you for a long, long time.

Am I beginning to make some sense here?

All those things listed above are what a wedding planner does.

  • They know which vendors are reliable and match your style.
  • They help you translate your dreams to the people who are going to make them come true.
  • They know all about how your venue works in terms of timing and convenience for load in.
  • It is their job to keep that timeline on track so, for example, the flowers show up after the tables are set up, dinner is served hot and the MC know when to do the first dance.
  • It is their job to keep all those sub-contractors working together on the right plan.
  • They are there to look you right in the eye and say “Yes you can have that, but you are going to have to give up XYZ”
  • They are there to handle those last-minute glitches and issues in a way that you don’t even know they happened.

There is a wealth of information online today on how to plan a wedding, but until you actually do it, you have no idea of everything involved.
Seriously, when you look at it in this light, why would you even think of not hiring a wedding planner for one of the days you are going to remember for the rest of your life.

Sure, I could watch HGTV, DIY Network, House Crashers and This Old House until my eyes bleed but one episode of Holmes on Homes or DIY Disaster will cure my ass of thinking I can remodel my kitchen on my own!

 

*To my wedding planner friends, please feel free to copy this to your own blog. All I need is that you leave the following attribution:

By: Christine Boulton

Wedding Dish

Think Like A Bride

 

…and of course hit the buttons below to share it on G+, Twitter and Facebook

What Flowers Are in Season for Your Wedding

Every book and expert will tell you to save on your floral decor budget choose flowers that are in season. Great, sure, I know EXACTLY what flowers are in season. Oh, come on, no you don’t!

Well now you do! Just go to the same place the pros go: the wholesale suppliers. You can be sure they know what’s in season when.

Mayesh Wholesale Florists are one of the largest suppliers of wholesale flowers in the United States. As such, they do not sell to the public, but their site is still a wealth of information; information from REAL experts for professionals. You may not be able to buy directly from them but you can still benefit from their knowledge and information.

I found this very handy Flower Library on their site. It lists flowers by color, by group and yes, by season.

What better place to get your information than from the authorities on flowers.

Guest Book Ideas

Face it, guest books are boring.

I ran across this very fun idea today that you might like.

This one was done by having the guests put their fingerprint on the tree and then add thier name. It kind of oooges me out to think of my guests having to be fingerprinted for my wedding.

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Here is another idea that I think I like better. Get a line drawing or painting of a tree with out leaves

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Then get either die cut leaves from some where like Paper Source , Hobby Lobby or Micheals or get a paper punch and make your own and have your guests sign them.

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You could get some pretty baskets or glass bowls to fill with leaves and a pen and use them as parts of your centerpieces. Put another on with the tree picture and a small sign explaining the idea.

Once the wedding is over, put the leaves on your tree. Frame it and you have a piece of art to treasure for ever.

Or you could just have a boring book you won’t ever look at again.

Rustic Table Decor

As weddings trend towards more casual affairs, it’s time to rethink your table decor. These rustic table are fun, pretty and certainly something you could consider DIYing.Rustic table decor

1. Blue gift bags hold sunflowers and roses and lemons make unique place cards. Burlap makes a casual table cloth. {source}

2. A feasting table makes the most of the narrow confines of this barn. The mismatched china and garden flowers in mason jars give it a shabby chic look. {source}

3. Blue chairs, stemless glassware and lanterns are brightened up by simple arrangements of sunflowers in milk glass vases. {source}

4. A collection of bright colorful cans are re-purposed as vases and fill with garden grown zinnias. {source}

5. This look is perfect for a wine country or summer field wedding. The color palette of white with pale sage and brown is fresh and summery. {source}

6. This tented wedding is a result of the use of the tanned golden browns of a late summer field. The chairs really make it. Shop the picture with the rental firms in your area to see what alternatives they can offer. {source}

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4 Tips for Keeping Your Wedding Decor Budget Inline

Every bride wants a beautiful backdrop for her big day. When it comes to what you can spend on your floral and decor budget, the sky is the limit.

I was chatting with friend of the Dish, event designer extraordinaire Vicki Sanders yesterday and these tips came up. They are just little things to keep in mind that will trim your decor budget without resorting to the dreaded rose bowl with a single floating candle.

Wedding centerpiece with Stargazer Lilies, coral peonies

1. Limit your seating. Huh? Look at this, unless you are serving a seated plated dinner you do not need seating for every guest. By eliminating 2 or 3 tables you are also eliminating 2 or 3 centerpieces. If you are doing mostly heavy finger foods you could use a bit of lounge furniture and some smallish cocktail tables. Smaller tables, smaller centerpieces.

2. Choose your flowers carefully. I know that you already know that if you choose in season flowers you will save, but there is more to it than that. The minute you get you heart set on a specific flower, you are setting yourself up to spend more than you need to achieve your look. Work with your floral designer to determine which flowers will achieve your look AT THE TIME OF YOUR WEDDING. Short story, a bride simply had to have coral peonies, sadly her wedding was 2 weeks before they became abundant. By using coral roses and white peonies the florist could have saved her a bundle and still gotten her color and the fluff of peonies. If you absolutely have to have a specific flower, limit it to your wedding bouquet and let the florist make suggestions for the rest of your wedding decor.

3. Rent your containers instead of buying them. Even if you are going to DIY your wedding flowers this can save you significantly. You will get higher quality containers, you won’t have to figure out what to do with them after your wedding and you won’t have spent days and days running all over town trying to find them.

4. Think about your labor cost. Your floral design teams time is not free. Every little thing adds time. A bride recently told my friend that she wanted her vases lined with lime slices. Beautiful look. When she was quoted the price to do this she just didn’t get it, so she asked how much if she bought the limes and brought them to the florist. Fail. What was expensive was the time it would take to uniformly slice a case of limes and then double vase to hold them in place in the arrangement.  What you are requesting may seem like a minor detail, but take a minute to think about the labor involved.

These tips and tricks are just the tip of the iceberg in terms of the knowledge that true wedding professional bring to the table. DIY or hiring a novice may seem like a great idea at the time, but in the long run, the true pros earn their fees because of what they know.

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Tips & Tricks: Fresh Herb Centerpieces

If you are looking for something to use as centerpieces for a more laid back garden or country wedding my personal favorite is to use potted herbs. They look great, they smell great and they are more earth friendly than cut flowers.Centerpieces-herbs

If this is something you are going to DIY now is the time to get busy.Get an idea of the arrangement you want and then figure out how many plants you will need per table.

Even if your wedding isn’t for months do your shopping now.The garden centers and farmer’s markets are packed to the rafters with an amazing variety of herbs in the early spring. Grab your sweetie on the next pretty day and head on out to the biggest market or garden center in your area.Garden Center in Chicago Grand Street Gardens Look for small (2″ or3″ pots) herbs in a variety of colors, heights and textures. Thymes are nice for a low plant, sage is a pretty color with a large leaf and rosemary will add height. Chives and lavender will flower, so will chamomile. Take some time to play around with a different mix to see what you like.small pots of herbs from the garden center

If you are using clay pots, I have found the best place to get the really small ones is at the craft store. The are inexpensive and plentiful. For the most impact, get a variety of sizes and remember to get the saucers to go with them.ClayPots-main_Full

Once you get home, you can paint the pots or put them outside to weather naturally. To get a really weathered look, go head and pot your new baby herbs and then sink the pots in your garden or surround them with mulch. The clay will start to get that weathered patina that you see here. Potted herb escort cards

If you are going the galvanized pail route, check out the either the craft stores or the paint department of you local home improvement big box store for deals.

herb centerpiece with ribbon detail

Yes I do realize that you will have to take care of these plant until your wedding. You never know, you may discover that you had a green thumb all along.

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Escort Cards That Aren’t Boring

Why are escort card usually so boring? You know, a table with a sea of white cards with maybe a floral arangemnet in the middle or a few votive candles. Yuck!

How about doing something fun instead of just a card?

Like this for the sparkly bride…Escort cards with hanging crystals

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or this for the eco-minded couple..Potted herb escort cards

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This is my favorite idea but I guess I am the only one since I couldn’t find a single image using this idea. Ok, here we go…

Take this idea as a jumping offChampagne splits{source}

marry it to the idea of having tasty beverages for your guests at the ceremony…

add a Martha Stewart DIY butterfly straw with your escort card detail and…Pink Grapefruit soda


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Voila! a refreshing fun idea for an escort card!

Stamp out boring where ever possible!

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Pomander Bridal Bouquets with a Twist

I love pomander bouquets, but face it, some of them can be pretty boring. Well I found a bunch that have a twist.

Enjoy!

Great as a centerpiece for a fall wedding

Great as a centerpiece for a fall wedding

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Perfect for a casual wedding in the woods

Perfect for a casual wedding in the woods

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Modern bouquet with a touch of Whimsy

Modern bouquet with a touch of Whimsy

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Beaded accents add a light, airy feel

Beaded accents add a light, airy feel

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So much prettier than the standard carnation balls

So much prettier than the standard carnation balls

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Tassels make all the difference here

Tassels make all the difference here

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This one would be an easy DIY

This one would be an easy DIY

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I love the hanging orchids on the ribbons

I love the hanging orchids on the ribbons

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How's this for fun?

How's this for fun?

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