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It’s the LAST week in our seven-week Weddings on a budget series! This Saturday series is written by Rebecca Grant owner of New Creations Wedding Design & Coordination, one of Seattle’s Premiere Wedding Coordinators. She’s filled with a wealth of information and she’s a good friend of mine – so I know you’re in good hands.
If you’re joining us late, don’t miss our past posts when we’ve discussed:
- Wedding Invitations on a Budget
- Wedding Flowers on a Budget
- Wedding Venues on a Budget, part 1
- Wedding Venues on a Budget, part 2
- Wedding Catering on a Budget
- Wedding Photography on a Budget
In today’s last post we’re sharing SIX things you need to know about your wedding vendors including the BEST wedding decision you could EVER make.
Thank you for sticking with me throughout this wonderful 7-week series on how to plan a wedding on a budget. As our final installation, I want to share with you some insight into our world as your wedding vendor. Below are some advice and things you should keep in mind when interviewing and selecting your vendors.
1.) We work weekends. Weekends are our livelihood (what day is your wedding)? So if you call or email Friday through Sunday, chances are high that you won’t hear back from us until the following week. It all depends on how many weddings your vendor has – if they have nothing, then chances are good you’ll get a call back very quickly if not immediately. But if they have a wedding Friday, Saturday, or Sunday, you’ll probably be getting a returned call/email on Tuesday (a lot of vendors take Monday off to rest and recuperate). It’s just the way it is. I realize that that is a whole 3-4 days. If you are in need of an IMMEDIATE response, tell them that. They WILL get back to you. But if it’s just a general email/call, trust me, you don’t want your vendor responding to you when they’re at someone’s wedding – would you want them doing that at YOUR wedding?
2.) Weddings are our job. Chances are that if you are working with a reputable vendor that it is not a “side job” or “hobby”. While I’ve offered you some tips and tricks throughout our series on how to save money here and there, please also understand that there is a point we have to say “No”. This is how we pay our mortgage, put gas in our cars, buy groceries, and keep the lights on. Yes, we love what we do, and it is extremely rewarding, but we do also need to make money – just like you. We wouldn’t ask you to make less per hour at your job just because you like us. Our prices are what they are because it’s what we live off of and we base it on our amount of experience, expertise, reputation, and service we can offer you.
3. We have multiple weddings. Unfortunately, you’re not our only wedding. We wouldn’t be in business if you were our only wedding. That is when it is considered a hobby. There. I said it. It’s the reality of things. Sometimes we can’t always commit to a Friday rehearsal for your Saturday wedding, as we may actually have another wedding the day before (especially during peak summer months). We may not be able to get to your call or email right away as we are in appointments with other couples. Lastly, no, we probably cannot meet with you tomorrow night or this weekend, as typically, our schedules book out 3-4 weeks in advance. We work very hard to make dreams come true. Please understand and respect that we are working multiple weddings at once and can’t always commit to your first request for appointment dates.
4. Contracts are important. I know they’re boring and full of legal talk, but read them. It takes a few minutes, and you’ll learn what you need to know about that vendor and how they protect you in the event something happens to them; and them if you call off the wedding or change the date (yes, it does happen). You’ll be aware of certain things like deadlines for telling your videographer what songs you want in your video, requirements for your band, or the importance of sticking to a timeline.
5. Trust us – we’re professionals. You’ve hired us, so trust us. Whoever it is, you hired us to do a job – let us do it. Don’t be at your reception venue while your florist/planner is setting up, don’t ask photographers if they got a shot of the cake, etc etc. Trust us – we’re in business because we’re professionals. You’ll be a lot less stressed out if you just do relax and know that it’s being taken care of.
6. No wedding ever goes perfectly. Yes, it’s true. Even the most well lay out and coordinated wedding always has a hiccup. Sometimes it’s super small like the lights weren’t as dim as they should’ve been for dinner, and sometimes it’s pretty noticeable like the sprinkler system comes on at your outdoor dinner reception (a-hem, it’s happened). Roll with it. Vendors are not out to get you. We have as much invested in your wedding day as often you do. We really do care, and take it extremely personally if something goes array.
At the end of the day you’re married and that is the whole primary focus of having a wedding. It’s not making sure your cake topper is perfectly centered, it’s not noticing the band missed a cue, and it’s certainly not getting upset with your fiancé or parents because they didn’t do something you thought should’ve been done. Wedding days are to take in the joy, happiness and love that surround you in that very moment. So relax, take it in, and if mistakes happen- smile, and remember those are the moments that help create your memories.
Lastly, here is the BEST wedding decision you could ever make. Yes, I am a wedding planner, so I’m sure you expected it. But after reading over all our tips and tricks for saving money on your wedding, wouldn’t it be nice if you had someone alongside you to help you do all of that?
Yes, I am talking about having a wedding planner. So often I hear “I can’t afford a wedding planner,” or, “I don’t need a wedding planner – the venue has someone.” Well my friends, I have news for you- you CAN have a wedding planner because you DESERVE to have an amazing wedding!
I promise you – the benefits of having a wedding planner will far outweigh any negative that could possibly exist (and that negative is most always money, right?). The ability to allow your friends and family to not have to worry about a single thing on your wedding day is reason enough, but it’s also about having someone to help with anything and everything. It’s about having someone there for YOU and who will do whatever it takes to achieve a successful and memorable wedding. It’s about really and truly being able to enjoy your wedding day!
Most planners offer, at minimum, Day-of and/or Full Coordination. Day-of coordination is never just day of (nor should it be). It is quite often having someone in your corner to help tie up loose ends anywhere from about 2-3 months prior to your wedding date. If you ever find a planner who literally just shows up on the wedding day – run the other direction! It is our reputation on the line that your event goes well and smoothly. We should know your wedding so intimately that we know exactly where you want those engagement photos set, what pair of shoes you’ll be changing into at the reception, etc. No planner should ever be able to just show up on the day of the wedding and expect everything to go as planned.
They need to know your vendors well in advance, communicate with them, write a timeline, be at your rehearsal, and from start to finish on your wedding day.
Full coordination allows you to be a partner in your wedding planning process. This is NOT a dictatorship relationship. You now have an ally. Someone to tell your Mother (as a neutral third party) that no, she will not be doing the flowers for the wedding. You have someone to guide you through the process, tell you what comes next, run and manage your BUDGET, recommend the best vendors for you so you don’t waste your time online researching hundreds of DJ’s, and SO much more!
Now onto the money part. We all know that it all comes down (most of the time) to “Can you tell me how much your services are?” This of course varies depending on your overall budget and priorities. If you have a really nice budget, and feel like you can go for the planner you really want to work with, then go for it. If you’re on a bit tighter budget, then I am confident, with using the tactics I gave you in our series, that you would find a wedding planner who fits perfectly with you. For the mere cost of a wedding planner, SO many things are taken off your shoulders.
Absolutely. Worth. Every. Penny.
If you need help in planning your Seattle area wedding, or if you fell in love with Rebecca and want her to be your wedding planner out of state- not a problem, she travels!
Contact Rebecca today:
email: info@newcreationsweddings.com
(206) 491-0608
You can leave a comment on this post or contact Rebecca through her New Creations Wedding Design & Coordination Facebook page and I definitely recommend following her Wedding Pinterest boards – they are amazing!
If you’re joining us late, don’t miss our past posts when we’ve discussed:
- Wedding Invitations on a Budget
- Wedding Flowers on a Budget
- Wedding Venues on a Budget, part 1
- Wedding Venues on a Budget, part 2
- Wedding Catering on a Budget
- Wedding Photography on a Budget
About Rebecca
Rebecca Grant is owner of New Creations Wedding Design & Coordination. She has been in the wedding business over eight years now, beginning her career in Honolulu, Hawaii, then moving back home to Seattle and launching her business Seattle Wedding Planning business in November 2009. She’s now one of Seattle’s premiere wedding planners. Because of her experience in Hawaii, her specialty is working with Asia-Pacific Brides; specifically, Chinese, Japanese, Filipino, Hawaiian and Samoan weddings, however, she also does work a good portion of the time with traditional Western couples. Rebecca would love to help you with your wedding!
Learn more about Rebecca and what she has to offer at New Creations Website! And seriously, check out her Pinterest boards – amazing ideas!
As you are planning your wedding, don’t forget to sign up for your registry! Most stores offer registries and many have online options, making gift giving easier for out of town guests.
These are a few of our favorites:
Amazon Wedding Registry. With an Amazon Wedding Registry you get:
– 10% off most products on Amazon for a savings up to $100
– The World’s largest selection of items – register for all the items you both want.
– Plus keep track of what you want from anywhere. Add items from other websites to your Wedding Registry with the universal button.
Target Wedding Registry. Some of the great perks of a Target Wedding Registry:
– One year after your event date to return or exchange items from your Registry
– Easy to share with friends and family
– 15% coupon for items remaining on your registry.
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