Q&A: The 5 Most Frequently Asked Questions I Get About Wedding Planning
As a former event planner, I’ve planned my fair share of weddings. So, in the spirit of ~love~, I’m answering some of the questions that I get asked most frequently in hopes that they will help your big day run as smoothly as possible.
What are the must-haves for a wedding?
Figure out what your biggest priorities are, and then spend most of your money there. For example, if your partner really cares about the food and you really care about the decor, then those are your biggest spend items. My personal picks would be food and music.
You need a second shooter for photography as well as a videographer. Don’t skimp here.
BOUNDARIES with family. Set them hard, and set them early.
What are the biggest budget wasters when planning a wedding?
Favors: Nobody wants your damn love succulent after six martinis that they had to swindle the staff into firing up the espresso machine for, trust me. Unless it’s a to-go midnight snack, skip this!
If you can’t afford a good wedding band, just get a DJ. Good bands cost A LOT of money, and unless you want to be swaying back and forth with Mee-Maw on the dance floor to bad Sublime covers, just leave it to the professionals. And by professionals, I mean a guy named Steve who presses buttons on his laptop, but hey, it’s better than the alternative.
Cake and champagne for everyone. It barely gets eaten. If you order 30% less cake than guests, you will be fine. Also, you do not need to pay to pass out champagne to each guest…most people won’t drink it, don’t want it, and your Uncle Randy isn’t going to put down his Bud Light to cheers you with the Moet. So, skip the champagne service altogether, and instead have it as an option at the bar or table.
Should I get a wedding planner?
As a former wedding planner…YES. You should. If you can’t afford a planner for the entire time, get a month-of planner who can manage the final details and help execute the big day. There is no such thing as a day-of wedding planner if you are legit because so many details have to be known ahead of the day. I wouldn’t trust anyone who wants to come in on the day-of unless they are just helping hands or more of an assistant.
Any tips for photography day-of?
FIRST LOOK. Just do it. It’s seriously the only semi-alone time you’ll have all day, and it’s so nice not to have your family waiting and roaming around post-ceremony while you try to get your couples photos in. Plus, you will have most likely cried during the ceremony, and your damn lash will be coming off in the corner. Walking down the aisle will still be a special moment, I promise!
Who pays?
Nowadays it’s a mixed bag. Either both families chip in, just the bride’s side pays, or more recently…the couples pay for it themselves. The one thing I will say is if one side has desires that are out of budget for the couple (I’m looking at the mother-in-law who insists on a raw bar at cocktail hour, so she can deep-throat a bunch of shrimp before dinner), then they should help pay for those special requests.
What other questions do you have? We also did a Press Send episode about this topic with my friend and fellow ex-wedding planner, Elodie! You can find it HERE.
