Today on the Wedding Planning Podcast, we're exploring your top wedding questions, including:
Please consider our valued show partners when selecting services for your special day!
My husband John is already loving the look & feel of his skin after just a couple of weeks of using "The Regimen" from men's skincare line, Caldera Lab. Use code "WEDDING" for 20% off!
Visit Generation Tux, where you can build your suit & tuxedo looks from home, get free color swatches, a free Home Try-On, AND manage your entire wedding party online.
Get professional help planning your dream honeymoon when you email susan@susanstravelservices.com . Don't forget to mention the Wedding Planning Podcast for $50 off your honeymoon OR $200 off your destination wedding!
Today we break down everything you need to know about speeches & toasts at your wedding reception.
We'll cover:
A special thank you to today's show sponsors:
Get in touch with Shutter & Sound Films at shutterandsound.com, and let your wedding day be a cinematic masterpiece you'll revisit time and again. It's not just videography - it's cinematic artistry
Today you’re going to meet the lucky couple who was chosen to star in “Say Yes to the Venue", a multi-part video series that highlights their process of choosing the perfect wedding venue in Southwest Louisiana.
The premiere season features Lake Charles couple, Eloise and Grant, who visit 5 breathtaking venues, and they’re here this week to share their wedding venue shopping insights with you!
Your wedding venue is a huge decision that’s going to set the scene for pretty much every other wedding element and decision that you’ll make over the course of your engagement.
Eloise & Grant are a lovely couple, and they have some pretty incredible insights to share with you - not only about their venue shopping process, but also their top advice on cutting the overwhelm factor as you plan, managing relationships with your family & friends, creative ways for finding the best vendors, and lots more wedding planning gems.
So, which venue did they choose???
CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE FULL SERIES
PS - Thank you for supporting our valued show partners:
On the fence about hiring a WEDDING VIDEOGRAPHER? You’re certainly not alone.
In my experience, videography is probably the number one item that engaged couples are undecided about. It’s no doubt a big investment, and a huge topic to unpack - so today I have an expert special guest to help us do just that.
Today we're joined by Ken Foster, who is a lead shooter for Shutter and Sound.
Shutter and Sound is a very small group of filmmakers dedicated to turning your big day into a work of art. They help you relive the tremble in your partner's voice, the joyous applause, or that unexpected dance move during the reception. It's all there, woven into a high-end film that's uniquely yours.
Tune in to the full show for an Ultimate Guide to Wedding Videography, and learn why 98% of married couples recommend having a video of your wedding day:
And for those wondering about locations: Shutter & Sound has 14 major U.S. cities covered, including spots like Boston, New York, L.A. and D.C. Plus, they're all about adventure, and are more than willing to travel for your big day.
Simply visit shutterandsound.com, explore their beautiful website including detailed pricing information and sample videos, and be in touch via email with the “Contact Us” link.
Cheers to you & a beautiful wedding celebration!
Today on the Wedding Planning Podcast, you'll find an overview of universal questions and research tips that are designed to help you hire your dream team of WEDDING VENDORS.
You’ll come away from today’s show ready to find the best product / service, at the best price, and from the vendor who you most naturally vibe with.
Whether it’s an officiant, a wedding planner, or a photographer, I created these checkpoints to save you precious time & energy, and to empower you to uncover the HIGHEST QUALITY service for the BEST VALUE.
You'll learn priceless wedding industry insights so that you have a deep understanding of the wedding vendor landscape and the things that go into package pricing, seasonal discounts, advertising expenses, and so much more.
A special THANK YOU to today's show sponsors for making this wedding planning strategy meeting possible!
PS - A special THANK YOU to this week's show sponsors, who made this free weekly episode possible:
Today a 2023 bride shares how she leaned into her genuine desire for good vibes, connection, and kindness when hiring her day of coordinator and photographer.
It’s a gem of a conversation that uncovers some surprising and unexpected ways to approach finding your dream team of wedding vendors!
This week and next, we’re going to focus on the enormous job of hiring your dream team of wedding vendors. Now of course this is an exciting milestone in the wedding planning process, but it can also be incredibly overwhelming and intimidating.
What roles are really necessary for us to hire? Where should we start in doing research and gathering referrals? What questions should we even be asking?
I’ve got an entire strategy call lined up for you on next week’s episode, full of the exact questions to ask, research tips to guide your search, and a whole list of checkpoints to ensure you’re getting the highest quality service for the absolute best value.
Today as a warm up, I’m sharing a conversation with a bride named Dee, who you met 2 weeks ago on the show all about surprising ways to save money on your wedding decor. Yes, she’s the gal who rented a uhaul to repurpose her existing, eclectic, and beloved decor from her own home, and share it with all of her wedding guests. If you missed it, be sure to hop back to the show dated 8.23.23 and have a listen!
Today Dee is back to share how she leaned into her genuine desire for good vibes, connection, and kindness when hiring her day of coordinator and photographer. She’s got a heart of gold, and the takeaways from this short & sweet conversation are absolutely priceless - enjoy!
Get professional help planning your dream honeymoon when you email susan@susanstravelservices.com . Don't forget to mention the Wedding Planning Podcast for $50 off your honeymoon OR $200 off your destination wedding!
This week is Part Two of a special 2-part series, where we’re highlighting some clever ways to not only save money, but also to increase the QUALITY + VALUE on everything from decor, rental items, invitations, food & drinks, and even your venue.
So many couples equate a higher price tag with a higher-quality end product or service, and that’s simply not always true.
Worse, that mentality can add up to spending tens of thousands of dollars more than necessary to host a memorable and meaningful wedding celebration.
The million dollar question is how can we develop an instinct for when it makes sense to invest more money for a higher quality experience, and when taking a less expensive route will be just fine - and we'll explore the answer in these two episodes!
Lucky for all of us, there are opportunities to simultaneously maximize quality AND value literally everywhere, and I’ve chosen these wedding planning elements to share with you as examples of how to think differently about the amount of money that’s really necessary to spend to acheive your end goal, which of course is a beautiful, unforgettable wedding celebration.
Cheers,
Kara
Get professional help planning your dream honeymoon when you email susan@susanstravelservices.com . Don't forget to mention the Wedding Planning Podcast for $50 off your honeymoon OR $200 off your destination wedding!
This week starts a special 2-part series, where we’re going to highlight some clever ways to save money on everything from decor, rental items, invitations, food & drinks, and even your venue.
So many couples equate a higher price tag with a higher-quality end product or service, and that’s simply not always true. Worse, that mentality can add up to spending tens of thousands of dollars more than necessary to host a memorable and meaningful wedding celebration.
The $10,000 dollar question is how can we develop an instinct for when it makes sense to invest more money for a higher quality experience, and when taking a less expensive route will be just fine - and that’s what we’re going to highlight in these two episodes.
Two of my ultimate priorities as a wedding professional are increasing QUALITY AND VALUE.
Lucky for all of us, there are opportunities to simultaneously maximize quality AND value literally everywhere, and I’ve chosen these wedding planning elements to share with you as examples of how to think differently about the amount of money that’s really necessary to spend to acheive your end goal, which of course is a beautiful, unforgettable wedding celebration.
For today, we’re focusing on one specific area where you can cut expenses and still maintain a beautiful end result, and it all starts with REUSING + REPURPOSING what you already have / own.
Tune in for so much more, and I'll be back next week with Part Two!
Cheers,
Kara
Get professional help planning your dream honeymoon when you email susan@susanstravelservices.com . Don't forget to mention the Wedding Planning Podcast for $50 off your honeymoon OR $200 off your destination wedding!
Today we’re going to run through a 10-item wedding to-do list for when you reach the final 4-6 week countdown before your wedding day.
While some of the items in today’s show are pretty standard, others are much less obvious - and sadly are not commonly discussed.
Overlooking just one of these important action-items can tip the scales towards a stressful, frantic celebration - and I don't want that for you!
For a complete recap of today's show, visit www.weddingplanningpodcast.co/countdown
A special thank you to this week's show sponsors:
Visit Generation Tux, where you can build your suit & tuxedo looks from home, get free color swatches, a free Home Try-On, AND manage your entire wedding party online.
Get professional help planning your dream honeymoon when you email susan@susanstravelservices.com . Don't forget to mention the Wedding Planning Podcast for $50 off your honeymoon OR $200 off your destination wedding!
FREE Wedding Websites designed by independent artists? Yes please! Get started building your wedding website today with www.weddingplanningpodcast.co/minted & take advantage of exclusive listener perks on save the dates, invitations & more.
There’s a really common misunderstanding in "wedding planning world" that doing things yourself is always a good way to save money.
I get it - in some situations, you might have more time than money, and a cheap & easy DIY project makes perfect sense.
I bet if you think back, you can remember a time when "doing it yourself" was NOT the answer. We have to be careful in drawing the line between a few manageable, simple wedding projects that make perfect sense, and biting off more than you can chew.
Otherwise, you risk finding yourself in a spot of pure overwhelm and chaos months into wedding planning, and I don't wish that upon anyone!
On today’s show, we’re going to explore 8 important considerations and red flags to carefully consider when hosting your wedding at a residential property like a backyard or a rental home.
Our conversation today is a perfect lesson in creating boundaries as you plan between what you can realistically handle yourself, what should be left to a paid professional, and how to rearrange your priorities if you're stuck feeling like the cheapest possible DIY route is your only option. (spoiler alert - it's not!!!)
A special thank you to today's show sponsors:
Today's BONUS WEDDING Q&A show is designed to show you exactly how to have all the wedding things that are most important to you, regardless of how much money you actually have in the bank.
Sounds pretty amazing, right???
Let's face it, you’re overwhelmed & struggling with your wedding budget if any one, two, or maybe even three of these sound familiar:
... then you my friend are a walking case of budget stress and overwhelm, and we can’t have you going through life these next few months shouldering all of that!
This level of anxiety not only creates toxic stress in your daily life that’s bad for your physical health, but it’s also going to suck the fun out of your engagement - and it doesn’t have to be that way.
Yes, weddings cost money, but by ignoring your financial situation you’re setting yourselves up to be that couple a year from now who went waaaayyyy over budget, who had to use wedding gift money to pay off credit cards, and who - although they might not admit it to anyone out loud - looks back and realizes that in hindsight, there’s a whole laundry list of things that were completely unnecessary. (I have a story about this to share, coming up in one of our questions for today.)
Living in a place of overwhelm and judging yourself & your wedding decisions against staged photos and strangers on the internet isn’t serving anyone.
There are some very powerful shifts that I can offer to lift you up to a place where you confront your wedding budget head on - that’s the convo we had last week on Wednesday, in our Wedding Budget Workshop. You have the hard conversations, you’ve seen in black and white how much money you’re working with, you commit to your priorities, and then it’s DONE.
And that’s the point where you can move on to a more joyful place where choosing a photographer and a venue and a dress is FUN because you’re not constantly worried about how much it’s gonna cost. You KNOW you have enough money to cover your top priorities, it doesn’t matter if it’s going to look like the wedding you saw on tik tok this morning.
This is where you can confidently invest in your priorities, tune out and say NO to the stuff that’s not important to you, and you’re not even gonna recognize that girl who was alone and crying with her dog because everything is just too expensive and too overwhelming.
It’s time for a NEW WAY to create your dream wedding celebration, where YOU, your values, and your priorities are at the center of every single decision you make from now until your wedding day, & beyond.
So let’s say goodbye to unrealistic, staged images on Pinterest of weddings in the forest that cost $32,000 - in decorations alone.
It’s time to tune out overhyped social media accounts that are pushing the $72 billion dollar wedding industry’s agenda.
Here on the Wedding Planning Podcast, we say NO to the wedding industry’s priorities, and we say yes to a more fulfilled engagement season that starts with YOU.
SUBMIT YOUR QUESTIONS!
What's on your mind? Get your specific questions answered when you sign up for a FREE 3-DAY TRIAL of my revolutionary digital wedding planning package, The VAULT. Details at www.wedpodcast.com
FREE ENGAGEMENT STARTER KIT BONUS SERIES
Redeem at allnew.wedding
There's an ALL NEW WAY to plan your dream wedding ...
... and you won't find it on any free wedding checklist or generic planning timeline.
In the FREE Engagement Starter Kit BONUS SERIES, we unlock exactly how to align your WEDDING PRIORITIES with your PLANNING STRATEGY, so that you can confidently design an unforgettable wedding celebration - minus the crushing stress & overwhelm felt by so many engaged couples.
SIGN UP TODAY for this incredibly valuable (totally free!) 4-day wedding planning workshop by visiting allnew.wedding
This week's episode of the Wedding Planning Podcast is a collection of wedding questions & situations submitted by members of my digital wedding planning package, The VAULT.
Membership includes the priceless benefit of submitting your wedding questions for feature on these monthly "Ask Me Anything" shows, and this week we're discussing in detail:
Monthly membership to The VAULT also includes a weekly bonus “off the record” chat where we can connect behind-the-scenes, and go deeper into select wedding topics covered in the free weekly shows.
Enjoy TWO featured OFF THE RECORD bonus shows when you sign up for a free 3-day trial of The VAULT.
There are zero contracts, no pre-payments or obligation, and you're free to cancel anytime ... although I certainly hope you'll recognize the value in this revolutionary, ALL NEW WAY to plan your dream wedding, and that we can continue the journey together!
Cheers to you & your dream wedding celebration,
Kara
PS - Thank you for supporting today's show sponsors:
Take advantage of FREE honeymoon planning services for your all-inclusive, cruise, or exotic honeymoon AND get $50 off when you book! Simply email susan@susanstravelservices.com to get started.
Check these guys out at Generation Tux and use promo code within today's episode for 10% off the entire groom’s party AND a free groom's tux w/ 5 paid party members.
This week's episode of the Wedding Planning Podcast is a collection of wedding questions & situations submitted by members of my digital wedding planning package, The VAULT.
Membership includes the priceless benefit of submitting your wedding questions for feature on these monthly Q&A shows, and this week we're discussing in detail:
Monthly membership to The VAULT also includes a weekly bonus “off the record” chat where we can connect behind-the-scenes, and go deeper into select wedding topics covered in the free weekly shows.
Enjoy TWO featured OFF THE RECORD bonus shows when you sign up for a free 3-day trial of The VAULT.
There are zero contracts, no pre-payments or obligation, and you're free to cancel anytime ... although I certainly hope you'll recognize the value in this revolutionary, ALL NEW WAY to plan your dream wedding, and that we can continue the journey together!
Cheers to you & your dream wedding celebration,
Kara
This week's episode of the Wedding Planning Podcast is a collection of wedding questions & situations submitted by members of my digital wedding planning package, The VAULT.
Membership includes the priceless benefit of submitting your wedding questions for feature on these monthly Q&A shows, and this week we're discussing in detail:
Monthly membership to The VAULT also includes a weekly bonus “off the record” chat where we can connect behind-the-scenes, and go deeper into select wedding topics covered in the free weekly shows.
The latest TWO featured OFF THE RECORD bonus shows are available to you for a sneak peek when you sign up for a free 3-day trial of The VAULT.
There are zero contracts, no pre-payments or obligation, and you're free to cancel anytime ... although I certainly hope you'll recognize the value in this revolutionary, ALL NEW WAY to plan your dream wedding, and that we can continue the journey together!
Cheers to you & your dream wedding celebration,
Kara
PS - Thank you for supporting this week's show sponsors:
Is your happiness suffering in these insanely stressful times? Connect with your Better Help professional counselor today and save 10% off your first month.
Take advantage of FREE honeymoon planning services for your all-inclusive, cruise, or exotic honeymoon AND get $50 off when you book! Simply email susan@susanstravelservices.com to get started.