Today we’re going to chat about a handful of ways when trying to "save" money on your wedding can totally BACKFIRE.
Aside of college educations, new homes and new cars, your wedding likely has one of the biggest price tags you’ve ever paid. You’re spending tens of thousands of dollars - of course you’re trying to save money when possible!
You’re not out there researching the most expensive venue in your area, or trying to find ways to spend more money on your invitations.
When a potential photographer or caterer gives you a quote for services, you probably don’t say “well that sounds OK, but do you have anything that costs more?”
If you've been listening to the Wedding Planning Podcast for a while, I hope you know me well enough now to know that I’m NOT the wedding professional who’s going to tell you NEVER to try to cut this corner, or don’t DARE hire a friend to do x, y, z.
I see this type of messaging a lot. If you do your own wedding day hair and makeup it will totally fail, and you should hire a professional to do it for you. If you skimp on a photographer, you will regret it for the rest of your life.
If you have your cousin make your cake, it will probably be a complete disaster, you should really hire a professional for that. If you take your dress to a neighborhood tailor instead of the big box bridal store where you bought it, it’s going to end up in shreds and you’ll have no dress to wear.
The trouble is, professional service providers in pretty much any industry have an agenda - to sell their product or service.
And whether you hear from a wedding professional on a podcast, read their articles on a blog, or see their posts on Instagram, their position is probably that hiring a professional is THE BEST way to go. "After all", they say, "this is your wedding - you can’t afford to cut corners on the best day of your life."
Well, for lots of this, I call BS. Sure, if you have a wedding budget in the 6-figures, then “hire a professional” is a great option for everything I just listed.
But most of us DON’T have $100,000 to spend on our wedding, so making swaps and saves here and there is a necessary part of planning so that we don’t go thousands of dollars into debt - NEVER a good idea.
Here’s a doozy for you - we hired our wedding photographer off craigslist for $500. True story.
And I’m NOT here to tell you that it was a horrible idea that backfired and you should never trust any wedding photographer who hasn’t shot 500 weddings and costs less than $5000. That’s not me, not my style.
BUT, I’m also not here to tell you that YOU should definitely hire a photographer off craigslist, and it will work out perfectly and there’s no risk involved and you can live happy ever after and sleep soundly knowing that you saved a couple thousand dollars!
To be clear - there’s no right or wrong, one-size-fits all solution to the myriad of wedding decisions you have to make over the next few months.
I’ll always encourage you to use your intuition, and use our weekly time together to review all the options you have available, and select what feels best for you and your unique situation.
I feel so strongly about what we’re talking about today, and I really want to set things up right.
The truth is, sometimes no matter how much research you do, or how many great reviews someone has, or how confident you feel that you’re making the right decision, things can just go wrong. You’ll probably have a wedding backfire, or two, or three over the course of getting everything lined up.
This is part of life, and definitely a part of wedding planning. I wish I could wave a magical wand that would shield you against anything bad happening, but of course - that’s not realistic.
Sooooo, the next best thing to that …
In today's show, let’s explore some common areas of wedding planning where couples to try to cut a corner, save some money, leave something out, and then sadly have it backfire in terms of lost money, lost time, lost sanity - and sometimes all three.
If you find yourselves at a cost-saving opportunity crossroads and you don’t know which way to turn, I have some smart questions to ask yourselves, and potential vendors, that I hope will guide you towards making the best decisions for you and your wedding day.
So when you find yourself wondering, hmmmmm ... should we cut that corner? What are the potential outcomes or pitfalls that might come of it? Hopefully after today’s show, you’ll have some solid answers to some of the most common situations, so that you can make the best decision for you.
For one wedding, that might mean hiring a photographer off craigslist for $500. For another couple, that will NEVER be an option that’s on the table. And you know what? Both sides are totally fine ;)
Full blog post available at www.weddingplanningpodcast.co/wedding-pitfall
BONUS >>> Come behind the scenes with me in a bonus episode, "Taking a Chance on a Rookie Wedding Vendor", when you sign up for a FREE 3-DAY TRIAL of my revolutionary digital wedding planning package, The VAULT.
A special thank you to today's show sponsors:
Take advantage of expert travel 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.
This week on the Wedding Planning Podcast, we're going to sort out some misconceptions and FAQ's about wedding planners and day of coordinators.
BONUS >>> Join me inside my digital wedding planning package, The VAULT for a special bonus meeting on training a friend or family member to act as your Day Of Coordinator. Sign up for your FREE 3-DAY TRIAL here!
Our goal today is to get really clear on the difference between a wedding planner and a day-of coordinator, and to determine whether or not you really need to hire a professional to help you with your wedding plans.
When I got married, I wasted a lot of time researching and interviewing planners before I realized that A.) I didn’t HAVE to hire anyone, and B.) John and I had all the tools we needed to plan OUR perfect wedding day.
And side note, shocker - obviously, none of the wedding planners I interviewed ever mentioned to me, hey by the way, did you know that you could actually just do this on your own?
Thankfully I came around to that, but it took lots of wasted effort and stress to get there.
Flash forward to today - I literally created the Wedding Planning Podcast so that any engaged couple could tune in and use the episodes and the tools we review in the weekly shows to plan their own wedding - no professional or pricey wedding planner required.
Spoiler alert before we even dive in - I definitely DO NOT think you have to spend thousands of dollars to hire a professional wedding planner!
Some alternatives? Try checking out the sites we mentioned in today's show, including your local Craigslist postings, Thumbtack.com, taskrabbit.com and fiverr.com
I also know that there are countless wonderful wedding planning professionals out there, and for some couples it’s a really smart investment … and we’ll get into all of that that much more in today’s show.
Blog post for today's show, AND free "Day Of" Checklist here!
A special thank you for supporting our valued show sponsors:
Take advantage of expert 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.
There are some incredibly simple steps to creating a crystal clear vision of exactly how you want your wedding celebration to unfold.
This week's featured meeting is a detailed overview of ways to cut through the noise, and stay focused on your priorities.
Here's an overview of the specific scenario we'll be discussing:
"How can we reign in our wedding planner? Our venue includes a coordinator for the rehearsal and wedding day, and initially I was pleasantly surprised by how accommodating and informative she is. Since the initial relief and excitement of finding and booking the perfect venue, we’re starting to realize the huge task ahead of us in terms of booking EVERYTHING (the venue comes with nothing set up, so we need to choose tables, chairs, place settings, dance floor, bar, basically everything.)
At this point, I feel completely overwhelmed by her ideas & suggestions, and I’m starting to worry that the wedding she has envisioned for us does not line up with our vision OR our budget. How do I reign in our wedding planner and rest easy knowing that we are on the same page?"
In my years of experience, it’s not just the wedding planners who need to reigned in ... often times it's also the moms, bridesmaids, aunts, cousins ... feeling familiar?
We’re going to cover all these scenarios in today’s episode.
You'll also enjoy a sneak peek inside my digital wedding planning package with release of exclusive audio, "Creating Your Wedding Vision". This exercise alone is one of the most valuable wedding planning tools I have to helping you create a celebration that truly honors your priorities & values.
Tune in for so much more!
A special THANK YOU to today's show sponsors:
Today's show is just the beginning of dozens of strategic recorded meetings that walk you through exactly how to plan your dream wedding! Learn more and sign up for a totally FREE 3-DAY TRIAL by visiting www.wedpodcast.com
Enjoy a FREE SUIT OR TUXEDO RENTAL for the wedding couple with 5 paid wedding party members at www.generationtux.com
Take advantage of expert 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.