Get answers to all of your wedding cake + dessert questions in today’s show!
From everything to researching bakeries, booking cake tastings, hidden fees to be aware of, unique dessert alternatives, and budget-friendly cost saving tips, we're covering it all in today's sugar-coated show.
Links mentioned in our convo:
A special thank you to today's show sponsors:
Affiliate shopping links from Amazon & Etsy support the show at no additional cost to you - thank you for your clicks!
Check out ethical, stunning, and one-of-a-kind wedding rings and bands at brilliantearth.com
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 joined by a very special guest who wants to help you plan the honeymoon of your dreams!
You may know a 60-second rundown of Susan from Susan's Travel Services from our weekly meetings. I believe in the value of her expertise so much that I am honored to share her services with you on literally every single show.
Susan offers travel and honeymoon planning services to engaged couples like you, and today she’s going to share:
Travel and new experiences are incredibly special to me, and I hope you and your soon-to-be husband or wife enjoy the trip of a lifetime to celebrate your honeymoon!
To schedule a completely free honeymoon consultation with Susan, simply click here or visit www.susanstravelservices.com.
Don't forget to mention the Wedding Planning Podcast for $50 off your final booking.
Cheers to you & the trip of a lifetime!
A top-notch Wedding Planner or Day-Of-Coordinator is essential for any smooth and seamless wedding celebration.
Today on the Wedding Planning Podcast, we’re reviewing 10 KEY POINTS to discuss with your planner so that you’re both on the same page and ready to tackle any planning, logistic, or execution challenges that may arise.
A sampling of these key discussion points:
For a complete recap of today's show, visit www.weddingplanningpodcast.co
Thank you to this week's show partners:
Brilliant Earth’s mission is to cultivate a more transparent, sustainable, compassionate, & inclusive jewelry industry. Check out all of their beautiful engagement + wedding bands at brilliantearth.com
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!
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:
This brand new BONUS show features the top wedding weekend planning mistakes I see couples make as they formulate the details of a multi-day, multi-event wedding celebration.
In this episode, we highlight 6 common planning mistakes, including:
Today's highlighted planning mistakes come from couples who I've worked with inside Wedding Weekend By Design, my 6-STEP PLANNING FRAMEWORK that's incredibly easy to follow, and works with any budget, any timeline, and any hosting format.
Inside WWBD, I'll show you exactly how to:
Design your master schedule,
Budget for various events & pre-parties,
Find the best venue to fit your vision,
Uncover creative options & workarounds for food & drinks,
Get and stay organized, and make an airtight communication plan,
And you'll even have access to sample wedding weekend schedules & menus so that you can get inspired by what other couples have done!
I can’t wait to see you inside Wedding Weekend By Design!
Cheers,
Kara
Over the course of 11 YEARS in the wedding industry, I've seen literally thousands of weddings unfold ... and all of them together have given me the priceless gift of HINDSIGHT.
In wedding planning, hindsight is literally a super power - so I've packaged mine up to share with you in today's brand new show featuring your Wedding Weekend planning questions!
We're going to unpack, decode, and get to the bottom of your questions, including:
Today's highlighted questions come from couples who have followed Wedding Weekend By Design, my 6-STEP PLANNING FRAMEWORK that's incredibly easy to follow, and works with any budget, any timeline, and any hosting format.
Inside WWBD, I'll show you exactly how to:
Design your master schedule,
Budget for various events & pre-parties,
Find the best venue to fit your vision,
Uncover creative options & workarounds for food & drinks,
Get and stay organized, and make an airtight communication plan,
And you'll even have access to sample wedding weekend schedules & menus so that you can get inspired by what other couples have done!
I can’t wait to see you inside Wedding Weekend By Design!
Cheers,
Kara
I’m willing to bet that you’ve heard from all your newlywed friends & family that their wedding day "came and went in the blink of an eye."
The beautiful news is that your wedding celebration doesn’t have to RUSH BY IN A TOTAL BLUR!
Today on the Wedding Planning Podcast, I’m bringing on a very special guest to share the details of exactly how she designed a wedding celebration that left her saying this:
"I always get to look back and say that it was the most incredible 4 days of my life."
To go along with our conversation today, I‘m incredibly excited to introduce Wedding Weekend by Design, a digital planning package that walks you through a simple, 6-step framework to designing your perfect wedding weekend celebration ...
... so that when we flash forward a few months, you’re echoing what Kate just said - and not left feeling like you missed out, and it was all over in the blink of an eye.
To sign up for the Wedding Weekend By Design digital planning package, visit weddingweekend.co
The intuitive planning framework inside WWBD is designed to proactively steer you clear of the mistakes I see couples make over & over again, so that you can design your entire wedding weekend with CONFIDENCE + EASE.
You’ll enjoy a 6-STEP PLANNING FRAMEWORK that's incredibly easy to follow, and works with any budget, any timeline, and any hosting format.
I'll show you exactly how to:
I can’t wait to see you inside Wedding Weekend By Design!
xo, Kara
This week on the Wedding Planning Podcast, cozy up and enjoy a sampling of unique wedding scenarios, questions, and curiosities, including:
WEDDING QUESTIONS?
Planning a wedding celebration from start to finish comes with countless questions about logistics, feasibility, budgeting, etiquette concerns, just to name a few (I could go on, and on, and on ....)
Wouldn't it be nice to talk through your ideas & concerns with a down-to-earth, totally neutral 3rd party who has literally "seen it all" when it comes to weddings?
Now you can take advantage of personalized, 1-on-1 calls! Wedding Strategy Calls are available to book now when you visit wedpodcast.com.
Take advantage of flexible options including monthly subscription pricing, or simply book one call to clarify a few specific questions.
Talk soon!
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 on the Wedding Planning Podcast, we’re doing a thorough review of wedding dress alterations, styling & accessories, & post-wedding preservation ideas, and so much more.
Our conversation covers the dress alterations process in detail, including pricing, money-saving tips, a timeline for when to get started, and alternative options for having your dress altered.
We also cover:
I hope you love it, and congratulations on that beautiful dress!
Cheers,
Kara
PS - I’ve been sharing my signature wedding planning advice on the podcast for 8 years now, and for the first time EVER, I’ve opened up my door to 1-on-1 Wedding Strategy Calls!
Whether you’re looking for just one session to get your wedding plans started, or a series of ongoing support calls throughout your engagement, I’m here for you. Get the details & book your first call today when you visit wedpodcast.com .
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!
Are you drowning in wedding "etiquette" & "rules"?
Everyone has an opinion on invitation wording, cash bars, inviting kids, and what traditions absolutely SHOULD be included in the wedding day.
Today, let’s take a step back, and reframe things ... starting with your WEDDING MINDSET.
Where wedding planning can get overwhelming is when our expectations of what a wedding “should” look like conflict with our budget, our styles, and our personalities.
And of course, an added layer of difficulty arises when you and your partner come from different backgrounds, and one of you thinks paying $10,000 for a photographer is completely reasonable, and the other wants to spend $10,000 total on the entire wedding.
But no matter where you’re from, I’m a firm believer in your wedding day being an expression and celebration of you & your partner. At the end of the day, you’re making a really special commitment to one another, and looking to celebrate the occasion with your loved ones. That’s it!
With that said, let’s look at these “wedding etiquette rules” with a fresh set of eyes. We're going to make a pledge to let go of what “everyone else is doing,” and open up the possibilities way beyond that.
Please know that you always have the support from me to ditch what everyone else is doing, and craft your day, your way!
PS - I’ve been sharing my signature wedding planning advice on the podcast for 8 years now, and for the first time EVER, I’ve opened up my door to 1-on-1 Wedding Strategy Calls!
Whether you’re looking for just one session to get your wedding plans started, or a series of ongoing support calls throughout your engagement, I’m here for you. Get the details & book your first call today when you visit wedpodcast.com .
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!
There’s A LOT of conflicting information + confusion out there about tipping your wedding vendors, and today we're going to get to the bottom of it!
Tune in for a walk through exactly how to decide who should get a tip, how much, and even some extra special additional ways of saying thank you.
Today’s show is Wedding Planning Podcast classic, and we’re going to take a close look at some very common misunderstandings that are flying around out there surrounding tipping your wedding vendors.
Think you have to automatically package up envelopes with 20% tips for every single wedding vendor you hire? Think again.
Today I’m gonna save you hours on google, and likely hundreds - if not thousands - of dollars over that crazed couple who just takes the advice out there on tipping at face value and doesn’t bother taking the time to explore the nuances and undercurrents that are actually at play.
So come along with me, and let’s uncover the TRUTH about tipping your wedding vendors!
A special thank you to today's show sponsors:
FREE Wedding Websites designed by independent artists? Yes please! Get started building your wedding website today with & take advantage of exclusive listener perks on save the dates, invitations & more.
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!
Your wedding gift registry is the perfect opportunity to upgrade your home & your lifestyle with practical gifts that you need and will use in the years to come.
Tune in for an essential guide to creating a killer wedding gift registry including:
Deciding what items to include and ...
Items NOT to include on your registry,
Various lifestyle "categories" to consider as you build your registry,
Tips for creating cash gift funds,
Your top wedding registry "wish list" items,
And so much more!
For a complete written recap of today's show, visit weddingplanningpodcast.co/registry
A special THANK YOU to today'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 booking!
Shop Etsy for one-of-a-kind wedding day details, personalized just for you >>> www.weddingplanningpodcast.co/etsy
If you have the beginnings of a really creative wedding vision that you’d like to talk through to discuss overall feasibility, options, or pricing comparison, I have 1-on-1 wedding strategy calls available! You can book your call today when you visit wedpodcast.com.
Lots of engaged couples are working with a small wedding budget and feeling completely overwhelmed, so they turn to free wedding checklists and timelines to stay organized … thinking all these freebie resources are the key to pulling off an incredible wedding for not a lot of money.
But, what most couples never realize is that mindlessly following all those free guides and checklists will lead to you ultimately spending money on a bunch of crap that’s not even that important to you. Let me back up.
Wedding programs are on your checklist. I mean, doesn’t every wedding have to have a ceremony program? And your mom chimes in about menus, and place cards, and invitations with 3 enclosures, and RSVP cards and save the dates … And you see 3 different deals on Instagram, Facebook, and in an email from that wedding website for free samples, 50% off your order, and beautiful all-in-one custom invitation suites that match every wedding theme perfectly!
Aaaaaaaannnnnd all of the sudden you realize that you’ve spent $1000 on paper products that you could really care less about - all because they were on the checklist, they were on sale, and let’s be real, you didn’t want to disappoint your mom.
Is following that free wedding checklist really a good idea?
Wouldn’t it have been much easier to press pause and acknowledge at the start that you don’t care about ceremony programs, and therefore you’re just going to skip them altogether? Same with the other $900 worth of paper products?
And that example was something pretty small, like wedding programs - what happens when you book a $6,000 videographer because that’s what everyone does right, you have to have a videographer - {you’re totally gonna regret it if you don’t have the most important day of your life on film - there’s a little voice in the back of your head that knows you could come up with a workaround, that you don’t really need or care if you have a cinematic movie theatre quality film of your wedding …. But you’re gonna go with the flow, because you only get married once in theory and this is just what everyone does.}
And that credit card statement just keeps on growing, full of stuff that doesn’t really matter to you, but the checklist said so, so you did it. Flowers. A fancy cake. Favors. Expensive place settings and charger plates, and chair slip covers and table linens.
Is this really where you want to be? Feeling pressured & judged by a free wedding checklist?
If you’re like me, and you want to keep things simple and affordable while at the same time pulling off an unforgettable wedding that’s FULL OF MEANING, then you know that driving yourself crazy trying to fulfill every single thing on that freebie wedding checklist isn’t the answer.
Ready for the new way? Tune in to today's full episode to learn exactly how to create your own PERSONALIZED wedding checklist that highlights ONLY your most important priorities ... and gain the freedom that comes when you say NO to everything else.
Our conversation today is just the beginning of creating a well-defined wedding vision that will be your north star compass throughout the rest of your engagement.
Formulating your wedding vision is a priceless investment of your time, and it sounds simple enough - but it’s not always easy to separate ourselves from feelings of judgment, doubt, and unrealistic expectations.
If you’d like some one-time help, OR ongoing guidance for bringing your wedding vision to life, visit wedpodcast.com for details on how we can work together in a personalized, 1-on-1 setting.
SUSAN'S TRAVEL SERVICES | Would you LOVE to 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!