wedding planner Archives - Page 8 of 10

Your Wedding Planning BFF: The Southern Weddings Planner

by Emily in Expert Advice, News on December 3, 2015

It’s been just over a year since the Southern Weddings Planner debuted in the Southern Weddings Shop! We were all marveling over this yesterday, as in some ways, we can’t imagine life without having the Planner to direct brides to! It is without a doubt our number one resource, one of our proudest accomplishments, and the product that we most want to get into the hands of everyone we love who’s getting married. So far, we’ve succeeded in equipping over 2,500 couples with these beauties, and we hope you’ll be next! For all of our new friends that are joining us (and perhaps newly engaged!), we thought it was high time for a little reintroduction.

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Our office has a burning passion for getting really, truly GOOD information into the hands of our readers – the exact pieces of advice and the same resources we’d give to our sisters and best friends – and our Planner is the best way we know how to do that. This short (one minute) video from our friends at Good Earth Films helps share the heart of this product:

Introducing the Southern Weddings Planner from Good Earth Films on Vimeo.

From the “First Steps After Getting Engaged” to the “Anniversary Gift Guide,” our planner encourages brides to plan marriages more beautiful than their weddings, but also gives them the tools to feel confident and equipped throughout their engagements. True to the mission of Southern Weddings, it includes a special “Marriage Planning” section that will help couples begin married life in a joyful and intentional way!

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In addition to being ridiculously useful, we created our Planner to be a gorgeous keepsake for long after your wedding day, with a gold foil cover, watercolor tabs, and illustrations throughout.

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You’ll find it to be very interactive, with worksheets and bonus downloads to keep you organized, inspired, and on-track throughout your entire engagement.

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I know I speak for all of the Southern Weddings ladies when I say that this Planner – out of everything we’ve created over the last seven years – might be the product we are most proud of. It is useful, it is inspiring, and it is just so darn pretty. It’s worthy of accompanying you throughout your engagement, and we are honored to walk alongside you, too.

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The Southern Weddings Planner is available for purchase in the Southern Weddings Shop now! If you’d like to give the Planner as a gift to your favorite bride (lots of people do!), we also offer a gift wrap option and the signature SW gift set, which includes the Planner.

P.S. On the fence? Check out testimonials from other SW Planner brides!

Written with love by Emily

Bubbling Brides December 3, 2015 reply

This wedding planner is beautiful. The floral paintings are so pretty. What a great way to stay on track for the big day! I’m sure your bridesmaids will be happy that you have everything planned.

XoXo,
The Bubbling Brides Team
http://www.bubblingbrides.com

Southern Weddings reserves the right to delete comments which contain profanity or personal attacks or seek to promote a business unrelated to the post. And remember: a good attitude is like kudzu – it spreads. We love hearing your kind thoughts!

Ask SW: How Do I Find Vendors?

by Emily in Expert Advice on April 23, 2015

For many of us, planning a wedding is the first time we’ve had to hire someone – maybe ever, and almost certainly for something creative! It can feel like a lot of pressure to get it right, because your wedding vendors are the folks who will transform your big, precious ideas into a celebration that can be enjoyed by the people you love most. We’ve got a whole roster of vendors we love for browsing, but today we’re taking it one step further and really breaking down the question “how do I find vendors for my wedding?”

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Use your network. Naturally, some of the best recommendations come from people you trust. Loved the flowers at your best friend’s wedding? Ask her who she used. And remember, negative reviews can be just as helpful as positive ones!

Ask your vendors. Found a vendor you 100% click with? Ask him for other vendor recommendations. Photographers and planners, especially, work with countless vendors every weekend and can have great insight into the best options in your area.

Look to blogs and magazines. Wedding blogs and magazines can be a wealth of vendor leads, in a number of different ways. Search for real wedding or editorials that took place in your area and follow up with anyone whose work you love. Check to see if they have a vendor directory, usually a hand-picked selection of vendors that have been vetted in some way (ours is called the Blue Ribbon Vendor Directory). And don’t forget print and online advertisements – if you love a publication, chances are you’ll love the vendors that care enough to advertise with them.

There’s a common belief that vendors and venues charge more for the same services as soon as the word “wedding” is mentioned. Surprise! That’s probably true – but for good reason. A once-in-a-lifetime event like a wedding comes with an entirely different set of expectations, pressure, time spent planning, service, and creativity than your average cocktail or bridal party, and a higher price often reflects that. Though it can be hard to justify the expense on the front end of a wedding, talented vendors are worth every penny in the end!

I’d love to hear: how did you find your vendors? Who are your favorites?

We’ll be sharing a quick and simple piece of wedding planning advice based on our most frequently asked questions once a week! Feel free to email us with your own question, or pick up a copy of the Southern Weddings Planner (available in the Southern Weddings Shop!) for all of our best resources in one place!

Written with love by Emily

Southern Weddings reserves the right to delete comments which contain profanity or personal attacks or seek to promote a business unrelated to the post. And remember: a good attitude is like kudzu – it spreads. We love hearing your kind thoughts!

Ask SW: Should I hire a wedding planner?

by Southern Weddings in Expert Advice on March 10, 2015

Many gals describe planning a wedding as a full-time job. In my experience, it certainly seemed that way at times! No surprise, then, that planning weddings actually is a full-time job for some people (a.k.a. wedding planners!). They’re there to worry about the details of your wedding so that you can focus on preparing for your marriage – the good stuff. One size does not necessarily fit all, though, so today we’re breaking down the differences between wedding planners, wedding coordinators, and wedding stylists, and which one might be most appropriate for y’all!

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Full-Service Planning
A full-service planner handles it all, from start to finish. Their duties can include everything from hiring and meeting with vendors to mailing invitations to setting a wedding day timeline. If they also offer design services, they’ll help you develop and execute the look, feel, and style of your celebration. This type of planner is perfect for couples having a logistically complex event, who both work long hours, or who simply want a professional to guide them every step of the way.

Partial Planning
Many planners offer à la carte services for couples who have a firm handle on the details but want some assistance–either at the beginning, with selecting vendors, or in the thick of things, with specific projects. Most charge either an hourly rate or a flat fee.

Day-Of Coordination
Technically, we think this category should be called “month-of coordination,” because no planner worth her salt is going to step in on the actual day of your wedding. Most will charge a flat fee to work with you from about a month out, handling vendors, set-up at your locations, timeline execution, and the myriad other tasks that go into a wedding day. Coordination is great for those who love being knee-deep in the details but want to hand everything off for a stress-free experience on their big day.

Wedding Styling
A wedding stylist can join you at different parts of your wedding planning process. At the beginning, she might help you develop a mood or inspiration board. If she steps in just on the wedding day, she’ll take all of your decor items and everything you’ve planned and set it up (and, well, style it!) just as you imagined. She’ll likely work with your photographer, too, to style images of details you want to remember, like your invitation suite.

We’re sure you’ve heard it before but it’s worth repeating: you want to be able to enjoy your wedding day instead of stressing over how everything is being set up and whether details are being taken care of. So whether you want to collaborate on every aspect of your celebration or hand things over just for the big day, there’s a planning service out there for you! Though it can be hard to justify the expense at the outset, for what it’s worth, countless couples have told us in their wedding interviews that hiring a planner or coordinator was the best money they spent on their wedding.

I’d love to hear: are you hiring a wedding planner of any sort? Which type?

We’ll be sharing a quick and simple piece of wedding planning advice based on our most frequently asked questions once a week! Feel free to email us with your own question, or pick up a copy of the Southern Weddings Planner (now available for pre-order!) for all of our best resources in one place!

Written with love by Southern Weddings

Erin March 10, 2015 reply

Nope! We had a four-month engagement where we chose everything from afar, sight unseen. I am pretty organized, and our short engagement forced me to be decisive, so I never felt like I needed on. Secretly, I thought wedding planning was lots of fun and pretty easy :)

Southern Weddings reserves the right to delete comments which contain profanity or personal attacks or seek to promote a business unrelated to the post. And remember: a good attitude is like kudzu – it spreads. We love hearing your kind thoughts!