Planning a Wedding Tips

We receive calls every day from potential clients needing help with the planning of their weddings. Some clients don’t have the time to plan, while others are doing this for the first time. We appreciate our clients and our ultimate goal is to assist them reach their goals.

We understand that weddings have changed dramatically over the years. When I was a kid growing up in our family’s floral business, I remember how easy it was for our clients – they went to their favorite hotel or venue, hired their parent’s caterer, florist, and bakery and even chose their own attire. Today’s wedding is much more involved, which includes at least 150 hours to plan.

Here are some quick and easy tips to help you navigate the planning process –

1. Sit down with your planner and determine a realistic budget based on your style and wedding date.

Will it be on a holiday weekend and what percentage of your guests will be traveling, will weather be a challenge and your guest count are a few examples of important details to review.

2. Choose a realistic date for the wedding.

You may wish to keep in mind school, work, financial obligations, plus other competing family and/or friend commitments.

3. Make sure your guest count matches your budget. It is not unusual for a client to call us with a 250 guest count and 25 K budget. These two numbers don’t match and here is why:

Most venues and hotels in Southern California have a food and beverage minimum of $40,000, plus, especially on a Saturday night.

In addition to the above mentioned minimum, the following depicts a partial list items to include in the budget:

Coordinator
Attire
DJ or Band
Ceremony and Cocktail Music
Save the Dates and Invites
Transportation – Shuttle and Valet
Hair and Makeup
Video
Flowers
Photographer
Rings
Cake or Other Dessert Options
Officiate
Decor – Table Linens, etc.

4. Talk with reputable professionals who will be straight forward with you about your budget and expectations.

Stay away from vendors that will promise you anything to get your business.

This design can add to the budget very quickly. Photo from internet.

5. Hire a planner who understands decor and design, budget, timelines, transportation, and contingency plans with access to a plethora of event professionals.

Keeping these expectations in mind, pair that with someone who is reputable. We recommend checking out your event professionals on Yelp and various social media sites.

If you need assistance, please call our office for more information at 310-994-7789.