Questions to ask before you hire a wedding planner - The Invitation Maker

10 Questions to Ask before you Hire a Wedding Planner

Hiring a professional wedding planner definitely has its advantages. A wedding planner can help you in getting your wedding on the right track smoothly and without any stress. But not all wedding planners might be able to fit your needs. You still need to carefully choose the wedding planner that has the right skills and experience for the type of wedding that you want to have.

So how can you choose the wedding planner that’s right for you? Make sure to ask these questions before you hire a wedding planner.

Are you available on my wedding day?

This is one of the most basic questions to ask any potential wedding planner. If they are not available on your wedding day, there’s no point in considering them. Make sure to find out how many weddings they are handling while planning yours and that they can still focus on giving you high quality service.

What services do you offer?

Ask the different services and packages that the wedding planner offers to determine if it fits your needs. Do they offer full-service planning, month-of coordination, event designing, or à la carte planning? Discuss the types of services that you need and determine if it fits the experience and niche of the wedding planner.

Can you work within my budget?

Another important question is working within the budget. One of the wedding planners main tasks is to help fulfill your wedding vision while staying on track budget-wise. It’s best to know from the get go if they think they can work within your budget or not.

Do you work alone or with a team?

Ask whether the wedding planner has a team so that you can gauge how they can effectively handle your wedding. It’s also important to ask how many of their staff will be there to coordinate, style, and assist on the day of your wedding so you can plan your logistics ahead of time.

How many weddings have you planned?

Experience is important when hiring a wedding planner. Establish your wedding planner’s credibility by asking for a portfolio and references. Make sure that your wedding planner has had enough experience in handling weddings so that you can be assured that they can properly handle yours.

Have you planned a wedding similar to ours?

It’s also important that they have experience in handling a wedding that’s similar to your wedding. Ask whether they have handled a wedding with the same theme, similar budget, or at the same location.

Who are your preferred vendors?

Wedding planners who are connected with good quality and affordable vendors can save you a lot of time. Ask them for a list of vendors that they are connected with and do your research on them. It also helps to know whether your wedding planner can give your discounts and freebies from these vendors.

How often will you keep in touch with me?

It’s important to set a schedule on when your wedding planner will update you regarding all the wedding planning matters. This will help keep your wedding on track and you’ll be able to review the things that have been accomplished. Regular updates and discussions can also prevent any mistake or confusion from happening.

How do you handle pressure and emergencies?

It might seem like a hard question to ask but it’s important to know how your wedding planner can handle difficult situations and emergencies especially if anything happens on the day of your wedding. You need to be able to put your full trust that they’ll be able to resolve it and that at the end of the day, you’ll be able to have a worry-free wedding no matter what.

Can we discuss the contract first?

Once you are at the contract signing stage, study it thoroughly and openly discuss it with your wedding planner. Read the fine line and clear up any questions on services included, total fee, payment plans, cancellation policies, etc.

Hiring a wedding planner can be difficult if you don’t know what you are looking for. Make sure to ask the right questions before hiring a wedding planner so you can assess them properly. Listen carefully to the wedding planner’s answers and aside from their experience and skills, make sure that they have a personality that you can get along with. 

Choose the right wedding planner so that you can transform your vision into the magical wedding of your dreams.

Advantages of Hiring a Wedding Planner | The Invitation Maker

The Advantages of Hiring a Wedding Planner

Before you start planning for your wedding, you might think twice about whether you should hire a professional wedding planner. While planning your wedding all by yourself is possible and is being done by many couples, many people don’t realize the value and expertise that professional wedding planners bring to the table. 

From helping you to have a stress-free wedding planning journey to bringing your vision to life, there are many advantages of hiring a wedding planner. So before you jump in on planning your wedding alone, here are some of the key advantages to hiring a wedding planner for your wedding:

You’ll have a smooth and stress-free wedding planning.

As a bride- and groom-to-be, you already have enough on your plate. Balancing your full-time job with social commitments and wedding planning can be stressful. Handing over the planning responsibilities to your wedding planner can help streamline and smoothen the process. Not only can you free your time to focus on more important things, you’ll also have peace of mind that they can take care of all your wedding planning concerns efficiently.

A wedding planner will help you with budgeting and scheduling.

Two of the most difficult things when it comes to wedding planning is keeping your budget in check and coordinating all the schedules. As a bride and groom, you can have a tendency to be attached to ideas that are well over your budget. Meanwhile, a wedding planner has a more objective approach and can easily keep your expenses within your wedding budget. They can also efficiently coordinate your wedding appointment schedules and keep your timeline organized, making sure that you are always on the right track.

A wedding planner can give you vendor discounts.

Having a lot of experience in the wedding industry, wedding planners have a vast network of connections that includes connections with potential vendors. They can recommend the best vendors in town, saving you time from searching for different vendors on the Internet and on the street. They can also negotiate the best deals that you otherwise won’t get because of their years of experience and relationships built in the industry.

They can cover the legal aspects.

Wedding planners can help you cover legal permits, check contracts with vendors and your venue, and overall make sure that your wedding is safe from any possible legal action from third parties. 

This is especially helpful if you are planning on holding a destination wedding abroad or across the country as there might be special laws that you need to take note of. It’s better to be safe than sorry, and it’s always safer with a wedding planner.

You’ll get a lot of help on your big day.

You’ll be at peace knowing that your wedding planner is taking care of all logistical aspects with your venue and coordinating with vendors on your wedding day. Your wedding planner will also be on top of solving any issue or problems that might arise during your wedding. With your wedding planner’s team on site, you’ll surely have nothing to worry about except savoring that magical moment with your loved ones.

The services that a wedding planner can offer is definitely worth the money. Aside from take care of all your wedding concerns from start to finish, they can also help you brainstorm wedding ideas, take your vision, and transform it into a magical wedding. So before you go on and handle your wedding planning yourself, think about all the advantages of hiring a wedding planner.

Wedding Stationery | The Ultimate Wedding Stationery Checklist | TIM

The Ultimate Wedding Stationery Checklist

One of the many things that you need to plan and sort out for your big day is wedding stationery. You might not realize it yet, but there’s actually a ton of wedding stationery that you need to organize before, during, and after the wedding.

Before you go ahead and print out your wedding stationery, make sure to check out our ultimate wedding stationery checklist so you don’t miss out on anything important.

Before the Wedding

During the wedding planning stage, most of the stationery you would need is invitations to different pre-wedding events that you’ll be hosting. Of course, not all of these might be applicable to you as you might choose not to host some of these events. So take note of the stationery that you need to prepare for the pre-wedding events that you’ll be hosting.

  1. Engagement Party Invitations
  2. Save-the-Date Cards
  3. Bridesmaid Proposal Cards
  4. Bridal Shower Invitations
  5. Bachelor/Bachelorette Party Invitations
  6. Rehearsal Dinner Invitation

The Wedding Invitation

The wedding invitation is the main wedding stationery that you need to put much of your design efforts on. The wedding invitation often includes the main invitation card and RSVPs to the wedding sealed in an envelope. Depending on how formal or detailed you want your invitation to be, you can also include a directions card, reception card, and insert cards when you send out your wedding invitations.

After you’ve written your wedding invitation wording and settled the style and design, make sure to order and send out your wedding invitations on time.

  1. Outer and Inner Envelope
  2. Wedding Invitation Card
  3. RSVPs
  4. Response Card
  5. Insert Cards
  6. Reception Card
  7. Directions Card

During the Wedding

Once you have settled all the invitations that you need to send out for pre-wedding events and for the wedding itself, it’s now time to move on to the wedding stationery that you will need during the wedding. This mostly consists of wedding decor and information that will help guide your guests during your wedding such as the ceremony program, menu cards, table numbers, etc.

  1. Welcome Sign
  2. Ceremony Program
  3. Menu
  4. Escort Cards
  5. Table Numbers
  6. Wedding favor tags

After the Wedding

The wedding is now complete, but the wedding stationery that you need to prepare is not yet over. Don’t worry because this last one is only a Thank You Card for all the guests that attended your wedding. Make sure to prepare this when you are designing and printing your wedding invitations to be more efficient in sending them out.

Thank You Cards are recommended and considered a polite gesture of appreciation because your guests went out of their way to attend your wedding.

  1. Thank You Cards

Don’t Miss Out on Important Wedding Stationery

Now that you know which wedding stationery is applicable to your wedding, make sure to streamline them into your overall wedding planning strategy so you can prepare them in advance. Plan early to avoid being stressed out in creating all these wedding stationery and also to give your guests enough time to prepare for your wedding.

Advantages of Having a Micro Wedding | Benefits of Micro Weddings | TIM

The Advantages of Having a Micro Wedding

Micro weddings have definitely become more and more popular over the years because of many reasons. Some prefer to share their moments with only their closest friends, some choose to save money so they can spend it on their honeymoon or first home. And with the pandemic further restricting large gatherings, micro weddings have become many couple’s primary choice of wedding.

What exactly are micro weddings?

A micro wedding is a small-scale wedding, with typically  20-30 guests, that are mostly close family and friends. Micro weddings often feature wedding traditions and ceremonies, only in a much more relaxed and intimate way.

The Advantages of a Micro Wedding

1. It’s more intimate

You’ll get to share this special day with only the people that truly matter to you. When you are surrounded by people you love and care about, there tends to be less stress and tension to please your guests. You will also be able to spend more quality time with each of your guests and share meaningful conversations with them.

2. More creative freedom

Micro weddings often have a more relaxed and casual vibe. With such a small group of people, you’ll have more creative freedom to do what you’ve always wanted. You can host your wedding somewhere unconventional such as a cafe, a library, a secluded mountaintop venue, a yacht, anywhere your imagination takes you! 

With a small crowd of people who know your true personalities, you’ll be able to make this special day more magical by doing something that you’ve always wanted to do together.

3. You’ll be able to save money

With a micro wedding, the budget that you need will also be smaller as you will need less. For one, your venue and catering needs will surely be cheaper. There are also a lot of unnecessary expenses that you can eliminate such as decor, tables, chairs, and transportation expenses.

Because you can save money on these things, you can choose to splurge more on things that matter to you. Have you always wanted to hire a band? Give a special personalized token to each guest? With all of the savings from having a micro wedding, now you can.

4. Less planning and stress

It’s not a secret how stressful planning for a big wedding can be. Months of preparation can take out the joy and fun of a wedding for some couples. By having a micro wedding, you’ll be able to skip the hassle of intensive wedding planning, without losing all the fun. Of course, there are still things that need to be planned for, but everything is much more controlled and manageable because it is on a much smaller scale.

 

Having micro weddings is like having the best of both worlds. You can have a magical day with your close friends and family without budget constraints and the stress of wedding planning.

Of course, not everyone is cut out for a micro wedding. Some couples envision a grand celebration for their wedding day, while for some, not inviting other friends and relatives just isn’t possible. There are also other types of small weddings such as an elopement wedding, which might be more suited for other couples.

In the end, you should choose the wedding that’s right for you whether it’s a traditional ceremony, destination wedding, micro wedding, or a different type of wedding altogether.

 

Wedding Destination | Budget-Friendly Wedding Destinations in the US

5 Budget-Friendly Wedding Destinations in the US

We all want to have that perfect scenery in the atmosphere during our wedding. Sometimes, however, no local venue can bring the type of wedding that we are dreaming of to life and we start considering having a destination wedding instead.

Having a destination wedding is a grand and magical way to hold our wedding ceremony. It is often an exciting or adventurous way to escape life from a couple’s hometown or from the hustle and bustle of the city. It can also be more expensive to hold a destination wedding because of transportation, accommodation, and other costs depending on how big of an event you are thinking of having.

Not all destination weddings are expensive. There are plenty of destinations that offer an affordable yet magical experience to wedding hopefuls. Here are five budget-friendly wedding destinations in the US:

1. Sedona, Arizona

A seemingly unlikely destination wedding venue like Sedona, Arizona is actually amazing for outdoor and rustic-themed weddings. Sedona is a desert town that’s surrounded by red rock formations and pine tree forests that gives outdoor wedding venues breathtaking scenery that’s sure to wow every guest.

Sedona is perfect for couples that love the outdoors and are looking for a more rugged yet picturesque backdrop for their wedding.

2. Colorado Springs, Colorado

Another picturesque setting with a rustic vibe to it is Colorado Springs. Located at the foot of the Rocky mountains, imagine a ballroom or garden venue overlooking this majestic scenery along with views of Pikes Peak and the famous Garden of the Gods. Have an elegant garden wedding in Colorado Springs and you’ll surely be mesmerized.

3. Key Largo, Florida

Key Largo is definitely the ultimate beach wedding destination. It boasts of white sandy beaches, palm trees, and clear blue waters but without breaking the bank. Evening weddings are the most popular at Key Largo, as it is also for breathtaking sunsets.

Most weddings in this area are held near public beaches and they are as beautiful as you can imagine, but if you want to opt for a more private venue, there are also venues that offer more seclusion and privacy.

4. Oahu, Hawaii

Beaches in Hawaii might seem like they all come with a price tag, but there are actually amazing beaches in Oahu where you can enjoy the amazing scenery for free or at a minimal charge. Yes, you can have a beach wedding in Oahu without going over budget and without sacrificing the beauty of it all.

Aside from picture-perfect beaches, Oahu also has beautiful gardens that can offer a magical fairy tale atmosphere such as Haiku Gardens and Olomana gardens.

5. Lake Tahoe, California

Have the best of both worlds when you choose Lake Tahoe as your wedding venue. Lake Tahoe is an outdoor wedding wonderland, and you are missing out if don’t even put this up on your wedding destination choices.

Lake Tahoe can offer lakeside venues, mountain top venues, or gorgeous venues overlooking the lake. Resorts and hotels offer jaw-dropping mountain views and forest nooks that will leave you in awe. You’ll never get enough of the scenery at Lake Tahoe.

Choosing the perfect wedding destination for you can be hard with all the beautiful locations out there. Just remember to choose the one that most speaks to you and your partner and one that most reflects the dream wedding that you had imagined.