SEVEN TIPS TO A SUCCESSFUL WEDDING PLANNING PROCESS
The time has come. Your other half has popped the question and now you can barely hold yourself from starting planning your wedding day. And, don't get me wrong, I am not saying you shouldn't. On the contrary, I encourage you to do so. After all, if there is one thing that we love, is well organized brides.
The wedding planning process can be stressful and overwhelming. Believe me, I know what I am talking about. I have been both a bride and a wedding planner in my life. This may sound as a cliché -keep in mind that clichés have become clichés for a reason- but you always need to remind yourself of what this day is all about. It is about you finding your better half to spend the rest of your life with and a day to celebrate your love with your family and friends.
Our mission is to make, not only your wedding day, but the entire experience as pleasurable as we can, so here are our seven tips for a successful wedding planning process.
STEP I
ENJOY THE MOMENT
Don't let the imminent wedding overshadow the proposal. Celebrate the engagement itself with each other and those close to you before you begin planning the big day. Your mood and outlook sets the tone for the process. Nothing has to be confirmed yet, so this is a great time to just soak it all in with no pressure.
Even if people keep asking questions, it's perfectly ok to say you haven't decided. Take this time and each interation to gather ideas and information. Use their questions and opinions to help you two decide what your true priorities are.
STEP II
DECIDE THE ESSENTIALS
GUEST COUNT
Compile your guest list to estimate final guest count. This number will impact your budget significantly, so it is important to have an ideea before you begin next steps.
DATE
Decide on dates you want to be married. You will find this extremely useful when searching for venues. You can, at least, narrow it down to a couple of months, or a season for now.
LOCATION
Decide on general location and type of venues. Do you want to be married indoors or outdoors, city or country, local or destination?
STEP III
BUDGET
Oh I know I am asking the tough questions. But, believe me, the sooner you have this figured out, the easier it will be for you to make all the decisions to follow. Here is a useful tip! Your guest count directly impacts the budget. Catering, rentals, paper goods, florals etc. are variables dependent on guest count. The most direct way to save funds for the design and the details is to reduce the guest count.
STEP IV
DESIGN
Start collecting inspiration to get a feel for your vision and style. Instagram and Pinterest are two very useful tools and both allow you to save images in different categories, which helps you stay organized.
Here at Soo Events, to ensure we hone in on our client's true style, we have them share all the images they have saved and ask them to narrow down their inspiration to 5 top photos that truly represent the heart of their vision
and aesthetics. It's a tough challenge, but it is worth it in the end, because we make sure your wedding
truly represents you.
STEP V
HIRE A PLANNER
A planner will kick off by diving into the items previously mentioned to identify your priorities, get the most out of your budget and foresee potential issues to address and solve before you even begin. Here are the top 10 advantages of investing in a planner:
1. expertise saves time and resources
2. budget guidance and management
3. keep you on track with the planning schedule
4. help you choose every element of the decor to achieve your vision
5. recommend trusted vendors
6. manage communications, negotiations and meetings
7. provide creative and fresh ideas
8. offer advice for tricky situations
9. coordinate all logistics and details, so the big day runs smoothly
10. problem solving behind the scenes
STEP VI
TRUST YOUR VENDORS
When you hire experienced experts and trust them, you will get superior results. Trust their knowledge and their process, as it is what allowed them to produce the work and reputation for which you selected them for your wedding in the first place. Our little black book is filled with only the top notch vendors of the industry, who not only share our professionalism, but our passion and work ethics as well.
STEP VII
RELAX AND ENJOY
In all the years I have benn planning weddings, I have witnessed this many times and cannot stress it enough to my clients. You need to relax, trust and enjoy the process. This is a period in your life you will never get to experience again. Share your thoughts and concerns with your planner and let them take any burden of your shoulders. We are here to be your guides, solution-providers and storytellers of your journey and, as producers, we will make sure that everything runs smoothly and is delivered impeccably. It is not just your wedding day that we make seamless, but the entire process as well.
Konstantina Lafara
Owner & Creative Director
Soo Events
