The wedding date is set, now what?
In the wedding industry, we call this time of year, the booking season. He bought the ring, popped the question, a date is set, and our calendars fill up with happy couples. If your wedding is in the planning stages, here are 4 tips that will help make your special day super fun, elegant, stress free and cost effective.
Keep the guest list tight…. Less is More! It’s better to have only 50 people that love and connect with you than it is to fill up a ballroom with B & C list friends and family. These “fringe” guests will do nothing more than raise the cost of your wedding, complain about their seats, leave early and hand you a meaningless wedding gift. Instead, surround yourselves with only A-list family & friends. Love, laughter, excitement and joy will abound and at the same time your budget stays in control.
Spend the money on what matters most. The old saying, “You get what you pay for” is alive and well in the wedding planning world. If amazing photographs are a priority to you, splurge, you’ll be glad you spent the money. Make a list of your priorities, set a budget, and before you start handing over your credit card, have at least a rough estimate from your wedding vendors.
Think of your guests first. You might think your wedding won’t be perfect unless those Zullin Jewel-Cuff Satin Manolo Blahnik pumps are on your feet as you strut down the aisle. Yet, your guests don’t care. Your family and friends want to have a blast at your expense. If you’ve blown your budget on yourselves rather than your guest’s comfort, food, drinks and entertainment, your wedding will be remembered as a self-serving display of indulgent selfishness.
Hire a Wedding Planner. I hear this all the time… “We don’t need a wedding planner, my mom and I can do this”. Really? Just as you wouldn’t build your own house or perform surgery on yourself, planning and coordinating a wedding without the help of a pro is a very bad idea. A good wedding planner is worth their weight in gold! They’ll steer you away from shady wedding vendors. They’ll keep you from running over budget. You’ll be able to enjoy the cocktail hour instead of playing Rubik’s Cube with the seating assignments. You won’t have to worry about transportation snafus, logistics or deliveries. Without a good wedding planner the day will be a stressful fiasco, so full of anxiety and worry, you’ll have wished the couple had run off to Vegas!
For more information about Paul Barnett photography please contact us at paul1@barnettphoto.com or give us a call at 619-285-1207. San Diego Wedding Photographer Paul Barnett specializes in San Diego Wedding Photography.