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The Photographer 21 Days to Plan a "We"dding

10:31 PM

The Photographer
Day 11

Opps… let me back track…. There are soooo many great venues, however, all are different. You have options! Many venues have a chapel or outdoor space for the ceremony and reception or you can marry in a church or another place of worship and then go to your reception location. You can have a home wedding or a location that you will create a site (tent), review your budget. Decide what is most important to you. Start with 3. If you decide on an outdoor wedding make sure you have a suitable indoor option. Price. There is the rental cost, catering, and any additional amenities. Many venues have an in house caterer, which means you sometimes don’t have an option or you can pay to have the caterer you want. Make sure you ask what is included. Your wedding planner will be a great resource for locations and keeping you within budget.

South Side on Lamar - Dallas, Texas

NYLO Hotel Las Colinas - Irving, Texas

Photography - Ross Oscar Knight Photography

NYLO Hotel Las Colinas - Irving, Texas

Photography - Ross Oscar Knight Photography

Old Red Museum - Dallas, Texas

Photography - Joseph Mark Photography

New Orleans, Louisiana

Photography - Oscar Rajo

New Orleans, Louisiana

Photography - Oscar Rajo

New Orleans, Louisiana

Photography - Oscar Rajo

The Lawless Chapel at Dillard University

New Orleans, Louisiana

Photography - Oscar Rajo

Saint Phillips Community School

Dallas, Texas

Photography - Monica Salazar Photography

Hall of State at Fair Park

Dallas, Texas

Photography - Monica Salazar Photography

Bass Hall - Fort Worth, Texas

Photography - Trisha Kay Photography

Bass Hall - Fort Worth, Texas

Photography - Trisha Kay Photography

The Belo Mansion - Dallas, Texas

Photography - David Loi Studios

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Day 10 - 21 Days to Plan a "We"dding

9:43 PM

The Talk…..

You know I deal in truth…. So before I talk about finding the right team (photographer, videographer, florist, caterer, venue, cake designer, hairstylist, etc.) Let’s talk about Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, any other social media, websites, and magazines or anywhere you found inspiration. Anything inspiration you find is just that, inspiration.. direction…. not duplication. Let’s be honest… a photographer cannot duplicate a photo that you found. It can be in the style of photo you showed them, but not exact. A florist can design something similar to what you saw on pinterest but not exact, plus usually there are no prices on it and you could blow your budget. Your style should show. Allow the wedding professionals to help you. Edit, curate, and pair down the number of photos you select for style direction. Allow your wedding planner to help you. Options, compromise and honesty are your friends.

Your team is important. Get referrals and allow the wedding planner to make suggestions. You want the best your budget can allow. See 1-8… Yes, I said it!

Notes from a real couple!

My advice on vendor selections are to prioritize what's most important. For us food was extremely important and making that experience fun. Luckily I have a friend who has an amazing food truck and our guests really loved not only the food, but the experience. Financially we couldn't afford to spend an arm and a leg on every vendor so we picked the most important things first. ~ Sydney and Chrissy

Day 9 - 21 Days to Plan a "We"dding

8:37 PM

The Wedding Planner!

Interviewing is a two way street! The planner will be interviewing you as you are interviewing them. You want to work with some you like, click with, a good fit, compatible… you know, like dating. Hopefully you have received recommendations. Here are few questions to ask:

1-How long have you been planning weddings and how many do you plan in a year? (Quality not quantity should be important. Some planners only take a certain number.)

2- Tell me about the type of services. What is included in your services, how much is the investment and what is the deposit? (attending the rehearsal dinner, planning any additional parties, etc.)

3- For a destination wedding, what services are included and how much is the investment?

4- Do you have more than one wedding a day? If so, how many, how do you manage them, will you be at my wedding and how many assistants?

5- Ask for references. Get a written quote. READ the agreement. Ask more questions if necessary before you sign.

Notes from a real bride!

My advice would be to remain calm. If you have a planner you trust, this should be easy. On the day of my wedding, I was cool as a cucumber, all because Marion was watching all the small details that I would have otherwise stressed over. She kept everything running smoothly and I was able to just have a good time on my big day. ~Paxton and Austin

Day 8 - 21 Days of "We"dding Planning

8:23 PM

The Wedding Planner… Continued!

Planners offer a variety of services (full service, month of service and limited service are a few). They also offer a variety of fees are structures. Here are some of the services planners will offer:

- Vendors-recommendation, hiring, confirmation and managing (musicians, officiant, florist, etc.)

- Budget and keep you on task for scheduled payments

- Assisting with the rehearsal dinner

- Attending vendor meetings

- Assist with creating welcome bags and favor selection

- Assisting with the look of the wedding from

napkins to tabletops (linen, napkins, floral, etc.)

- Booking hotel rooms and arranging transportation

- Scheduling the wedding week

This is the short list. When in doubt ASK. They make things happen and fix things you never know about. Planners are rock stars!

Note from a real bride ...hire a wedding planner!

I learned that having someone help you during the process is key to enjoying it not just the day