Mar 16, 2020 | wedding planning
Dreaming about summer 2021. Photo by Chris Ocken
Copyright 2019 – https://www.ockenphotography.com/
A lot of people are looking at some time at home, either working from home or not working at all. Either way, you might have some extra time on your hands. And if you’re looking at a 2021 wedding, that might be some good news for you. (And we could all use a little good news right now!)
If you’re planning to get married next year and you are looking for things to fill your days, you can do some wedding planning right now. No, I don’t expect you’re going to rush out and visit venues this week, but there are things you can do.
If you haven’t done this yet, you can make a list of wedding planning tasks, with notes on when you should be working on each item. There are hundreds of these types of list available on the internet. Find one you like, and adapt it to your needs. (Spread sheets are going to be your friend in this project.) Set up a shared folder for planning purposes so both of you have access to it–and you can share it with your planner or coordinator if you hire one.
Also, work on your wedding budget. This can take some research, but if you have the time, now would be a great time to start doing that work and putting it together.
Have you started to research venues yet? Or caterers? This would be a great time to compile a list of all types of vendors, read reviews, compare costs and amenities, and get in touch with various vendors if you have specific questions. Find out which venues are available on your preferred date(s), and start to narrow down your list so you can visit a few when the time comes.
Finally, a shameless plug: If you want help with any of these tasks, you can hire a planner (such as, say, me!) for a consultation. I’m available by phone or Skype for planning meetings to get you off on the right foot. A two-hour planning meeting will cost you $100. (You can, as always, hire me for full planning, as well. I suggest planning for 2021 at this point.)
I also have a little bonus discount for you: If you hire me for a consultation (two-hour minimum) between now and July 1 and then hire me for planning or coordinating for your 2021 wedding, I’ll give you a $50 discount off of planning/coordinating services. How’s that for a little good news?
Mar 12, 2020 | wedding planning
Photo by Studio Finch Photography, www.studiofinch.com
I’m a planner. I like to plan things and then stick to those plans. I am, however, also a realistic planner, so I know that plans change, and sometimes you just have to roll with the punches. This week is one of those times–in a very big way.
So, let’s say you have been planning a wedding in the US for sometime this spring or early summer. What do you need to be thinking of right now? I’ve been keeping tabs on the news, but I have to caution you that this is only my informed opinion and things may not play out the way I see them right now.
It’s anyone’s guess how long this disease will continue to spread. The best-case scenario I’ve seen is that it could be contained by sometime in the summer–if governments act now. No one wants to predict a worst-case scenario, but it would have to be sometime later than this summer. In any case, if you’re planning a wedding between now and July, you may have to be prepared for some changes.
For one thing, some locations (states, cities, metropolitan areas) have banned large gatherings, both public and private. In Chicago as of today, gatherings of over 1,000 people are prohibited for 30 days. Gatherings of over 250 people are strongly discouraged. If you have a large guest list, your wedding could fall in that second category, and you may have to postpone. If you haven’t sent out invitations yet, think seriously about downsizing your guest list. The smaller the gathering, the less risky it is.
But the other thing to think about is who is on your guest list. It’s generally agreed that older people are more at risk from the virus. As much as you want your grandparents and others of their generation at your wedding, you may need to have some serious conversations with them and let them know that if they need to keep themselves safe, you will understand and you won’t insist that they join you. There may be other people who want to be with you but who need to stay away to protect themselves. Be understanding with them. It’s better to have your dear ones safe than at your wedding.
If you have the time and the means to do so, consider setting up live streaming, at least of your ceremony, so that people who aren’t able to be there with you can participate. It’s not the same as being in the same room, but it is better than nothing.
The other thing you can do is to communicate with all of your guests and tell them to please stay home if they are not well. If you let them know that you would rather they not attend if they are sick, I hope they will agree.
And then there’s the very worst case scenario: Having to postpone or cancel your wedding. Pretty much everyone in the wedding industry is aware that we are going to have to make some accommodations for our clients. Talk to your vendors and ask about their policies for postponing your wedding if it becomes necessary to do so. At least in Chicago, most vendors are being flexible and willing to rebook for a later date at no extra cost. (Some are charging rebooking fees.) Ask about specific policies and make sure they are spelled out in your contracts if you haven’t signed them yet.
And my last bit of advice? Wash your hands frequently with soap and hot water for at least 20 seconds. Don’t touch your face. Do get plenty of rest and exercise, eat as healthy a diet as you can manage, and do whatever you need to do to keep your stress level under control. It’s always better to be prepared, be careful with your health, and change your plans than to be sick.
Feb 17, 2020 | wedding planning
Labor Day weekend is a great time to get married, like this fall country wedding. Photo courtesy of kellyjophoto.com.
Here’s something I get asked all the time: Is it a good idea to schedule a wedding for a holiday weekend?
There are lots of Monday holidays in this country, resulting in 3-day weekends for a lot of people, many of whom may be the very ones you want to have at your wedding. If a lot of your guests are going to be coming from out of town, then sometimes scheduling the event for a holiday weekend is a great idea, because it allows people to visit for a little longer and makes it easier for them to actually be there with you.
On the other hand, airfares may be higher on high travel days, which might be a problem for some people. And there may be those among your guests who already have plans for a long weekend. Neither of these has to be a deal-breaker, but if you are planning a wedding for a holiday weekend, it’s a good idea to give your guests as much advance notice as possible.
Also, you may be thinking that you can save some money by scheduling the wedding for the Sunday of a holiday weekend. Sunday rates at venues are typically lower than Saturday rates, but–sorry!–the venues are already ahead of you on this one. Most of them charge the same for Saturday and Sunday of a holiday weekend.
But if you do decide on a holiday weekend, Sunday is often a good choice for the convenience of your out-of-town guests. They can travel on Saturday and Monday, if they can’t get time away during the week.
On the whole, I tend to say that holiday weekends are a good choice, especially if you have guests coming from far away. They are often popular times, though, so if that’s the direction you are going, be sure to book your venue and other vendors early.
Feb 10, 2020 | About me, wedding planning
It’s not a new photo, but my attitude hasn’t changed: I’m being calm here. Photo courtesy of Artisan Events, Inc.
Here’s a funny story from last year’s wedding season. I was introduced to the brother of one of the brides before the ceremony began. I had been doing my thing for a couple of hours already, and everything was in place when I had the chance to stop and meet him. We shook hands, and when he found out what my role was he said, “You’re the planner?? But you’re so calm!”
I’m not entirely sure how he thought I should behave. Maybe there’s a stereotype of a wedding planner who runs around chaotically looking flustered. (I’ve never run into one who behaves that way in real life.) But he certainly said it in an approving way, which was quite flattering.
So, I said to him, “Well, yes, I am calm. If I’m not calm, then no one else is going to be calm, either. If I’m running around in a tizzy, everyone else is going to be feeling unsettled, too.” He nodded and agreed, although it was clear he hadn’t thought of it that way before.
I really do taking being calm seriously when I’m on site for a wedding. There are a lot of emotions packed into a wedding day, and people can be on edge. Someone has to be the anchor and the ground wire for all of that, and that’s what I try to be. (Professional officiants are also really, really good at this.)
And there are a lot of moving parts that sometimes people worry about. As one of my clients said one time, “We have outsourced all our worrying to Lisa.” I loved that! Yes, you can outsource your worrying to me. I won’t worry; I’ll just take care of stuff for you so no one has to worry. That’s my job. And I’ll be very, very calm, while I’m doing it, too.
Jan 27, 2020 | wedding planning
When you’re getting married in the Forest Preserve, you definitely have to think about insects. Photo by Allison Williams Photography.
Let’s say you’re planning your dream eco-friendly wedding, and you want to have it outdoors. At some point in the process you are going to realize that, if it’s summertime, you are going to be inviting all the local mosquitoes to the buffet–of your guests! No one wants to expose their guests to a zillion mosquito bites (much less ticks), but if you really want your event to be environmentally friendly, do you want to spray insecticide? It’s a dilemma. Fortunately, there are some things you can do that are less toxic and less destructive than calling the local bug spraying service or dousing the place in a toxic yard spray.
The first thing you can do is to warn your guests that there will likely be insects, and that if they want to avoid being bitten, they should remember to use their own repellent. The next thing–which is more hospitable–is to provide insect repellent and a place (away from the food, please!) where people can use it. If you want to provide non-toxic and effective repellents to your guests, try some of the products that contain oil of lemon eucalyptus (different from lemon eucalyptus oil) or picardin. (I learned a lot about these products from reading a Consumer Reports article on the subject. WebMD also has some useful information.)
Beyond personal repellents, there are other things you can do. If you have access to electricity, you can have large fans blowing in your guest area. Mosquitoes (but not ticks) are generally deterred by strong air currents. Most tent rental companies will also rent fans and the generators to run them. (Unfortunately, clean energy generators are not a big business for weddings and smaller events yet, but it may be possible if you have the time and money to devote to making it happen.)
There are also non-toxic products you can spread on the ground to repel mosquitoes, like these granules from Bonide. This product gets good online reviews, but I have not seen any scientific articles reviewing its effectiveness. My guess is that it probably works for a while, but may need to be re-applied periodically. It also is not marketed to repel ticks, so personal insect repellents are still probably your best bet if you know they are in the area.
As a last resort, you can use some of the insecticides (permethrin and pyrethrin products) that are approved for organic farm use and sold for general consumer use. They are still toxic but are less destructive to beneficial insects when they are sprayed after sunset than some other options. They are also human neurotoxins, so if you are concerned about that, they may not be an option.
While insects are a nuisance when you’re planning an outdoor event, there’s no reason why you have to kill them or poison the environment in order to have a comfortable time with your guests.
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