Nov 26, 2018 | Budget Planning
Real wedding or styled shoot? (Hint: I’ve never done a styled shoot.) Photo by Gold Grid Studios.
Okay, now that I’ve made it past the busy season, I want to share with you some more thoughts on wedding planning. Right now is prime planning season, so I hope these thoughts are timely for you. Let me know what you think!
In this age of digital marketing and social media, we all know that posting the best photos is a great PR move. No one takes advantage of this the way wedding vendors do. We’re always posting photos of beautiful work we have done to catch the eye of potential clients. I should know: I do it, too! And there’s nothing wrong with it. But I want to draw your attention to one kind of photos, just so that you know exactly what you are seeing when the next gorgeous wedding photo catches your eye.
Wedding vendors love to do what we call “styled shoots.” In case you never heard of them, here is what it is: A group of wedding vendors will get together and design a wedding. A venue will provide the space; a florist and decorator will add flowers, draping, lights, and other decorative touches; a bakery will provide a cake; a rental company will lend linens, dishes, chairs, etc.; models will be hired to wear a designer’s dresses; and so on. Everyone donates their services so a photographer can take intensely beautiful photos that everyone can use on Instagram–and maybe get a wedding blog or magazine to pick up the photos and feature everyone who is involved. Sounds like a great marketing technique! And it is.
But you, as the consumer, don’t necessarily know that these photos are not of a wedding that was paid for by a real person. And the difference that makes is that each of these vendors can bring out their most expensive products or services to display their skills at their very best. It makes sense from a marketing point of view: If I were doing one of these shoots, I would also want to display my talent at its peak.
The problem is that these styled shoots play right into the already over-hyped marketing of wedding products and services that makes some people believe that their wedding must look a certain way–and that way turns out to be rather pricey. It’s hard to tell by looking at these photos that real weddings, the ones on a real budget, may not look just like the styled shoots.
Don’t get me wrong: I’m not knocking the wedding vendors who do styled shoots. They need to market themselves the best way they know how, and this is a great tool. But if you are browsing Instagram or Pinterest for wedding inspiration, keep this information tucked in the back of your mind: What you may be seeing is not necessarily someone’s real wedding. It may be some gorgeous-looking marketing. Look for hashtags like #realwedding to see what other people are actually doing. And then enjoy the styled shoot photos, too, because they are often very beautiful!
Oct 22, 2018 | Budget Planning
Your backyard tented wedding reception can be elegant and beautiful, if it is properly planned. Photo by Christy Tyler Photography.
I have done a lot of backyard weddings in my career. There is a lot to be said for them. There are also some cautions to keep in mind. Here is what I know.
If you or your parents or someone else you know has a suitable yard for large-scale entertaining, it can be a wonderful place for a wedding or reception (or both). If it’s your childhood home, it can have a very warm emotional resonance for you and those who love you. It’s also an inexpensive location, which may be very attractive if you are on a budget. It also can count as an eco-friendly venue.
There are things to think about before you jump in, however. Yes, the location itself is free, but there may be some rather large expenses that go with it. First, you may need to put up a tent in case of bad weather. Any month in Chicago can have freak weather, and there are only a few months in the year when you can count on it not being cold. Fortunately, there are many reliable tent rental companies that offer quality products, good service, and extras like flooring, heaters, lighting, and fans.
The next consideration always on my list is the question of bathrooms. Does the house have enough to accommodate the number of guests you anticipate? Are they accessible for those guests who can’t take many (or any) stairs? If not, you may need to rent portable restrooms–and find a place to put them.
Another thing to think about is the stress a back yard wedding puts on the owners of the house. Make sure both you and they know what they are getting themselves into before you make any final decisions. They may need to move the first floor furniture. They will probably feel obligated to do extra cleaning and yard work. They will have their home turned topsy-turvy for a weekend. If they are willing to do the extra work and have their home turned upside down, be sure to thank them a lot! They are doing something very special for you.
One more (non-glamorous) thing to plan for is garbage disposal. If you are serving dinner to 100 or more guests in your yard, you will have a larger-than-usual amount of garbage and recycling. Make plans to have extra receptacles, and figure out if your usual disposal service will be able to remove the refuse after the party.
With a little planning, a back yard wedding can be a wonderful way to get married. But be sure to go into it with your eyes open.
Jul 16, 2018 | Budget Planning
This is second in a series on budget event planning. Today, let’s talk about the location for your event.
At the front door of The Grove in Glenview. Photo by MWD Photography.
When you are planning an event, one of your largest expenses will be the location. But there are lots of ways to have a beautiful event without spending half your budget on the venue. There are plenty of high-profile, downtown locations where you could drop ten thousand dollars just to walk in the door–and all you get is the room. You can take a look at those to get ideas, but then keep looking.
My favorite place to start looking for inexpensive party locations is the local park district. And I don’t mean you should be stuck at the field house in the local park. Park districts often take over historical houses or other structures and rent them out to make a little extra money. The Chicago Park District has the Berger Park Mansion or Promontory Point. Glenview has The Grove. In Wilmette, there is a very cute party room at Gillson Park. Sometimes you can get an even better deal if you live in the town where the park is located, or if you know someone who lives there who would be willing to co-sign the contract to get the in-town rate.
In the suburbs of Chicago, there are also women’s clubs and community houses, especially in the older suburbs. Some of these are not cheap, but sometimes you can get a good deal. These venues often provide tables, chairs, white linens, china, and silver. The style of the china might not be what you would choose, but having those items included in the rental can save you a bundle on renting them.
Another option is to go outside the city. If you are willing to move your event from Chicago to southern Wisconsin, there are halls available at a reasonable rate. There are also some venues in the distant suburbs that offer good deals.
If you want to stay in the city but have limited funds, try restaurants with party rooms. These rooms are often available at no charge. The restaurants make their money on the food and drink. Some restaurants can handle decorations, audio/visual equipment, and other special requests. Not all restaurants are suitable for a large wedding, but there are some that can even handle a complex event such as that.
Also, smaller museums, art galleries, and other arts organizations sometimes rent their spaces at reasonable rates. They do not always advertise widely, so you will have to do some research to find them–or ask a professional planner for advice.
And don’t overlook institutions you have a relationship with. Your church or synagogue, a cultural institution where you have a membership, or the arts organization you support may be able to offer you space at a reasonable price. Also, to save money, consider planning your event for an off day or time. Morning events are often less pricey than evening ones. Sundays are often less expensive than Saturdays. And if you can have your party on a weekday, you can often get a real bargain.
If you have no budget for a venue, you can try asking friends or family with a nice home to help you by letting you have your party at their home. This option depends entirely on your connections–and on their willingness to do you a huge favor. But even if you don’t have friends with large houses, you can still have a party or wedding for a reasonable price if you look a little beyond the easy choices. There are very nice locations within your reach.
Jul 9, 2018 | Budget Planning
Even on a budget, you can have a lovely celebration. Photo by Magical Moments Photography.
This is the first in a series that I plan to run for the next few weeks. It’s a re-run of a series I did a number of years ago about how to plan your next event without breaking the bank. Today is an overview on the topic. I’ll follow it with posts about some specific categories relating to planning.
Even on a budget you can have the event you want. It requires some extra work and maybe a few compromises, but you can still get married or have a bar mitzvah or throw the party for your parents’ anniversary and have a real celebration. Working on a budget is something I do a lot, so I’d like to share some of my insights with you.
The first thing is to have an actual budget. This is sometimes an item that people put off, but I urge you to come up with a realistic budget as early in the planning process as you can. It will help to guide your choices as you plan your event. The main reason for procrastination, I think, is the simple fact that many people do not know how to go about preparing a budget. Here is my method:
Start with the total amount of money you are able to spend on the event. Be realistic about your ability to spend, including any contributions others have committed to making. It is not worthwhile to spend more on any event than you have. Unless your circumstances are unusual, it is not generally a good idea to go into debt for a wedding or other celebration. I also do not recommend spending everything you have for one day’s celebration.
Next, list all the things you intend to spend money on. Include everything you think you might need, and add a “just in case” category. For a wedding, your list might include, for example, ceremony venue, reception venue, catering, photographer, cake, flowers, invitations, day-of coordinator, officiant, and decorations. Once you have a full list of budget items, make a list or spreadsheet with them.
Now comes the hard part: Fill in a number next to each category and make sure the total does not exceed your total budget number. (Computer spreadsheet programs such as Excel make this job much easier.) But how do you know what number to put there? You will have to do some research. Talk to vendors and other professionals (such as an event planner). Poke around online to get a range of prices. Make a few phone calls. Decide what things you can do yourself to save money and what things will require professional services. For example, you might make place cards and table numbers yourself at minimal cost, if you have the time. (You can take a look at my DIY wedding series for ideas on what to do yourself–and what not to do.)
Finally, if your cost estimate exceeds your resources, you will have to find places to cut. You may have to reconsider how you define what you need and remove some categories, or you might have to make do with smaller quantities or lesser quality on some things. You can also consider cutting the guest list. It is all about deciding what your priorities are and then putting the money there.
These decisions are not easy, but keep in mind that the most important thing about any celebration is not how opulent it looks but what happens between the people who are there. If it’s a wedding, getting married is the most important thing that will happen. If it is an anniversary or birthday party, the important thing is to honor the ones who have reached a milestone. If you can manage a lavish entertainment in addition, consider it a bonus.
Apr 2, 2018 | Budget Planning
Is this what your planning notebook looks like? If you need help getting organized, hire a planner for a consultation. (Photo Courtesy of sprungphoto.com.)
Something I run into frequently with couples who are on a budget is the dilemma they face when researching vendors. They don’t have room in their budget for a wedding planner or even a coordinator, but they would benefit from a professional’s recommendations for their various wedding vendors.
I know this happens frequently, because in online forums where wedding professionals congregate, I’ll often run across a florist or a photographer asking for vendor recommendations for their clients. (After all, it’s not really a florist’s job to help their client with vendors. They provide flowers and decorations. Planners are the experts on recommending vendors.) When questioned, they always say that their clients can’t afford a planner and they just wanted to help out.
While I applaud the generous spirit of my fellow wedding vendors, I’d like to suggest an alternative. If you can’t afford to hire a planner, you can still get professional advice at a very low cost. You can hire me or just about any reputable planner for an hour or two and get the names of as many wedding vendors as you need. And this service will often cost less than $200, sometimes even less than $100, depending on what you need. You may also end up getting some good advice on planning thrown in.
Consultations are a real bargain for the quality of information you can get. I would guess that they often pay for themselves, as a good planner might save you some expensive mis-steps with their advice.
A planner is generally also an organizer, and if you just need help getting organized, an hour or two of a planner’s time might make your life much easier.
And don’t feel like it’s not worth our time. I can’t speak for all planners, but I am thrilled to help people get started on their planning journey or solve a sticky problem. It’s a good use of my time if you walk away knowing your wedding will be better because of it.
My consultation rates are still only $50 per hour, and I’ll work for as little as one hour at a time. If you think this service would be useful to you, please get in touch. It would be my privilege to help you!
Feb 12, 2018 | Budget Planning
Even a very small wedding can benefit from having a coordinator.
There are two major reasons people don’t hire a wedding planner or coordinator: First, they think they don’t need one. Second, they think they can’t afford one. I’ve addressed the first issue in the past. Today, let’s talk about how a wedding planner or coordinator has an impact on your wedding budget.
Hiring a day-of coordinator for your wedding can add a few thousand dollars to your budget (depending on which coordinator you hire). It’s usually less than 10% of the budget, unless you have a very small budget. Is that the end of its impact on your budget? Hardly!
When you hire a coordinator, you can actually save money. And the earlier you hire, the more likely your coordinator will be able to help you save money. One of the things that makes weddings expensive is the fact that a great many people getting married have never planned a wedding before and can get trapped into spending more than necessary.
That is one of the reasons why I encourage my clients to keep in touch with me as they plan. Let’s say you hire me to coordinate your wedding as soon as you have a date, maybe a year in advance. You can always drop me a note or call me up when you have a question or problem. Chances are, I have an economical solution.
I was talking to a woman recently who was a couple of months away from her wedding. She was thinking about hiring a coordinator, but before we were able to have a discussion about it, her budget blew up and she decided she couldn’t afford me. I kept thinking what a shame it was that she hadn’t hired me much earlier and given me a chance to prevent the budget blow-up in the first place.
So, when you’re making your budget, include a reasonable amount for coordination. In the long run, your budget will thank you.
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