“Every bride should l have a coordinator as an insurance policy to make sure everything is going well behind the scenes,” Lee says. “Not only does it save you stress, it saves you time picking your vendors, and it can save you money. Wedding planning is nothing but rationalizing where the money should go and figuring out priorities.” Having an expert involved in the planning process can help brides and grooms determine their top priorities. And having a neutral party on hand can help take some of the emotion out of the discussion, especially when their parents have different priorities. When brides and grooms are honest about what they want, their wedding becomes a celebration of their unique love story. Some couples budget for a multi-course meal and an open bar, while others skip dinner and the wedding cake and opt for appetizers or food trucks. One bride dreams of flowers draped over every surface. Another wants an allnight dance party with her favorite DJ. Couples are realizing that they can skip the cookie cutter weddings, break the rules and create a celebration that truly reflects who they are. This kind of joyful customization is a wedding trend Lee hopes is here to stay. “Thanks to Covid, guests have been reassured it’s okay to invite a smaller circle of friends instead of everyone they know to the wedding,” Lee says. “It’s more about celebrating their day and spoiling those who will be there to support the marriage and not just the party of a wedding. With a smaller guest count, budgets are allowing us planners the option to bring in 12 person bands, food and dessert trucks, lavish decor and florals or even a storybook ending of a horse and carriage ride.”
d e g a g n e e r ’ You ... now what?
Amy Lee shares her top tips for brides-to-be.
Book a Wedding Planner
“Always book a wedding planner. It’s saving you time, stress and money. I’m going to have that book of knowledge for you and save you the time of selecting which vendors you should look at. And a lot of the vendors will offer my clients special discounts or add-ons for no change, so I’m actually saving them money as well.”
Be Honest with Your Wedding Party
“Be up front with the costs and what you’re expecting them to invest in. There are costs you don’t want to surprise your wedding party with, especially for those brides you who are like, ‘I want to go to Vegas for my bachelorette party or go to Arizona and drive through the dessert with my wedding party.’ Tell them what to plan for. Then your wedding party will still be your friends at the end of it.”
Pin Down Your Style
“I always tell brides that once you’re engaged and trying to figure out your style, sit down with your favorite beverage and look at Pinterest. I give them key words like ‘modern wedding,’ ‘whimsical wedding,’ and ‘classic wedding.’ Once they start pinning, the algorithm will start pulling similar flowers, cakes, decorations and dresses. Then I go on in and look at their boards. It will visually help, not just with me, but with the florist and decorations.”
Make a Budget
“Create the budget with your wedding planner. If your parents are helping pay, have the meeting with both your parents and the wedding planner, because your parents are just as clueless as you are about how much things cost. If you’re a newly engaged couple and you call around and tell your parents it’s going to be $7,000 for the venue and they got married at city hall for 100 bucks, they’re not going to understand that that’s the norm.”
Plan Ahead Each bride’s storybook ending is as unique as she is. Amy Lee and Breathe and Relax Events will help her find it.
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:: areawomanmagazine.com
“Create your timeline when you are at least eight months out. If you want to get ahead of the game, you make it right away. See what time your hair and make-up is going to actually start. Do you have enough time with your photographer to accommodate what you want? Remember, it’s hard to do getting ready and sunset photos for a wedding in June, since it gets dark so late. So think about these types of timeline situations well in advance.” [ aw ]