What is a Wedding Planner: The Initial Consultation

Now booking weddings for December and 2013.  For a free initial consultation email or call, austinbudgetweddingplanner@gmail.com or 512-657-7209.  Wedding planning services no higher than $750!!

 Our babysitter has shown interest in the wedding planning industry and yesterday when she was watching the kids, I briefly explained to her what the job entails.  I got to thinking, there are a lot of people out there that just really don't understand what a wedding planner is or why you would hire one, so I decided to do a series of posts detailing the entire wedding planning process.  Of course, for those full service wedding planners the amount of work is dependent upon the time in which they are hired and how much they were hired for, but for this purpose and since I am now only doing day of service, we will discuss, in detail, the role of a day of wedding planner.
  After I am contacted by a bride, I immediately set up a free initial consultation.  This will take place at a convenient location, usually a coffee shop or something similar.  At this meeting the bride and I (and anyone else that might attend the meeting) sip on a beverage, munch on some snacks and talk about the wedding.  When I got married, I felt as if I was the only one that truly cared about the event and I'm sure I'm not the only bride that has felt that way.  I desperately wanted to talk about all my plans, but didn't want to bore my friends and family.  As a wedding planner, I care about the wedding nearly as much as the bride.  I want to know every detail, every vendor hired, every bridal party member, family dynamics, decor, and logistics.  I want to know it all and that is what we talk about at the initial consultation.  We start off by discussing the solid aspects; who, what, when, where, and why.  Who is in the wedding party and what other family members play an important role?  Are there any family dynamics I need to know about?  What is the look and feel you are wishing to establish at your wedding?  We'll then go through all of the vendors; we'll talk about who you've hired and who you still need to hire.  I'll ask questions about the vendors your still looking for so I will be able to point you in the right direction of a great match.  Do you like light and fluffy desserts or rich and decadent (for cake)?  What types of food do you and your fiance enjoy (for caterer)?  Are you modern in design styles or more romantic (florals)? Etc, Etc.  We'll go over a very informal agenda and talk about the flow of your wedding day.  We'll talk about your venue or discuss possible venues and talk about their guidelines and the amount of time your allowed for set-up and breakdown.  Then we'll discuss your budget...what are you willing to spend on and what are you willing to save on?  We'll wrap everything up with a discussion of my services and why you would hire a wedding planner.  It makes for a very fun day!  So if your ready to set up a free initial consultation, drop us an email....austinbudgetweddingplanner@gmail.com.

The Dos and Don'ts of DIY: Part Two- The Don'ts

Doing things yourself is a great way to personalize your wedding and save money, but what is appropriate for you and your family to take on and what projects will haunt your dreams and make your perfect wedding a disaster waiting to happen? Inspired by an article on theknot.com, here is a guideline to steer you in the right direction.

The Don'tsThe Cake- I think this one's a no brainer....it is SOOO easy to mess up a cake and SOOO difficult to fix it. There are so many stressers concerning taste, decorating, and transporting the cake that its just not worth it.

Photography- Photography along with videographery are the lasting impressions of your special day. Its important to get all of the shots that you need to remember every last detail. The only way to guarantee this is to hire the pros.

Coordinating- Your wedding is all about you! How can you be the guest of honor and the coordinator at the same time? Doing the coordinating yourself does not give you the oppurtunity to relax and be the bride. Instead of getting your makeup done, you will be wondering if your florals arrived on time. Not to mention that coordinators will be able to set-up and breakdown. Who wants to work on their wedding day?

Centerpieces- Okay, so I don't completely agree on this one. I think it is perfectly acceptible to do candle centerpieces and stems in vases. Anything that can be done before the wedding and set out by your coordinator is fine (especially if they supplement the big extavagant floral arrangements). With that said, you should leave large arrangements or anything else more complicated to the pros. Its just too much work for you to have to worry about.



Caterering- I think this one's another no brainer and most facilities will not allow you to do this. There is to much risk of contamination. Also, what it the food runs out? Who will be taking care of the serving and the bussing? Who will clean up and put away the left over?



Music-  Your entertainment is one of your most important vendors. Your DJ or band will make or break the party. They get your guests dancing and enjoying everything and they will make your wedding memorable. They know how to make announcements, direct your guests, and cover awkward moments. They will also be able to judge the crowd and cater towards their likes. If there's something that doesn't work, they can quickly change it and get the party going again. Not so with an iPod or a friend acting as a DJ.  Leave this one to the professionals.

For different ideas on the same topic go to
http://wedding.theknot.com/wedding-planning/diy-do-it-yourself-weddings/articles/diy-wedding-dos-and-donts.aspx

Featured in Tribeza: Royale and Anderson

Author: 

 S. Kuo

Images by: 

 Tyler Schmitt

Issue: 

 August 2010

Topic: 

 Austin Look Book

Date: 

 Thursday, September 1, 2011

For Royale Pence and Anderson Price there is much more to Valentine’s Day than kitschy cards, long stem roses, and boxes of chocolate. For them, the holiday marks their first date, the proposal, and their wedding. Although the pair met while they were both juniors at the University of Texas, they remained only friends until the spring of their senior year, when they had their first date, on Valentine’s Day. “That’s why the holiday is particularly important to us,” the bride explains. After a spontaneous, yet seemingly predestined proposal on Valentine’s Day of 2009 at Green Pastures, the two selected the Smith Family Chapel, where the bride attended services as a girl, for the ceremony. Staying true to tradition, the couple held the reception at Green Pastures, and the bride incorporated Valentine’s Day into the event. She explains, “I wanted to play up the Valentine theme but not in the typical pink and red, hearts and flowers way.” Instead, she perched a vintage Valentine’s card at each place setting, and used violet and silver in place of the conventional colors of love, accented by tasteful touches of lace, feathers, and rhinestones.

The Dos and Don'ts of DIY- Part One: The Dos

Now booking weddings for December and 2013.  For a free initial consultation email or call, austinbudgetweddingplanner@gmail.com or 512-657-7209.  Wedding planning services no higher than $750!!

Doing things yourself is a great way to personalize your wedding and save money, but what is appropriate for you and your family to take on and what projects will haunt your dreams and make your perfect wedding a disaster waiting to happen? Inspired by an article on theknot.com, here is a guideline to steer you in the right direction.

DIY Dos:1) Wedding Day Makeup:
Many of my brides are very leery about having a professional do their make-up. Who wants to look like a completely different person on the day of their wedding? Another option; have a trusted friend do your make-up for you.

2) Ceremony Decor:
Many times the ceremony site is already beautiful without additional decor. For a church you may only want to mark a few pews with ribbons and stems. You can even do mini pomanders. If you have an outdoor ceremony, nature is your decor. I would define the aisle with large candles in cylinders or petals, but a lot of decor is not necessary. For anything more I would leave it to the pros. I can't imagine a bride in a tree hanging flowers and votives three hours before the wedding. You should definitely include this decor in the reception area. Designate someone to transport before hand to make sure this task gets done.

3) Your Favors:
The work can be done a month before the wedding and this can easily add a personal touch. Procrastinators and busy brides beware: Creating favors can be laborious...I suggest having everything completed by two weeks before the wedding. You do not want to spend your last night of being a single women cutting, pasting, and filling favor boxes!

4) Your Invitations, Programs and Save-the-Dates:
Again, a project that will be completed months before the wedding. Now-a-days you can purchase price friendly invitation kits. I love the ones at Target! I also suggest vistaprint.com for save-the-dates, but remember to allow time for delivery.

For different ideas on the same topic go to
http://wedding.theknot.com/wedding-planning/diy-do-it-yourself-weddings/articles/diy-wedding-dos-and-donts.aspx

Stay tuned for Part 2: The Don'ts

Testimonial: Laura and Clark

I would highly recommend Rachel to any bride I know.  I wasn't planning on using a wedding coordinator because I didn't think it would fit in my budget, so I did a lot of the initial planning myself. Needless to say, Rachel stepped in at the perfect time! She helped me tie up all the loose ends, and worked out the timing of my wedding and the layout perfectly!

My wedding went off without a hitch, and I know it was due to Rachel and her team! She is very reasonably priced (much lower than other places in Austin I looked into), and she offers all the services they do! In my opinion, you get way more from her than you pay for. Rachel offers peace of mind to every bride, at an affordable price.

Elements-

Venue: Vista West Ranch

Flowers: Petal Pushers

Photography: DCM

Cakes: Old Pecan Street

Music: Parachute Adams

Wedding Planner: Rachel Stepanov

Real Weddings: Genevieve and Phillip

Now booking weddings for December and 2013.  For a free initial consultation email or call, austinbudgetweddingplanner@gmail.com or 512-657-7209.  Wedding planning services no higher than $750!!

Genevieve and Phillip were were such a fun couple adding great elements such as a red carpet photo shoot (photoboth set-up by Studio 563) and AMAZING food, complete with a mash potato bar, gourmet mac and cheese, and a selection of roasted turkey, salmon, prime rib, and much much more!









Elements:

Wedding Planner- Rachel Stepanov
Ceremony- St. Thomas Moore
Reception- Renaissance Glass Oaks Ballroom
Photography- Studio 563, Jenna Vincent
Florist- Bouquets of Austin, Becky
Hair/Makeup- Keep Austin Gorgeous
Rentals- Marquee
DJ- Altared Weddings
Videographer- Altared Weddings
Bakery- Simon Lee
Mariachis- Mariachi Estrella