Almost to the Aisle - Wedding Planning Podcast

Listen... no one really likes talking about money, especially when it's not unlimited. But determining your wedding budget is a crucial step of the planning process.

In this episode of the Almost to the Aisle Wedding Planning Podcast, professional wedding planners Kimberly Rhodes and Julian Leaver discuss the wedding budget and share some budgeting tips they use with their own full service planning clients. Listen in as these two professional planners dive into some of the things to consider as you're putting together numbers for your wedding budget.

In this episode, listeners will hear about:

• The importance of setting a wedding budget in the early stages of wedding planning
• Food and beverages minimums from venues and what the numbers really mean
• What every couple should ask for from a venue that also provides catering in order to determine the real costs
• What costs the planners often exclude from the overall wedding budget
• The percentages that the reception costs make up of the overall budget and why the planners' percentages differ from what you might find online
• Hear more about how the guest list affects the budget in Episode 9: The Guest List Drives Everything

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One of the hardest things to do when planning a wedding is figuring out the guest list. But it's one of the first and most important decisions of the wedding planning process. 

In this episode of the Almost to the Aisle Wedding Planning Podcast, professional wedding planners Kimberly Rhodes and Hannah Kohler chat about the guest list and how it determines so many other decisions of the wedding planning process. Listen in as these two wedding planning pros share their thoughts on things to consider as you're making the list of your nearest and dearest.

In this episode, listeners will hear about:

• The elements of the wedding that are affected by the guest list, including the budget and venue size
• Things to consider when making cuts to the guest list
• Who should have a say in the guest list
• Suggestions for who should get a plus one
• Percentages of guest acceptance rates and factors that can affect it
• Who to include on the Save the Date

Selecting a venue is one of the biggest decisions of the wedding planning process. If it's too small for your anticipated guest count, it's going to be uncomfortable. And if it's too big, you'll either have to spend more money on decor to transform the space or it may end up feeling empty. In this episode of the Almost to the Aisle Wedding Planning Podcast, professional wedding planners Kimberly Rhodes and Luke Wilson talk about venue capacities and things to know before you just go off that chart on the venue's website. Listen in as these two wedding planning pros share their best tips for things to know and things to ask about a venue's capacity before signing on the dotted line.

In this episode, listeners will hear about:

• Venue capacity charts and why what a venue can fit in the space is not always what should fit in the space
• Elements of a wedding that can affect the space needed, including dance floors, band stages, bars, and food stations
• What to ask for after a venue site visit to better understand the space
• The planners' thoughts on RSVP rates and the numbers you can invite, knowing that there likely won't be 100% attendance

If it's rainy, windy, too cold, or even too hot, weather can wreak havoc on even the best laid out wedding plans. In this episode of the Almost to the Aisle Wedding Planning Podcast, professional wedding planners Kimberly Rhodes and Mary Wright Shah chat about back-up plans for inclement weather. If you're considering an outdoor ceremony, reception, or both, it's important to come up with a plan should the weather not cooperate. 

In this episode, listeners will hear about:

• What a back-up weather plan is and who needs one
• When couples should start thinking about their Plan B (Hint... It's not when it starts raining on your wedding day!)
• The additional costs that can be associated with a Plan B (including tenting, flooring, draping, and lighting)
• The types of personalities that should consider an indoor only wedding, so they don't have to worry about weather being a factor

In this episode of the Almost to the Aisle Wedding Planning Podcast, professional wedding planners Kimberly Rhodes and Julian Leaver discuss Pinterest and the best ways to use it for your wedding. While this search engine can be a great source of inspiration, it can also be overwhelming, but in this episode you'll hear how it can be useful for those planning a wedding. After listening, you'll certainly have a new appreciation for using Pinterest as a wedding planning tool.

In this episode, listeners will hear about:

• Kimberly's love/hate relationship with Pinterest and how she wishes there were price tags associated with photos
• Julian's advice for using Pinterest for both inspiration and as a design board
• The importance of finding an advocate who can help you curate your Pinterest board
• Who should have access to your Pinterest board and pin along with you
• Updating your Pinterest board with detailed descriptions
• How many different boards you should have for your wedding

In this episode of the Almost to the Aisle Wedding Planning Podcast, you'll hear host and professional wedding planner Kimberly Rhodes introduce one of the ATTA planners, Hannah Kohler. After being introduced to the event world while interning with a publishing company, Hannah fell in love with the wedding industry and never looked back. Get to know Hannah and her wedding planning background in this introductory episode of the podcast.

In this episode, listeners will hear about:

• Hannah Kohler's background and how she got started in the wedding industry, including a stint as an intern for one of the other Almost to the Aisle planners
• Hannah's own wedding planning experience as she is also a Covid bride
• A little bit about Hannah's wedding planning company Brooks and Barnes
• Hannah's biggest tip for planning a wedding

In this episode of the Almost to the Aisle Wedding Planning Podcast, you'll hear host and professional wedding planner Kimberly Rhodes introduce one of the ATTA planners, Luke Wilson. After a start creating wedding cakes, Luke seamlessly transitioned into event planning and now serves both the Dallas and Charleston markets as well as destination events. Get to know Luke in this introductory episode of the podcast.

In this episode, listeners will hear about:

• Luke Wilson's background and experience in cakes, catering, and events prior to launching his own luxury planning company
• A little bit about Luke's wedding planning company Luke Wilson Events
• Luke's biggest tip for planning a wedding

In this episode of the Almost to the Aisle Wedding Planning Podcast, you'll hear host and professional wedding planner Kimberly Rhodes introduce one of the ATTA planners, Mary Wright Shah. With a background in hotel catering and sales, followed by a stint working with an established wedding company, Mary had extensive event experience prior to launching her own successful business. Get to know Mary in this introductory episode of the podcast.

In this episode, listeners will hear about:

• Mary Wright Shah's background and experience prior to launching her own luxury planning company
• A little bit about Mary's wedding planning company Diamond Affairs Weddings & Special Events
• Mary's biggest tip for planning a wedding

In this episode of the Almost to the Aisle Wedding Planning Podcast, you'll hear host and professional wedding planner Kimberly Rhodes introduce one of the ATTA planners, Julian Leaver. With a wealth of experience in wedding planning, catering sales and management, Julian shares his background and gives a sneak peek of the education and entertainment to come in future podcast episodes.

In this episode, listeners will hear about:

• Julian Leaver's background and how he got into the wedding industry after many twist and turns
• A little bit about Julian's wedding planning company Julian Leaver Events
• Julian's biggest tip for planning a wedding

Welcome to the introductory episode of the Almost to the Aisle Wedding Planning Podcast with host and professional wedding planner Kimberly Rhodes.

In this episode, listeners will hear about:

• The podcast host Kimberly Rhodes and how she got into the wedding industry
• A little bit about Kimberly's wedding planning company Hitched Events
• Almost to the Aisle's month-of wedding coordination concept
• What to expect from the Almost to the Aisle podcast
• Kimberly's biggest tip for planning a wedding, whether you're working with a wedding planner or not