Dream Day Radio : Wedding Planning Podcast

Our guest in this episode Patricia Jackson from ​​Ruban Bleu Weddings and Events in Dallas, Texas. Patricia loves seeing and making people happy. She’s a true believer in love and enjoys hearing other people’s love stories, which is what inspired her to get into the wedding industry.

Patricia emphasizes the importance of taking room to breathe during the wedding planning process. She has seen so many couples forget to do just that. Her greatest piece of advice is to take it one day at a time rather than trying to accomplish everything at once. It can be helpful to make lists and give yourself plenty of time to check off what needs to be done.

When you work with ​​Ruban Bleu, they act as your personal secretary. You let them know what you want, and they will follow up and find the right venue for you. They don’t add pressure or encourage making rash decisions. It’s your wedding, and Patricia ensures you take the time you deserve and choose wisely.

Patricia is only a phone call away for her clients. She’s a planner, a people-pleaser, and strives to think outside of the box to find solutions. As a wedding planner, it’s her job to breathe with the client when they are stressed and help them create the wedding day of their dreams. While doing so, she also helps you stay on budget so you can plan a wedding within your means.

A man contacted Ruban Bleu out of Louisiana, and although they are out of town, he really wanted to work with them. He had a vision of proposing to his partner outside, having the venue situated like a restaurant. They were able to find the perfect spot to bring this vision to life. She walked him through it every step of the way, including mirroring getting on one knee so he wouldn’t forget. It was one of the most memorable experiences of Patricia’s career.

What are common mistakes couples make when planning their wedding? That’s what we’ll discuss today. While there are many parts of a wedding that have the potential to go sideways, there are three common mistakes couples tend to make when planning their wedding ​​— especially when they don’t hire a wedding planner.

One major mistake is not realizing that when you don’t hire a wedding planner, you’ll have to do a lot of planning and coordinating on the day-of. If you really want to have more time to sit back and enjoy your big day, don’t try to do it all on your own. You should always ask for help from family and friends or hire a planner.

Another big mistake is booking your venue before you have a clear vision for your wedding day. The aesthetic of your venue will determine a lot about your wedding, so knowing what’s really important to you before you decide on a venue is a must. It will also influence the number of people you can invite. You should also make sure the wedding venue you choose keeps you aligned with your budget.

The third common mistake is feeling like your wedding has to follow certain traditions. As a couple, it helps to understand the flow of a typical wedding day. That said, you can always customize and tweak it in a way that feels more aligned with you.

Intentional thinking and questioning, like those found in the Your Pocket Wedding Planner, can help you gain clarity on your priorities. Use this tool to figure out what you want as an individual, and then come together with your partner to see what you agree on and where you’ll need to meet in the middle.

https://yourpocketweddingplanner.com/free-7-days-trial

On today’s episode of Dream Day Radio we’re joined by Brian Elliot, co-founder of Wove. Wove is on a mission to help you create the world’s best engagement ring by bringing you a personal, customizable experience. Couples can get a one-of-a-kind replica to try out their design before they buy.

This high-touch experience between couples and designers is collaborative and fun. While individuals are encouraged to shop with Wove, there is a growing trend for couples to go through the design process together. There’s flexibility, so you can approach the ring design and purchase whatever way works best for you.

The number-one mistake couples make when choosing an engagement ring is not bringing a team effort. This can cause unwanted stress on both sides. It’s important to lean into working together, not just on the ring design, but also as they move forward in life.

An interesting benefit of working with Wove is that you get to keep the replica you’re provided to test drive your ring style. This is perfect for bringing when you travel or in any other situation where you may want to keep your more expensive ring at home. Their bespoke engagement rings are similarly priced to brick-and-mortar stores. They accomplish this by offering made-to-order rings rather than holding inventory.

Ethical sourcing is the most important pillar of Wove as a business. Everything has to go through a rigid set of standards to ensure they meet fair labor and ethical requirements. Every step of creating these hand-crafted rings is fairly compensated for. It’s an old school notion that a single individual needs to choose the ring alone. Elliot loves watching the stress roll off of couples as they realize they can design their ring together.

https://yourpocketweddingplanner.com/free-7-days-trial

https://wovemade.com/?rfsn=6686686.403153&fbclid=IwAR03uNkHA1IWkYs20DaQyeteKRbiyXtIPuOAS3GeBJLRYiZ6bRuAjfmKlLE&fs=e&s=cl

In this episode you’re going to learn how to plan your wedding like a professional. You’ll discover three tips gathered over several years of watching over a hundred couples go through the process of getting married. Planning can be exciting at first, but can easily become overwhelming if you don’t have the right strategies in place.

The first tip is to get a clear vision on what you want before you start planning for your wedding day. You have to know what you want before you can get what you want. It’s important to define your dreams for the big day as clearly as possible, especially when it comes to your priorities. This should include effort by both partners to ensure you both get what you want.

Secondly, weddings are often the biggest financial commitment a couple makes together. This is all the more reason to stay very organized and on budget. If nothing else, create a separate checking account where all of your wedding purchases come out of. This will help you track every single expense related to your wedding.

Lastly, if you really want to plan your wedding like a pro, you need to start networking. Knowing the right people with the right experience will help you avoid mistakes along the way. Don’t be afraid to pick up the phone and ask your vendors tons of questions. If you’ve never planned a wedding before, it’s helpful to have as much support as you can along the way.

Planning a wedding can be intimidating, but with the right strategies, it can be made much easier and more fun.

https://yourpocketweddingplanner.com/free-7-days-trial

On this episode of Dream Day Radio we’re joined by “The Vow Whisperer” ​​Tanya Pushkine. Tanya has been helping couples deliver amazing vows for years and began pursuing this as a business professionally three years ago. She claimed the url and quit her corporate job to start her own business in the wedding industry.

The number one mistake Tanya sees couples make when planning their wedding is not thinking about their ceremony until the last minute. The ceremony is the reason why everyone is truly there, so it needs to be a priority. That said, ceremonies should be 30 minutes or less​​⁠—30 minutes of magical, memorable moments.

A fear of public speaking is very common, and this can make creating and reciting your vows really tough. Tanya works with her clients closely in writing and practicing their vows. She helps her clients cultivate confidence in speaking their own written words. This allows her clients to clearly convey their love and emotions during their ceremony.

Reciting vows is about so much more than what is simply written on a piece of paper. How you say the words matter too. You want to annunciate, avoid mumbling, project your voice, and stand tall. Tanya doesn’t just work with couples. She also officiates, works with other officiants, and also supports family members and friends who have an upcoming speech for a wedding. Ultimately, the couple should always have the final say and maintain control of planning their ceremony.

Tanya emphasizes planning as much ahead as possible for a blissful wedding. There are important details you don’t want to overlook, especially when it comes to your ceremony. To cap off the episode, Tanya shares one of her most memorable experiences working with a couple⁠—one that ended in a shocking twist. It’s a story you have to hear to believe.

www.thevowwhisperer.com

https://yourpocketweddingplanner.com/free-7-days-trial/

Looking for ways to save on your wedding day? If so, this episode is for you. The wedding industry does not necessarily emphasize planning within a budget, but if you know the best places to save, you can definitely find a way to create your dream wedding without going overboard on expenses.

One of the most important steps you should take in the beginning is determining your priorities as a couple. This may be different for each partner, and that’s okay. You can each honor what one another needs and wants. Being intentional will help you stay on track and plan the wedding you truly want.

Another tip is to book vendors for their smallest package. You can always upgrade if it’s absolutely necessary, whereas it’s more difficult to downgrade later down the road. By booking their smallest package, you know the vendor is yours and you can tailor your package from there. When possible, choose companies that send you DIY kits. Taking on some of the work yourself can save you quite a bit of money.

Stationery is another wedding must-have that can either cost you hundreds or thousands of dollars. Instead, try using Canva customizable templates. If you were to order customized stationary, it would cost you thousands of dollars. Designing and printing your own in Canva, using templates and printing them, only costs a couple hundred dollars.

Lastly, keep track of all of your expenses. You can even create a bank account specifically for wedding funds. Every transaction will be recorded in this account, so you can see exactly how much money is being spent and on what. Making your wedding money work for you is what it’s all about.

Find out on this episode of Dream Day Radio why I am so obsessed with weddings. I’m getting personal and deep about why they are my passion. Spoiler alert: it’s not all sunshine and rainbows. I didn’t even realize the answer to this question until I dug into the subconscious layers of my brain.

It took another business owner, photographer Stephanie Zakas, to help me unravel my why. Although it’s been a while since we’ve spoken, I can say that every time I talk to her, I learn something new about myself. Talking with her has helped me explore my childhood and how I felt isolated during it. I craved connection and close relationships, but ultimately, felt like I never fit in.

My mother died in a car accident when I was six-years-old. Her death was very traumatic and changed the course of my life forever. I had no confidence in myself and who I was, and I was terrified to talk to people. Even though my father remarried my first stepmom when I was young, I never felt like I wasn’t given the parental guidance I needed in childhood. I eventually moved in with my grandparents and resolved to start over.

At 20-years-old, I got married to someone I was not compatible with. It lasted for three years until I filed for divorce. Once I filed, I felt like I could breathe again. I wanted to believe in love, and I knew in my heart and soul there was someone out there who God created for me. I wouldn’t settle until I found that person. I may have made some mistakes along the way, but I’m grateful for where I am now. I prayed it would be obvious when I met my person, and it was.

My love for weddings stemmed from my loneliness as a child. I only ever wanted to feel seen and understood. Weddings remind me that love is good. When I can witness a couple’s heart at their wedding, I feel honored. It truly is a gift.

How should you create your guest list? Listen in as I discuss the essential starting point for assembling your guest list and keeping the stress out of the process.

It’s important before you book your venue to know the approximate size of your wedding and the number of guests. It can help you to put a lot of different things in order right from the beginning.

To start, brain dump every single guest you can think of that could be there. Write it all down in a document, using Google Docs or a similar service. Handwriting out everyone’s information is fine too, but using a computer program is going to make editing and copying that list a lot easier and clearer down the road.

Next up create categories for your guests. Groups like friends, family, and co-workers can help you visualize how big both sides of the wedding will be. This isn’t narrowing down the list, this is just so you can see how big both your and your partner’s guest lists are.

The third step is to imagine that you absolutely have to cut your existing list in half. Who would you keep on that list? You can even go further and restrict it to 40 people. This will help you to put into perspective who are the most important people at your wedding.

Now go through the list by category and ask yourself some questions. Have you spoken to this person in the last year? Do you see them outside of the workplace? Ask yourself these questions to get clarity on just how important they are to your wedding.

Instagram: @yourpocketweddingplanner

On this episode of Dream Day Radio, we’re talking with Melissa from WedBrilliant, a unique wedding planning service that helps you connect online with vendors. Melissa was inspired to create WedBrilliant after she struggled to find vendors for her out-of-state wedding. Not being there to vet or meet vendors was an obstacle, and WedBrilliant was created to bridge this gap.

Melissa describes WedBrilliant as a matchmaking service for wedding vendors and couples who are looking to plan their wedding. The goal of the service is to connect couples with vendors easily to make wedding planning as easy as possible. Once you know your date and your budget, you can begin finding the right vendors for you.

So many couples get engaged without realizing how much different vendors may cost. Melissa recommends staying within budget and allocating your funds based on where your priorities are as a couple. Book with vendors who understand your vision and share your goals for your wedding. Avoid giving into pressure or fear that vendors will book up, because it may lead you to book with vendors who are not well-suited to you.

The vendors on WedBrilliant are crowd-vetted and reviewed by real couples. When you get bids based on the service you’re looking for, you have the opportunity to check them out and decide if they are right for you. A sign of a great vendor is keeping the conversation focused on you, the couple (instead of focusing on themselves).

Melissa believes the secret to wedding planning bliss is sharing the burden. You shouldn’t feel like you have to take it all on by yourself. Asking for help from family, friends, and vendors is a normal part of the process, so don’t be afraid to delegate. When you take the stress out of wedding planning, you get to enjoy your engagement that much more.

Have you ever wondered what the secret is to making a solid, impactful speech? Today’s guest, Eddie Rice, can show you how. Eddie Rice is the author of Toast: Short Speeches, Big Impact, which is all about writing speeches that won’t bore or tire your audience. There is a fine art to crafting an amazing speech, and Eddie has tips to help you craft one.

About ten years ago, Eddie entered a humor speech competition. In the second round, Eddie bombed on stage. He felt deflated and defeated, but his mentor was there to encourage him. Despite this challenge, he kept going to Toastmasters, honing his public speaking skills, and slowly getting better. If you want to be a great speaker, you have to learn to turn these obstacles into positive experiences.

The number one mistake guests make during their wedding speech is turning their toast into a roast. Remember: it’s a wedding, not your stand-up debut. Don’t tell stories you shouldn’t or try to embarrass anyone. If you want to make your speech unique and memorable, find a book or song that’s unique to the couple and quote that at the end.

A great wedding speech starts with a simple outline. Eddie recommends using the one-story structure. All you have to do is introduce yourself, explain how you know who you’re toasting, say one great story to honor them, give some heartfelt advice, and then close with your personalized quote. It’s that easy.

When making a speech, keep it short, use stories, and put effort into your structure. Don’t forget to rehearse in advance for the best outcome. If you want to learn more about making a great speech, you can find Eddie’s book on Amazon and other online retailers.