"What’s really bothering me lately is I’m in a stress cycle over anticipating what might go wrong during our wedding weekend and wanting to proactively jump in and plan for those things.  What are some unexpected stress-points that we can be prepared for as much as possible?"

Do yourselves a favor - plan to be caught off guard by something on your wedding day! 

Next step, mentally prepare to brush it off in the moment so that you can be fully present and enjoy your wedding day.  

Survey 100 couples in the week after their wedding, and 97 of them will have multiple stories of things that went off the rails and/or not according to "The Plan".

The magic is in how you choose to react to the issue, combined with some tactical ways that you can be proactive and prepared. 

Tune in for the rundown on 7 common wedding day surprises that are shockingly easy to proactively plan for.  And stick around 'til the end for a handful of listener questions on moms, dress codes & more.

Cheers to being prepared!

PS:  From your engagement ring to your wedding day, you can protect your most cherished memories with BriteCo.  Visit brite.co/wedpod for a fast, free quote today and unlock peace of mind knowing that you're covered!

Enjoy a jam-packed show full of your wedding planning questions, including:

• What’s an ideal wedding planning timeline?
• How can we include family members who want to “help” with the wedding?
• Managing wedding planning stress,
• Inviting kids to the wedding?
• Cost-effective dessert options,
• Helping a younger bridesmaid feel included w/ the older girls,
• Are Bridal Expos worth it?  Should we go to one?
• How to chose our wedding theme?
• And soooo many more!

To submit questions for an upcoming show, visit weddingplanningpodcast.com

Enjoy!

The little dollar bill emoji with flapping wings is a great one-tap summary of planning a wedding.  Budgeting for expected expenses is hard enough, let alone all of the little unexpected stuff that sneaks in along the way!

Today we’re going to shine a light on 16 annoying + unexpected expenses that couples don’t plan for, so that you can adjust your budget early on and not be taken by surprise in the coming months.  

Full blog post for today's show can be found here.

Thank you for sharing the show with someone who is helping you plan!

Wedding questions, stories to share, or requests for a future episode?  I always have an open door and would love to hear from you >>> weddingplanningpodcast.com

Cheers to you! Kara

Engagement photos are an incredible opportunity to capture you & your fiancé in your happiest moments, and to share those images across your save the dates, your wedding website, holiday cards, and as decorations throughout your wedding celebration.

The thing is, choosing the perfect outfits, getting hair & make up just right so that you look incredible but still natural, and posing effortlessly can be much easier said than done!

Choosing what you’re going to wear and struggling through a last minute hair and makeup session an hour before you meet your photographer is not a great idea, to say the least.  

Neither is waiting until you show up to find out that your fiancé has the worst stage fright, and looks like Chandler from "Friends" (season 7, episode 5, The One with The Engagement Picture) because they suddenly can’t smile.  

Today on the WPP I have a handful of tricks and tips to make sure your engagement photo shoot is smooth, seamless, and yields those perfect shots that you’ve been dreaming of sharing with all of family, friends, and friends of friends.  

Tune in for so much more, and head over to the blog post for today's show for a full written recap & links:

www.weddingplanningpodcast.co/engagement-photos

Today we’re going to break down the complicated, sometimes messy process of crafting your wedding guest list.  BONUS, I have lots of your guest list questions to share along the way!

Tune in for a Wedding Guest List Step-By-Step guide that includes:

• An outline for getting started with your wedding guest list process,
• Smart Tips and benefits to running an "A List / B List" invitation tier system,
• How to manage non-invited Plus One's,
• Effective ways to trim your guest list,
• Managing family requests (demands) when it comes to who is invited,
• And so much more!

A detailed blog post for today's episode can be found here.

Thank you as always for inviting me to be a part of your engagement season!

Wedding questions, show requests, or feedback to share?  Find me here.

In today's bonus episode, we explore the risks of judging a wedding venue by the initial price tag.

Lots of budget savvy couples see their venue selection as a great opportunity to control costs and set the stage for major savings down the road.  This CAN be a great strategy … when approached the right way. 

The problem is that as we’re doing the research and gathering venue quotes, IMPULSE can take over.  What seems like a great deal on the surface can quickly spiral into a total money pit if you’re not careful.

Fact: All-inclusive venues pack a major sticker-shock factor. 

When you open that quote from an all-inclusive property and choke on your coffee - please know that you’re not alone.  

Maybe you’re intrigued by the flexibility and creativity that a more blank space, non-traditional / DIY venue can offer.  Combine this with a much lower initial price tag, and we have a perfect recipe for a magical solution to your venue and budget needs …. 

OR a situation where trying to save money on your venue can completely backfire and result in you spending more than you would have had you chosen the seemingly more expensive option to begin with. 

Yes, this topic is rich in irony.  

Tune in for a list of 6 major categories that you will need to have firm plans AND detailed pricing information for to determine if using a blank space wedding venue is actually worth it - or if you’d be better off going the all-inclusive route.

Written recap >>> weddingplanningpodcast.co/diyvenue

Submit your wedding questions & future show requests by visiting weddingplanningpodcast.co/contact

Talk soon!

Choosing your wedding venue is the most important decision you'll make throughout your wedding planning.  No pressure!

Not only is your wedding venue the centerpiece of your celebration, it's also likely the budget category where you'll invest the most money.  So it's ultra-important to make a careful, well-informed decision. 

Tune in to today's show for a detailed conversation that covers:

• The key wedding checklist items that are directly related to your venue, 
• How to set yourselves up for a successful venue search,
• Important questions to ask potential wedding venues,
• And finally, a smart guide to researching venues near you

For a written recap of today's episode, including printable guides to help you throughout your venue search, visit weddingplanningpodcast.co/wedding-venue-101

Submit your wedding planning questions here.  I have an open door, and would love to hear from you!

Loving the Wedding Planning Podcast?  Please share the show with anyone who's helping you plan, and any engaged friends & family ❤️

A huge thank you for your support, and thank you for inviting me to be a part of your engagement!

Cheers, Kara

Setting a realistic wedding budget that works for you is one of the first steps you’ll take after getting engaged - and ideally before making any big wedding decisions. 

So if you’re newly engaged (or maybe just need a wedding budget reset!), you’re in the right place. 

To streamline the process, today's show is a step-by-step guide on exactly how to create a realistic wedding budget that gives you plenty of space for all the things that you value the most.

Let’s face it, a wedding planning experience without ANY financial stress is unlikely.   Investing thousands of dollars in anything naturally comes along with doubts and anxiety. 

But I’m here to break things down into manageable pieces, so that you can have a stress-free financial plan in the months ahead!

Complete blog post for today's show >>> weddingplanningpodcast.co/wedding-budget

Whether you’re in the early stages of formulating your overall wedding vision, or you’ve got a specific wedding scenario you’d like to review, I have 1-on-1 Wedding Strategy calls available >>> Click here to learn more & book a call today

Get ready to explore the beautiful world of bridesmaid dress shopping!

Tune in & discover how you can enjoy a successful online bridesmaid dress shopping experience, including:

• Professional bridesmaid styling ideas, 
• Struggling with piecing together colors or patterns in a mismatch dress situation?  No worries!  Lulus free bridal concierge service makes the process 100% stress-free.
• The 5 KEYS to creating a cohesive visual palette with mismatched dresses, 
• The biggest benefits to mismatched bridesmaid dresses,
• And 3 HOT WEDDING TRENDS to be on the lookout for as we enter 2025.

Shop the 2025 Lulus Bridesmaid Collection here

Get free, one-on-one assistance from our expert team of bridal stylists with Lulus Bridal Concierge

My sister Kate's wedding, April 2022 - we coordinated our Lulus dresses from California, Maine, Canada, British Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico - if we can do it, anyone can!! 😅

Today we're joined by Lulus Senior Buyer, Cher Irlandez.  Cher has been with Lulus for 5.5 years, and recently got married in her hometown of Las Vegas.  Her experience in the fashion industry as both a Developer and Buyer, along with her own recent bridal journey, gives her a unique perspective that I’m really excited to share with you.

Trust me, I know that wedding planning can be stressful, overwhelming, and a complete PITA at times.   

That's why I compiled a list of 40 uplifting wedding planning affirmations for you to tune in to any time you need a mental wedding refresh:

• Our wedding celebration will be a perfect reflection of us.

• I commit my attention to our top priorities & tune out the rest.

• We cannot control the actions or inactions of others.

• A meaningful wedding is within reach.

• I chose love over anger.

• I let go of feeling judged by others.

• We are becoming a stronger couple throughout our engagement journey.

• We are worthy of a meaningful wedding celebration.

• A beautiful wedding does not have to cost a lot of money.

• I chose gratitude.

• We do not need to invite everyone we know to the wedding.

• Our decisions are perfect for us.

• I release all negative thoughts about our budget.

• There is no space for overwhelm in my engagement journey.

• Tune in for so many more!

You made it all the way here??  You deserve a BONUS ... within the bonus! 

Here's a list of 50 Budget Items Couples Fail To Plan For, so that you can have them on your radar as you move ahead into your engagement.

I hope you LOVED the Engagement Starter Kit. 

There's SO much more to come ;)

We'll talk again soon!

Cheers, Kara

Need more?  Book a 1-on-1 Wedding Strategy Call here.