"Why can't you just tell me the price???"

Have you been victim of a vendor who insists on a lengthy meeting before they will provide you a price range for their services?  This can be incredibly annoying when you are simply trying to determine if something is within your budget, or not.

I have some advice for navigating this frustrating situation, including a copy / paste script for your inquiry emails:

Hi, we are very motivated to choose a photographer {insert service here} for our {insert date here} May 2027 wedding.  {insert how you found them, what sparked your interest}.  Will you kindly share your package options and pricing?  

If the response indicates that you need to book a meeting / call for more info, then simply send a firm response:

Out of respect for both of our time, I need to confirm your pricing range before moving forward.  

Simple, right?

Stick around for a handful of listeners questions, including a convo on how much to tip which vendors.  Spoiler alert - it's NOT an automatic 20% to your entire vendor team.

Wedding questions or show topics you'd like to hear more about?  I have an open door, and would love to hear from you! >>> weddingplanningpodcast.co/contact

Talk soon!

Kara

Today on the Wedding Planning Podcast, we’re joined by a very special guest, Tanya Pushkine from The Vow Whisperer.

Tanya  offers professional vow writing support, officiant services, and even wedding ceremony production support, including public speaking coaching.   Tanya will guide you through exactly how to put your heart into words, resulting in crafted wedding vows that are truly meaningful to you & you partner.

Tune in for a behind-the-scenes tour of her process, best practices for creating your wedding vows and ceremony flow, and so much more.

To learn more about working with Tanya, please visit The Vow Whisperer website linked here, and follow her on social media @thevowwhisperer.

Tune in for the most common wedding weekend planning mistakes I see couples make as they formulate the details of a multi-day, multi-event wedding celebration.

In this episode, we highlight 6 common planning mistakes, including:

• Feeling intimidated by the COST of hosting multiple events,
• Trying to accommodate ALL of your guests perfectly (spoiler alert - it's not possible, so don't even try!)
• Failing to consider the endless creative possibilities for food & drinks before committing to an overpriced & underwhelming caterer,
• Not communicating clearly with your guests before, during, and after your wedding weekend experience,
• Getting OVERWHELMED and losing sight of your most important priorities,
• Relying on a DOC to organize and manage things that are not actually their responsibility

Today's highlighted planning mistakes come from couples who I've worked with inside Wedding Weekend By Design, my 6-STEP PLANNING FRAMEWORK that's incredibly easy to follow, and works with any budget, any timeline, and any hosting format. 

For a limited time, Wedding Weekend by Design is available to Apple Premium Subscribers - for FREE!  To access the full planning package, simply subscribe to WPP Premium in your Apple Podcast feed.

Not an Apple user?  No problem.  Head to weddingweekend.co for all the details.

Inside WWBD, I'll show you exactly how to:

• Design your master schedule,
• Budget for various events & pre-parties,
• Find the best venue to fit your vision,
• Uncover creative options & workarounds for food & drinks, 
• Get and stay organized, and make an airtight communication plan,
• And you'll even have access to sample wedding weekend schedules & menus so that you can get inspired by what other couples have done!

I can’t wait to see you inside  Wedding Weekend By Design!

Cheers, Kara

Over the course of 11 YEARS in the wedding industry, I've seen literally thousands of weddings unfold ... and all of them together have given me the priceless gift of HINDSIGHT.

In wedding planning, hindsight is literally a super power - so I've packaged mine up to share with you in today's brand new show featuring your Wedding Weekend planning questions!  

We're going to unpack, decode, and get to the bottom of your questions, including:

• How should we go about offering onsite cabins / rooms to guests in an order that makes sense?
• We’re torn between 2 very different "wedding weekend" visions - how do we decide?
• What are some tips for trying to pace events so we don’t feel overwhelmed? 
• My fiance and I have totally different visions for how to stock our own bar.  He wants to basically recreate a top-shelf situation with all the liquors and mixers, and I see more of a simplistic set up of beer, wine, maybe a signature cocktail.  Your thoughts?
• How can I get over feeling like we need to please everyone?

Today's highlighted questions come from couples who have followed Wedding Weekend By Design, my 6-STEP PLANNING FRAMEWORK that's incredibly easy to follow, and works with any budget, any timeline, and any hosting format. 

For a limited time, Wedding Weekend by Design is available to Apple Premium Subscribers - for FREE!  To access the full planning package, simply subscribe to WPP Premium in your Apple Podcast feed.

Not an Apple user?  No problem.  Head to weddingweekend.co for all the details.

Inside WWBD, I'll show you exactly how to:

• Design your master schedule,
• Budget for various events & pre-parties,
• Find the best venue to fit your vision,
• Uncover creative options & workarounds for food & drinks, 
• Get and stay organized, and make an airtight communication plan,
• And you'll even have access to sample wedding weekend schedules & menus so that you can get inspired by what other couples have done!

I can’t wait to see you inside Wedding Weekend By Design!

Cheers, Kara

I’m willing to bet that you’ve heard from all your newlywed friends & family that their wedding day "came and went in the blink of an eye." 

The beautiful news is that your wedding celebration doesn’t have to RUSH BY IN A TOTAL BLUR.

Today on the Wedding Planning Podcast, I’m bringing on a very special guest to share the details of exactly how she designed a wedding celebration that left her saying this:

"I always get to look back and say that it was the most incredible 4 days of my life."

To go along with our conversation today, I‘m incredibly excited to introduce Wedding Weekend by Design, a digital planning package that walks you through a simple, 6-step framework to designing your perfect wedding weekend celebration ...

... so that when we flash forward a few months, you’re echoing what Kate just said - and not left feeling like you missed out, and it was all over in the blink of an eye.

For a limited time, Wedding Weekend by Design is available to Apple Premium Subscribers - for FREE!  To access the full planning package, simply subscribe to WPP Premium in your Apple Podcast feed.

Not an Apple user?  No problem.  Head to weddingweekend.co for all the details.

The intuitive planning framework inside WWBD is designed to proactively steer you clear of the mistakes I see couples make over & over again, so that you can design your entire wedding weekend with CONFIDENCE + EASE.

You’ll enjoy a 6-STEP PLANNING FRAMEWORK that's incredibly easy to follow, and works with any budget, any timeline, and any hosting format. 

I'll show you exactly how to:

• Design your master schedule,
• Budget for various events & pre-parties,
• Find the best venue to fit your vision,
• Uncover creative options & workarounds for food & drinks, 
• Get and stay organized, and make an airtight communication plan,
• And you'll even have access to sample wedding weekend schedules & menus so that you can get inspired by what other couples have done.

I can’t wait to see you there!

 Cheers, Kara

Today on the Wedding Planning Podcast, we're exploring your top wedding questions, including:

• Ideal number of wedding party members / pro’s & con’s of larger vs. smaller group?

• What are your thoughts on doing a first look vs. waiting for the more traditional moment when I walk down the aisle?

• Inviting kids to the wedding - does it have to be “all or nothing?”  Babysitting options?

• OK to assign seats for the ceremony?  Divorced parents on my side and want to keep them separated.

• Including family & friends who want to help, but I don’t really know what to ask them to do.  What are some easy items to delegate?

• Etiquette involved w/ planning at the same time as my close friend?  Things are already overlapping and I’m feeling really frustrated

• What's the actual cost difference between hosting a wedding on a weekday vs. a weekend?

Submit your wedding planning questions anytime by visiting weddingplanningpodcast.co/contact

Talk soon!

Kara

They say hindsight is 20/20, and today on the Wedding Planning Podcast I'm sharing the top money spending regrets that married couples have.

It's really easy to get swept up in dozens of "must-have's" during your engagement - but after today's episode, you'll think twice about these wedding expenses.

Questions or topics you'd like to hear more on?  Please be in touch!  weddingplanningpodcast.co/contact

Talk soon, Kara

My inbox is full of your wedding planning questions, including:

• Are wedding fairs worth the time?

• How to pick a DJ?  No idea where to start!

• My dress is very heavy, with a dramatic long train.  Should I consider a separate reception dress for dancing? >>> My fave site for reception party dresses >>> Lulus.com

• What are your thoughts on a NYE wedding?  We love the symbolism of beginning our lives together at the start of a new year, but the logistics of actually planning for NYE seems hard. 

• Struggling with creating a core wedding vision and building out from there.  I feel like we have so many ideas, but none of them are cohesive or go together.  Is there an easy place to start that I am simply missing?

• What’s a quick list of things to prioritize when shopping for venues?

• What are “hidden fees” to look out for with any venue or vendors?

• How do I specify number of people invited to the wedding when addressing the invitation envelope?

>>> Be in touch anytime with your wedding questions by visiting weddingplanningpodcast.co/contact

Talk soon!

Kara

Creating a simple, info-packed WEDDING WEBSITE is the easiest, most hassle free way to easily share information with your wedding guests.  Join me today for a detailed wedding planning workshop on exactly how to create an amazing wedding website - zero technical skills required! 

To get started, choose your wedding website design from an incredible community of independent artists & designers when you visit Minted Weddings.

FREE Minted wedding websites include all the tools you need to get started, and you’ll even receive a $50 credit towards your wedding stationery when you visit www.weddingplanningpodcast.co/website.

In today's show, we're covering what to include on your website, what not to include, and lots of priceless details on how to leverage this incredible tool to MAKE YOUR LIFE EASIER over the coming months.  

I also have a really fun & interactive extension of your website that will make connecting with your guests a breeze between now & wedding day.

Even if you’ve already got a wedding website up & running, I hope you’ll stick around for today’s conversation -

I have lots of important website elements to share that many couples miss, and I want you to be able to leverage your wedding website to your FULL ADVANTAGE over the next few months ... making your life easier, and of course, your guests’ lives easier as well!

A quick outline of what we're going to cover in today's meeting:

• Home Page

• Events

• Travel & Accommodations

• FAQ Page

• Your Story

• Wedding Party

• RSVP Details

• Links to your registry

• & don't miss my BONUS TIP for keeping in close contact with your wedding guests throughout the coming months via a private Facebook Group!  Here's a link that explains exactly how to set one up.

You’ve done months (maybe even YEARS) of wedding planning & preparation, and the big day is finally almost here!

Last stop?  Rehearsal dinner.

This week we’re reviewing everything you need to know for planning & hosting this extra special night with your family & friends.

We cover everything from the ceremony rehearsal itself to practical tips for hosting your loved ones afterwards.

DETAILED BLOG POST HERE --> www.weddingplanningpodcast.co/rehearsal

Naturally, I have a ton of creative alternatives to taking 50 of your closest friends & family out to eat at a nice restaurant ($$$).  Beyond just saving money, we’ll also cover:

• When to start planning (hint - it might be earlier than you think!)
• Personality-packed options for location and food selection
• Tips for keeping the night on pace and organized
• And meaningful touches that will be remembered beyond the wedding day.

This topic is so dear to me - I remember our rehearsal dinner as one of the most special nights of my life.  We grilled chicken, steak & veggies with our friends & family on the property where we got married, had all the fave drinks flowing, and a curated list of our favorite songs turned way up.  We laughed, talked & celebrated long past sunset, and it was an absolutely magical night. 

I wish all the same for you!

xo, Kara

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!