Wedding Planning Podcast

Tune in to this bonus episode for a list of "10 Things To Do After Getting Engaged" -

The days & weeks after saying "YES!" are a whirlwind of fun & excitement. From sharing the news with your loved ones, flashing that ring every chance you get, and dreaming of cakes and dresses, you're definitely at the start of an unforgettable time in your lives ...

And I couldn't be more honored to be a part of it. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for including me in your engagement journey.

I LOVE sharing free resources and weekly shows with you, but nothing can replace the personalized quality and value of working together, one-on-one.

That's why I offer completely personalized, one-on-one wedding strategy calls to support you throughout your engagement.

I've been a wedding industry visionary for 14 years, and trust me when I say that I've seen & heard it all ... and the great news is that there is always a creative solution or workaround waiting to be discovered.

Book just one call to get a few specific questions squared away, or book a series of calls for ongoing support throughout your engagement:

In this bonus workshop, we'll explore exactly how to get started defining - and refining - your wedding vision.

This is a valuable exercise that I would love for you & your partner to do separately, then come together to compare what each of you saw.

I don't expect that anyone will have all the answers the first time, or see every single last detail in crystal clear focus.

The point isn't to get it "right" on the first try, but rather to begin to clear your mental slate and give your imagination the space to roam towards a wedding celebration that's perfect for the two of you.

This means clearing all negative beliefs, expectations, or wedding experiences you've had up to this point. IT'S TIME FOR A FRESH START!

There's a PDF available for you to record your thoughts here >>> Your Wedding Vision.pdf

It's no secret that weddings have changed A LOT over the past couple of years. It's finally time to embrace an updated planning strategy that prioritizes & honors YOU.

That's why I offer completely personalized, one-on-one wedding strategy calls to support you throughout your engagement. I LOVE sharing free resources and weekly shows with you, but nothing can replace the personalized quality and value of working together, one-on-one.

I've been a wedding industry visionary for 14 years, and trust me when I say that I've seen & heard it all ... and the great news is that there is always a creative solution or workaround waiting to be discovered.

Book just one call to get a few specific questions squared away, or book a series of calls for ongoing support throughout your engagement:

From nightmare meetings with wedding planners, to renting a mansion & our "DIY" heavy approach, in this bonus episode you'll hear the full details of my own wedding planning journey.

The couples who give up on the new approach to planning that we focus on here on the Wedding Planning Podcast will likely stay stuck exactly where I was in the story I'm sharing today, after meeting with the awful 3rd wedding planner.

They'll do exactly what most couples do, and freak out over how much there is to do, how much things cost, and how complicated it feels to go off the beaten path …

They'll cave when someone is critical of a fun idea, and pull back when they feel judged for something that they did or didn't do. John and I faced skeptical, judge-y eyes too many times to count throughout our entire planning process - but that's another story, for another time.

And they'll fall back to the status quo wedding planners, the big corporate websites, and the free checklists to plan a cookie cutter wedding for them, without ever even knowing the priceless opportunity that has slipped away.

The opportunity to design the wedding that YOU actually want, and to share a once-in-a-lifetime experience with your loved ones that leaves a lasting sense of love & connection for decades to come.

And to miss out on that, is quite simply, heartbreaking.

But here's the final, most important part of this very long email:

Unforgettable, life-changing weddings don't just "happen".

They don't just magically arise from the mountain of printouts and free checklists, and magazines, budget calculators and Pinterest boards and reels that you consume on loop.

And just having a wedding vision isn't enough, without continued support, encouragement, and ongoing direction.

So my wish for you is these three things:

• The patience to let your wedding vision fully unfold,

• The courage and confidence to trust in your vision, and let it guide all of your decisions, big & small,

• And the support and encouragement that I promise to bring each week to our time spent together.

Thank you so much for being here today, and thank you for inviting me to be a part of such a special time in your lives - it means the world to me.

Cheers, Kara

Here inside the Engagement Starter Kit, you'll find everything you need to plan a simple, meaningful, and affordable wedding.

The four episodes released this week - that's just the beginning! Coming up next week (available now to Apple Premium Subscribers), you'll enjoy four more "Engagement Starter Kit" Bonus Resources, carefully crafted to help you going forward:

• Bonus Workshop: Clarifying Your Wedding Vision
• A detailed version of my engagement story, including ALL the ups & downs we experienced,
• An "Ultimate Engagement Checklist" with 10 steps to getting started with your plans
• And an audio version of 40 uplifting wedding affirmations / mantras for when things get stressful + overwhelming!

And don't forget, there are over 50 free episodes of the Wedding Planning Podcast available to you anytime, anywhere your busy life takes you. Simply visit your favorite podcast player, and be sure to follow the WPP for a new episode every Wednesday.

It's no secret that weddings have changed A LOT over the past couple of years. It's finally time to embrace an updated planning strategy that prioritizes & honors YOU.

That's why I offer completely personalized, one-on-one wedding strategy calls to support you throughout your engagement. I LOVE sharing free resources and weekly shows with you, but nothing can replace the personalized quality and value of working together, one-on-one.

I've been a wedding industry visionary for 14 years, and trust me when I say that I've seen & heard it all ... and the great news is that there is always a creative solution or workaround waiting to be discovered.

Book just one call to get a few specific questions squared away, or book a series of calls for ongoing support throughout your engagement:

Thank you for being here, and thank you for your support of the Wedding Planning Podcast. It's a huge honor to be a part of such a special time in your lives, and I am very grateful for the opportunity to help shape your dream wedding!

Cheers, xo Kara

You're a couple who values informed choices, intentional decisions, and ACTIONS that are in complete alignment with who you are and what you value most.

And at this point in the Engagement Starter Kit series, you know the importance of a well-defined wedding vision that honors your personal priorities and values.

But how do you tie it all together within a carefully designed wedding planning strategy when it comes down to actually making important wedding decisions like hiring vendors, choosing entertainment, and selecting your guests?

In this episode, uncover how to:

• CONFIDENTLY MAKE INFORMED DECISIONS about all of your wedding elements, big & small. Whether it's choosing something as big as your venue, or as small as guest favors, this new way of planning will guide you step-by-step to trust your intuition as you select the best options for YOU.

• SEE ALL OF YOUR OPTIONS CLEARLY when you adopt a "behind-the-scenes" point of view that shows you the inner workings of wedding product & service pricing, contracts, timelines, and more.

• USE THE 3 KEYS TO TAKE ACTION that is always in complete alignment with who YOU are, and what YOU value. And yes, that includes saying NO to anything that doesn't align with your vision & priorities!

It's no secret that weddings have changed A LOT over the past couple of years. It's finally time to embrace an updated planning strategy that prioritizes & honors YOU.

That's why I offer completely personalized, one-on-one wedding strategy calls to support you throughout your engagement. I LOVE sharing free resources and weekly shows with you, but nothing can replace the personalized quality and value of working together, one-on-one.

I've been a wedding industry visionary for 14 years, and trust me when I say that I've seen & heard it all ... and the great news is that there is always a creative solution or workaround waiting to be discovered.

Book just one call to get a few specific questions squared away, or book a series of calls for ongoing support throughout your engagement:

There's a very powerful shift that happens when your engagement season AND your wedding celebration centers around your values & priorities … and nothing else.

Welcome to Part Two of the Engagement Starter Kit Bonus Series from the Wedding Planning Podcast!

In this episode, discover exactly how to:

• CREATE A VIVID, SHARED VISION of your wedding celebration.

• INTENTIONALLY DISCUSS YOUR VALUES + PRIORITIES with your partner.

• TRANSLATE YOUR VALUES INTO ACTION for every single strategical decision you make throughout your engagement.

• PRIORITIZE CONNECTION AND SHARED EXPERIENCE over the never ending list of "stuff" that you find on traditional wedding checklists.

It's no secret that weddings have changed A LOT over the past couple of years. It's finally time to embrace an updated planning strategy that prioritizes & honors YOU.

That's why I offer completely personalized, one-on-one wedding strategy calls to support you throughout your engagement. I LOVE sharing free resources and weekly shows with you, but nothing can replace the personalized quality and value of working together, one-on-one.

I've been a wedding industry visionary for 14 years, and trust me when I say that I've seen & heard it all ... and the great news is that there is always a creative solution or workaround waiting to be discovered.

Book just one call to get a few specific questions squared away, or book a series of calls for ongoing support throughout your engagement:

"The more thought & intention you put into your wedding plans throughout your engagement, the richer your wedding celebration will be."

Should we hire a WEDDING PLANNER / Day of Coodinator? 

In today's workshop-style meeting, we’re going to review a list of critical guidelines to keep in mind as you tackle this super important part of your engagement journey. 

A full show recap (AND a sneak peek into next week's episode!) can be found in this blog post >>> weddingplanningpodcast.co/hiring-a-wedding-planner

A special thank you for supporting this week's show sponsors, who make these free wedding workshops possible!

Get professional help planning your dream honeymoon when you email [email protected] . Don't forget to mention the Wedding Planning Podcast for $50 off your honeymoon OR $200 off your destination wedding!

FREE Wedding Websites designed by independent artists?  Yes please! 

Get started building your free wedding website today when you visit weddingplanningpodcast.co/minted.  Even better?  You'll also receive a $50 credit towards wedding stationary when you use a Minted Weddings website - no code needed!

Today we’re going to chat about a handful of ways when trying to "save" money on your wedding can totally BACKFIRE. 

Aside of college educations, new homes and new cars, your wedding likely has one of the biggest price tags you’ve ever paid. You’re spending tens of thousands of dollars - of course you’re trying to save money when possible!

FULL BLOG POST HERE >>> www.weddingplanningpodcast.co/wedding-pitfall

In today's show, let’s explore some common areas of wedding planning where couples to try to cut a corner, save some money, leave something out, and then sadly have it backfire in terms of lost money, lost time, lost sanity - and sometimes all three.

If you find yourselves at a cost-saving opportunity crossroads and you don’t know which way to turn, I have some smart questions to ask yourselves, and potential vendors, that I hope will guide you towards making the best decisions for you and your wedding day.

So when you find yourself wondering, hmmmmm ... should we cut that corner? What are the potential outcomes or pitfalls that might come of it? Hopefully after today’s show, you’ll have some solid answers to some of the most common situations, so that you can make the best decision for you.

For one wedding, that might mean hiring a photographer off craigslist for $500. For another couple, that will NEVER be an option that’s on the table. And you know what? Both sides are totally fine ;)

Full blog post available at www.weddingplanningpodcast.co/wedding-pitfall

A special thank you to today's show sponsors:

Take advantage of expert travel planning services for your all-inclusive, cruise, or exotic honeymoon AND get $50 off when you book!  Simply email [email protected] to get started.

This week on the Wedding Planning Podcast, we're going to sort out some common misconceptions and FAQ's about wedding planners and day of coordinators. 

Today's show is a de facto "Part II" from last week's conversation, where we ran through a general overview of hiring a planner and / or DOC.

When I got married, I wasted a lot of time researching and interviewing planners before I realized that A.) I didn’t HAVE to hire anyone, and B.) John and I had all the tools we needed to plan OUR perfect wedding day.

And side note, shocker - obviously, none of the wedding planners I interviewed ever mentioned to me, hey by the way, did you know that you could actually just do this on your own?  

Thankfully I came around to that, but it took lots of wasted effort and stress to get there.

Flash forward to today - I literally created the Wedding Planning Podcast so that any engaged couple could tune in and use the episodes and the tools we review in the weekly shows to plan their own wedding - no professional or pricey wedding planner required. 

Spoiler alert before we even dive in - I definitely DO NOT think you have to spend thousands of dollars to hire a professional wedding planner! 

Some alternatives?  Try checking out the sites we mentioned in today's show, including your local Craigslist postings, Thumbtack.com,  taskrabbit.com and fiverr.com

I also know that there are countless wonderful wedding planning professionals out there, and for some couples it’s a really smart investment … and we’ll get into all of that that much more in today’s show.

Click here for the full blog post from today's show.

A special thank you for supporting our valued show sponsors who made this week’s free episode possible!

Get professional help planning your dream honeymoon when you email [email protected] . Don't forget to mention the Wedding Planning Podcast for $50 off your honeymoon OR $200 off your destination wedding!

FREE Wedding Websites designed by independent artists?  Yes please! 

Get started building your free wedding website today when you visit weddingplanningpodcast.co/minted.  Even better?  You'll also receive a $50 credit towards wedding stationary when you use a Minted Weddings website - no code needed!

Welcome to Part One of the Engagement Starter Kit Bonus Series from the Wedding Planning Podcast!

There are 3 KEYS to a stress-free, joyful wedding planning experience ...

... and you won't find them anywhere on Google, TikTok, or Pinterest.

The first key? DEFINING A CLEAR WEDDING VISION.

Embracing a positive and empowering wedding mindset can magically free you from the endless cycle of stress, overwhelm & expense that so many couples are trapped in.

In this episode, explore exactly how to:

• IDENTIFY YOUR TOP WEDDING PRIORITIES, and commit to standing up for them.

• CONFIDENTLY MAKE WEDDING DECISIONS that reflect only the things you value most.

• TUNE OUT THE NOISY WEDDING INDUSTRY that's always buzzing in the background, clamoring for your time, attention, and money.

• SIMPLIFY EVERY SINGLE WEDDING DECISION YOU MAKE with an unbelievably simple formula.

That's why I offer completely personalized, one-on-one wedding strategy calls to support you throughout your engagement. I LOVE sharing free resources and weekly shows with you, but nothing can replace the personalized quality and value of working together, one-on-one.

I've been a wedding industry visionary for 14 years, and trust me when I say that I've seen & heard it all ... and the great news is that there is always a creative solution or workaround waiting to be discovered.

Book just one call to get a few specific questions squared away, or book a series of calls for ongoing support throughout your engagement: