Wedding Planning Podcast

The cost of food & drinks can be a huge source of frustration when planning your wedding.  I can’t tell you how many messages I get from couples who are utterly horrified by the per person fee for dinner & drinks - and rightfully so! 

Today we’re going to explore setting up your own appetizer spread, and I think you’ll be blown away by the savings ... yes,  up to 85% off the cost of a traditional wedding caterer.

Tune in for my detailed roadmap to appetizer / happy hour menu planning, shopping, and setting it all up.

We'll review how much to buy, where to shop, and what you can expect the total price tag to be for TWO different sample menu options.

We even cover the details that are often overlooked, so that your plan is airtight and nothing is missed.

Even if you are using a more traditional caterer for the main meal, doing your own appetizer spread is a wonderful way to customize the offering, UP the quality, AND save a ton of money.  What's not to love?

Not allowed to bring outside food into your venue?  This process for setting up a beautiful appetizer spread is also perfect for your bridal shower, welcome party, rehearsal dinner, or any other party you host in the future. 

Be sure to bookmark it, and share this episode with a friend who's helping you plan!

Enjoy the full blog post:  www.weddingplanningpodcast.co/cheese

Discover endless cocktail hour inspiration!  https://www.pinterest.com/karasvinwedding/wedding-cocktail-hour/

A very special thank you to today's show sponsors:

It's not just videography - it's cinematic artistry.  Get in touch with Shutter & Sound Films at shutterandsound.com, and let your wedding day be a cinematic masterpiece you'll revisit time and again.

My husband John is already loving the look & feel of his skin after just a couple of weeks of using "The Regimen" from men's skincare line, Caldera Lab.  Use code "WEDDING" for 20% off!

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!

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

A huge thank you to this week's show sponsors:

It's not just videography - it's cinematic artistry.  Get in touch with Shutter & Sound Films at shutterandsound.com, and let your wedding day be a cinematic masterpiece you'll revisit time and again.

Now that you've got your engagement photos back, it’s time to share them with the world on gorgeous, high quality save the date and holiday cards from Minted Weddings.  Save 25% off Save The Dates and 15% off ALL wedding stationary when you visit weddingplanningpodcast.co/minted and use code WEDDING23.  Hurry, offer ends 10.30.23!

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!

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.
• Do you have a good resource for a full wedding planning countdown / timeline? 
• Best resource for planning our honeymoon?
• Easy & convenient tuxedo / suit rentals?
• 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

Please consider our valued show partners when selecting services for your special day!

My husband John is already loving the look & feel of his skin after just a couple of weeks of using "The Regimen" from men's skincare line, Caldera Lab.  Use code "WEDDING" for 20% off!

Visit Generation Tux, where you can build your suit & tuxedo looks from home, get free color swatches, a free Home Try-On, AND manage your entire wedding party online.

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!

Today we break down everything you need to know about speeches & toasts at your wedding reception. 

We'll cover:

• Who gives a speech / toast at the reception?
• Should we give direction about topic, tone, & length?
• When should the speeches take place? 
• In what order?
• I’m worried about inappropriate content - what should we do?
• How many speeches is too many?
• What if someone has paralyzing stage fright & is terrified to speak?
• And stick around until the end for a quick convo on first dances!

 A special thank you to today's show sponsors:

• Get in touch with Shutter & Sound Films at shutterandsound.com, and let your wedding day be a cinematic masterpiece you'll revisit time and again.  It's not just videography - it's cinematic artistry

• Would you LOVE to take advantage of expert honeymoon planning services for your all-inclusive, cruise, or exotic honeymoon AND get $50 off when you book?  Simply email [email protected] to get started!

Today you’re going to meet the lucky couple who was chosen to star in “Say Yes to the Venue", a multi-part video series that highlights their process of choosing the perfect wedding venue in Southwest Louisiana. 

The premiere season features Lake Charles couple, Eloise and Grant, who visit 5 breathtaking venues, and they’re here this week to share their wedding venue shopping insights with you!

Your wedding venue is a huge decision that’s going to set the scene for pretty much every other wedding element and decision that you’ll make over the course of your engagement.  

Eloise & Grant are a lovely couple, and they have some pretty incredible insights to share with you - not only about their venue shopping process, but also their top advice on cutting the overwhelm factor as you plan, managing relationships with your family & friends, creative ways for finding the best vendors, and lots more wedding planning gems.  

So, which venue did they choose???

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE FULL SERIES

PS - Thank you for supporting our valued show partners:

• It's not just videography - it's cinematic artistry.  Get in touch with Shutter & Sound Films at shutterandsound.com, and let your wedding day be a cinematic masterpiece you'll revisit time and again.
• My husband John is already loving the look & feel of his skin after just a couple of weeks of using "The Regimen" from men's skincare line, Caldera Lab.  Visit www.calderalab.com and use code "WEDDING" for 20% off!
• 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!

On the fence about hiring a WEDDING VIDEOGRAPHER? You're certainly not alone.

In my experience, videography is probably the number one item that engaged couples are undecided about. It's no doubt a big investment, and a huge topic to unpack - so today I have an expert special guest to help us do just that.

Today we're joined by Ken Foster, who is a lead shooter for Shutter and Sound.

Shutter and Sound is a very small group of filmmakers dedicated to turning your big day into a work of art. They help you relive the tremble in your partner's voice, the joyous applause, or that unexpected dance move during the reception. It's all there, woven into a high-end film that's uniquely yours.

Tune in to the full show for an Ultimate Guide to Wedding Videography, and learn why 98% of married couples recommend having a video of your wedding day:

• We're on the fence - how to decide if we should hire a videographer
• How I hired a videographer for my own wedding (at the 11th hour!)
• Benefits of videography vs. still photography
• Budgeting, packages, and pricing
• Research tips for finding the perfect videographer
• Wedding videography package options
• Biggest mistakes & complaints couples have about videography
• How to prepare for being in front of the camera
• The MOST IMPORTANT THING YOU CAN DO on your wedding day
• Budgeting intentionally and honoring your personal priorities as you plan

And for those wondering about locations: Shutter & Sound has 14 major U.S. cities covered, including spots like Boston, New York, L.A. and D.C. Plus, they're all about adventure, and are more than willing to travel for your big day.

Simply visit shutterandsound.com, explore their beautiful website including detailed pricing information and sample videos, and be in touch via email with the "Contact Us" link.

Cheers to you & a beautiful wedding celebration!

Today’s convo is a wedding planning strategy GEM!  We’re going to cover every single last little thing that should be included within your wedding venue contract. 

If you’ve already booked a venue and signed a contract, I’d suggest pulling out your actual document & sticking around for today's convo to be sure that all the key items are addressed.

Your wedding venue is literally the centerpiece of your dream wedding celebration.  It’s also likely the most expensive decision you’ll make throughout the course of your engagement, so we need to be extra cautious in getting the details cemented just right.  

A special THANK YOU for supporting today's show sponsors:

• Visit Generation Tux, where you can build your suit & tuxedo looks from home, get free color swatches, a free Home Try-On, AND manage your entire wedding party online.
• 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 booking!

Today on the Wedding Planning Podcast, you'll find an overview of universal questions and research tips that are designed to help you hire your dream team of WEDDING VENDORS. 

You’ll come away from today’s show ready to find the best product / service, at the best price, and from the vendor who you most naturally vibe with.  

Whether it’s an officiant, a wedding planner, or a photographer, I created these checkpoints to save you precious time & energy, and to empower you to uncover the HIGHEST QUALITY service for the BEST VALUE.

You'll learn priceless wedding industry insights so that you have a deep understanding of the wedding vendor landscape and the things that go into package pricing, seasonal discounts, advertising expenses, and so much more.

A special THANK YOU to today's show sponsors for making this wedding planning strategy meeting possible!

PS - A special THANK YOU to this week's show sponsors, who made this free weekly episode possible:

• Enjoy early access to ad-free episodes each week when you subscribe to WEDDING PLANNING PODCAST PREMIUM in Apple Podcasts.  
• 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 booking.
• FREE Wedding Websites designed by independent artists?  Yes please!  Get started building your wedding website today with www.weddingplanningpodcast.co/minted and take advantage of exclusive listener perks on save the dates, invitations & more.
• Shop Etsy for one-of-a-kind wedding day details, personalized just for you >>> www.weddingplanningpodcast.co/etsy

Today a 2023 bride shares how she leaned into her genuine desire for good vibes, connection, and kindness when hiring her day of coordinator and photographer. 

It’s a gem of a conversation that uncovers some surprising and unexpected ways to approach finding your dream team of wedding vendors!

This week and next, we’re going to focus on the enormous job of hiring your dream team of wedding vendors.  Now of course this is an exciting milestone in the wedding planning process, but it can also be incredibly overwhelming and intimidating.  

What roles are really necessary for us to hire?  Where should we start in doing research and gathering referrals?  What questions should we even be asking?

I’ve got an entire strategy call lined up for you on next week’s episode, full of the exact questions to ask, research tips to guide your search, and a whole list of checkpoints to ensure you’re getting the highest quality service for the absolute best value. 

Today as a warm up, I’m sharing a conversation with a bride named Dee, who you met 2 weeks ago on the show all about surprising ways to save money on your wedding decor.  Yes, she’s the gal who rented a uhaul to repurpose her existing, eclectic, and beloved decor from her own home, and share it with all of her wedding guests.  If you missed it, be sure to hop back to the show dated 8.23.23 and have a listen!

Today Dee is back to share how she leaned into her genuine desire for good vibes, connection, and kindness when hiring her day of coordinator and photographer.  She’s got a heart of gold, and the takeaways from this short & sweet conversation are absolutely priceless - enjoy!

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!

Our goal this week on the Wedding Planning Podcast?  To save YOU $3,650 on your final wedding bill!

We could literally talk for hours about all the pretty things you see on Pinterest & Instagram that do not HAVE to be a part of your wedding celebration.

In the interest of time, I’ve chosen EIGHT wedding elements that I would suggest skipping - or scaling waaaaaaaaay back on.  I think you'll be shocked at how easy it is for us to save over $3,000 over the course of a 20 minute conversation!

If your goal is a simple, beautiful, and affordable wedding - then the sky is the limit on the millions of wedding details you can leave out.  

 In my digital wedding planning package, couples are encouraged to make a detailed list of their priorities way early on in the engagement.  They can then use that rock-solid road map over & over again, to check in throughout their engagement and be sure that priorities & values are being honored with every single decision.

Want to come behind the scenes for more in-depth guidance on setting an unshakable planning foundation that will bring you all the way through to your wedding day & beyond?  Check out my revolutionary digital wedding planning package!

• NO CONTRACTS,
• A small monthly subscription price that you’re 100% free to CANCEL ANYTIME,
• PERSONALIZED 1-on-1 monthly calls are included for the lifetime of your subscription!

I'll see you there!

A special thank you to Susan's Travel Services for sponsoring today's episode.  Take advantage of expert honeymoon planning services for your all-inclusive, cruise, or exotic honeymoon AND get $50 off when you book!  Simply email [email protected] to get started.

Other partner links mentioned in today's show:

Wedding shoes on Amazon? Why not! Check out these beauties & more for a fraction of the price at a "wedding" retailer.

Support a small business AND shop high quality, low priced wedding accessories on Etsy.

An entire show dedicated to planning, shopping for & setting up your own APPETIZER SPREAD can be found in your podcast feed dated June 1, 2022.

Last word! A CLASSIC way to save? Purchase once-used decor & other wedding items from another couple on a resale site like Craigslist, Ebay, or Facebook Marketplace. 🙌🏼