Wedding Planning Podcast

Tune in for 8 wonderful wedding planning questions on all things from dresses, family conflict, children, destination wedding etiquette, and more!

Ever feel like your wedding plans have snowballed into a huge mess of overwhelm & anxiety?  You're not alone!  Tune in for an important lesson on keeping things in perspective -

To participate in future Q&A's, follow @weddingplanningpodcast on Instagram - I can't wait to hear from you!

WEDDING PLANNING ESSENTIALS | A Step by Step Guide to Planning Your Dream Wedding is available here.

A special thank you to today's show sponsors:

• Save $75 on your wedding band when you shop www.hellonoemie.com with promo code "WEDDINGPLANNING"
• Get 30% off your invites & paper order from Zola when you sign up at www.zola.com/wpp
• Start listening with a 30-day Audible trial and choose 1 audiobook and 2 Audible Originals absolutely free. Visit www.audible.com/wedding for text WEDDING to 500-500.

You've got a ton of wonderful wedding planning questions, and I've got answers! Today we're covering everything from wedding planning timelines, ceremony details, choosing specific vendors, wedding insurance, and so much more.

To get in on future wedding Q&A shows, follow @weddingplanningpodcast on Instagram and keep an eye on the "Stories" feature for weekly questions prompts.

Links mentioned in today's show:

• To grab your copy of Wedding Planning Essentials | A Step by Step Guide to Planning Your Dream Wedding, click here.
• Sample wedding planning timelines we discussed are here.
• Your Complete Guide to Wedding Photography | blog post & episode links here.
• Creative "unity ceremony" ideas can be found here.
• A complete library of all past episodes of the Wedding Planning Podcast can be found here
• Did you know that as a VAULT member, you can access all past AND future episodes ad-free, PLUS 12 bonus shows that guide you through your wedding plans from start to finish?  Sign up here!

A special thank you to today's show sponsors:

Connect with your Better Help professional counselor and save 10% off your first month with discount code "WEDDING".

Check these guys out at Generation Tux and use promo code "WEDPLANNING" for 10% off the entire groom’s party AND a free groom's tux w/ 5 paid party members.

Save time & money when shopping online when you sign up for Honey (it's free!) at joinhoney.com/wedding.

Today we’re going to chat about when trying to save money on the wedding can totally BACKFIRE.  Yikes ... right?

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! 

You’re not out there researching the most expensive venue in your area, or ways to spend more money on your invitations.  When a potential photographer or caterer gives you a quote for services, you probably don’t say “well that sounds OK, but do you have anything that costs more?”

If you've been listening for a while, I hope you know me well enough now to know that I’m NOT the wedding professional who’s going to tell you NEVER to try to cut this corner, or don’t DARE hire a friend to do x, y, z. 

I see this type of messaging a lot.  If you do your own wedding day hair and makeup it will totally fail, and you should hire a professional to do it for you.  If you skimp on a photographer, you will regret it for the rest of your life. 

If you have your cousin make your cake, it will probably be a complete disaster, you should really hire a professional for that.  If you take your dress to a neighborhood tailor instead of the big box bridal store where you bought it, it’s going to end up in shreds and you’ll have no dress to wear.

The trouble is, professional service providers in pretty much any industry have an agenda - to sell their product or service.

And whether you hear from a wedding professional on a podcast, read their articles on a blog, or see their posts on Instagram, their position is probably that hiring a professional is THE BEST way to go.  "After all", they say, "this is your wedding - you can’t afford to cut corners on the best day of your life."

Well, for lots of this, I call BS.  Sure, if you have a wedding budget in the 6-figures, then “hire a professional” is a great option for everything I just listed. 

But most of us DON’T have $100,000 to spend on our wedding, so making swaps and saves here and there is a necessary part of planning so that we don’t go thousands of dollars into debt - NEVER a good idea.

Here’s a doozy for you - we hired our wedding photographer off craigslist for $500.  True story. 

And I’m NOT here to tell you that it was a horrible idea that backfired and you should never trust any wedding photographer who hasn’t shot 500 weddings and costs less than $5000.  That’s not me, not my style.

BUT - and this is a big but - I’m also not here to tell you that YOU should definitely hire a photographer off craigslist, and it will work out perfectly and there’s no risk involved and you can live happy ever after and sleep soundly knowing that you saved a couple thousand dollars!

To be clear - there’s no right or wrong, one-size-fits all solution to the myriad of wedding decisions you have to make over the next few months. 

I’ll always encourage you to use your intuition, and use our weekly time together to review all the options you have available, and select what feels best for you and your unique situation. 

That was a long intro, because I really feel strongly about what we’re talking about today, and I really want to set things up right.

The truth is, sometimes no matter how much research you do, or how many great reviews someone has, or how confident you feel that you’re making the right decision, things can just go wrong.  You’ll probably have a wedding backfire, or two, or three over the course of getting everything lined up.

This is part of life, and definitely a part of wedding planning.  I wish I could wave a magical wand that would shield you against anything bad happening, but of course - that’s not realistic. 

Sooooo, the next best thing to that …

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

Please enjoy these special gifts from today's show sponsors!

• Feed the champion in you with Kettlebell Kitchen!  Go to kettlebellkitchen.com and enter code WEDDING for $50 off your first two orders (for new customers).
• Head to hellonoemie.com and use promo code WEDDINGPLANNING to save $75 off your wedding band.
• Enjoy FREE honeymoon planning services and $50 off your booking when you email [email protected]

Today let’s sort out some misconceptions and frequently asked questions about wedding planners and day of coordinators.

Our goal is to get really clear on the difference between a wedding planner and a day-of coordinator, and to determine whether or not you really need to hire a professional to help you with your wedding plans.

When I got married, I thought you had to have a wedding planner.  I laugh looking back, because in my mind it was wedding law that to plan anything, you HAD to have a wedding planner. 

Like, I couldn’t even pick up the phone and call caterers for information and quotes, because you had to have your wedding planner do that.  So silly.  Things have come a long way, LOL! 

And not only silly, but a professional planner was completely out of our budget, and, as it turns out, totally unnecessary. 

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.

So I will tell you - hey by the way, did you know that you could actually just do this on your own?

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. 

So 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! 

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

Please enjoy these gifts from today's show sponsors:

Join the Audible Escape community and listen to love stories FREE for one month!  Visit www.audible.com/lovewedding to get started.

Enjoy 10% off the entire groom's party when you rent from Generation Tux!  Visit www.generationtux.com/wedplanning and use promo code WEDPLANNING.

Enjoy FREE honeymoon planning services from Susan's Travel Services & get a $50 credit when you book with Susan & her team!  Email [email protected] to get started.

Friend, this is the ultimate guide to creating your wedding website!  Today on the Wedding Planning Podcast, we're going to review:

• Why to consider creating a wedding website,
• When to get started putting one together,
• Important info to include on your website,
• And the technical requirements (spoiler alert - there are none!)

If you're newly engaged, then creating your wedding website is the perfect place to get started with your wedding plans!

Even if you've already got a wedding website up and running, I hope you'll find a creative idea or two in today's show to add to it.

Please enjoy these gifts from today's show sponsors!

Get started with your FREE wedding website today and get $50 credit towards your wedding registry when you visit www.zola.com/wpp

Save $75 on your wedding band from Noemie when you visit www.hellonoemie.com/weddingplanning

Explore love stories on Audible Escape!  Join the community and listen free for one month by visiting www.audible.com/lovewedding

Your wedding questions, answered in this special Monday bonus show!

Last week on Instagram I asked what wedding concerns are on your mind, and was flooded by a ton of your great questions, comments, and future show topic ideas.

A huge thank you to everyone who reached out - I absolutely love hearing from you and keep my door wide open.  Not-a-secret that I’m already married - I do this show 100% for YOU, so knowing exactly what you want to hear about is ALWAYS a top priority! 

PS - A couple of valuable resources from today's show ...

• To participate in weekly Q&A’s, all you need to do is follow @weddingplanningpodcast on Instagram, and keep an eye on the "stories” feature along the top row of the app. 
• You can also always be in touch by good old-fashioned email as well by visiting wpp.co/contact.
• Explore some cool DIY Photo Booth set up ideas here,
• Email susan@susanstravelservices for FREE help planning the exotic honeymoon of your dreams, AND get $50 off your booking when you mention the WPP!

Today we're going to explore 3 unique wedding celebrations that are guaranteed to keep your wedding plans simple & affordable!  Teaser - we're going to the courthouse, eating cupcakes, and drinking cocktails - what's not to love?

These offbeat wedding reception ideas are perfect for you if you're in the early stages of planning, and you're looking to keep things scaled-back, streamlined, and FUN - without months or years of planning headaches & drama.

I also have a handful of your amazing questions to share in a "rapid-fire" Q&A in the second half of the show.

Please enjoy these gifts from today's show sponsors:

Save your sanity w/ tuxedo rentals from www.generationtux.com/wedplanning.  Use promo code "WEDPOD21" for 10% off the entire groom's party & FREE grooms rental with 5 paid party members.

Email susan@susanstravelservices for FREE help planning the exotic honeymoon of your dreams, AND get $50 off your booking when you mention the WPP.

Is there something that's interfering with your happiness or preventing you from achieving your goals?  Get 10% off your first month of professional counseling from Better Help.  Visit www.betterhelp.com/wedding & use discount code "WEDDING".

Your wedding questions, answered in this Monday bonus show!

Last week on Instagram I asked what wedding concerns are on your mind, and was flooded by a ton of your great questions, comments, and future show topic ideas.

A huge thank you to everyone who reached out - I absolutely love hearing from you and keep my door wide open.  Not-a-secret that I’m already married - I do this show 100% for YOU, so knowing exactly what you want to hear about is ALWAYS a top priority! 

To participate in weekly Q&A’s, all you need to do is follow @weddingplanningpodcast on Instagram, and keep an eye on the "stories” feature along the top row of the app. 

You can also always be in touch by good old-fashioned email as well by visiting wpp.co/contact.

Visit joinhoney.com/wedding to install Honey in just two clicks!  Time Magazine calls Honey "basically free money" ;)

Creating your wedding reception seating chart can become one of wedding planning’s biggest pains.  Between crazy family members, divorces, step-parents, hook-up’s gone wrong, introverts, extroverts and lots & lots of alcohol - your seating chart can quickly begin to feel like a jigsaw puzzle from hell.

This week on the Wedding Planning Podcast, we’re going to review some easy tips & tactics for designing your reception seating chart.  Simple stuff that will ease the pain, and take this task from dreaded to done!

Resources & links from today’s show:

• Find helpful online seating chart tool recommendations here,
• Search “wedding seating chart” on Etsy for lots of custom options,
• “Do It Yourself” seating chart signs here,
• Browse KVW custom place card holders here,
• And enjoy tons of creative seating chart ideas on this Pinterest board.

And last but certainly not least, please enjoy these special gifts from this week’s show sponsors!

This week, get a premium made-to-measure suit for just $369 when you visit www.indochino.com and enter promo code PLANNING at checkout (plus shipping is free!)

Save $75 off any wedding band when you visit www.hellonoemie.com and enter promo code WEDDINGPLANNING.

Email susan@susanstravelservices for FREE help planning the exotic honeymoon of your dreams, AND get $50 off your booking when you mention the WPP!

This week on the Wedding Planning Podcast, we’re reviewing an ultimate guide to everything you need to know about finding the perfect wedding venue.

You’ll enjoy a thorough wedding venue Q&A, followed by a step-by-step, guided checklist that takes you from:

• The very beginning of your engagement,
• Through various tips for researching potential venues,
• Critical questions to ask and things to consider,
• All the way through signing a contract with the venue you select.

Resources from the show:

A helpful Pinterest board can be found here

$5 pashminas to keep your guests cozy (affiliate link)

If you’re newly engaged & early in the venue shopping phase, be sure to check out the complete blog post at www.weddingplanningpodcast.co/wv

Already found & booked the perfect spot? Please share today’s show with a friend who’s newly engaged & looking for some sound advice ;)

Be my guest & enjoy these special offers from our valued partners!

Save $20 off your first Butcher Box AND get 2 free lbs of ground beef & 2 packages of bacon!  Visit www.butcherbox.com/wedding, or enter promo code "WEDDING" at checkout.

Save your sanity w/ tuxedo rentals from www.generationtux.com/wedplanning.  Use promo code "WEDPLANNING" for 10% off the entire groom's party & FREE grooms rental with 5 paid party members.

Email susan@susanstravelservices for FREE help planning the exotic honeymoon of your dreams, AND get $50 off your booking when you mention the WPP.​