Wedding Planning Podcast

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

This week, I have an inbox full of your wedding flower questions to share!

I also put together a list of the top wedding flower mistakes that I see couples make, to further help guide you to "DIY wedding flower SUCCESS".

Today we're reviewing:

• How much should 5 relatively simple bouquets cost? I'm being quoted over $1200, which feels so ridiculous.
• Visiting a flower farm to pick stems w/ my bridal party - how early should we pick & arrange them so that they are still fresh?
• How much time should we allocate to making the bouquets & centerpieces in the day or two before the wedding?
• Downsides to ordering flowers online? Considering Costco but the prices seem too good to be true
• We definitely want to do flower bouquets for me & bridesmaid and a simple flower on the guys' jacket, but do you have any ideas for creative centerpieces that are more affordable than flowers?

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!

Additional resources mentioned in today's episode:

• Wedding Flowers by Season
• Wholesale Flowers from COSTCO
• Wholesale Flowers from FIFTY FLOWERS

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

Wedding flowers are high on the list of things that couples rate "not very" to "not at all" important to them. So why spend thousands of dollars on elaborate, professional floral centerpieces and bouquets? There are so many simple, beautiful & affordable alternatives -

Today I have an 5-part formula for you to follow so that you can have beautiful, top quality flowers ... for an affordable price tag.

And the tips I'm sharing today don't have to be just for your wedding - you can use the same guidelines for any event, including engagement party, bridal shower, baby shower, birthday party, or any special event you'll host between now & your wedding, and even beyond.

Tune in and explore exactly how you can maximize the QUALITY AND VALUE of your wedding flowers using 5 simple guidelines.

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!

RESOURCES & LINKS MENTIONED IN TODAY'S SHOW:

Bulk Florals & Arrangements from Costco

Wedding Flowers by Season

Find a flower warehouse / wholesaler near you! Simply search, "floral wholesaler near me"

In San Diego? Here's my favorite flower / decor wholesaler

Get ready for a fun show today! Here's a road map of where we're going:

I have a recap of my brother-in-law's 3/30/25 wedding in Rochester, MI. I'll share what was amazing, a detailed rundown of the venue / flow of events, how they took advantage of cost-saving opportunities, their solution to kids at the wedding, and lots more valueble takeaways!

I also have an inbox full of your questions on everything from:

• How to blend "nostalgic elements" into our wedding celebration?
• Responding to requests to invite more people (ew)
• Managing pre-wedding stress
• Proactively planning how to spend our time throughtout our wedding weekend

In the Detroit Metro area, and looking for an amazing venue? We LOVED it:

Royal Park Hotel in Rochester, MI

Be in touch with your wedding questions and / or show requests anytime by visiting weddingplanningpodcast.co/contact.

Talk soon!

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!

Creating your wedding reception seating chart can QUICKLY become one of wedding planning's biggest pains.

Between crazy family members, divorces, step-parents, hook-up's gone wrong, introverts, extroverts and 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.

A special THANK YOU to this week's show sponsors:

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!

Get answers to all of your wedding cake + dessert questions in today's show!

From everything to researching bakeries, booking cake tastings, hidden fees to be aware of, unique dessert alternatives, and budget-friendly cost saving tips, we're covering it all in today's sugar-coated show.

Links mentioned in our convo:

• The complete blog post for today's show is linked here >>> weddingplanningpodcast.co/cake
• TLC rounded up a group of experts to share the most popular wedding cake flavor combos for last year, and here's a complete "sampling" of their list.
• CAKE TOPPERS on Etsy that are customizable, simple, and super affordable,
• Browse thousands of beautiful SUGAR FLOWER DECORATIONS from independent business owners on Etsy
• Best way to save the top layer for our one year anniversary? Here's a link to a very simple "cake saver" from Amazon.
• 30 Delicious Alternatives to Traditional Wedding Cake

A special thank you to today's show sponsors:

Affiliate shopping links from Amazon & Etsy support the show at no additional cost to you - thank you for your clicks!

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 honeymoon OR $200 off your destination wedding.

When you're in the thick of wedding planning, it can feel like this phase of life will go on forever. But believe it or not, at some point you WILL actually be married, and wedding planning will come to an end (insert cheering emoji / crying emoji here - take your pick!).

I see a pretty split reaction to this, with half of us feeling thank universe, the wedding can't come soon enough ... having all that extra brain space back from planning and organizing a million tiny details will be amazing.

On the other hand, there are also plenty of us who absolutely love the engagement and planning phase, and are NOT looking forward to it ending. Post wedding blues are a real thing, and we're going to talk about that today too.

To start today off, I have some post-wedding takeaways and advice from past WPP couples (including myself!). They share what they loved, and in all honesty, what could have been better.

During the second half of today's show, I have an actionable checklist of things that will need to be handled after the wedding.

So if you're sad about it all coming to an end … don't worry - it doesn't actually end, there's still lots more to do!

Check out our website for a checklist-style recap >>> weddingplanningpodcast.co/after

Cheers to you,

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!

Get ready to explore hassle-free online bridesmaid dress shopping with featured brand, Lulus Weddings!

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.

You deserve wedding insurance that's fast and affordable, and protecting your investment in your wedding celebration literally couldn't be easier than a quick online visit to Brite.co/wedpod.

Today we're joined by a very special guest, Dustin Lemick. Dustin is the CEO and founder of BriteCo. BriteCo is a modern insurance company built for the digital age, and their goal is to simplify the process of securing jewelry and wedding insurance.

Well, mission complete, because streamline and simplify is exactly what BriteCo has done - with plans starting below $80, no hidden fees and up to 15% in discounts!

In today's episode, Dustin walks us through everything you need to know about wedding liability & cancellation coverage, and jewelry insurance.

We'll explore all of your wedding insurance FAQ's, including how much it costs (spoiler alert, it's shockingly affordable), what exactly is covered, how to determine what type of coverage you need, and even how to file a claim.

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!