Wedding Planning and Where to Start: 5 Things to Do Right Away

Maria and Chad were looking for a venue that would ensure they could host their families and friends for an entire weekend-long celebration. Golden Ocala Golf & Equestrian Club, in Maria’s hometown, fit the bill perfectly. Family and friends could rent townhomes and homes in this gated community and be close to all the weekend festivities.

Family and friends started to arrive on Friday while the gatherings began. Late nights, laughing, and just catching up were on the agenda for this start of the weekend celebration. On Saturday, most of the family enjoyed time at the pool and golfing, while we prepared for the rehearsal dinner and welcome cocktail reception. The wedding was held on Sunday at the Golden Ocala Golf and Equestrian Club. The ceremony on the front lawn, made for a grand entrance of Maria and her father, Andy to Chad and all the family and friends. Cocktail hour was held in the entire lobby area of the clubhouse with signature cocktails and amazing hors d’oeuvre. The grand ballroom held the reception portion of our evening and was decorated so elegantly. Maria wanted to mix the tables with both longs and rounds to ensure that we could fit her guest list of 170+ in one room. These tables held both long greenery garlands, baby’s breath garlands, elevated white and toffee rose arrangements, and an abundance of candles. The cake was not a high priority for Chad or Maria, so they opted for a grand dessert station and Chef Alabaugh created just that. When dinner was over, everyone moved out onto the terrace for the most epic dance party that I have witnessed to date. Curate Entertainment and DJ Malike kept everyone on the dance floor the entire time.

Are you considering Golden Ocala Golf & Equestrian Club for your wedding day? Let’s talk and see how we can help you every step of the way getting you from “Yes” to “I Do” while you enjoy every moment.

Wedding Team:

Planner: Blessed Magnolia

Venue: Golden Ocala Golf & Equestrian Club

Photography: Maudie Lucas Photography

Floral Designer: Floral Architecture

Entertainment: Curate Entertainment and DJ Malike

Ceremony Music: Anthology String Quartet

Rehearsal Dinner/Welcome Reception Rentals: Party Time Rentals

Beauty: Makeup by Sabrina & Truluck Studio

It was the last wedding of the season and it was a true grand finale for every vendor involved. A large tented event on private property with many vendors and many moving parts to bring it all together. The installation timeline was a week-long event all by itself. So many things had to be perfectly planned in order to ensure that the next installation could happen at its scheduled time to keep everything on track. Well, mother nature had her own idea of how things should go. It rained all week, during the three-tent installation, the power installation, and the lighting installation. It was about 36 hours before the wedding and the tents flooded with anywhere from 2 – 6″ of water. The stage and dance floor had already been placed and were now underwater.

At that moment we had to step into our role as the wedding planner and ensure that this issue was resolved and fixed. Moving the tents to a different location that was dryer on the site was our first thought, but the time frame we were left with did not make this a viable option. Our option was to add a subfloor to the tent, but even that was not a guarantee. We knew that the rain was scheduled to stop overnight and remain beautiful for the rest of the weekend. This left us with the hope that the ground flooding would resolve enough for the floor to be the best option. We presented the plan to our couple that we must add the subfloor in order to salvage the use of the tents. Placing tables on this muddy ground was not an option as their stability would be in question and the liability this would hold on them for their guests’ safety is something we would highly advise against. Luckily we had a couple that the budget was available to add the flooring to all the tents. However, we now had to get the vendor teams to work around the clock to add this feature and ensure that all the decor teams that were arriving on the wedding day had things ready for them to begin their installs.

The timeline was adjusted and phone calls were made to every vendor to let them know of the issues and the adjustments we would all have to make the day of the wedding to bring it all together. As a team, we all worked together to bring the vision to life. It was truly a beautiful and magical day. The guests never knew that there were any issues just 36 hours prior and spoke highly of how beautiful everything was. Thank you to Eighteenth Hour Photography for these beautiful photos from this amazing day.

As a wedding planner, this is why I always suggest having a professional behind you for your wedding day. You never know when things will happen that will require many different solutions and adjustments to be made quickly. I would never want a couple to be left with the stress of making this happen 36 hours before their wedding day.

Are you getting ready to start wedding planning? Do you want to make sure that every item is handled, taken care of, and planned? Head on over to Blessed Magnolia’s full-services page to learn more about how we make it all happen. Don’t try to go it alone, let Blessed Magnolia get you from “Yes” to “I Do”. Let’s talk today about your dream day and what it will take to get you there.

Whether you have started the journey of planning your big day or just thinking about it, there is definitely a lingo that goes with the industry. Once you begin to talk with different vendors it is very important to understand their terminology so that you feel confident in the answers you are getting or the information you are receiving. Below we have broken things down with the most common words used to give you an advantage in the planning process.

• To Scale – this refers to the layout drawing of your venue in a CAD-type drawing system that allows your tables, chairs, bars, and any extra items to be added to the floor plan as they would fit exactly into the room. There are many different systems that wedding professionals use to handle this assignment.
• F&B minimum – this refers to the Food and Beverage minimum that a venue requires you to spend to book their facility. Make sure you truly understand what the F&B minimum means to the venue. Ask what their pricing is per person to better understand how you meet this F&B minimum. If you do not meet their minimum you will still have to pay the minimum due established in your contract.
• pp++ – this refers to the price per person plus service charge and tax. Many all-inclusive venues will give you the price for packages listed in a pp++. For example, your venue will give you three different levels to choose from; $130pp++, $145pp++, and $180pp++.
• BEO – Banquet Event Order. This comes from your venue or catering team that gives the details of the items that they are providing for your wedding day. If you are using an all-inclusive venue, this BEO will include everything about the rooms that will be used for your celebration, the breakdown of items needed in that room from the venue, and the breakdown of food and beverage.
• Venue Coordinator – this is the representative that works exclusively for the venue. On your wedding day, they do not work for you they work for the venue, ensuring that the venue is upholding their end of the contract on your day.
• Wedding Planner – this is a professional that you hire to assist with all the wedding day items you would be responsible for handling. There are many different types of planners: Day-of coordinator (aka Month-of Coordinator or Event Management), Partial Planner (aka Event Management plus design), and Full-Service Planner. Below we have broken down the three different types of planners.
• Day-of coordinator or Event Management – you handle all the planning of your day and they step in about 6 weeks out from your wedding day to take over. They will typically work 15-20 hours completing the planning and handling of your day.
• Event Management + Design – you secure your venue and most of your vendors with just a few left to get. The planning starts to get a little overwhelming and are ready to turn it over to a planner. These planners typically step in 4-6 months prior to your wedding day and get to work.
• Full-Service Planner – the thought of planning your big day overwhelms you from the start and are ready to have the guidance and experience of a professional planner to handle all the things. This type of planner, while an investment in your day, can usually save you money and time by knowing all the right vendors to bring your wedding day vision to life.
• Escort Card vs. Place Card – Escort cards are used at the entrance of your reception space to designate your assigned table. These are used instead of a table seating chart. Place Cards are used at the designated seat for each guest. These cards also signify to the catering team what your meal selection is for an efficient service to your guests.
• Invitation Suite – this is a complete package of your invitation needs. This suite typically includes the following; invitation, rsvp card, details card, thank you card, inner envelope, rsvp envelope, and main mailing envelope. Remember to order a few extra so that you will have one complete set for your photographer for wedding day detail shots.
• First Look or First Touch – Do you know the difference? First look is used for couples that wish to see one another prior to their wedding ceremony. This does help get couple photos done prior to the ceremony allowing you to get to the cocktail hour. First touch is a very special moment when the couple will not see one another but simply have a first touch. They will typically have a wall, or a door, or stand back to back so as to not see one another. This allows couples to have a moment to just check on each other and get some of the nerves out prior to the ceremony.
• Golden Hour – this is the time just before sunset that your photographer will definitely want to get couple photos done. It is important to consider the time of sunset on your wedding day when determining the ceremony time so that you get this golden hour perfectly.
• Timeline – this is the document that keeps it all on track. The wedding day timeline should not be taken lightly and is the road map for anyone and everyone that is helping to ensure your wedding day stays on time and everything that you desire to be done gets done.

Understanding these terms will definitely give you an advantage when talking with wedding professionals and navigating the waters of planning. While there are many more terms, this is a good start to give you the basics of what you need to know. Planning a wedding is such a fun and exciting time, however, if you feel overwhelmed seek out a professional wedding planner to help. Many planners offer consultations to get you on track, many can step in and take over from the point you are at, or if you are just feeling like you would like to put it in the hands of a professional from the beginning there are professionals that specialize in this service as well.

Here at Blessed Magnolia, we specialize in full-service wedding planning. However, maybe you are feeling stuck and would like to talk with us about your day to see how we can help. Let’s schedule a time to talk today to see how we can get you unstuck or step in and partner together to get you to your dream day.

Blair and David wanted to bring their families together for a wedding on New Year’s Eve. Now this wasn’t just a wedding that they wanted to plan, they had family and friends coming from as far away as Dubai, so they wanted it to be a full weekend celebration! They wanted to ensure that there was an abundance of food, drink, music, and time for everyone to relax in between each event. It was also important to them that no celebration was held in the same space, therefore utilizing every area of this beautiful sprawling venue, known as the World Equestrian Center. Everyone here at Blessed Magnolia understood the task and just how important the celebration was to Blair and David.

We set off on the planning journey working our way through the rehearsal, rehearsal dinner, and welcome cocktail reception. The pool deck set the stage for this opening night event.

Wedding day had arrived and rain crept up in the forecast. We had to move the morning brunch from the Rose Garden to the Paris Room. The guests enjoyed mimosas, scrumptious breakfast bites, and award-winning macaroons from Chef Johan.

While the guests were enjoying this lovely brunch; Blair, David, and their wedding party were getting ready for the big moment. Brittany with Eighteenth Hour Photography captured beautiful shots of the detail items and some great getting-ready photos of both Blaird and David.

At the end of the brunch, all the guests were taken to the Chapel for the noon ceremony. The sound of the ringing bells from the Chapels Bell Tower filled the air as Blair and her father were driven by horse and carriage from Orlando Horse and Carriage. There was a light mist but oh my the pictures were so gorgeous. Take a peek at a few of those shots here.

The Chapel was adorned with roses along the aisle to enhance its beauty. Guests were treated to Classern Quartet playing the prelude and processional music. Bibbi Bobbidi Boo was the special song for the lovely flower girl and her bubble wand. The elegance of Blair’s dress and the beauty of the chapel were just perfect.

David and Blair were whisked away by horse and carriage to the Paris Room, where they desired to hold a formal receiving line and greet each guest as they arrived for cocktail hour. It was a grand time for every guest to get this one-on-one moment with the bride and groom. Every guest also got to take a photo with David and Blair as they spent this moment with them. Once the cocktail hour was done, each guest was invited to join the bride and groom on the Stirrups Terrace for the formal lunch. Classern Quartet was serenading the guests during this time. At the end of lunch, the final song played Auld Lang Syne while guests joined in with song. After the cake-cutting, Blair and David made their way to couple portraits while their guests had a few hours of rest before the evening festivities.

Black and white, clean and crisp during the day; black and gold, and party mode at night. Every bit of the decor handled by Graceful Gardener was so flawlessly executed. Outfit changes all around for everyone, including myself, from daytime to nighttime. Champagne greeted everyone as they entered the elevator to head up to the party. Once off the elevator large 2023 numbers and a grand gold and black balloon garland created quite the entrance. There was food, drinks, and entertainment provided by Felix and Fingers. Dueling Pianos is such a fun and entertaining way to get your guests involved in the party and there was no shortage of guests willing to get up and sing with the entertainers. The closer and closer we got to midnight, the pianos switched over to a DJ to keep everyone going until the clock struck 12.

This wedding will always be one for the books for us here at Blessed Magnolia. 12 months of planning, weekly and monthly check-ins, and details for each and every moment that were meticulously planned. Working with Blair and David to make their wedding day dreams come true was a true delight. We are so grateful that they asked us to play such an important role in their big day.

Do you have a big dream for your wedding day? Let’s talk today about how Blessed Magnolia can bring it all to life for you.

Planning a wedding can be a fun and exciting experience especially when you think of the big picture.

However, once you start thinking about all the details, decisions you have to make, and research to be done, it can quickly become an overwhelming experience. This is likely your first time planning a wedding (or an event of this size) and on top of that, you probably have a full-time job or other commitments where you need to spend your time. Sure, you may have a family member that is really good at organizing things and has more free time to help, but what happens when their opinions become too much or the wedding weekend arrives and they want to enjoy the fun?

That is where a wedding planner can step in and help you through the research and decision-making process, keep you on track, and ensure you and your family and friends can enjoy the moment. Wedding planners are experts in the event industry and can be an invaluable resource in what it takes to coordinate an event that is not only personalized to you but beautiful and logistically sound, all while respecting your budget comfort zone. A planner allows you, and anyone else involved in the planning process, the chance to focus on the overall details and what most consider the “fun” parts of the planning process (menu tasting, design, etc.) while they handle the logistics and back and forth details with the vendors involved.

Many planning companies, offer a variety of packages ranging from event management (also known as day-of or month-of coordination) to full-service planning. These packages may vary between planning companies, however, at the core of what all these packages include is ensuring the wedding day runs smoothly. Sounds simple, right? The reality is your planner will spend anywhere from 30-40 hours on an event management package and 150+ hours for a full-service package -and around an average of 12 hours straight on your wedding day alone! Let’s briefly break down the high-level difference between an event management package and a full-service package, and what a planner might be responsible for in each of these offerings:

Event Management:

• Typically steps into the planning process around 3-5 months prior to the wedding
• Assists in communicating final details and logistics with vendors you selected
• Creates a comprehensive wedding weekend timeline to share with vendors as well as you and your wedding party
• Is onsite on the wedding day directing vendors and ensuring the timeline is being followed and the day runs smoothly

Full-Service:

• Is with you from the beginning, sometimes even before you have selected a date and location
• Assists you in establishing a vision and realistic budget
• Connects you with professional vendors to bring your vision to life and will review all contracts
• Communicates all details and logistics with vendors throughout the entire planning process
• Helps create a cohesive design based on your vision and budget
• Is there to guide you during the planning, providing etiquette guidance on aspects such as invitations, family situations, and wedding day flow
• Creates a comprehensive wedding weekend timeline to share with vendors as well as you and your wedding party
• Is onsite on the wedding day directing vendors and ensuring the timeline is being followed and the day runs smoothly

In addition to that long list of service offerings, there are so many more services not listed to help make your wedding day seamless and let your friends and family have the experience of a lifetime. Some of these unknown services are:

1. Sews back the groomsmen’s broken bowtie
2. Is equipped with socks for the groomsman that forgot theirs
3. Steamed or ironed a bridesmaids dress last minute to handle that pesky wrinkle
4. Fashions a bustle out of safety pins and thread underneath your dress when yours breaks
5. Sews your bridesmaid into her dress when the zipper breaks
6. Makes sure you have your room key/phone/wallet at the end of the night before you leave
7. Provides blank notes with envelopes in case you/your partner forgot to write your letter to each other (or a family member/vendor)
8. Helps out photographer/videographer to get the perfect shot (throws veil in the air for a wind-blown shot, holds extra lights, crouches behind you holding dress so it doesn’t get dirty, etc.)
9. Steps in when the venue is short-staffed to ensure service is top-notch. We have truly served meals when the moment called for it.

So, a wedding planner is so much more than someone who shows up on the wedding day and tells people what to do! It’s important to trust your planner and know they have your best interest in mind. They are experts in their field and have seen a thing or two when it comes to weddings.

At Blessed Magnolia, we are a full-service wedding planner. Working with our couples from the very beginning and spending each and every month together planning every little detail of your special day. Let’s talk today to see how we can help you with all the decisions you will need to make for your wedding day dreams to come true.

Let’s talk today about your dream day!

Where do I start my wedding planning? What should I do first? These are probably the #1 questions that I get when I hear from couples.

The first thing that you should always do when beginning to wedding plan is determine your budget! This drives everything in your ability to make decisions along the way. The next thing on the list is to determine how many people will you invite. You need a road map to get you where you are going on a journey and you have to start thinking of these two items as your road map. The budget will determine what type of venue you can afford and the guest count will determine which venue can accommodate your guests. Once you handle the first two items, you can get to work.

These are probably the two hardest items for couples to sit down and complete before they begin the journey of planning their big day! You are so excited to get going and you probably already have a dream venue in mind. I have seen it many times, couples know what venue they want without truly having the budget conversation and spend most of their dollars on the venue leaving a minimal budget for the rest of the wedding. I have also seen that they book the dream venue without truly knowing their potential guest list. This can cause an issue when the venue can only accommodate a portion of your true intended number of guests.

Getting engaged and seeing the future ahead is so exciting for couples. Many couples have thought about this day for a long time and are ready to get to work right away. They are prepared and have had hard conversations about budget and guests. Others have questions and need to get answers and guidance to help lead them on their journey. As a full-service wedding planner, I take couples from the moment we meet to their wedding day handling everything for them along the way. I love this part of what I do and love knowing that they are confident in my services. However, I know that not every couple can afford the services of a full-service wedding planner. That is why I wanted to build the DIY Wedding Planning Program! This program helps you understand what to do first and keeps you on course until the day you say “I Do”.

Building this program was truly on my heart for some time. I wanted a resource for couples that had a limited budget but still needed the guidance of a professional planner. So the DIY Wedding Planning Program was truly the way for me to share my expertise while allowing couples to handle their wedding day planning on their own. Imagine having a program that successfully takes you from “Yes” to “I Do” for only $39.95/month. That is exactly what this program does. You get access to the same platform I use in my full-service planning. Videos filmed by me to get you through the platform along with monthly check-in videos to be sure you are staying on track. An extensive checklist is included along with a guest tracking tool, budget tool, layout tool, and vendor tracking tool. As you get closer and closer to your wedding day, a timeline is included for you to customize and build for your wedding day.

A program that you can access anywhere you have wifi, on your phone, your tablet, or your PC. Plan your way with all the tools of a professional wedding planner. Let our expertise get you from “yes” to “I Do” by providing you with all the tools you need. Still, have questions or need to learn more? Watch this video today to learn why Penny started this program and everything that is included.

Do you know someone that needs this type of planning service? Share this blog post with them. Have any questions that you would like answered? Email the team at DIYplanning@blessedmagnolia.com

Your heart is full and your family is excited about your engagement. Questions are coming in from the left and the right about the big day and you are just trying to enjoy the moment and catch your breath. You start to think about your wedding day and begin to ask yourself, “Where do we begin?”. So many couples know what they want for their wedding day, but it is getting from the “yes” day to the “I Do” day that finds many overwhelmed and then too stressed to enjoy all of the days in between. Many couples decide to find a wedding planner or coordinator to help them along the way, but even this can be confusing and needs some explanation.

As you begin to research wedding planners, you will find planners that have terms like event management, day-of coordinator, month-of coordinator, partial planning, and full-service planning. It is all enough to make your head spin. So here at Blessed Magnolia, we take a full-service planning approach to all of our wedding couples. That may leave you scratching your head wondering what is included in full-service planning. We like to say from the moment you say “yes” to our services we take charge of everything. Here is what a planning timeline with Blessed Magnolia looks like:

• We talk about your budget. Let’s be honest, wedding planning without a budget is not possible. We could find all the pretty in the world, but if the budget is not there, it is not there, and we do not want you to be disappointed with something you really like but the budget just can not swing it.
• We talk about your vision. We take this conversation along with your budget and find the right vendors that fit your budget. The only way this is possible is because we have the experience with these vendors to know their price points and their ideal clients. Again, protecting you from being disappointed.
• We meet every single month. When I say that I mean that we either meet in person, via zoom or via phone call to go over the checklist and things that have been done or need to be done in the next day or so after our meeting.
• We do a follow-up email with “Next Steps”. This follow-up email recaps our meeting and shares the next steps we talked about to get done prior to our next meeting. Some of these items to be done are things that we need you to follow up on, and things that we need to follow up on. However, it is a clear path to what needs to be done.
• You have access to your own online platform with everything about your wedding in one spot. Aisle Planner is the system we use to keep it all together. Checklist, Calendar, Timeline, Design Studio, Guests, RSVP, Layouts, Vendors, Budget, and Helpful Notes.
• At our 60-day prior meeting, we really start to pin down the final details and get the timeline tighter. We also begin RSVP assistance at they start to come in.
• At our 30-day prior meeting, we begin to finalize all RSVPs and assist with the seating chart through out layout tool in Aisle Planner. This seating also allows us to provide a mapped-out list for the venue catering captains to know how many of each meal is needed, which tables those meals will be served to, and also helps with any dietary restrictions that need to be noted.
• Place card or escort card assistance.
• The final Wedding Day Detail sheet is prepared and reviewed by all necessary vendors to ensure all items are accounted for.
• Your personal belongings that need to be placed can be shipped or stored in our office.
• 1 Hour Rehearsal
• Rehearsal Dinner and Welcome Reception – these can be added to our services if needed.
• Full Wedding Day Coverage is included in our services. You will have a lead planner, as well as 2-3 day of associates. Several factors are considered when determining how many associates will be assigned to your day. (Guest count, number of vendors, ceremony in one place, reception in another, how spread out is your venue, etc.)
• On your wedding day we place all of your personal items, ensure that your vendors arrive and set up according to plan, ensure that you and your fiance are good, and basically anything and everything that comes up during that day.
• We pack up your personal items throughout the day and ensure that they are locked up in the designated place or taken back to our office for pick up at a later date.
• We send you off together in bliss and loving everything that you experienced on this beautiful day in your life.

We truly love our couples here at Blessed Magnolia and never take your day lightly. We live every moment with you and understand our role as the gatekeeper, timekeeper, consoler when needed, hype person, and just overall best new friend.

Are you or someone you know ready to start planning your dream day today? Let’s talk about how we handle every detail so you get to enjoy every moment. Let’s start planning.

The day has finally arrived!! Your wedding day is here! You have dreamed, planned, and worked hard to get to this day and thought of everything to get you to this moment. You start your morning with your girls and if you are lucky enough to still have your mother and grandmother you definitely want them to be a part of the morning as well. Laughing, dancing, talking, and just enjoying that you have your circle of your most trusted confidants to share this moment with you.

However, did you know that there are so many things to think about when getting ready on the morning of your wedding? Packing everything so you are prepared, the beauty schedule to make sure everyone is done in time for pictures, and having all the backup items in case someone forgets something. But did you also think about food and snacks for everyone so they are not starving when it is time to get dressed? Did you think to pack your invitation suite for the detail photos that your photographer needs for those great shots? As full-service wedding planners, we provide our couples with a list of items that they need to pack and ensure that they prepare for breakfast, snacks, and possibly even lunch, depending on the timing of their morning and afternoon. Below you will find the list of items that you need to have to ensure your morning goes as smoothly as you have planned for the rest of your day.

• Invitation Suite
• Wedding Day Jewelry
• All three rings; Engagement Ring and both wedding rings
• Family Heirlooms that you would like to include in your day or photos that hold a special place and you want to last forever in photos
• Bridesmaids outfits for photos, if you have not already given them as a gift at the Bachelorette weekend.
• Your getting ready outfit.
• Dress
• Veil
• Shoes – Both ceremony and reception shoes
• Undergarments
• Bridal Hanger
• Robes for pictures
• Family Heirlooms for the big day
• Deodorant
• Makeup if not getting professionally done
• Perfume (if wearing)
• Advil or Tylenol
• Breakfast for everyone – don’t forget enough for your beauty team
• Drinks for fun – Mimosas
• Drinks for hydration – water
• Gum, Mints, Snacks
• Lunch for everyone if your timing takes you through this time of the day

There are many more items to consider, however, if you do have a wedding planner they should be equipped with an emergency kit to handle some of the items not listed. These would be items like a sewing kit, dress tape, makeup wipes, Q-Tips, cotton balls, and many other items that would totally blow your mind that they would think of.

Your wedding day is about enjoying every minute and the day does not start when you arrive at your ceremony and walk down the aisle. It starts way in the early hours of the morning when you are getting ready and gathering with your BFFs. Make sure to account for all the items that you need to make this time as smooth and enjoyable as the rest of your day.

Here at Blessed Magnolia, we are full-service wedding planners that work to ensure our couples have fun during their planning process. To us, the morning of your wedding is just as important as the rest of your day. It sets the tone for everything else and how you feel about the day. We celebrate with you, we dance with you, we hold your hand, and take deep breaths with you. We stand next to your side and ensure that you have everything you need for your entire day. Did someone you know just get engaged who needs to have this list? Share this post with them. Are you ready to talk about your wedding day? If this sounds like the type of service you want for your day, click here to tell us more.

Congratulations! You said “Yes”! You are about to embark on a wonderful journey with your best friend and family to the most magical day of your lives to date. There are so many things that are swirling around in your head. When do we want to get married? What venue is the dream venue? How many guests will we invite? Who is going to pay for everything? How much can we spend?

photo credit Eighteenth Hour Photo

The budget is the #1 discussion that you all must sit down and have before the planning can begin. It is truly exciting for every family member once someone is engaged and we all get caught up in the emotional beauty of it all. However, until everyone sits down and has a hard discussion about the budget, you truly can not get to planning. Below are all the factors that are truly determined by the budget:

1. Venue
2. Guest Count
3. Meal Choice
4. Florals
5. Decor
6. Wedding Dress
7. So much more…..

When you both sit down with your families you will have a clear picture of what can be spent on your big day. Make a list of the items that are truly important to you, things that you both feel need to be a part of your day to make it everything you dreamed of. It is also important to list those things that you both feel are not a very important part of your day. When you make these areas clear to everyone in the decision-making process, trust me it makes things go much smoother.

Whether your budget is $5,000 or $150,000 you need to have a roadmap of what everyone is comfortable paying for and what the bottom line is that you are all willing to part with to make this the day you have dreamed of. Hiring a professional wedding planner can be a huge investment, but a necessary one to keep everyone and everything on track. Not only do these professionals take your budget into consideration, but they also use this road map to determine the vendors that fit within your budget and can make the most with the budget you can work with. Here at Blessed Magnolia, we are a full-service wedding planning company and one of our first meetings with our couples is to review their vendor survey. This survey asks our couples to determine what items are the most important and which items are the least important. The answers to these questions, along with a budget review, help us to begin our recommendations for vendors.

Enjoy the moment and then sit down with your family and determine a clear budget for your wedding day. Determine who will contribute what and to what are they willing to contribute. Having these discussions upfront and right away before any planning starts will make your wedding planning so enjoyable.

Do you think you need help planning your big day? Let Blessed Magnolia lead you through the process starting with the budget talk and guiding you every step of the way. As a full-service planning company, we take pride in assisting our couples to get from “Yes” to “I Do” with a calming presence and clear mind. Let’s talk today about how we can guide you through wedding planning.

Let’s talk about your budget today.

Engagement season is just around the corner and many couples will begin to think about their wedding day. They may also consider hiring a wedding planner to keep them organized, and on track, and help them know the things that they don’t know. So before you hire a planner here are 5 questions that you need to ask to ensure that they will be by your side from start to finish.

1. How many times can we meet during the planning stages?
2. Do you help us find all of our vendors?
3. What is included with your services?
4. Do you handle our rehearsal and rehearsal dinner?
5. Are you there for the entire wedding day?

How many times can we meet during the planning stages?

• Depending on the type of planner you are looking for this answer can vary. If you are looking for a month of coordinator (typically known as a day of coordinator), they do not typically start meeting with you until 60-90 days before the wedding. They are assuming you have all the planning under control and are looking for someone to come in at the end and wrap it all up for you and handle their day. Usually, you have 2 sometimes 3 meetings during that time to go over everything. If you are looking for a planner that will really guide you, keep you on budget, handle all the vendors, and handle all the things, a full-service wedding planner is for you. These types of planners are typically all in. They meet with you on a monthly basis, whether that is a check-in call, in person, or visits with vendors. They are your best friend during the planning stages and hold your hand throughout the entire process.

Do you help us find all of our vendors?

• Many planners have a list of trusted vendors that they work with. They have vetted these vendors and worked with them on many weddings and events. If you are looking for a full-service planner, after your budget conversation and understanding your vision of the wedding day, they will be able to make recommendations of the best vendors to handle your day. Typically they will call and verify their availability, send you links to their website and Instagram pages, and wait to hear back from you about your thoughts or concerns about each vendor. Once you make a decision, they help coordinate a meeting between you and the vendor and if the planner is available they will make the meeting as well.

What is included in your services?

• Every planner has a different detail of their services. It is very important that you understand the services that they offer. If you are looking for someone to decorate your entire reception space, many planners do not do that. They will put out your personal items, but leave the decorating up to the rental company and florist to handle all the decorating needs. The scope of your wedding day and the type of planner you are looking for will determine what levels of service the planner will have.

Do you handle our rehearsal and rehearsal dinner?

• The majority of planners will handle your rehearsal. This is the opportunity for them to make sure your wedding party understands their job on the wedding day and help them feel a little less nervous about what to do.
• If you want the planner to handle your rehearsal dinner, you need to have that discussion right away. This is not a normal item that planners handle, and many consider it to be another event and will charge more to include that in their services.

Are you there for my entire wedding day?

• Many planners are there for 10-12 hours on your wedding day. Asking how many hours they give to your day is very important to know. Some allow for 8 hours, and some allow for 12, so know in advance how much time they give to your day.

There are many things to think about for your wedding day. Hiring the right planner to ensure you have the support you need is an important one that you should not take lightly. Take the time to know what you want for your day, what you want to handle and what you don’t want to handle. Know what your budget is for your day. A wedding planner is an investment in your day and an investment in enjoying each moment of your day. Whether you need month-of coordination or a full-service planner there are many great planners out there just waiting to make your wedding day dreams come true.

Blessed Magnolia is a full-service wedding planning company that works with our couples from the moment you say “Yes” until you say “I Do”! We hold our couple’s hands every step of the way. We help them find vendors that meet their needs, have honest budget discussions, handle delicate situations and work tirelessly and endlessly with a cheerful heart. We love what we do and working with couples to make their wedding day dreams come true is what keeps us working hard every day! Are you considering a full-service planner? Let’s talk today. Still unsure? Take our quiz to see what type of planning you need.