Things to Consider When Hosting a Backyard Wedding

I love the idea of a daughter/son growing up and choosing to have their wedding in their parent’s backyard or maybe their own backyard. However, I think there is a misconception that backyard weddings are simple and inexpensive, so I am here to point out a few things you might not have thought of. Below is a list including some suggestions, as well as, questions to think of while planning the wedding.

1. The condition of the premises. You want to make sure the landscaping is beautiful for the backdrop of your photos.
2. Will neighbours be upset by loud music playing into the wee hours of the morning
3. Ensure the ground is ready for high traffic and high heels. You might want to put some stepping stones down in certain areas.
4. Do you have a backup plan if it rains or are you going to rent a tent?
5. Where is everyone going to park? Is there going to be someone directing the parking so it is organized? How is everyone getting home if there is going to be drinking? Taxi or are you maybe going to hire a bus at a certain time?
6. What if it is too hot or too cold outside? Will you have heaters or fans available?
7. ICE! If you are having a summer wedding ensure you have a freezer large enough to hold a lot of ice for the drinks
8. Consider the flow of people from when they arrive to the ceremony/reception location. You might want to consider putting up signs so everyone knows where to go and when.
9. Do you have enough easily accessible washrooms for the guests?
10. Don’t forget the amount of things you will need to rent. The cost of rentals can really add up. You will need: a tent with a floor, tables, chairs, a bar, music system, cutlery, plates, cups, portable washrooms, decor, linens
11. You might also want to hire servers and/or bartenders
12. If the wedding is going to go into the night do you have any light source to keep the reception area lit, as well as, the walking paths to the washroom and parking lot (ex. lanterns, flashlights, candles)

NEW!! WEDDING SOCIAL COORDINATION SERVICE

NEW!! WEDDING SOCIAL COORDINATION SERVICE

This is what every Manitoban Bride needs! Every bride in Manitoba will say the same thing; planning their wedding social is the most stressful part of planning their wedding. First-Class Event Planning is here to help! We have created a Wedding Social Coordination Service. This service will decrease the stress and anxiety surrounding your wedding social and allow you to relax and enjoy your party!

The Wedding Social Coordination Service includes the following features:

1. Help obtaining the liquor license for your social. I will explain what you need to do and what the regulations are.
2. I will help you determine the correct about of alcohol to purchase
3. If you provide me with all your prizes before your social date I will organize, sort and wrap them into the prize packages.
4. I will help set up your hall décor (if you choose to have any)
5. I am the “go to” person for questions, problems, concerns or complications. This enables you, your family and your wedding party to relax and enjoy the night.
6. I create the schedule for the shifts at your ticket sale table, with backup individuals scheduled in case someone does not show up. I ensure there is always someone selling the drink tickets, 50/50 draw tickets and prize tickets.
7. I monitor the cash box and ensure funds are put into the safe when needed.
8. The week of your event I meet with you and ensure you have not missed any little details.
9. A schedule will  be created for the night to ensure the DJ, food, prize announcements and any other events of the evening are completed in a timely manner.

This service includes one face-to-face meeting the week of your wedding social and I will be there the entire night making sure everything runs smoothly.

To check out some of my previous work and learn a bit more about First-Class Event Planning check out our website.
http://firstclasseventplanning.com/new-wedding-social-coordination-service/

7 TIPS TO DECREASE WEDDING PLANNING STRESS

Tip 1. Plan in advance. No matter what size your wedding is it is best to start planning early. Even if your wedding is smaller it is important to plan for problems.  Complications always come up and it is much easier to fix them when you have time on your side.

Tip 2. Research your vendors. If you do the research on your vendors you will have confidence in their work and be less stressed about the result on your wedding day. Don’t just rely on one person’s recommendation as they might have different taste and requirements then you.

Tip 3. Rely on friends and family. As a bride you want to make sure every detail of your wedding is perfect, however, you can’t do everything yourself. Trust your friends and family to help you.

Tip 4. Incorporate “chill-out” time into you planning. Make sure you and your significant other have time together to just relax and enjoy each other’s company. Don’t talk about the wedding!

Tip 5. Establish boundaries at the beginning. It is important for your family and friends to understand this is your wedding and you are not going to be able to please everyone. Having a chat with everyone at the beginning of the wedding planning will make your experience a lot easier.

Tip 6. Work with your significant other. You and your groom might not agree on everything but it is important that you work as a team. The wedding is about both of you and it is important you make decisions together.

Last, but definitely not least

Tip 7. Hire a professional: I realize I am a wedding planner so I am biased, but it really is true. If you hire a full service wedding planner you will have someone with you through all the decision making and if you hire a day-of coordinator you will have someone on the day to make sure everything runs smoothly and take care of all complications. Having a wedding coordinator is a huge weight off the couples’ shoulders.

He Just Wants To Show Up To The Wedding!

So you get engaged and the next thing you know he is telling you he wants nothing to do with planning the wedding. This is a tough situation to be in because even if you are a bride who knows exactly what you want you will want to have that supportive second opinion throughout the planning process. What can you do to make him excited about the wedding and want to be involved in the planning?

First: It is important to understand where your groom is coming from. Weddings have a lot to do with colour schemes, flowers, cakes and dresses… all things that guys are not particularly interested in. Consider if he was having a big football party that a lot of people were going to attend, it was going to be expensive and he wants the day to be perfect. If it was a football party you might feel a bit out of place and not interested, this is probably how your groom feels. That being said, take the time to sit down with your fiancé and ask him how he feels about the wedding. A LOT OF FIGHTS AND HURT FEELINGS CAN BE AVOIDED BY SIMPLY HAVING OPEN COMMUNICATION. There might be some underlying reasons why he does not want to be involved and it is important that you both are on the same page.

Second: Once you understand how your groom is feeling you need to try to give him tasks he would be interested in. A few types of tasks you could assign are: buy the best man and groomsmen gifts, purchase/rent his attire and his groomsmen’s attire for the wedding day, picking the band or dj, transportation, honeymoon plans, or the rehearsal dinner plans. You could also suggest that he help pick out the menu for the wedding or participate in the cake tasting. If your groom is unorganized, forgetful or just extremely busy it might help to provide him with a list of things he can do.

Third: If your groom is still reluctant to help with the wedding try to explain to him why the day is so important to you. Some grooms do not understand the excitement around the wedding. They don’t care what colour the chair sashes are or how many tiers the cake is and they don’t understand why you do. Obviously your groom loves you and wants to make you happy so it is important to COMMUNICATE with him.

Fourth: The last thing I can suggest is to make sure you are supporting your groom when he is trying to help. If your groom is giving his opinion and you are instantly saying “no” it might make him feel like he is not needed. Although you might know exactly what you want for the wedding, make sure you are taking into consideration your groom’s needs and wants because it is his day too.

If none of this helps turn to your maid of honor and bridesmaids for help and support :)

DIY BRIDE!

Do-it-yourself brides are a kind of bride that seems to be becoming increasingly rare, which is sad because they are just wonderful to work with. What?…DIY brides working with an event planner? Yes, it is true! Just because you are a DIY bride does not mean you need to do everything by yourself.

Below is a list of the many reasons a bride chooses to be a DIY bride:
1. To save money
2. To be personally involved in everything for your special wedding day to ensure everything is perfect
3. To ensure a really creative and unique vision for the day comes to life exactly as you envision.
4. To make something that nobody else has at their weddings.
5. To feel that what you are creating is more heartfelt and meaningful because you are putting your own time and energy into your event

If a bride chooses to be DIY she is going to be very busy with all of the projects she is deciding to make herself such as centerpieces, favours, table numbers, place cards, thank you cards, or invitations etc. The amount of work required to be a DIY bride should not be underestimated; it takes a lot of time and energy to start and finish all your projects. As the planner I take care of all the other details that the guests might not see. I ensure the event runs smoothly and nothing is forgotten. There is a lot more involved in a wedding then what the guests see. With my help a bride can focus on her projects and relax knowing the rest of the day will be planned and coordinated perfectly. I can also help a bride cut costs as I LOVE doing DIY projects so I know the best places to get supplies, where to get coupons and I can get discounts with many vendors!

An Event Planner.. I don’t need one!.. or do I?

Seven reasons you might not have thought of to get an event planner!

1.    It is not easy to plan an event! A common mistake is to underestimate the number of phone calls, emails, meetings and lists it takes to make an event come together smoothly.

2.    We save you money! Something that I don’t think people realize is that event planners get discounts at almost all venders. We practically pay for ourselves in savings!

3.    We listen! You work hard to be involved in and care about every little detail of your event. Although it is all IMMENSLY important to you, others might not care about all the trouble you went through to pick your venue or the perfect centerpieces. A planner is someone who lives and breathes these details and LOVES to chat about them and offer advice!

4.    We decrease stress! Not only do we decrease stress by helping out with all the planning, coordination and budgeting we also help with family negotiations and take the time to listen to all your ideas.

5.    We save you time! We drive to the venders, double check all details and ask all the questions. We also know about the vendors in town. We know what they specialize in, what they offer and their price point. Our professional opinion can save you tons of time!

6.    We are extremely organized! If you are worried you are going to forget something.. hire a planner. Yes, there are checklists available, but they do not cover everything. There are still many little details that can be forgotten. An event planner is trained to ensure all details are taken care of.

7.    Wow Factor: Event planners have the eye for knowing what to add to get the “WOW” factor. They also know the details to add to ensure your guests rave about your event.

Marital Bliss Hint: They Can Pay but It's Still Our Day

You realize you are a lucky bride to have your parents paying for most of the wedding with the remainder being covered by your fiancé’s parents. Although you are extremely grateful for their generosity you are sick and tired of listening to your mother-in-law’s opinion on everything or perhaps your father telling you what items the money should be spent on. Overly opinionated family members who are financially involved in a wedding is a common, yet very delicate situation. You really can’t stand listening to any more opinions, but you don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings and you still need them to help out financially with the wedding. You might be worried that you are being overly sensitive and being disrespectful. At what point is enough, enough?!

It is enough when you are starting to feel overpowered and out of control, like the decisions being made are not what you would actually like for your wedding day. It is also enough if you are feeling guilty for making the decision that you really want. All members of the family should be there to support you and your decisions (as a couple). The wedding day is a day to celebrate who the two of you are and your relationship, nothing else. If you have reached this point it is time for you to speak up. It might not be easy, but you should probably host a family meeting. This meeting should have both families present so both you and your fiancé can clearly explain what you would like for the wedding. It is important that before hosting the family meeting both you and your fiancé discuss your feelings with each other privately so you are a united front at the family meeting. If you are a bit nervous, having a written list of the topics you would like to cover at the meeting is helpful to ensure you don’t miss anything. Make sure to emphasize that you appreciate all family members’opinions; however you need everyone to respect your final decision.

Marital Bliss Hints: Can't Stop Fighting Over the Wedding

You bring up the cake or the seating arrangement or the budget and the fight begins! You are a happy couple whenever you are not talking about the wedding, but for some reason talking about the wedding always results in a fight. Maybe you have noticed this trend and have been pushing the planning to the side. Now you are noticing the date getting closer and closer and the stress is starting to build.

Weddings are a very important and emotional event, which makes each decision around the day significant. Weddings put any couples negotiating skills to the test. If you are a couple that have very different tastes and you both have strong opinions it can definitely make each decision a bit more complicated. Below are a few tips on how to discuss each other’s ideas and come to a compromise before the stress and anxiety kick in and the fight begins.

First: Set aside time to talk about the wedding. This way you both can insure you are in the right frame of mind to listen to what the other person has to say and express your opinion.

Second: Be respectful of what the other person is saying and be patient. Yes, your future wife really thinks it is reasonable to spend $2000 on a dress and yes, your groom wants his own cake in the shape of a beer can.

Third: Be organized. Writing down each other’s key points will help clarify the situation

Fourth: Don’t try to conquer too many decisions at once. For each conversation have about three main topics that you are going to discuss.

Fifth: Don’t panic if after the first conversation you do not have a decision made on the venue, cake and decorations. It is fine if the first time you both discuss a topic you don’t come to a conclusion right away. The decisions that are more important to you as a couple might take a few conversations until you find the perfect conclusion.

At all times, remember that at the end of the day the wedding is about celebrating your love and the future life you will be sharing together.

Marital Bliss Hint: When Your Families Hate Eachother!

It is true that opposites attract. That being said, although you love the differences in each other your families may not. The differences that can exist between families can be astronomical! Families may have different mannerisms, a different sense of humor, different likes and dislikes, hobbies, social standing, cultural background and even language. None of this makes bringing the two families together easy especially when you’re considering bringing them together to celebrate your wedding. One of the best ways to break the ice is to show your families something they have in common. Bring your families together to learn something fun and interactive together at a neutral location. For example, if there is going to be dancing at the reception have the closest family members attend a group dance lesson. In the process of learning a routine for your reception everyone will chat, learn a bit more about each other and need to work as a team. If on one’s into dancing try bowling, mini-golf or an activity both families have already expressed an interest in. Just be sure it is something interactive and easy-going! Splitting up the women and the men might also help as men and women bond in different ways. Most importantly, don’t let any discrepancies between family members stress you out. Remember that at your reception everyone will be happy and polite because both families will want to ensure you have the most perfect day!