Putting together a clear vision for your wedding is really important, especially when it comes time to make decisions about floor plans, linens, stationary, flowers, wedding party attire...well basically everything. Whether you're a creative type or more focused on logistics, you can take these few simple steps to put together a cohesive vision reflecting the two of you as a couple:
Blogs: Blogs are a great place to get inspiration. They can feature real weddings as well as fun diy projects and styled shoots. You can check out a variety of ceremony setups, various flower styles, different color combinations, and wedding party attire. Look for what works visually for you and even what doesn't. Some great local blogs include:
Capitol Romance
United With Love
Pinterest: Creating a pinterest board serves two purposes -
1) Once you pin your little heart out, you'll be able to see a common theme, pattern, style, and vision come to life. This will help you narrow down selections.
2) Your board becomes a crucial tool to communicate your vision to various vendors. Whether you're meeting with a stationary designer, florist, or rental company, a picture speaks a thousand words (apologies for the cliche).
After you get your inspiration and put together a pin board, be prepared to talk about it. Without your opinion - whether likes or dislikes - a designer in any field will be unable to grasp or execute your vision.
We continue Wedding Week with finding the right vendor. Vendors play such an significant role in your planning process - they are essentially responsible for making sure your event runs smoothly. So how do you find the right vendor that not only gets you but that you can also trust with your big day? It's all about research, asking the right questions, and clicking. Here are a few areas to focus on:
STYLE Check out the vendor's portfolio. With catering schedule a tasting or attend an event they're catering - look out for flavors and presentation. With a vendor like photography check out their previous work - a photographer might be skilled but if he or she doesn't shoot in the style that you relate with you will never be happy with the end result.
REPUTATION Reviews will give you a really good idea of what you can expect from a vendor. Websites like weddingwire and yelp do a great job at filtering fake reviews, and who better to hear from than past clients? Never be afraid to ask to for additional referrals (or to even speak with previous clients). Another great place for referrals? Ask the vendors you've already booked and have enjoyed working with - chances are they surround themselves with those similar to them in work style.
CONSULT QUESTIONS You should take your vendor consultations as an interview, because that's essentially what it is. Ask your vendors the tough questions - have they worked at your venue? How many weddings do they do per day? Who will be working your actual wedding? Will lighting impact any of the end results (e.g. photography, videography, flowers)? How those vendors answer these questions will help you narrow down your selections.
COMPATIBILITY Just like with your significant other, bestie, or professional interaction, when you click you click. This also applies to vendors. Book those you'll have fun working with and have your working style - you're planning a big party after all :)
Welcome back to our planning week and today we're looking at our Top 5 Online Wedding Planning Tools. The great thing about planning a wedding nowadays is how many awesome online resources we have. The tough part is which one to choose. No worries - we've done the filtering and below are our faves, based on the needs.
5) REGISTRY - Merci Registry: Registries are just not the same anymore. Not everyone is looking for a blender or a knife set, and this tool lets you register for whatever you might want (Honeymoon? Charitable cause?). Add a link to your wedding website and voila! You're ready to give+receive.
4) WEDDING WEBSITE - Appy Couple: Wedding websites are great because they allow you to post all of the information not fitted for the actual invitation (directions to the venue, registry, and additional photos) and keep your guests up-to-date. Appy Couple goes beyond a basic wedding website - it has the capability of managing your guestlist as well as the timeline. It also has an App, which allows for the planning process to be interactive. (It doesn't hurt that one of our couples was a beta tester/bunny for this application back in 2012)
3) VENDOR SEARCH - WeddingWire: We love this website to find vendors in various regions. You can view endless photos, reviews (SO important for finding reliable, reputable, and compatible vendors), and contact information. They also have great webinars and wedding planning tools.
2) VISION DEVELOPMENT - Pinterest: this little tool became available a few years back and has been a fabulous resource to help convey your vision to your vendors. While descriptive words are great, they sometimes mean different things to different people. A photo will get everyone on the same page.
1) ORGANIZATION TOOLS - Google Weddings: Google is always coming up with ways to simplify our lives, and they've done it again. This tool will not only help you with your venue search, but will also help you get organized and send out Save-The-Dates.
