Top Questions we get Asked

We meet with brides who have all kinds of budgets/styles/tastes, but yet they all ask similar questions. We thought today, we would take some time and answer the questions we get asked a lot...

1. Do we have to do favors?

No! Nobody has ever come up to us and said "where is my favor?" Now if you do want favors, we can come up with some unique ideas, so you don't end up taking some 200 jordan almonds at the end of the night. As a side note, unless it's something amazing--don't order one per guest because not everyone takes one.

2. Who pays for what?

There are general rules for what is traditional, but now it is whatever each family wants to do. Some groom's parents want to pay for photography or band as a gift or some groom's sides don't pay anything at all. It all depends on each family. There is a list of traditional "who pays for what" but don't be too alarmed if one side doesn't want to stick to the tradition.

3. What does a planner do?

We get that one a lot actually. Since we aren't providing a cake or flowers and it is a service instead, people have trouble grasping the concept. It can be everything from helping keep the budget in line or making the layout work better at a venue. Our main job is working the wedding weekend to organize vendors, schedule deliveries, answer questions, and mostly handle any problems that come up so that the bride and her family can handle getting ready and enjoying the day while we make the reception and wedding look amazing. The ability to be able to handle that wedding weekend the best means we have to be with the bride along the way. It allows us to be able to make split decisions and know we are doing exactly what she envisions.

4. Isn't the number of guests just the number of invitations you send out?

Wrong! It all depends on who are sending invitations to! If you are having a local wedding and both the bride and groom are local, their numbers will be higher because people won't have to travel. We had a bride who was convinced she could go off that wives tale and sent 200 invitations and ended up with 350 people because she had way more people come since almost every guest was local! Think about your actual guest list instead of just the number of invitations. You should already know before even sending them out who for sure is coming and who are the "maybe's".

5. I've got a friend who will give me a deal...is that ok?

That is usually a bumpy road. First find out if you really are getting a deal. I have so many brides who start with "I have a friend who is a photographer" or a "florist", just fill in the blank. Just because the friend is a vendor, doesn't always mean they will give you a deal because they have to make a living. Think, if they gave you a deal, then they'd have to give your other friend a deal too, and then they'd be doing their job for free and there are only 52 weekends to make a living in the wedding business.

So first find out if you are really are getting a deal. Then make sure they are really good because if you are just using someone because they are a friend but they haven't ever made a wedding cake for example...that isn't the best idea. It's worth $350 to get a real wedding cake where you pick it out, taste it, someone bakes it, delivers it and you don't have to worry that it will fall over. Sometimes friends just want to be guests ;)