event planning
About the Author Katelyn Petrillo, CPCE, DMCP has over 10 years of experience as a professional event planner. She was ...
About the Author
Katelyn Petrillo, CPCE, DMCP has over 10 years of experience as a professional event planner. She was employed as a Senior Event Producer at Sapphire Event Group for over 4 years. She was also the Special Events Director at Spring Valley Country Club for about 1 ½ years. She held an upper management role for a team of event planners at NXTevent, Inc. (destination management company) for over 5 years.
Katelyn is certified by the National Association for Catering and Events (NACE) as a Certified Professional in Catering and Events (CPCE). She is also certified by the Association of Destination Management Company Executives International (ADMCEI).
1. INTRODUCTION
Being engaged can be an exciting time for everyone. Unfortunately for a lot of people, the excitement ends there as they begin and go through the wedding planning process. It is true that when planning a most important day in your life with many different personalities, opinions, budgets, and nerves it can turn into a stressful project. But it doesn’t need to be that way. With a little bit of organization and patience, wedding planning can be as enjoyable as you always dreamed it could be.
2. BUDGET
Before you start binging Pinterest or trying on dresses – your most important first steps are to establish a budget for your wedding experience. As you draft your budget, it is vital to stay realistic with your goals for the future. Are you aspiring to buy a home, pay off debt, start a family? Weddings can have endless expenses, so setting a budget will help to achieve a celebration you can remember forever without breaking the bank and setting your family goals back by years. Be sure to have candid discussions between you and your fiancé as well as any other stakeholders who may be contributing to the event such as parents.
There are several books and guides on wedding planning that include suggestions as to how you should allot your wedding budget. Keep in mind your biggest expense will be the Venue, Food and Beverage. It is best to pull together a basic excel spreadsheet to manage your wedding budget. Start by making a column of your wedding savings. How will you be paying for the wedding? List out the funds you will use to pay vendors and expenses along the way. Next to that a column listing your expected expenses/vendors with rough amounts. These amounts may fluctuate as you secure each vendor or pay each expense; however, the ultimate goal is to never allow the total to exceed your savings established or added to along the way.
3. GUEST LIST
In addition to establishing your budget, you should begin to draft your guest list. Doing this in excel will help you to track RSVP’s, share addresses with your stationer or print quick mail merge labels for things like shower invitations, “Thank You” notes, etc. Your guest list will help you to determine venue sizes you will consider as well as determine many aspects of your budget line items as well. Don’t be afraid to have a B list. Weddings are expensive and though you may want to have your extended family or college friends attend – it may not be in the budget. ‘No’ responses range roughly in the 9-11% range of your total guest list. This can be even higher if you have several guests on your list that would need to travel. As you get ‘No’ responses back – you could send out additional invitations from your B list. You should also consider and discuss your ‘policy’ on plus ones. Many people go with a ‘no ring, no bring’ policy where if they are not engaged or married, the primary guest is invited without a plus one. Guest lists tend to get sticky as it is easy for them to grow quickly – but try to remember that you are the ones paying. You have a budget to keep and hope that the person who didn’t make the cut will understand.
4. VENUES
Once your budget and guest list are established – you can start your venue research. Many couples start with the date they want – but that specific date may not be available at the venue you ultimately decide on. It is wise to stay open-minded and broad. Lean towards a season or time of year to start. Flexibility will leave you with more options than narrowing yourself down to specific dates.
Start by making a list of venues you would be interested in and from there you can narrow it down. Time of year will help define your venue list with regards to in-door / out-door seasonality options. You should also consider if you will have a lot of guests traveling in for the celebration. You may need a venue in close proximity to a hotel or within the hotel itself. While developing the list, keep in mind capacities and what your max guest list count is. Request venue packages with pricing by mail or e-mail in advance so you can do your own math to determine if it will fit into your established budget. Some venues may even provide a preliminary estimate if you ask.
There are many different styles of venues to choose from. Each one will have its own pricing structure and additional costs. Be sure to review additional fees and costs to use outside vendors to ensure that the venue option fits within your budget.
Is the venue all-inclusive? Meaning they provide ceremony on-site, full catering and staff, onsite coordination, tables, chairs, house linens, china, etc…. Some venues will rent you the space and then you are required to go to a second vendor to contract the catering and a third vendor to contract the rentals of the tables chairs linens etc. As you get into having to handle more details, it would be beneficial to consider hiring an event planner to assist you with navigating the correct quantities, rental coordination, and priceless advice that could save you thousands along the way.
Once you have established a list of potential venues, schedule time to tour them, meet with their staff and ask questions. Seeing them in person and understanding the flow of the event at each space will help you to narrow down your selection.
For those that are more budget-conscious, keep in mind that off-peak dates and dates under a year tend to draw discounts or package enhancements. Many minimums (Whether they be guest count minimums or F&B Spend) tend to be lower in off-peak times of the year. And with that – many other vendors may offer discounts in order to fill in bookings during slower than normal business times.
Once you have chosen your venue – be sure to go through your contract with a fine-tooth comb to ensure you understand the terms. What is your minimum? What is your payment schedule? If you are booking out over a year in advance, will the menu pricing change? What are you allowed and not allowed to decorate or set-up in the venue? What is the cancellation policy? Of course, we don’t like to think about this in regards to a wedding – but it is important to be aware of the terms you are agreeing to.
Once contracted the venue will typically assign someone to work with you as your coordinator throughout the planning process. Be sure to get an idea of when you will start working with this person and what in-person meetings you will be expected to attend.
5. STATIONERY
Now that the venue is booked and the date is set, you can start to think about your additional vendors. The first place to start could be your stationer. Many couples mail out ‘save-the-dates’ to their guests. This is especially vital to those who may be traveling and will need additional advance time to plan their travel details in order to attend. If you are planning around a long holiday weekend or holiday season it is strongly advised to send them to ensure you make it on your guest’s busier than usual social calendars.
Many stationers offer packages that include entire stationery suites for all your needs. From Save the Dates and Invitations, to escort cards and signage for your details, many of these creators can be a one-stop-shop and help you to keep your scheme and esthetic cohesive in every detail. I also find that they can be incredibly helpful during the process by sharing vital advice such as weighing your invitations, what type of stamps to get, how many additional prints to order, how to phrase your invitation wording, the list goes on. The value of their service goes far beyond the artfully printed paper they provide. For a uniquely curated and customer service focused experience, I recommend Vy Vy Vo with @Invytations. For those more budget-conscious planners, Etsy is an incredible resource for DIY editable and printable stationery for every occasion.
6. PHOTO
Photography is incredibly important to almost all couples. Photographers are plentiful but there are some important tips to remember when choosing who to work with. Photographers have different subject focuses – be sure to consider a professional whose focus is wedding celebrations. They are a beast on their own – and working with someone who knows how to move around to capture a ceremony without being seen or interrupting can be incredibly valuable. Do they know how to wrangle a bridal party for group photos? Are they there at the right times for the memorable candids or important moments like cake cutting and parent dances?
Be sure to review how many hours of coverage they are providing. Many photographers come early for the ‘getting ready’ photos and leave once the dancing begins. How many shooters will be present – will the photographer bring an assistant / second shooter. This can be helpful if you are not seeing each other prior to the ceremony – one photographer can capture photos with the groom’s side prior to the ceremony leaving fewer photos to capture during cocktail hour. You should also negotiate your rights to the images and what that will cost or how it will be included in the package. This will allow you to own the images for life and print at your leisure. It is important to write out a list of photos you want on that day. This way the photographer can ensure they are capturing everything you are expecting without bothering you with questions or having you direct guests on your wedding day.
7. VIDEO
Videography is often a last-minute add-on if funds become available in the budget but more often than not it is left off the list of ‘must-haves’ when it comes down to it. However, I recently got married and I am glad I spent every penny to have a videographer there to capture our day. They not only created a 3-minute trailer highlighting the coverage of the day to some great music, we also received all the raw footage. We are both looking forward to sitting together on our one-year anniversary to go through that footage! We will have these live videos of our family and friends forever and that alone is a priceless memento from that day.
8. FLORIST
The event design of your wedding is by far the most enjoyable part of the planning experience. You should start by establishing your aesthetic, color scheme, or even theme. The time of year could help you with this as well as your own personal design tastes. The Spring may call for softer pastel tones with a loose floral garden feel. While the winter may require warmer, bolder jewel tones and metallics. Pinterest is of course an excellent source of inspiration as is following accounts such as @StyleMePretty to browse Real Weddings as you create your own dream wedding look.
Create a list of needs you will have for your florist. Personals, centerpieces, additional flourishes for areas like the cake or escort card table are most popular. Will you need arrangements for your ceremony?
Be prepared for your meeting with your designer. Show them images of blooms you like or centerpiece arrangements you are leaning towards. They can work with you to show you previous work they have in their portfolio and talk about what they can achieve within your budget while maintaining the look you are going for. When keeping in mind the budget, repurposing centerpieces for the ceremony or bouquets for décor can help save money. It is also important to consider flowers that are in season vs out of season which can cause prices to fluctuate.
9. DÉCOR: PRO TIP
Lighting is everything! If you have a little bit of extra money in your budget for décor – spend it on lighting design! A great wash of color over the room, moving patterned and monogram gobos, or string market lights are all excellent way to instantly create a whole new atmosphere that can enhance the energy and excitement of the space.
10. BAND / DJ (JUST GREAT MC) It’s the age-old question, Band or DJ?
This certainly comes down to several factors not the least important being budget. A great party band can really set the tone but a DJ is just as likely to keep your dance floor packed all night long.
However, the most important element to look for in your band leader or DJ is a great professional MC. I have heard so many complaints of DJs and Bands hired that just stood there and played music. But this event is more than just music. There are special moments and important traditions that guests don’t want to miss. A great MC will narrate the evening, keeping the guests engaged and in the know on where they are at in the program and when not to miss the important moments like parent dances or cake cutting. Not to mention – a great energetic personality will often set the tone and get your guests excited and invested in the party atmosphere for the evening. Many DJ’s and Bands offer additional services and enhancements you can add to your event such as photobooths, uplighting, TV screens, Gobo’s, etc… Inquire about these additional services and if they offer any discounts to add them to your package.
11. UNIQUE ENTERTAINMENT EXPERIENCES
While weddings don’t particularly lend themselves to incredibly unique entertainment options, it is a fun option to consider. Imagine a live event artist painting a captured moment from the ceremony right there in the room as guests mingle during cocktail hour. If cigars are your thing – set up your own whiskey tasting with live cigar rollers to enjoy during cocktail hour or late night after the dance floor opens. Want a real jaw-dropping experience? My husband and I hired two live performers to dress as living goddess statues. Each statue stood on a pedestal at either end of one of the bars during cocktail hour and poured red and white wine into the guest’s glasses. This was something that guests had never seen or experienced before and it was something they talked about long after the wedding was over. Interactive experiences are something guests will always remember and often what lends to fun and memorable moments during the night.
12. LOWER EXPECTATIONS OF PERFECTION
Though you have been dreaming of this day your whole life, today’s wedding world is much more in-depth than when our parents said ‘I Do’. Pinterest and social media can set pretty unrealistic expectations of what weddings should look like. But many of us fail to remember that much of what we are seeing is staged marketing or lifestyles of the rich and famous – of which most of us could not afford. The days where the bride’s parents paid for the wedding are long gone. Though a few of you out there may be lucky enough to have this resource – many no longer do or follow this tradition. Therefore, budgets are tighter and pressure is higher.
It’s important to lower your expectations for perfection. In the end, try to remember the whole reason you are doing this in the first place – to marry your best friend, to join your life with that of the one you love – and that is truly all that should matter. No one will remember if the DJ messed up the song you walk down the aisle to – or what color the napkins were that they used to wipe the mashed potatoes from the side of their mouth.
As an event planner myself – when I planned my own wedding, many people asked me how I didn’t stress over everything being perfect. My answer is simple, I stayed organized throughout the process, I communicated my expectations with all my vendors, I double-checked all my details and confirmed everyone in the days before. Then I sat back, relaxed and surrendered myself to the experience. If you put the work in ahead of time – you will easily reap the benefits of everything falling into place. You should be enjoying moments like your pre-wedding mani/pedi, time spent with your bridal party at the rehearsal dinner, celebrating with guests at the hotel bar you haven’t seen in a while that traveled in for the big day.
In the end, you got married to the one you love – you were surrounded by your most beloved family and friends and got to spend a fun and memorable time celebrating together. No hiccup or error could ever truly ruin that for you. As an event planner, I would often see my clients for one of their last meetings at around 2 weeks out. I would ask, with my own enthusiasm for them if they were getting excited for their big day. More often than not the energy was grim and the response was “I just can’t wait for it to be over”. I was always so sad to hear this. Don’t let yourself get here. Why spend all this time and money to plan and create your wedding only to wish it was over before it even started. It isn’t worth it. The best advice is to avoid the stressors and anxiety and enjoy the planning process. And if you are one that likens planning things to getting a root canal – then that’s where we come in. Event Planners are meant to take the guesswork and stress out of planning very important days and moments in people’s lives. We were born with organized lists in their hands and are ready to hold yours to get you down the aisle glowing and stress-free. Consider consulting with a planner to see if it is the best option for you and if their services are a good match for your needs.
–Katelyn Petrillo, CPCE, DMCP
KateHillEvents@gmail.com
WEDDING COCKTAIL HOUR BONUS (written by Jesse Dameron)
If you’re looking for something really special to blow your wedding guests’ minds, break the ice, bring people together, and get them talking for a long time, check out the demo video for a special type of wedding entertainment below.
If you want your guests to enjoy the entertainment you saw in the video above, visit www.mentalistjesse.com to learn more or call 267-261-9930 for a free consultation.