Make your list, check it twice
With so many brides in full planning mode, I figured this would be the best time to revisit an article I found on Yahoo a million years ago (probably last summer). The article addresses some of the financial pitfalls of having a wedding planner with allegiances that sometimes clash — keeping the client (you, the bride) happy and making as much money as s/he can. The first four of the Top 10 Things your Wedding Planner Won’t Tell You:
1. “Something old, something new and everything over the top.” Weddings sure aren’t what they used to be. A sharp jump in what couples are willing to spend has boosted the wedding biz to a $120 billion industry, according to David Wood, president of the Association of Bridal Consultants. Today’s nuptials, costing $27,000 on average, tend to be “much grander,” Wood says. And the grander the affair, the more a couple needs help putting it together. Enter the wedding planner, a profession that emerged in the 1950s. Once catering to the wealthy elite, wedding planners have gone mainstream in recent decades, doubling their numbers over the past three years, to 20,000. Some 270,000 couples hired planners in 2006, up from 200,000 in 2003.
2. “You say you need a reference? Well, you’re looking at her.” When Keisha Barnes and Christopher Johnson, of Cerritos, Calif., first met with a wedding planner, they say she showed up an hour late, then took them to see churches much too far away. After the next appointment, when she recommended Lutheran churches (the couple are nondenominational Christian), they began researching venues on their own. “I felt like I was the wedding planner and that I was servicing her,” Barnes says. “She clearly had no idea what she was doing.” Since wedding planning requires no formal training, anyone can hang out a shingle, and a growing number of former brides are doing just that.
3. “I’ll do whatever it takes to keep you calm, cool and oblivious.” Just 15 minutes before setup, wedding planner Sasha Souza, of Napa, Calif., found out that the deejay she’d booked had been arrested. In a panic, she called up a sub, who lived three hours away, and told him to get there ASAP. What did she tell the bride? Nothing.
4. “I won’t necessarily be there on your big day.” As the industry continues to grow, wedding consulting has gotten more specialized and confusing. Planners now offer tiers of service, from full (meaning they manage the entire process from start to finish and charge about 10 to 15% of the total wedding budget) to partial (they select the photographer, caterer and other vendors for an hourly rate of, say, $25) to day-of (they oversee the event as it happens, usually for a flat fee). In addition, many venues now offer complimentary “wedding planning” as part of their package.
Read the full article for the last 6 things, plus more details.
And as a bonus, as I searched for the image atop this post, I came across Wedding Planning Software — a list of downloadable programs that you can use to organize your seating chart, plan your wedding schedule or keep track of RSVPs. Sweet. Most of them, however, are Windows only programs – sorry Mac brides.
When to get married?
What’s the best month of the year to get married?
( surveys)
I’ve noticed more traffic the last couple of weeks. I’m guessing quite a few people have gotten engaged over the holidays — congratulations!
But now I’m curious as the time table people have set for themselves. Not everyone does a year — God knows, with my own wedding, I got a promise ring at the end of our first year together, underwent pre-marriage counseling 6 months later for about 3 months, and about 2 years into our relationship, figured it was time to move in together, thus get married. But I’ve seen many brides plan their weddings at least a year in advance. Exception: my friend, in whose wedding I was a bridesmaid, got engaged in December and married the next June.
But besides that, is there a certain month that brides favor? I know June is supposedly the wedding month, but in my experience, October is as much a wedding month as June.
Anyway, TheKnot.com provides a handy dandy list of dates to avoid in 2008 — and for you looong-term planners, 2009:
Holiday weekend wedding have pros and cons. You’ve got an extra day for the festivities (and recovery!), plus it’s easier to host the affair on Sunday, which is often less expensive than Saturday events. However, costs of travel and hotels may be higher. Also, having your wedding on a holiday weekend might adversely affect your guest list. Some families have standing holiday weekend plans or traditions that they’d prefer not to have disrupted.
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day (always a Monday)
January 21, 2008
January 19, 2009
President’s Day (always a Monday)
February 18, 2008
February 16, 2009
Memorial Day (always a Monday)
May 26, 2008
May 25, 2009
Independence Day
Friday, July 4, 2008
Saturday, July 4, 2009
Labor Day (always a Monday)
September 1, 2008
September 7, 2009
Columbus Day (always a Monday)
October 13, 2008
October 12, 2009
Thanksgiving (always a Thursday)
November 27, 2008
November 26, 2009
New Year’s Eve
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Religious Holidays
Be mindful of religious holidays (yours and your guests’) when planning your wedding. There may even be restrictions at your house of worship as to whether you’re allowed to marry at these times.
Palm Sunday
March 16, 2008
April 5, 2009
Easter Sunday
March 23, 2008
April 12, 2009
Passover (begins at sunset the night before)
Sunday, April 20, 2008
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Rosh Hashanah
In 2008, begins at sunset on Monday, September 29, and lasts until nightfall on Wednesday, October 1
In 2009, begins at sunset on Saturday, September 19, and lasts until nightfall on Sunday, September 20
Yom Kippur (begins at sunset the night before)
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Monday, September 28, 2009
Hanukkah (begins at sunset the night before)
Monday, December 22, 2008
Saturday, December 12, 2009
Christmas
Thursday, December 25, 2008
Friday, December 25, 2009
Kwanzaa
Begins Friday, December 26, 2008
Begins Saturday, December 26, 2009 through Friday, January 1, 2010
Costly Holidays
If you’re looking to marry around Valentine’s Day, be wary of your floral bill, especially if you’ve got your heart set on red roses — they’re likely to be more costly than at any other time of the year. Likewise, reception sites often charge a higher fee for a New Year’s Eve wedding.
Notable Holidays
April Fool’s Day
If you and your fiance are jokesters at heart, this could be the perfect wedding day for you. If not, choose another day.
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Mother’s Day
Make sure your mom is okay with sharing this weekend with your wedding — but it could be the perfect opportunity to honor her. If you do choose it, at your day-after brunch make a toast to all the mothers in the room.
May 11, 2008
May 10, 2009
Father’s Day
Ditto for dad.
June 15, 2008
June 21, 2009
Halloween
Avoid it if you’re terrified that someone might actually show up in costume.
Friday, October, 31, 2008
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Days of Remembrance
Historically significant days may cause a conflict of interest for some guests.
September 11: Falls on a Thursday in 2008 and a Friday in 2009
December 7, Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day: In 2008 it’s on a Sunday, and falls on a Monday in 2009
Super Bowl
If you don’t live in Arizona or Tampa, and are marrying on the Saturday rather than the Sunday of Super Bowl weekend, then the big game shouldn’t affect your wedding too much — unless you and your hubby are diehard pigskin fans and can’t bear to miss the big game for your honeymoon. If in doubt, steer clear of these dates:
Sunday, February 3, 2008, Glendale, AZ
Sunday, February 1, 2009, Tampa, FL
Final Four/March Madness
Everyone loves the excitement of college b-ball (and betting on it!). Keep your sports fans at bay by avoiding these dates:
Saturday, April 5 and Tuesday, April 7, 2008, San Antonio, TX
Saturday, April 4, 2009 and Monday, April 6, 2009, Detroit, MI
Quirky Dates
8/8/08: Although it lands on a Friday, numerological significance and the novelty of marrying on a date that occurs once in a lifetime make 8/8/08 an attractive wedding date. (Click here for more info on 8/8/08 weddings)
03/06/09 falls on a Friday
09/09/09 falls on a Wednesday
Other Dates to Avoid
College reunions and/or homecoming, big conventions in your city (call your local chamber of commerce), and any annual charity events that involve your family or close friends.
Happy Planning!
