The Blog of a Burlington Wedding & Event Planner
Posts Tagged ‘Wedding Planner’
Keeping Your Wedding $$$ Safe from Bankrupt Vendors
Thursday, August 20th, 2009Recently, a new client brought a newspaper article to my attention. It was about a Toronto-based planning and decorating company, Affairs with Flair, who have recently gone bankrupt, leaving many couples with no refund and no promised services. Logically, this made my client nervous.
Today’s crazy economy and the thought of something like this happening to you on your wedding day are enough to make anyone worry. But it got me to thinking – How do couples protect themselves from something like this?
1. First and foremost – Make sure you have a contract. A contact with dates, details, responsibilities, payments, etc. signed by you and your potential wedding planner. Make sure their information – address, web site, GST number, etc., is included on the contract.
2. Make sure they are a real business. Not just doing this as a hobby or a part time basis. They should have a business license, GST number, etc. Are they part of the Chamber of Commerce, Better Business Bureau, etc.? Do they have a real web site? Real businesses have to spend money to make money. Look for clues like how much advertising they are doing, how active they are, etc.
3. Ask for references. And actually contact the references. Ask questions – were they on time? Did they meet all obligations? Would they hire them again? Were there any surprises? You get the idea.
4. Go with your gut. If it feels fishy, it probably is. Listen to your instincts.
5. Ask how long they’ve been doing this. Experience speaks volumes. Those who have gone to school and have learned all about how to hypothetically handle wedding planning may not fair as well financially in the long run as those who have actual experience dealing with the highs and lows of real wedding planning.
I hope this helps. Its a horrible thing to have to worry about, especially on your wedding day!
By the way, I’ve been doing this for more than 10 years, have a GST number and belong to the Oakville Chamber of Commerce, in case you were wondering.
How to Establish Your Wedding Budget
Monday, August 10th, 2009No one likes budget talk. The fun of planning a wedding seems to evapourate pretty quickly when money talk rears its ugly head. But when it comes to a wedding, you have to know the dollars and cents of your planning.
One of the questions I get asked time and time again is “Am I spending too much?”. The answer really depends. Depends on what your overall budget is, what is important to you, how many guests you’re having, etc.
But there are those couples who are ‘foodies’ and MUST have great food at the reception. Or those who are passionate about music, for who a DJ won’t do. Those couple know that they are willing to devote a large chunk of their budget to getting the perfect details to suit their passions.
But many couples feel that yes, the food and music must be good but aren’t sure where to start in the budgeting process. For them, I would recommend the following breakdown by percent of their wedding budget:
Reception (45%)
Planner (12%)
Bride’s Attire (5%)
Photography (5%)
Flowers/Decor (5%)
Entertainment (5%)
Videographer (3%)
Transportation (3%)
Stationary/Invites (3%)
Wedding Rings (3%)
Wedding Gifts (3%)
Ceremony (2%)
Cake (1%)
Hair & Make-up (1%)
Groom’s Attire (1%)
Accessories (1%)
Accommodations (1%)
Miscellaneous (1%)
So for a wedding with a total budget of $25,000 it would look like this:
Reception (45%) – $11,250
Planner (12%) – $ 3,000
Bride’s Attire (5%) – $ 1,250
Photography (5%) – $ 1,250
Flowers/Decor (5%) – $ 1,250
Entertainment (5%) – $ 1,250
Videographer (3%) – $ 750
Transportation (3%) – $ 750
Stationary/Invites (3%) – $ 750
Wedding Rings (3%) – $ 750
Wedding Gifts (3%) – $ 750
Ceremony (2%) – $ 500
Cake (1%) – $ 250
Hair & Make-up (1%) – $ 250
Groom’s Attire (1%) – $ 250
Accessories (1%) – $ 250
Accommodations (1%) – $ 250
Miscellaneous (1%) – $ 250
And if the list above has things that you aren’t including, like a videographer, remove that line item and either add it to another category or put it back in the bank!
Hope this helps!
Part Seven – Seven Things to Cut From Your Wedding & Save Your Budget
Wednesday, July 29th, 2009Here is the last of seven tips of what to cut from your wedding budget that is unnecessary:
7. Saving The Top Layer of Your Wedding Cake for X… – The top layer of they wedding cake has traditionally been saved and not served to your guests. ‘Saved for what?’ you ask – well, it depends who you ask but its usually stuck in the freezer for at least a year. Often saved for your first wedding anniversary, or birth of your first baby, or their baptism. This tradition started a long time ago when cakes were make from fruit cake and had a glimmer of possibly, maybe surviving the long year.
Nowadays, not many people would not even consider fruit cake and often, the year old cake, certainly stale and likely freezer-burned taste pretty gross. So why do it? Why pay for that top layer so you can wrap it up, seal it in 3 ziplock freezer bags and a tupperware container only to throw it out in a year? Heres a better idea. Save the money and when the occasion comes around (first anniversary, first baby’s birth, etc.) make a special trip back to you baker and get a small replica make of your cake that you can enjoy while still fresh?
Hope these tips help! Happy planning!
‘I Do’ – Carrie Bradshaw, Sex in the City
Tuesday, July 14th, 2009His ‘hello’ was the end of her endings.
Her laugh was their first step down the aisle.
His hand would be hers to hold forever.
His forever was as simple as her smile.
He said she was what was missing.
She said instantly she knew.
She was a question to be answered.
And his answer was “I do”.
Sarah Jessica Parker, as Carrie Bradshaw, in Episode 19 of “Sex and the City,” “The Chicken Dance.”
Part Six – Seven Things to Cut From Your Wedding & Save Your Budget
Tuesday, July 14th, 2009Here is the sixth part of the series of budget tips of things to cut from you wedding that no one will notice.
6. Bathroom Guest Baskets – this is something I never really understood. I mean it’s a nice sentiment, but having a basket with mouthwash, extra nylons, tums, a sewing kit is a nice to have, not a need to have. And can be pretty expensive. And besides, if you have a good wedding planner worth his or her salt, that all that kind of stuff will already be on hand in his or her on-site emergency kit.
Happy planning!
Part Four – Seven Things to Cut From Your Wedding & Save Your Budget
Tuesday, June 23rd, 2009Here is the next idea of what you can cut from your wedding that hardly anyone will notice or care about…
4. Champagne – The fact is it’s expensive and most people don’t really like champagne. You likely already have wine on the tables – cha-ching. Have some sort of bar – cha-ching. And now you want to open and pay for more alcohol for each guest to have a glass to raise to you, shout out ‘cheers’ (substitute here what ever your family traditional uses – ‘prost’, ‘valo’, ‘mazaltof’, etc.) so they can take a sip and thats it? Why not just use the wine already on the table, or the drinks they already have from the bar? Think about it!
Stand by for more ideas to keep your budget in check!
Good luck and happy wedding planning!