Wedding Planning Podcast Kara Lamerato

This week on the Wedding Planning Podcast, we're going to sort out some misconceptions and FAQ's about wedding planners and day of coordinators.
BONUS >>> Join me inside my digital wedding planning package, The VAULT for a special bonus meeting on training a friend or family member to act as your Day Of Coordinator.  Sign up for your FREE 3-DAY TRIAL here!
Our goal today is to get really clear on the difference between a wedding planner and a day-of coordinator, and to determine whether or not you really need to hire a professional to help you with your wedding plans.
When I got married, I wasted a lot of time researching and interviewing planners before I realized that A.) I didn’t HAVE to hire anyone, and B.) John and I had all the tools we needed to plan OUR perfect wedding day.
And side note, shocker - obviously, none of the wedding planners I interviewed ever mentioned to me, hey by the way, did you know that you could actually just do this on your own?  
Thankfully I came around to that, but it took lots of wasted effort and stress to get there.
Flash forward to today - I literally created the Wedding Planning Podcast so that any engaged couple could tune in and use the episodes and the tools we review in the weekly shows to plan their own wedding - no professional or pricey wedding planner required. 
Spoiler alert before we even dive in - I definitely DO NOT think you have to spend thousands of dollars to hire a professional wedding planner! 
Some alternatives?  Try checking out the sites we mentioned in today's show, including your local Craigslist postings, Thumbtack.com,  taskrabbit.com and fiverr.com
I also know that there are countless wonderful wedding planning professionals out there, and for some couples it’s a really smart investment … and we’ll get into all of that that much more in today’s show.
Blog post for today's show, AND free "Day Of" Checklist here!
A special thank you for supporting our valued show sponsors:
Take advantage of FREE honeymoon planning services for your all-inclusive, cruise, or exotic honeymoon AND get $50 off when you book!  Simply email susan@susanstravelservices.com to get started.

A fun piece of feedback I hear from you, especially after our wedding Q&A shows, is “wow, we never even would have thought of that!” 
Today I 'm revealing a list of 12 wedding details that are really easy to overlook ... and being on top of them can literally change the course of your wedding day.  
These little "aha moments" can stack up quickly and mean the difference from frantically skirting a bunch of mini disasters, to proactively being prepared for all the little hiccups and bumps that will naturally occur throughout the course of your wedding day.  
Malcolm Gladwell is a Canadian author, journalist, and producer of one of my favorite Podcasts, Revisionist History.  In a recent episode he said, “It’s impossible to make a list of things that have not yet occurred to us” and I immediately knew I wanted to apply those wise words to your wedding plans. 
Let’s roll through a dozen essential wedding details that may get overlooked in the planning process - tune in for so much more!
A special THANK YOU to today's show sponsors:
Today's show is just the beginning of dozens of strategic recorded meetings that walk you through exactly how to plan your dream wedding, from start to finish.  Learn more and sign up for a totally FREE 3-DAY TRIAL trial by visiting www.wedpodcast.com
Take advantage of FREE honeymoon planning services for your all-inclusive, cruise, or exotic honeymoon AND get $50 off when you book!  Simply email susan@susanstravelservices.com to get started.

There are some incredibly simple steps to creating a crystal clear vision of exactly how you want your wedding celebration to unfold. 
This week's featured meeting is a detailed overview of ways to cut through the noise, and stay focused on your priorities. 
Here's an overview of the specific scenario we'll be discussing:
"How can we reign in our wedding planner?  Our venue includes a coordinator for the rehearsal and wedding day, and initially I was pleasantly surprised by how accommodating and informative she is.  Since the initial relief and excitement of finding and booking the perfect venue, we’re starting to realize the huge task ahead of us in terms of booking EVERYTHING (the venue comes with nothing set up, so we need to choose tables, chairs, place settings, dance floor, bar, basically everything.) 
At this point, I feel completely overwhelmed by her ideas & suggestions, and I’m starting to worry that the wedding she has envisioned for us does not line up with our vision OR our budget.  How do I reign in our wedding planner and rest easy knowing that we are on the same page?"
In my years of experience, it’s not just the wedding planners who need to reigned in ... often times it's also the moms, bridesmaids, aunts, cousins ... feeling familiar?
We’re going to cover all these scenarios in today’s episode.
You'll also enjoy a sneak peek inside my digital wedding planning package with release of exclusive audio, "Creating Your Wedding Vision". This exercise alone is one of the most valuable wedding planning tools I have to helping you create a celebration that truly honors your priorities & values.
Tune in for so much more!
A special THANK YOU to today's show sponsors:
Today's show is just the beginning of dozens of strategic recorded meetings that walk you through exactly how to plan your dream wedding!  Learn more and sign up for a totally FREE 3-DAY TRIAL by visiting www.wedpodcast.com
Enjoy a FREE SUIT OR TUXEDO RENTAL for the wedding couple with 5 paid wedding party members at www.generationtux.com
Take advantage of FREE honeymoon planning services for your all-inclusive, cruise, or exotic honeymoon AND get $50 off when you book!  Simply email susan@susanstravelservices.com to get started.

This week I have a mailbox full of your wedding planning questions to review! 
Here's a full look at everything on our agenda this week:
What’s a nice way of asking the moms to wear a certain style / color? Who to invite to your bachelorette party (just bridesmaids or others, too?) Having a hard time finding a venue that will allow a food truck, BYOB, in our area, for about $5000 budget.  There will be about 50 - 100 guests.  I’m about to say screw it and elope, but I know we’ll regret it, any suggestions?   Should I hire a babysitter for the reception? What if there’s a pool at my venue? (Things to consider) I don’t necessarily want a traditional wedding cake - what are some fun dessert options for hot weather? What do you think about using an Air bnb as our venue?  We found one that we love, and the owner agreed to let us host our wedding there, but I feel uneasy booking it for over a year away (Sept. 2022) - so many things could happen in a year.  I would hate to get close to the wedding, have something happen to the house, and not have a venue.   Family children ... how to involve them in the wedding so they feel like they have a special job / part in everything (my mom promised a cousin a role that I never actually “approved” of) Trying to host our wedding in a field (family land) and I have it mostly planned but there’s no electricity - is dancing completely out of the question?  I thought we’d have it during the day but wouldn’t that be boring? How important is an MC?  Venue includes a DOC but not the MC part - could I just have my brother or a friend do it?   How do I reign in our wedding planner?  "Our venue includes a wedding coordinator for the rehearsal and wedding day, and initially I was pleasantly surprised by how accommodating and informative she is.  Since the initial relief and excitement of finding and booking the perfect venue, we’re starting to realize the huge task ahead of us in terms of booking EVERYTHING (the venue comes with nothing set up, so we need to choose tables, chairs, place settings, dance floor, bar, basically everything.)  At this point, I feel completely overwhelmed by her ideas & suggestions, and I’m starting to worry that the wedding she has envisioned for us does not line up with our vision OR our budget.  How do I reign in our wedding planner and rest easy knowing that we are on the same page?"
There are so many layers to this one that we have a dedicated show coming up next week, all about your initial meetings with your wedding planner, venue, or anyone else who’s going to be helping you make your perfect wedding celebration come to life! 
In my years of experience, it’s not just wedding planners who need to reigned in, but often times moms, wedding party members, aunts, cousins .... feeling familiar?  We’re going to cover it all next week!
These questions were submitted by members of my digital wedding planning package, where one of my favorite benefits of membership is a fast track VIP pass to submit your wedding questions & show topic requests ... literally any time you think of them.
You’re invited to join us and take advantage of  a FREE 3-day trial when you visit wedpodcast.com. 
The digital format allows me to extend a full service planning experience for an incredibly affordable monthly subscription, plus there are no contracts & absolutely zero obligation.  And of course, you can take advantage of that FREE 3-DAY TRIAL when you sign up today at wedpodcast.com.
A special thank you to today's show sponsors:
FREE Wedding Websites designed by independent artists?  Yes please!  Get started building your wedding website today with Minted Weddings & take advantage of exclusive listener perks on save the dates, invitations & more.
Take advantage of FREE honeymoon planning services for your all-inclusive, cruise, or exotic honeymoon AND get $50 off when you book.  Simply email susan@susanstravelservices.c

Our goal this week on the Wedding Planning Podcast?  To save YOU $3,650 on your final wedding bill!
We could literally talk for hours about all the pretty things you see on Pinterest & Instagram that do not HAVE to be a part of your wedding celebration.
In the interest of time, I’ve chosen EIGHT wedding elements that I would suggest skipping - or scaling waaaaaaaaay back on.  I think you'll be shocked at how easy it is for us to save over $3,000 over the course of a 20 minute conversation!
If your goal is a simple, beautiful, and affordable wedding - then the sky is the limit on the millions of wedding details you can leave out.  
 In my digital wedding planning package, couples are encouraged to make a detailed list of their priorities way early on in the engagement.  They can then use that rock-solid road map over & over again, to check in throughout their engagement and be sure that priorities & values are being honored with every single decision.
Want to come behind the scenes for more in-depth guidance on setting an unshakable planning foundation that will bring you all the way through to your wedding day & beyond?  Now you can try my revolutionary digital wedding planning package FREE for 3 days!  
NO CONTRACTS, A very small monthly subscription price that you’re 100% free to CANCEL ANYTIME, And a FREE 3-DAY TRIAL so you can even take a look around before committing! In essence?  You have absolutely NOTHING to lose, and everything to gain.  Get started today at www.wedpodcast.com.
I'll see you there!
A special thank you to Susan's Travel Services for sponsoring today's episode.  Take advantage of FREE honeymoon planning services for your all-inclusive, cruise, or exotic honeymoon AND get $50 off when you book!  Simply email susan@susanstravelservices.com to get started.
Other partner links mentioned in today's show:
Wedding shoes on Amazon? Why not! Check out these beauties & more for a fraction of the price at a "wedding" retailer.
Support a small business AND shop high quality, low priced wedding accessories on Etsy.
An entire show dedicated to planning, shopping for & setting up your own APPETIZER SPREAD can be found in your podcast feed dated June 1, 2022.
Last word! A CLASSIC way to save? Purchase once-used decor & other wedding items from another couple on a resale site like Craigslist, Ebay, or Facebook Marketplace. 🙌🏼

STREAMLINE + SIMPLIFY has been a tagline for the WPP literally since I created the show way back in 2015.  (Look closely, it's even on our old logo!)

Not only are these two of my favorite words in the English language - that I try and live by in ALL aspects of my life - more specifically, they perfectly summarize my approach to wedding planning.  
Every situation you’ll encounter throughout your engagement can be examined through the lens of simplicity and potentially scaled back or streamlined in some way that will make your life easier, more affordable, more relaxing, and overall, more enjoyable.  
Often we find ourselves in the midst of a planning roadblock and the first instinct is to explore your options. 
In the first example we’re going to talk about today - a couple who has family in 2 different places, many of whom don’t want to travel, you might consider … getting married in each place, what would that look like?  Getting married where we live?  Getting married on an island with just us? 
In all the feelings and family dynamics and charged emotions that fly around throughout your engagement season, it’s sometimes easy to get lost in a million far-fetched options ... when the simplest, most streamlined option is left by the wayside.  
On that note, today we’re going to explore some common wedding planning scenarios where things can escalate and become verrrrrrrrrry complicated, very quickly. 
I’m going to do my best to point out some straightforward, simple solutions that I hope will make your engaged life EASIER, MORE AFFORDABLE, and put a stop to waking up in the middle of the night with your mind racing over how many passed appetizers there should be, how many people should be in your wedding party, and how much ice to buy for your welcome party. 
Ready to get started?  Tune into the full show for so much more!
Thank you for supporting this week's show sponsor:
Take advantage of FREE honeymoon planning services for your all-inclusive, cruise, or exotic honeymoon AND get $50 off when you book!  Simply email susan@susanstravelservices.com to get started. Thousands of couples have planned simple, meaningful & affordable multi-event wedding celebrations, and you can do it too with LONG WEDDING WEEKEND BY DESIGN.
Long Wedding Weekend by Design is my all new digital wedding planning package specifically for couples who want to MAXIMIZE their wedding celebration across MULTIPLE DAYS + MULTIPLE EVENTS.
Whether you're stuck in the initial "I don't think we can pull that off with our time & budget" phase, OR you've already committed but find yourself in a tangled mess of half-made plans - finally, an incredibly straightforward, 3-STEP GUIDE to planning your multi-day wedding celebration from start to finish ... WITH ABSOLUTELY ZERO GUESSWORK AND WITH ANY BUDGET!
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