Wedding Planning Podcast Kara Lamerato

 
On the fence about hiring a WEDDING VIDEOGRAPHER?  You’re certainly not alone.
In my experience, videography is probably the number one item that engaged couples are undecided about.  It’s no doubt a big investment, and a huge topic to unpack - so today I have an expert special guest to help us do just that.
Today we're joined by Ken Foster, who is a lead shooter for Shutter and Sound.  
Shutter and Sound is a very small group of filmmakers dedicated to turning your big day into a work of art.  They help you relive the tremble in your partner's voice, the joyous applause, or that unexpected dance move during the reception. It's all there, woven into a high-end film that's uniquely yours.
Tune in to the full show for an Ultimate Guide to Wedding Videography, and learn why 98% of married couples recommend having a video of your wedding day:
We're on the fence - how to decide if we should hire a videographer How I hired a videographer for my own wedding (at the 11th hour!) Benefits of videography vs. still photography Budgeting, packages, and pricing Research tips for finding the perfect videographer Wedding videography package options Biggest mistakes & complaints couples have about videography How to prepare for being in front of the camera The MOST IMPORTANT THING YOU CAN DO on your wedding day Budgeting intentionally and honoring your personal priorities as you plan And for those wondering about locations: Shutter & Sound has 14 major U.S. cities covered, including spots like Boston, New York, L.A. and D.C. Plus, they're all about adventure, and are more than willing to travel for your big day.
Simply visit shutterandsound.com, explore their beautiful website including detailed pricing information and sample videos, and be in touch via email with the “Contact Us” link.  
Cheers to you & a beautiful wedding celebration!
 

Today’s convo is a wedding planning strategy GEM!  We’re going to cover every single last little thing that should be included within your wedding venue contract. 
If you’ve already booked a venue and signed a contract, I’d suggest pulling out your actual document & sticking around for today's convo to be sure that all the key items are addressed.
Your wedding venue is literally the centerpiece of your dream wedding celebration.  It’s also likely the most expensive decision you’ll make throughout the course of your engagement, so we need to be extra cautious in getting the details cemented just right.  
A special THANK YOU for supporting today's show sponsors:
Visit Generation Tux, where you can build your suit & tuxedo looks from home, get free color swatches, a free Home Try-On, AND manage your entire wedding party online. Get professional help planning your dream honeymoon when you email susan@susanstravelservices.com . Don't forget to mention the Wedding Planning Podcast for $50 off your booking! Thousands of couples have planned simple, meaningful & affordable multi-event wedding celebrations, and you can do it too with WEDDING WEEKEND BY DESIGN. Wedding Weekend by Design is a complete 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, 16-STEP GUIDE to planning your multi-day wedding celebration from start to finish ... WITH ABSOLUTELY ZERO GUESSWORK AND WITH ANY BUDGET!
Visit www.weddingweekend.co
to learn more, and get started planning your dream WEDDING WEEKEND today!

Today on the Wedding Planning Podcast, you'll find an overview of universal questions and research tips that are designed to help you hire your dream team of WEDDING VENDORS. 
You’ll come away from today’s show ready to find the best product / service, at the best price, and from the vendor who you most naturally vibe with.  
Whether it’s an officiant, a wedding planner, or a photographer, I created these checkpoints to save you precious time & energy, and to empower you to uncover the HIGHEST QUALITY service for the BEST VALUE.
You'll learn priceless wedding industry insights so that you have a deep understanding of the wedding vendor landscape and the things that go into package pricing, seasonal discounts, advertising expenses, and so much more.
A special THANK YOU to today's show sponsors for making this wedding planning strategy meeting possible!
FREE Wedding Websites designed by independent artists?  Yes please!  Tap here to get started building your wedding website today & take advantage of exclusive listener perks on save the dates, invitations & more.
Get professional help planning your dream honeymoon when you email susan@susanstravelservices.com . Don't forget to mention the Wedding Planning Podcast for $50 off your honeymoon OR $200 off your destination wedding!

Today a 2023 bride shares how she leaned into her genuine desire for good vibes, connection, and kindness when hiring her day of coordinator and photographer. 
It’s a gem of a conversation that uncovers some surprising and unexpected ways to approach finding your dream team of wedding vendors!
This week and next, we’re going to focus on the enormous job of hiring your dream team of wedding vendors.  Now of course this is an exciting milestone in the wedding planning process, but it can also be incredibly overwhelming and intimidating.  
What roles are really necessary for us to hire?  Where should we start in doing research and gathering referrals?  What questions should we even be asking?
I’ve got an entire strategy call lined up for you on next week’s episode, full of the exact questions to ask, research tips to guide your search, and a whole list of checkpoints to ensure you’re getting the highest quality service for the absolute best value. 
Today as a warm up, I’m sharing a conversation with a bride named Dee, who you met 2 weeks ago on the show all about surprising ways to save money on your wedding decor.  Yes, she’s the gal who rented a uhaul to repurpose her existing, eclectic, and beloved decor from her own home, and share it with all of her wedding guests.  If you missed it, be sure to hop back to the show dated 8.23.23 and have a listen!
Today Dee is back to share how she leaned into her genuine desire for good vibes, connection, and kindness when hiring her day of coordinator and photographer.  She’s got a heart of gold, and the takeaways from this short & sweet conversation are absolutely priceless - enjoy!
Get professional help planning your dream honeymoon when you email susan@susanstravelservices.com . Don't forget to mention the Wedding Planning Podcast for $50 off your honeymoon OR $200 off your destination wedding!

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 expert 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. 🙌🏼

This week is Part Two of a special 2-part series, where we’re highlighting some clever ways to not only save money, but also to increase the QUALITY + VALUE on everything from decor, rental items, invitations, food & drinks, and even your venue.  
So many couples equate a higher price tag with a higher-quality end product or service, and that’s simply not always true. 
Worse, that mentality can add up to spending tens of thousands of dollars more than necessary to host a memorable and meaningful wedding celebration. 
The million dollar question is how can we develop an instinct for when it makes sense to invest more money for a higher quality experience, and when taking a less expensive route will be just fine - and we'll explore the answer in these two episodes!
Lucky for all of us, there are opportunities to simultaneously maximize quality AND value literally everywhere, and I’ve chosen these wedding planning elements to share with you as examples of how to think differently about the amount of money that’s really necessary to spend to acheive your end goal, which of course is a beautiful, unforgettable wedding celebration.
Cheers,
Kara
Get professional help planning your dream honeymoon when you email susan@susanstravelservices.com . Don't forget to mention the Wedding Planning Podcast for $50 off your honeymoon OR $200 off your destination wedding!