Hello everyone! We are officially in spring and I am extremely excited to say we have tons of amazing work ahead of us. With this busy season I thought it would be appropriate to blog on “easy planning”. We all know how hectic it can get trying to plan for your magical day and also keep up with your day to day schedule. No worries!! Here are some steps on how to get the wedding you really want; without the stress and pressure that usually comes with.
1. Don’t rush!
Find your planner. So that “embracing the moment” is easier done than said. Trust us when we say having a planner by your side allows you to take the time and bask in the “just engaged glow. We are there to pretty much hold your sanity in our hands as you hit these next few steps.
Big or small wedding?
Date, time and where.
Outdoor or indoor?
Budgeting
Theme
Finding your bridal style and overall look can be time consuming, trying to get everything together to get an idea of the final masterpiece gets stressful. Tackling those steps head-on can make the overachieving decisions less of a headache.
2.Communication and Organization!
Once you’ve figured out the basics it’s good to have a sit-down with all parties involved. Discuss everything from budget to responsibilities, no questions unanswered. Making a checklist for all of your vendors is always an easy way to not accidentally leave anything out and to focus on the things that really matter to you and save $ on the things that don’t. *Don’t panic! I promise the fun stuff is coming!
Quick tips-
#Make a list of items that our important to you, rank them, and adjust your budget accordingly.
#Stay focused on the big picture! So many times couples lose sight of what their big day is really about and get lost in all the details.
#When it comes to vendors, know who you are about to hire. Also ask your planner who they have worked with and enjoyed (you won’t be sorry)
3. Expectations
One of the biggest challenges when planning a wedding is expectations. From budget to pleasing family members to creating a picture “perfect” evening you can easily get caught up in the things you don’t really want. Don’t let it happen! Here’s how.
Don’t be afraid to bend the rules or just go ahead and break them. Take something that is traditional to weddings and add a twist. When I say “twist” I don’t mean something that is completely outspoken but more on the element of unexpected that really captures yours and the groom’s personality, after all it is about you two not about what’s been done for centuries. And now you are probably searching for ideas right?
*THE CAKE.. Dessert bar!!! Instead of the huge thing lets allow the guest to pick from a variety of smaller cakes that go according to your theme. Guest love it! Who doesn’t like options? https://www.facebook.com/swankysoireeevents/ 
*THE FIRST DANCE..How about instead of a slow dance you choreograph a number with the two of you showing of your dance moves. Maybe start out slow and surprise the guest. This way you don’t lose their attention but instead have all eyes on you and laughs as you heat up the dance floor to maybe a song that the two of you usually blast in the car together.
https://www.facebook.com/swankysoireeevents/
*ANNIVERSARY DANCE.. instead of having the longest married couple dancing last. Do it in reverse, starting with longer than 20, longer than 10,5,2 recent you get it. All the way until the two of you hit the dance floor. This way you’ll end up with a crowd on the dance floor ready to shake it for the next song.
*Aisle decor… love this one! Instead of flowers at each isle of chairs hang a picture frame slide show of you and the groom starting with childhood and working your way up to your courtship. Yours on one side and his on the other.
-JUST SOME IDEAS FOR YOU!
Leave the expectations and make it your own!
4.Finding Your Style
Now for the even more fun part.
RESEARCH! RESEARCH! RESEARCH! Vintage, modern, classic, eclectic, handmade, rustic, chic… there are SO many styles out there! The beauty of “wedding styles” is that they also coincide with decor and details, and so knowing from the beginning will help you later on. No need to design your whole wedding right now though- just know the general look and feel of how you want your wedding to be.
Really quick:
My favorite decor style at the moment is bringing the indoors outside. Think chandeliers under the stars and couches on the grass — basically, your traditional indoor design elements being used outside to create the ultimate relaxed, unexpected twist no one sees coming.
https://www.facebook.com/swankysoireeevents/
5.Design and detail
Know that when I say “design and details”, it really just means what your wedding will look like. Design is more of a general term, and details is more of the specifics (and where your personality can really shine through too!). This too is something that requires lots of research… which in the wedding world we like to call INSPIRATION! I’m sure many of you have probably already started saving photos of things that you like and are Pinning away for your dream wedding. But you want to make sure that you have enough inspiration to be able to accurately convey to your potential vendors what it is you want for your wedding. And then in the same breath, you don’t want to have too much inspiration either! Oh and don’t forget to bring your inspiration with you to your consultations!
Now that you know how to get your foot in the door with planning your big day, take a deep breath and relax. Regardless of whether you’re planning a 12week or 12month engagement, you have time. The beginnings only happen once, so breathe.
