Where Wedding Stress Comes From + When You Should Hire a Planner

Do you ever wonder why you are so stressed about planning your wedding?

Photo by Limelight Photography/Badgley Mishka wedding shoes.

Well, there could be many different reasons. Sometimes, part of it is because you’re hosting X amount of people, under one roof, giving directions, managing RSVPS, and it will be the first dinner party (so to say) as One. Friggin yikes, right?

Research is a big part of the planning! You don't know what you don't know, so let's arm you with all the knowledge and the tips to make your experience hands on, enjoyable, and you aren't starting from scratch.

If you're nervous.. you're possibly worried about the things you'll forget, the people who will come, like your competitive cousins, future in-laws , people from out of town, how things will look in pictures, how the food will taste, etc.

Photo by Lion & Lamb Film at the Gardens at Cranesbury View

First of all: If this is you, please hire a wedding planner! Part of our job is to be that true helper in this situation. If you know that you need serious help, you should talk to someone professional. If you just need to de-stress, join a bride support group online and enlist your family and friend support system if you’re lucky to have one.

Second of all, you don't have to live up to any expectations, any traditions, you can make the day beautiful by just bringing everyone together to witness two people making the unending promise to each other that we all want for ourselves.

Photo by Wayfarer Photography

It doesn't matter how much you spend on the venue, how many faux or real flowers, or any type of dinner you choose to serve. It matters that you are making a commitment in front of all your family and friends. It's going to be beautiful - no matter what!

But let's chat about when you know you need to prioritize your wedding budget to include a planner.

1. You may need a planner if: You're in a busy career field, student, or parent.

2. You plan a wedding anywhere in a busy city or downtown

3. You are planning a tented wedding

4. Your wedding venue is new

5. Planning a Hill Country Wedding

6. Your planning a wedding from out of town or state

7. You have a certain design you are interested in

8. You're planning your wedding alone / need some help

If you choose not to hire a wedding planner, you should most definitely should hire a wedding coordinator. You can plan you wedding yourself but you won't be able to manage and coordinate your wedding day. If you think you can, imagine directing your DJ, your caterer, your photo/video team, and bartenders all at once. That's why we ensure that 2 coordinators are at your wedding, always. It's a whole job and it's one that your family members shouldn't have to deal with.

If you're interested in hiring a planner or wedding coordinator, get in touch with me below!!

Getting Married in San Antonio? Looking for a planner? Does your venue require a wedding coordinator?

Let's chat, I'd love to help!

Shoot me an email to the email address below or click here to take my planning questionnaire.

Stephanie@SweetGardeniaWeddings.com

How to Choose a Wedding Florist💐

• How do you choose a florist for your wedding? There are so many to choose from!! It's helpful to know what types of florists are out there and what kind that you'll need for your wedding.

There are different kinds of florists in your area. With all types of specialties, styles, and budget accommodations. Sometimes they are a mix or only one kind of these categories:

Event Florists

Event florists are those that only work on special events. They sometimes don't do retail holiday work and often times don't have a retail shop because they operate from home or a warehouse.  People go to them because they have a bigger team, a specialty for larger events and difficult arrangements. They also usually have a signature style that they stick to.

Retail Florists   

Retail florists are those people that own their own shops and market to the general public for all occasions. They are most busy during holidays, school + corporate events, and wedding season.

Freelance Florists

Freelance florists are sometimes full or part-timers, do more occasional/seasonal work, maybe own a floral cart, do pop ups or small events, and help out with events for their florist friends.

Hobby Florists   

Hobby florists arrange flowers for fun, as a side hustle or for passion, and may not have access to a big cooler or reliable team, to preserve and work your wedding flowers. So grand events may be too out of their scale.

NOEMI REYES PHOTOGRAPHY

What are the things to look for?

Their signature style: I can always tell their style by the bouquets. Some of the florists like a ton of movement, textures, and variety. Others like a classic, clean, and pretty look every single time. Try to decipher what you like.

Do they leave too much space between flower heads?

In photos, do the flowers look well preserved, fresh, and in a beautifully arranged look?

Do they have an easy to use website?

Can you find happy reviews from wedding couples?

Do they have a social media presence? If so, you'll find the most up to date photos.

Once you're in the consultation...

Show them your ideas! Ask how to repurpose your florals! Ask what happens to the flowers or the rentals at the end of the night?

Take notes:

Are they consulting you? Offering ideas, options, and ways to make things fit your budget?

Do they mirror what you're saying in the consultation?

At the end of it all, do you feel happy and understood?

Its so important to be on the same page with your florist.

Finally, I wanted to discuss the average price of florals right now. I work with talented people and they all have event floral minimums for traveling with wedding flowers. Sometimes it's $2,500, other times they range from $6,000-$8,000 minimums. Yes, it gets expensive. You have to remember that they are keeping dead things alive and beautiful and that takes several weeks of preparation.

At any cost, flowers add something to a wedding that cannot be replicated. We can only marvel and admire the hard work of these phenomenal florists!

I am so grateful for everything they do!!

Getting Married in San Antonio, Texas Hill Country or destination? Looking for a planner/coordinator? Or does your venue require a wedding coordinator?

Let's chat, I'd love to help!

Shoot me an email to the email address below or click here to take my planning questionnaire.

Stephanie@SweetGardeniaWeddings.com

Or Text me! (210) 954-5780

7 TIPS : How to Make a Small Wedding Feel Like a "Real Wedding"!

If you're scaling back your wedding to 20-60 people, you may feel like that's too intimate. It may feel a bit easier to plan but I recommend still hiring a planner. We have all the ideas and the forethought to make it feel like you are at your wedding. So let's begin! Here are 7 Tips to Make Your Wedding Feel Like a Real Wedding.

Photo by Ryan Hamilton Photography

1. Choose a venue who can accommodate the size of your wedding with a dance floor. - It can't be too crowded or too large or else it will feel "off" somehow. You'll need something to accommodate such an intimate seating arrangement. Your wedding planner and coordinator should be able to help you with this step!

2. Go big with the decor and flowers - you're going to want to see the place and think "wedding". There's no better way to do that than to bring in all the pretty. Flowers at weddings just go hand in hand, and if you're wanting to deviate from just another party, go big with the florals.

3. Make it personal - Since your wedding is smaller, you can make things personalized with escort cards, table names, pretty tablescapes, and edibles on the tables. Think about the scent of the room, coming off the tables, and take home favors.

4. Something to do at every hour - Right after the ceremony, open the bar, pass out hor dourves have the music playing, for sure. After dinner, run the formal dances and open the dance floor instantly. Don't get stale energy, let's keep things moving.

5. Have a professional DJ or MC- A less than ideal MC who lives for random awkward pauses, ear piercing sound checks, yell at the guests to move their bodies, and play music loud will not go over too well with a smaller, intimate crowd. Something more intentional and who can read the crowd is better. Don't have dancing going on? Plan for a professional musician to speak to the crowd and play throughout dinner and cocktails.

6. Have a super-awesome officiant - With a smaller wedding, you're going to want that ceremony to be worth the trek. If your officiant knows what they are doing, it's going to be a very special ceremony. That's the reason why we're all here, isn't that right? Let's have someone professional to create that ambiance from the start.

7. Have an event enhancer - Photo booths, uplights, spotlights, and a professional vendors such as a musicians, cigar wrap vendors, or perhaps rent an audio guestbook since the book won't be filled in all the way, any way :)

That's it! I have plenty of wedding planner secrets of my sleeve but I can't give them all away... right?

My number 1 reason for thinking every intimate wedding needs a planner is because it is WAY harder to make a wedding out of a smaller crowd than it is for a larger one. Why? Because larger groups always make the place feel full, like a party. Smaller weddings tend to break off into smaller groups, or feel somewhat sweet yet informal. You have to do extra things in order to make it feel like a wedding, an that's why I think planners are helpful. We can read the room and plan for all the things!

Getting Married in San Antonio, ATX, Houston, Hill Country or Destination Wedding?

Looking for a planner or coordinator? Does your venue require a licensed wedding coordinator?

Let's chat, I'd love to help!

Shoot me an email to the email address below or click here to take my planning questionnaire.

Stephanie@SweetGardeniaWeddings.com

www.mysanantoniowedding.org