Hello Brides to be!

I hope you all survived the weekend being snowed in. It only took us 3 1/2 hours to shovel my car out, how about you all? :) Hopefully your wonderful fiancés shoveled for you!

This week I got to sit down with one of my favorite people and the best wedding planner I have ever worked with. Sherri Box, of Events by Sherri is one of those planners who can make a wedding happen beautifully and flawlessly – and you don’t have to worry about a thing. And with her 17 years of experience in this business her tips are a wedding game changer.

So, Sherri, where do you recommend people start in the planning process?

“I have 5 steps that you should go through before you start anything else.

1. Sit down with everyone who may be helping you pay for the wedding and get a firm commitment from them. Aunt Mary, Uncle Fred, parents; include amount you are going to contribute.  If possible, get them to deposit monies in an account that you can use.  Find out what your fiancé’s parents want to do such as the rehearsal dinner which is traditionally the responsibility of the groom’s parents/family. That way you know what you have to spend up front.
2. Figure out how many guests you think may attend and then add 30 to 50 to that count.  You want to figure on the “highest” number you may have.  Lower is better than getting hit with a guest count of 100 over and above what you thought you would have there.  You also need to know about how many you think will attend BEFORE you choose your venue.  You don’t want to choose a venue that only holds 150 people max if you plan on a 200 person reception.  After choosing your venue, you will need to have a discussion with both families to let them know the max in attendance the venue can handle.    And don’t expect to be able to have a reception for 200 people catered for $10/person including bar.  That just isn’t going to happen unless Aunt Mary makes all the food for you and you serve no alcohol.
3.  DO A BUDGET and include every little thing you think you may need; the big ticket items such as venue and food, DJ, Flowers, cake, etc. and then include your dress, shoes, hair salon, gifts for your attendants, all the little things that really add up.  Average cost of a wedding these days is around $20 – 25K.  You can do it cheaper but you have to be willing to make some concessions.
4. Hiring a planner may be the best investment you can make.  Not only will a planner take care of all the details for you but they can walk you through the entire process so nothing sneaks up on you.   They serve as an impartial “ear” when a crisis creeps up and they can help you solve many, many issues because they’ve “seen it before.”  A planner can also take a look at your budget, tell you whether that budget is realistic and help you find the vendors that fit within your budget. Also, because of their experience they can help you avoid costly mistakes.
5. Be realistic and remember that planning your big day is a “process.”  Be flexible and have fun!”

That is such great advice, and so important to do before you do anything else. I think some brides are unsure what it would look like to work with a planner and so don’t think they need one. What does the process look like when they hire you?

“Of course it depends on the coverage they need – and I have several options, but most of the time we share the planning responsibility so it’s about 50/50. There are some things that make more sense for me to do, but a lot of the things the bride does herself as well. This is YOUR wedding and I am there to help you and give advice but I would never take over in any way. Hiring a planner helps you gain a level of control for your wedding day. There is another person there that helps accomplish what you want and carry out your vision. A lot of brides are using Pinterest to collect all their wedding ideas, but there is so much and so many different things you can do for a wedding that I am there to help them define that vision and walk you through the process of what your wedding day will look like. I am there to listen to your ideas, and make them happen but I would never do something that you didn’t want. I’m also a set of ears to bounce ideas off of and give you feedback as to what I’ve seen work and what hasn’t, but in the end I will do everything to make your day happen the way you envision it. And of course then on your wedding day you don’t have to worry about how thing are going to happen because I am there making sure they do.
Once they do decide to work with me, then I am there for them in anyway they need. We will talk a lot through the whole planning period on the phone, through email, and in person but they get unlimited access to me so whatever they need help with I am there for them.”

You mentioned different options for coverage, what do those include?

“First I like to find out what the bride is looking for and go from there but they can choose anything from just the day of package to me being there through the whole process. On top of that, I also include a small rentals option. I have several options of rentals brides can use for their wedding so they don’t have to purchase them. You can add on unlimited rentals to the coordination package where we walk through and you pick out anything you want from my “Small Stuff” rentals or you can add on just a few things. That’s why I like to find out what a bride needs first and then we go from there.”

What are some of your favorite weddings you’ve done?

“That is hard to answer, because every wedding I’ve worked on has been so different and unique – that’s part of why I do what I do. I love how at every wedding the details can be so different, and yet they are all so beautiful. My favorite thing is when couples incorporate their personality into the wedding day – that is what makes their day special and beautiful and I love helping make that happen.”

This has been so helpful to see the planning process from your side of things, any final tips for brides?

“Start early! Start the process as soon as you can. This will help make sure you get to work with the vendors you want.”

Thank you Sherri! I hope some of you get the chance to work with her. She is helpful, knowledgeable, and will work with you to help your day happen smoothly. The investment in a wedding planner is worth the stress you will avoid and the costly mistakes you could make by not having one.