Wedding Planning Podcast | Your Online Wedding Planner | Free Advice From Engagement To Wedding Day From Kara Lamerato Of Kvw

There are lots of easy & affordable alternatives to hiring a professional florist to create towering, elaborate centerpieces for your wedding reception tables. In today's show, we’re going to discuss a creative variety of affordable wedding table decoration ideas.  We're also going to review some actionable tips for doing your own wedding day flower bouquets & boutonnieres. It’ll take a little extra work on your part, and you may need to simplify things a bit ... but if you’re looking for a spot to save a ton of money, creating table centerpieces & bouquets on your own is a great place to start! Enjoy my top tips for incorporating flowers into your table decor, and we also cover beautiful centerpiece ideas that incorporate creative materials OTHER than flowers.  We wrap up with some specific examples of complete table set up’s that you can do for less than $10 per table. Full blog post for today's show: www.weddingplanningpodcast.co/centerpiece A very special thank you to today's show sponsors: Ch

This week on the Wedding Planning Podcast, we’re demystifying the world of wedding insurance, permits and licensing. It seems like an intimidating and complicated topic, so we're bringing it all down to very simple terms and easy tasks that you can check off your list - typically with a few simple phone calls or clicks! Visit the FULL BLOG POST with bonus links here >>> https://weddingplanningpodcast.co/wedding-insurance/ You’ve likely had nightmares about alllllll the things that can go wrong on your wedding day. While I can’t buffer you against ALL mishaps like a global pandemic that spans years, a lipstick spot on your dress, swollen & hurting feet, or running out of vodka at the bar - the GOOD news is that you CAN protect yourself and your wedding from big disasters with a simple little thing called wedding insurance. Wedding insurance is reasonably priced, and for just a couple hundred dollars can provide PRICELESS peace of mind. Side note - Researching your wedding insurance options would be a P

Get answers to all of your wedding cake + dessert questions in today’s show!  From everything to researching bakeries, booking cake tastings, hidden fees to be aware of, unique dessert alternatives, and budget-friendly cost saving tips, we're covering it all in today's sugar-coated show. Links mentioned in our convo: The complete blog post for today's show is linked here >>> weddingplanningpodcast.co/cake TLC rounded up a group of experts to share the most popular wedding cake flavor combos for 2023, and here’s a complete "sampling" of their list. CAKE TOPPERS on Etsy that are customizable, simple, and super affordable, Browse thousands of beautiful SUGAR FLOWER DECORATIONS from independent business owners on Etsy 30 Delicious Alternatives to Traditional Wedding Cake A special thank you to today's show sponsors: Affiliate shopping links from Amazon & Etsy support the show at no additional cost to you - thank you for your clicks! Check out ethical, stunning, and one-of-a-kind wedding rings and bands at b

A top-notch Wedding Planner or Day-Of-Coordinator is essential for any smooth and seamless wedding celebration.  Today on the Wedding Planning Podcast, we’re reviewing 10 KEY POINTS to discuss with your planner so that you’re both on the same page and ready to tackle any planning, logistic, or execution challenges that may arise. A sampling of these key discussion points: Who are your assistants or other team members, what is their role in the planning phase, and also at the actual wedding celebration?  Having a crystal clear set of expectations for who will be answering your questions and exactly who will be your point-person is critical! Can you share firsthand reviews & testimonials from past couples you’ve worked with? Does your past experience / areas of expertise fit naturally within our overall wedding vision, venue, and our top priorities? What can we expect in terms of ongoing communication, both frequency and style?  Tune in for lots more! For a complete recap of today's show, visit www.weddi

There’s a really common misunderstanding in "wedding planning world" that doing things yourself is always a good way to save money.  I get it - in some situations, you might have more time than money, and a cheap & easy DIY project makes perfect sense.  I bet if you think back, you can remember a time when "doing it yourself" was NOT the answer.  We have to be careful in drawing the line between a few manageable, simple wedding projects that make perfect sense, and biting off more than you can chew.  Otherwise, you risk finding yourself in a spot of pure overwhelm and chaos months into wedding planning, and I don't wish that upon anyone! On today’s show, we’re going to explore 8 important considerations and red flags to carefully consider when hosting your wedding at a residential property like a backyard or a rental home.  Our conversation today is a perfect lesson in creating boundaries as you plan between what you can realistically handle yourself, what should be left to a paid professional, and how to

This brand new BONUS show features the top wedding weekend planning mistakes I see couples make as they formulate the details of a multi-day, multi-event wedding celebration. In this episode, we highlight 6 common planning mistakes, including: Feeling intimidated by the COST of hosting multiple events, Trying to accommodate ALL of your guests perfectly (spoiler alert - it's not possible, so don't even try!) Failing to consider the endless creative possibilities for food & drinks before committing to an overpriced & underwhelming caterer, Not communicating clearly with your guests before, during, and after your wedding weekend experience, Getting OVERWHELMED and losing sight of your most important priorities, Relying on a DOC to organize and manage things that are not actually their responsibility Today's highlighted planning mistakes come from couples who I've worked with inside Wedding Weekend By Design, my 6-STEP PLANNING FRAMEWORK that's incredibly easy to follow, and works with any budget, any

Over the course of 11 YEARS in the wedding industry, I've seen literally thousands of weddings unfold ... and all of them together have given me the priceless gift of HINDSIGHT. In wedding planning, hindsight is literally a super power - so I've packaged mine up to share with you in today's brand new show featuring your Wedding Weekend planning questions!   We're going to unpack, decode, and get to the bottom of your questions, including: How should we go about offering onsite cabins / rooms to guests in an order that makes sense? We’re torn between 2 very different "wedding weekend" visions - how do we decide? What are some tips for trying to pace events so we don’t feel overwhelmed?  My fiance and I have totally different visions for how to stock our own bar.  He wants to basically recreate a top-shelf situation with all the liquors and mixers, and I see more of a simplistic set up of beer, wine, maybe a signature cocktail.  Your thoughts? How can I get over feeling like we need to please everyone? Today'

I’m willing to bet that you’ve heard from all your newlywed friends & family that their wedding day "came and went in the blink of an eye."  The beautiful news is that your wedding celebration doesn’t have to RUSH BY IN A TOTAL BLUR! Today on the Wedding Planning Podcast, I’m bringing on a very special guest to share the details of exactly how she designed a wedding celebration that left her saying this: "I always get to look back and say that it was the most incredible 4 days of my life." To go along with our conversation today, I‘m incredibly excited to introduce Wedding Weekend by Design, a digital planning package that walks you through a simple, 6-step framework to designing your perfect wedding weekend celebration ... ... so that when we flash forward a few months, you’re echoing what Kate just said - and not left feeling like you missed out, and it was all over in the blink of an eye. To sign up for the Wedding Weekend By Design digital planning package, visit weddingweekend.co The intuitive plan

This week on the Wedding Planning Podcast, cozy up and enjoy a sampling of unique wedding scenarios, questions, and curiosities, including: Wedding "decision fatigue" and the priceless value of hindsight, "Conversations with my fiance have been frustrating recently.  We can’t seem to agree on anything regarding our budget, guests, or priorities.  What are some ways we can get back on the same page and embrace compromise?" Hiring a day of coordinator - what should we be looking for?  (Visit the episode dated 5/4/22, "Hiring Your Wedding Vendors" for lots more on this topic) DIY flower recommendations - this is an item that’s not terribly high on our priority list, what are some of your top tips for doing our own flowers? Help evaluating pros and cons of venues with more or less DIY Is a videographer really worth it?  Any alternate ways to capture video? WEDDING QUESTIONS? Planning a wedding celebration from start to finish comes with countless questions about logistics, feasibility, budgeting, etiquette conc

Today on the Wedding Planning Podcast, we’re doing a thorough review of wedding dress alterations, styling & accessories, & post-wedding preservation ideas, and so much more. Our conversation covers the dress alterations process in detail, including pricing, money-saving tips, a timeline for when to get started, and alternative options for having your dress altered. We also cover: What's a bustle, do I need one, and how much does it cost? (article on bustling I mentioned in today's show can be found here) Styling and shape wear options like bras, corsets, and compression garments, The importance of COMFORTABLE SHOES, Getting your dress home & last minute wrinkle patrol (the handheld steamer I mentioned can be found here) And some creative ways to preserve and / or repurpose your gown after the wedding. I hope you love it, and congratulations on that beautiful dress! Cheers, Kara PS - I’ve been sharing my signature wedding planning advice on the podcast for 8 years now, and for the fir

Are you drowning in wedding "etiquette" & "rules"?  Everyone has an opinion on invitation wording, cash bars, inviting kids, and what traditions absolutely SHOULD be included in the wedding day. Today, let’s take a step back, and reframe things ... starting with your WEDDING MINDSET. Where wedding planning can get overwhelming is when our expectations of what a wedding “should” look like conflict with our budget, our styles, and our personalities.  And of course, an added layer of difficulty arises when you and your partner come from different backgrounds, and one of you thinks paying $10,000 for a photographer is completely reasonable, and the other wants to spend $10,000 total on the entire wedding. But no matter where you’re from, I’m a firm believer in your wedding day being an expression and celebration of you & your partner.  At the end of the day, you’re making a really special commitment to one another, and looking to celebrate the occasion with your loved ones.  That’s it! With that said, let

There’s A LOT of conflicting information + confusion out there about tipping your wedding vendors, and today we're going to get to the bottom of it! Tune in for a walk through exactly how to decide who should get a tip, how much, and even some extra special additional ways of saying thank you. Today’s show is Wedding Planning Podcast classic, and we’re going to take a close look at some very common misunderstandings that are flying around out there surrounding tipping your wedding vendors. Think you have to automatically package up envelopes with 20% tips for every single wedding vendor you hire?  Think again.  Today I’m gonna save you hours on google, and likely hundreds - if not thousands - of dollars over that crazed couple who just takes the advice out there on tipping at face value and doesn’t bother taking the time to explore the nuances and undercurrents that are actually at play.   So come along with me, and let’s uncover the TRUTH about tipping your wedding vendors! A special thank you to today's sho

Your wedding gift registry is the perfect opportunity to upgrade your home & your lifestyle with practical gifts that you need and will use in the years to come.  Tune in for an essential guide to creating a killer wedding gift registry including: Deciding what items to include and ... Items NOT to include on your registry, Various lifestyle "categories" to consider as you build your registry, Tips for creating cash gift funds, Your top wedding registry "wish list" items, And so much more! For a complete written recap of today's show, visit weddingplanningpodcast.co/registry A special THANK YOU to 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! Shop Etsy for one-of-a-kind

Today's BONUS WEDDING Q&A show is designed to show you exactly how to have all the wedding things that are most important to you, regardless of how much money you actually have in the bank.  Sounds pretty amazing, right??? Let's face it, you’re overwhelmed & struggling with your wedding budget if any one, two, or maybe even three of these sound familiar: If you get a pit in your stomach even thinking about your wedding budget (let alone talking about it).    If you’re constantly worried about how much everything is going to cost, and looking for ways to save as much money as possible - or, even worse, you’re sweeping the whole money convo under the rug, trying not to even think about it. You’re wondering how on earth your wedding can live up to the pictures we’re bombarded with on social media and big wedding websites. And if you’re drinking wine with your dog or your cat and in total despair because everything is way more expensive than you ever imagined it would be ... ... then you my friend are a

This week's episode of the Wedding Planning Podcast is a collection of wedding questions & situations submitted by members of my digital wedding planning package​, The VAULT.​ Membership includes the priceless benefit of submitting your wedding questions for feature on these monthly "Ask Me Anything" shows, and this week we're discussing in detail: The particulars of ELOPING Shopping seasonal sales for great deals on wedding stuff (Etsy sales are EVERYWHERE right now!) To airbrush, or not to airbrush? Addressing STD's and invitations, Pricing within a vendor contract, Should we DIY the music? How did you decide when to have children? And, more! Monthly membership to The VAULT also includes a weekly bonus “off the record” chat where we can connect behind-the-scenes, and go deeper into select wedding topics covered in the free weekly shows. Enjoy TWO featured OFF THE RECORD bonus shows when you sign up for a free 3-day trial​ of The VAULT. There are zero contracts, no pre-payments or obligation, and you

This week's episode of the Wedding Planning Podcast is a collection of wedding questions & situations submitted by members of my digital wedding planning package​, The VAULT.​ Membership includes the priceless benefit of submitting your wedding questions for feature on these monthly Q&A shows, and this week we're discussing in detail: Should we bother creating a seating chart? How much alcohol should we buy for 100 guests? Are "drink tickets" rude? Budgeting for dress alterations Details on 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.) Pros to an unplugged ceremony & tips for communicating your expectations to guests And so much more! Monthly membership to The VAULT also includes a weekly bonus “off the record” chat where we can connect behind-the-scenes, and go deeper into select wedding topics covered in the free weekly shows. Enjoy TWO featured OFF THE RECORD

This week's episode of the Wedding Planning Podcast is a collection of wedding questions & situations submitted by members of my digital wedding planning package​, The VAULT.​ Membership includes the priceless benefit of submitting your wedding questions for feature on these monthly Q&A shows, and this week we're discussing in detail: DIY Invitations - is this really a good way to save money? (If you're interested in HIGHER quality, much MORE for your $$$ and VERY similar end-game pricing, I'd recommend Minted Weddings) Processional - order, traditions, substitutions (detailed article >>> Processional Order) Online bridesmaid dress shopping (including my very recent personal experience & recommendations >>> azazie.com), A brief COVID update, And last but certainly not least, managing disagreeable vendors.​ Monthly membership to The VAULT also includes a weekly bonus “off the record” chat where we can connect behind-the-scenes, and go deeper into select wedding topics covered in the free weekly