Are you inadvertently sabotaging your own wedding?

Wednesday, 02 December 2015 00:00

Photo credit: ww.redflag101.com/wedding-fail/

In this digital age of internet and social media, information is more accessible than ever. A touch of your phone and you can find restaurants in Hong Kong, turn the lights on at home, call your partner or “Facebook” a friend.  Therefore, when it comes to your Wedding day, it’s no surprise that there’s a huge amount of information about destinations, venues and suppliers out there too. While that makes for amazing opportunities to find places and people that would have been impossible just ten years ago it does bring its own challenges if you are planning your wedding day. With all the information out there it can be tempting to think you don’t need a planner - especially if you are the organised type. However, as the saying goes “A little knowledge is a dangerous thing”.

While the internet can give you information on suppliers and venues, unsurprisingly that information has been uploaded by the supplier or venue themselves, meaning that it can be biased or incomplete. Without an unbiased opinion - such as that of a wedding planner, it can be hard to spot potential difficulties or problems.

As planners, one of the most common problems we see is couples getting into trouble, not with the quality of the services themselves but because of their lack of knowledge of how all the pieces of their wedding day fit together. You may have found a fantastic band to play, and then DJ on through the night. That’s brilliant - BUT if you haven’t considered when the band will sound check, spoken to your venue about noise restrictions or found out if the band are licenced to play at that venue you can be in for a nasty surprise.

Health and safety inspectors can, and do, issue hefty fines to venues and suppliers who fail to comply with licensing laws or employment regulations and if you fall foul of these it can mean big fines or legal difficulties. A good planner will have already thought of this and will check in advance which vendors can work at your venue. The choice she gives you may therefore seem smaller than all the options you find for yourself on the internet but there is a reason for that.

Equally the choices of vendor your planner gives you are not only guided by venue and employment regulations but by more complex considerations. Just as in all areas of life, not everyone involved in weddings sees eye to eye all the time. If a vendor or venue has had issues with another in the past your wedding planner may suggest a different vendor to avoid difficulties. Like a wise school teacher your planner knows who to keep apart and who can “sit together” vendor-wise at your wedding! She also knows those who work well together and create a “wedding dream team”.  

Thus although the internet is a fantastic tool for brides, be wary of using it to replace your planner. Just as picking an outfit for an interview blindfolded can be a hit or miss affair, booking wedding vendors without a planner can result in a “thrown together” feel to your Big Day rather than a stunning success.

 

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What to look for in a wedding planner!

Friday, 19 June 2015 00:00

It may be a strange topic for a wedding planner to broach but there is no doubt finding a good wedding planner is vital if you are going to entrust your Big Day to someone. Not all wedding planners are created equal so if you are paying for a planner make sure you know what to look for in the best.

Long established - we are the longest established wedding company in Spain. A good planner should have worked in the business for several years or be able to tell you what makes her previous experience relevant to wedding planning if she is a relative new comer.

Experience - when it comes to planning and executing a wedding, experience really does count. Check with your planner how many weddings she has done and, if in doubt, ask for testimonials from couples who have used her services in the past.

Variety of suppliers and products. We think we offer the best variety for suppliers and decoration but a good planner should be able to offer you a choice of suppliers such as photographers and be able to suggest great ideas for decoration, favours and flowers etc which will work well at your venue and with the suppliers and wedding date you have chosen.

The way the planner works. We use a great wedding planning software to make the planning easier and documented and this also provides you with a wedding website to make it easier for your guests. Even if your planner does not use a particular software she should be organised and have systems in place so your wedding requests and choices are noted and reflected in your budget.

Love of the job - this is hard to quantify but really why would you want to hire a wedding planner who does not love what she does!

Happy planning!

 

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Save money with a Wedding Planner!

Friday, 24 April 2015 00:00

Image from: http://www.punchng.com/

If your wedding budget is one of your biggest concerns you are not alone. While dresses, decorations and guests lists take time and effort, keeping the costs of your Big Day from cleaning you out is one of the first priorities for most couples. Having a Wedding Planner can seem illogical when you are budgeting therefore because of the cost of hiring a planner the first place. If you are planning to marry here in Spain however a planner can really come into their own, not only with locations, local knowledge, contacts and bargains, but in knowledge of the language.

Bringing an entire wedding together - the guests, the travel, the decorations, the catering, the music, the beauty and the ceremony - is no mean feat and if you and your partner are working you need to think long and hard before taking on the planning alone for a foreign wedding. Because it is what we do on a daily basis we can devote time, effort and love to your Big Day and help you stick to your budget along the way.

It is not always easy to convince confident brides starting out along the self planning path however so we were delighted to see an article in the Daily Mail newspaper this week that mentions having a planner was actually a way of SAVING money. Do check this out along with other money-saving tips which can help you spend your hard earned cash on the parts of your wedding which mean the most to you instead of the ones you feel your “ought” to have!

See what the Daily Mail say below:

"5. DO HIRE A PLANNER: Most people steer clear of wedding planners to save on extra costs but, whilst it may seem counter-intuitive to pay for help, wedding planners have a good network of suppliers, know how much they should be paying for something and aren't afraid of bargaining."

Read more here.

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Table Plans - the pros and Cons

Saturday, 28 February 2015 00:00

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Amid the big decisions about your wedding day, who is going to sit where, can seem just one more detail among many. In the busy few weeks before your Big Day creating a plan for all guests can seem time consuming and overly formal. Because of this many couples are opting for no seating plan or just a top table list and a request for guests to sit where they wish. If your wedding is a small and/or simple affair and both your families get on well this can add to the atmosphere and fun of your reception. However it is not always the simplest option for all weddings.

Even if you favour a relaxed approach therefore it can be worth thinking things through before doing away with your plan. If nothing else the one thing you should definitely do is to speak to your planner about the regulations at your venue. Check the minimum and maximum number of guests that can be seated per table, what shape the tables will be and if there is any restriction on the number of tables you can have for your guests numbers. This will not only help you make your final decision if you want a set table plan or not but also save you hours remaking the plan if you made it before taking these into account!

Whatever your wedding style therefore it can truly save both time and trouble to talk through the issue with your partner or parents and your planner. Here we look at the pros and cons of having a table plan and what you need to ask your planner before you start making yours:

Pros of NOT having a seating plan:
Less work for you and your fiancé
More relaxed feel to your wedding meal as family and friends chose where to sit.

Cons of NOT having a seating plan
Not permitted at some venues if you are offering a choice of main courses.
Potential problems if you have family or friends who do not get on.
No say over who is nearest to the top table – ie close family members may end up at the back!

Pros of having a seating plan
Having tables organised according to who knows each other and will get on well
Avoiding potential problems with difficult family members or friends
Keeping your wedding theme and colours going with the table plan and place names
Essential at many venues if you are offering a choice of starters and/or main meals.

Cons of having a seating plan
More formal
More work for you in making it.

 

It's your day and your decision but make sure you think it through! 

 

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It’s time to suit up!

Thursday, 24 July 2014 00:00

I went to a terrific wedding this past Saturday. Beautiful bride, great food, lots of fun! But what struck me the most was when I got talking to one of the wedding guests. Never in my life have I met a guy who was so crazy about his suit. He absolutely loved it.
It struck me:

Shouldn’t every groom, best men, groomsmen and every wedding guest feel great in their suit? Absolutely!
Why should only girls care about their looks on the Big Day? Men, it is time to man up and SUIT up!


But we know how much you hate spending hours and hours shopping. How much more convenient would it be to just order your suit online and still get the perfect result?

This might resolve your problem!
We are partnering with www.tailor4less.com who make your custom made suit.

Make sure you get a 10% if you are a Spanish Wedding Planner client. Simply contact us for the discount code.
And now, get ready to suit up!   

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