How to Make (and stick to!) Your Wedding Budget

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Photography: Corey Conroy Photography

With the holidays right around the corner it is now officially considered engagement season! During the early stages of your planning process the total cost of your special day probably crosses your mind pretty often. While there’s a ton of different factors that comes into play when figuring out the overall expense, our good friend Britny from Coastal Coordinating has broken down the FIVE best tips to creating your budget and making sure you stick to it!

  1. Have an open and honest conversation with family members (and even friends)about whether or not they would like to contribute something for the wedding. Keep in mind that it is extremely important that you are clear about what you are asking them to do. If you want them to give you the contribution so that you may be the one to place any payments and have your name on the contract so that you work with the vendor directly – say that! If you are okay with them paying the vendor directly but you make all the decisions on the contract – communicate that! OR if you want to be completely hands off and are okay with them paying and communicating with the vendor make sure you let them know that is what you would like to do! 
  2. Set Your Priorities! Talk with your partner and ask them what the top 3 things that are important to them on the day are! This gives you both the opportunity to allocate your budget and can also help your planner cater your day so you can actually experience them! Once you know what is important it allows you to cut your budget in other areas that may be less significant to you.
  3. Only order RSVP cards for those specific guests who may not be tech savvy! More and more individuals (partially because of COVID) use their phones to access menu’s at restaurants, or confirm appointments! Feel free to make your RSVP process virtual and then only order a few actual RSVP cards for grandparents or older family members.
  4. Favors! While these things can be fun or feel necessary to thank your guests for coming…more and more brides are cutting these out because they can become significantly expensive and are often untouched or left behind by guests. A new trend is for guests to be given a glass of champagne before the ceremony or right at the start of cocktail hour in addition to the bar. You can find ways to thank your guests for coming by telling them face to face, giving a “thank you” toast, or sending a thank you card when it is all over with a personal note. Bonus Tip: you can buy thank you cards in bulk from the dollar store!
  5. Guest Sign In! Most of the time you know everyone there! Well at least you should, that’s why you or your partner invited them! Sure, there may be a distant relative who you haven’t met yet but you do not have to have them sign in. Even though there are some really cute and trendy sign ins out there (pizza stones, frames, and signs for your home with your new name on it) they can cost upwards to $300 or more depending on the custom design. If you are looking for a way to slim down the cost but want to know who was there on the big day…have your photographer grab photos of you at each table! OR utilize that hashtag to see the selfies! 

When it comes to planning your wedding the overall budget will always be a significant factor. We always recommend for couples to figure out their ideal price point early on, that way they aren’t left grinding their gears later down the road. Of course, if you’re still unsure of what you should and shouldn’t spend money on, make sure to reach out to the experts in the field, such as Coastal Coordinating, and see what they can do to help you!

3 Tips for Hosting Your First Holiday Together

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Photography: Benjamin Hewitt Photography

Holidays are stressful. If you and your significant other decide to take the plunge and host your families you may feel a little overwhelmed. At first you might have been eager to show off your place but now you’re starting to second guess everything as the date gets closer. You’ve come to realize that designing that perfect tablescape is now the lowest of your worries as you think about the bigger picture. How are you going to be able to create a comfortable atmosphere for your families as well as feed them exactly what they crave?

Ask First

First and foremost, be sure everyone is on board for doing it at your house before even inviting them! Some families tend to stick to a routine and if they typically spend the holiday at someone else’s house they might feel uneasy switching it up. If you do feel eager with taking on the challenge of hosting everyone we recommend reaching out to the previous entertainer first to avoid any offended feelings.

Ask Guests to Bring Dishes

Since your families are now blended, feel free to ask each household to bring their favorite dish! Not only does this alleviate some of the pressure on you making EVERYTHING, but your guests will have the opportunity to try foods prepared differently. This also creates a great excuse to spark up some conversation between the two and share recipes!

Traditions

Traditions can be very emotional for both sides of the family. When households are set in certain ways they may feel insulted if important moments are ignored. We recommend asking each household what custom they would like to see incorporated into the day and try to implement them as best as you can!

Although you might feel exhausted at first, having any kind of excuse to bring your families together can be fun! Don’t forget to avoid sweating about the little things and enjoy your time together as a couple. Remember at the end of the day this is your family and they’re forced to love you anyway ;)

3 Advantages to Hiring a Decor Company for Your Wedding Day

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Venue: Armani’s (Grand Hyatt Tampa Bay)

When it comes down to planning your wedding day the ambiance of the ceremony and reception spaces plays a major roll. Simple touches like Chiavari chairs and floral centerpieces can enhance the room and cater it towards your specific style. Instead of adding one more thing to your plate, we recommend reaching out to companies who specialize in designing weddings. Still not sure if outsourcing this role is necessary? Check out these three advantages to hiring a decor company that will definitely make you change your mind!

Venue: The Vinoy | Photography: Salvador Robles Photography

Create Symmetrical Atmosphere

The limit does not exist when it comes to designing the style and atmosphere of a wedding (if we were tech savvy we’d insert the Mean Girls gif here). Even though you might have a specific style in mind, coming up with ways to achieve it can be a complete headache. Luckily, if you hire a reputable professional in the wedding decor industry, it is literally their job to advise you as to what works and what doesn’t. Whether you’re planning a modern reception or a rustic ceremony, they are there to tell you what elements to use to enhance the ambiance!

Venue: Tampa Yacht & Country Club

You Will Save Your Time and Money

Wedding planning takes up enough of your time as is, so why not put a trusted professional in charge of figuring out all of the decor elements? We often hear couples talk about DIYing some of their own pieces which sounds great in theory but ends up taking A LOT more time than expected. Additionally, buying individual items from different companies can end up costing more than what was originally proposed by renting them through a decor company. On top of all of that, what are you going to do with all of the purchased items once your wedding is over? Unless you plan on getting into the wedding industry, there isn’t really a reason to keep 200 partially used candle votives and glass cylinders.

Venue: CL Space | Photography: Lindsey Vander Wal Photography

Set Up and Tear Down

The last thing that you’re going to want to do on your wedding day is figure out who will be available to set up and tear down rented items. Although it’s nice if your loved ones offer, it can be hard to expect them to when they’re going to want to spend their time getting ready and celebrating with you as well. Luckily, a professional wedding designer can focus on these tasks instead so your friends and family members are able to be apart of the entire wedding day process.

Now that we’ve convinced you that you need to hire a decor company, feel free to reach out to us on our contact page so we can sit down and discuss creating the design of your wedding!

Why You Need a Wedding Planner (and Why Your Venue Coordinator Isn’t the Same)

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Venue: The Vault | Photography: Carrie Wildes Photography

Let’s talk about your day to day life. Generally speaking, you typically wake up, go to work, commute home to make dinner and try to relax for a few precious hours before starting it all over again the next day. Now let’s throw planning your wedding into the mix. Doing simple tasks such as finding the perfect venue, reaching out to vendors for pricing, AND figuring out how to execute it all while keeping your head on straight. Seems like a lot, right?

One of the biggest suggestions that Event Design can recommend to any newly engaged couple (or ones who have come to realize that they’re in over their heads) is to hire a wedding planner! These professionals are experts when it comes to figuring out the nitty gritty and are there on your wedding day to make sure everything runs to plan. You may be rolling your eyes and thinking to yourself “but my venue already includes someone to be there day of” which is probably true, but are they really wedding planners? Nine out of ten times the answer is no. Though these individuals are experts at their job, assisting you with your wedding isn’t their sole priority.

Still unsure if you should really take the plunge of investing in a planner rather than doing it yourself? Our good friend, Lauren, from MDP Events has been a planner for over ten years and has broken down four reasons why you NEED a planner and four reasons why the person you’re working with at your venue is NOT one!

Wedding Planning Process

Wedding Planners are with you throughout the entire process and are able to assist the couple with staying within their budget. They are able to offer advice, design guidance, and referrals with vendors who they work with frequently.

Wedding Planners Understand the Vision

After countless hours of communication between both you and your fiancé, planners have a knack for knowing your ideal vision. This allows them to make sure that the day looks not only cohesive and seamless, but exactly what you envisioned.

Wedding Planners Provide Constant Support

Planners are there to support the couple every step of the way. They have the ability to properly organize everything by creating timelines as well as scheduling vendor deliveries.

Wedding Planners Take Care of Personal Items

Wedding Planners are there to set up and tear down all of the couple’s personal items including photographs, escort cards, and custom details that will enhance the atmosphere of the space.

Venue Coordinators are Catering Sales Managers

Unlike Wedding Planners, the Venue Coordinator is an employee of the hotel/venue. They aren’t hired directly by the couple for all of their wants and needs. This means that if something were to happen elsewhere on the property, the Coordinator could be pulled away from your wedding to handle a different situation.

Venue Coordinators Have Other Responsibilities

Along with being responsible for the venue’s day to day actions, Venue Coordinators have to worry about other events happening on the same day, run and manage AV (if it’s provided), room blocks for other upcoming events, and so much more!

Venue Coordinators Don’t Stay for the Entire Time

Most likely after the food is served and the cake is cut, Venue Coordinators leave for the day while the remainder of the wedding finishes up. Of course, the venue’s banquet staff will be there for any dire situation but you will no longer have the ability to speak to the person that you’ve been working with for months prior.

Venue Coordinators Handle More Than Just What Meets the Eye

Venue Coordinators assist with room layout, providing helpful information about the venue including in-house items, recommended vendors, processing invoices, and occasionally managing catering needs. This job title takes care of the mechanics of running the venue’s operations smoothly and your wedding is not necessarily their prime focus.

Although at times Wedding Planners and Venue Coordinators have similar responsibilities, at the end of the day hiring your own planner will help ensure that everything will run accordingly to YOUR means. While a planner can be an investment, Event Design cannot stress enough how much easier having one will make your life in the long run!

10 Things to Pack in Your Wedding Day Emergency Kit

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Photography: Your Story by Us

Did you decide to save money and forego the investment of having a planner? Or maybe you’re just an overly cautious person and want to prepare for everything in case someone else doesn’t. Here is a list of our top 10 things that we recommend packing for your wedding day emergency kit!

Sewing Kit

A travel sized sewing kit is a great way to stitch any minor tears or snags on a wedding gown or bridesmaid dress. If you don’t feel comfortable taking on the challenge yourself, more than likely someone getting ready with you will have a little bit of knowledge on sewing (shout out to all of the moms out there). If not, most small imperfections can be fixed with just a needle and thread!

Fashion Tape

Using any sort of fashion tape is a great way to keep your dress in place even when you intend on dancing your butt off! This can be found in most retail stores by the intimate section but if you’re still having issues coming across it compression tape can make for an awesome dupe!

First Aid Kit

Anything from band-aids to antiseptics are great to keep on hand in case any small accidents are to arise. It also doesn’t hurt to pack basic medicine such as Advil or Tums to nip any “under the weather” feelings in the bud!

Dental Floss

This might sound like a no brainer to pack because having food stuck in your teeth can be embarrassing for photos! We also highly encourage you to check your smile (and the people around you) often!

Breath Mints

Unfortunately, bad breath isn’t something that you can really prevent on your wedding day if you’re having someone else cater. Keeping breath mints on hand is a great way to minimize the issue but if you’re still nervous it doesn’t hurt to pack mouth wash either!

Deodorant

Reapply, reapply, reapply! You are going to be the center of attention for the entire day so having deodorant readily available is a necessity (especially later on in the night when dancing is involved)!

Lighter

If a dress starts to fray you are able to use a lighter to burn off the ends and prevent it from unraveling. It’s also great to have in case any candles are blown out or sparklers need to be lit!

Perfume

This can go hand and hand with packing deodorant because B.O. is a big OH NO on your wedding day! It can also make for a great accessary to use in your photographer’s detailed shots!

Hair Ties

Even though your hair looked great at the beginning of the day by the end of the night it is likely to fall. Having a hair tie handy is a great way to get it out of your face and off of your neck while you break a sweat from busting out your dance moves!

Tide Pen

Although Tide Pens can’t fix every stain, it can help eliminate the predominance of the little ones that may come up while you’re getting ready. This is great to use for make up smudges and crumbs from snacks that were eaten earlier on!

Some of these items might seem a little unnecessary, but it’s always better to be over prepared. Even if you end up not using them, someone else might and that makes it worth it!

Hyatt Regency Clearwater Beach Wedding – Sejal & Christopher

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Sejal and Christopher contacted Event Design in the fall regarding their wedding the following spring. Their situation was a little unique because they both lived in a Borough of London (Purely, Croydon). Since Sejal’s family lived near them and Christopher’s family was in Canada, they decided to get married at the Hyatt Regency in Clearwater Beach to create a destination wedding for all of their attendees. 

The planning process became a little difficult for Sejal due to the five hour time difference. Ironically, one of Event Design’s team members was actually visiting family in Italy for part of the time which made phone meetings/texting easier on both ends! Not long after, a friendship between them formed and when they officially met on the wedding day we were given a gift bag full of England’s BEST candy for the Event Design team to treat themselves too. 

With months of planning still ahead of her, Sejal decided on a deep purple and gold wedding with touches of white throughout the florals and drapery. After getting ideas from previous wedding videos, the couple knew that they wanted a purple and white drapery arch for their ceremony. The only problem was, they were getting married outside on the Sky Terrace where wind was going to be a factor. After using heavy weights to secure the archway and counting our blessings, we were able to achieve the look that they were both going for and Sejal smiled the entire time down the aisle.

With the wedding going exactly as planned, the couple decided to extend their end time to 2:00 AM to continue to keep the party going. (which is crazy thinking that the majority of their attendees traveled from England the day prior!) Immediately following the wedding, Sejal and Christopher started their honeymoon in no other place than Clearwater, Florida! This was an extremely meaningful decision for them since they would be able to spend even more time with friends and family before they all headed off to different regions of the world.

One really cool thing about this couple is that Sejal and Christopher have maintained contact with the Event Design team after their wedding was over. They’ve even gone to the extent of reaching out and offering to send us water/supplies when we were experiencing bad hurricanes. Although they moved back to their hometown in London, it’s still nice to be able to have a friendship with couples from a completely different area. Who knows, maybe if one of our Event Design team members decides to take a trip to England we will have the opportunity to reconnect again ;)

Floral, Drapery, & Decor: Event Design | Venue: Hyatt Regency Clearwater Beach Resort and Spa

Our Favorite Wedding Favors (and a few we hope to never see again!)

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Guest favors are such a big controversy in today’s wedding realm! Some couples think that they are a total waste of money while others believe that they’re the perfect heartfelt gesture to end the night. While we can completely understand both sides, we have some suggestions on favors that we absolutely love and ones that aren’t worth the effort!

Love These!

Chocolates

Any kind of candy is a great gift because these are most likely to be enjoyed either throughout the night or after everything is over! Plus, it’s always nice to finish off a delicious catered meal with something sweet!

Flip Flops

Coming from a girl, high heels HURT and can only be worn for so long! Giving your gals a comfy pair of shoes to switch into after the ceremony will help relieve their pain and encourage them to get on the dance floor faster!

Candles

Anything that can be used long term such as a candle or bottle opener will remind people of your wedding day for the years to come!

Photo Booths

Photo booths are popping up more and more at weddings! These stations can be fun to use throughout the reception as well as giving your guests pictures that they can keep with them later on!

Avoid These!

Honey

Sugary liquids such as honey or syrup are a big no no in our opinion! These items can be extremely messy and make all of your decor pieces sticky later on!

Koozies

Although it might be utilized during your reception, at the end of the night these are often left on the table and forgotten about. This is the one favor that we see given the most but also the ones that end up being trashed after your wedding is over!

Customized Napkins

These can look adorable at the bar for guests to grab when they get their drinks, but they are literally made to be thrown away!

At the end of the day, think of a wedding favor that will make you both happy. Typically, the couple appreciates the momento more than the guests, so it should be something that you would want to keep for a lifetime. (unless it’s food, then we encourage eating it immediately lol)

The Stylish Groom – 3 Tips for Choosing the Perfect Fit for Your Guy

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Venue: Tampa Marriott Water Street | Photography: Corey Conroy Photography

On your wedding day your significant other’s outfit can be just as important as yours! When choosing a style, you want to make sure that you pick something out that compliments your dress instead of creating a distraction. Here are three tips that we recommend thinking about when you are picking out the perfect ensemble!

Coordinating Colors

It is best to make sure that the color the groomsmen are wearing accents well with the bridesmaids dresses. We recommend avoiding shades that don’t mesh well to prevent the style looking thrown together last minute. The safest route to go is sticking to black and complimenting the wedding colors with a matching tie or pocket square

Choose the Style Based on Formality

Most couples decide on how formal they want their wedding to be early on in the planning stages. If you intend on having a casual beach wedding, it would be best to save the guys from heat stroke by avoiding a full on tux and instead go for something light and breezy. If you want your guests to dress like they are headed to the Oscars, khaki shorts and a polo shirt would create an eyesore.

Consider His Body Type

There are thousands of different styles of suits out there and each one can compliment the Groom’s body type differently. For example, if he’s on the shorter side, a jacket with two or three buttons with a lower placement will make him appear taller. Additionally, if he is a bit larger, a darker color can help him appear leaner and and is more slimming.

When picking out an outfit for the boys to wear it is best to keep it simple and not over complicate things. If you’re still at a loss, we recommend going to a tailor to get an expert’s opinion!

Let’s Talk Invitations: What you need, what you don’t and who the heck gets one?

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Venue: Tampa Yacht & Country Club

Receiving a wedding invitation gives guests an opportunity to get a sneak peak of the decor of your special day. These paper invites can foreshadow the entire ambiance of your ceremony and reception and what they can expect in the months to come. On the surface, you may think that all of your elementary school birthday parties prepared you to send out the perfect invite, but there are some things that we recommend thinking about as you start the process of designing your stationary!

Colors

Make sure the colors on your invitation are the same ones that will be seen on your wedding day. Though choosing light/pastel hues might seem great if you’re sending your invites out in the spring, it can be confusing if you intend to use dark shades in your fall wedding.

Online RSVPs

This day and age, many couples are deciding to forgo mailing back RSVPs and instead switching to online versions to ensure that nothing gets lost in the mail. If you plan to invite an older generation to your wedding, providing a phone number to call instead will help as well!

Directions

If your ceremony and reception are at two different locations, including directions from one place to the other is an unexpected addition that can show guests you went the extra step!

Include Meal Options

As funny as it may sound, some couples forget to add the meal preferences in their invite. By including the options at the very beginning you won’t have to go back on a later date and ask each attendee their decision.

Avoid Mentioning the Registry

There are more appropriate times to discuss gifts and more than likely guests will ask you directly for ideas. With that being said, including a link to your wedding website is completely fine and from there you are able to add a wedding registry tab.

Specify Who is Invited

Make sure to include the name of each person invited on the envelope. If you don’t have enough space on the envelope, you can use verbiage such as “X number of seats have been reserved for you” to ensure clarity and avoid assumptions.

3 Color Palettes that are HOT this Season

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With fall finally here, Floridians are officially in their wedding season! Even though the weather is still ridiculously hot, many couples have decided to include fall colors in their wedding scheme just to pretend that the south experiences some of the autumn weather. Through previous weddings over the past few months and upcoming ones still in progression, these three colors are the ones that we’ve seen most couples choose to incorporate into their special day!

Yellow

Venue: Sheraton Tampa Riverwalk | Photography: Celebrations of Tampa Bay

As one of Pantone’s colors of the year, brides have been eager to include a pop of yellow into their arrangements. Incorporating commonly known yellow flowers, such as sunflowers, is a great way to create a more lively tone to a very warm atmosphere. As stated in Pantone’s website, this hue creates the feeling that everything is going to continue to get brighter, which is what we all hope to achieve throughout the many years of marriage!

Muted Pink

Venue: The Orlo | Photography: Roberts Imagery

Following in the boho vibe that we’ve been seeing over the year, the soft shade of pink has appeared throughout this fall season. By incorporating a muted color and different styles of greenery, couples have been able to create arrangements with dimension while still giving off an earthy feel.

Burgundy

Venue: Grand Hyatt Tampa Bay | Photography: Jon Montis Photography

As we transition closer to the winter season, many couples have included a deep red shade into their wedding. Usually seen in winter weddings, burgundy has recently been utilized in the fall months as a transition color into the colder season.