Your Questions, Answered! Wedding Planning Q&A

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's highlighted questions come from couples who have followed Wedding Weekend By Design, my 6-STEP PLANNING FRAMEWORK that's incredibly easy to follow, and works with any budget, any timeline, and any hosting format.  For a limited time, Wedding Weekend by Design is available to Apple Premium Subscribers - for FREE!  To access the full planning package, simply subscribe to WPP Premium in your Apple Podcast feed. Not an Apple user?  No problem.  Head to weddingweekend.co for all the details. Inside WWBD, I'll show you exactly how to: Design your master schedule, Budget for various events & pre-parties, Find the best venue to fit your vision, Uncover creative options & workarounds for food & drinks,  Get and stay organized, and make an airtight communication plan, And you'll even have access to sample wedding weekend schedules & menus so that you can get inspired by what other couples have done! I can’t wait to see you inside Wedding Weekend By Design! Cheers, Kara

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. For a limited time, Wedding Weekend by Design is available to Apple Premium Subscribers - for FREE!  To access the full planning package, simply subscribe to WPP Premium in your Apple Podcast feed. Not an Apple user?  No problem.  Head to weddingweekend.co for all the details. The intuitive planning framework inside WWBD is designed to proactively steer you clear of the mistakes I see couples make over & over again, so that you can design your entire wedding weekend with CONFIDENCE + EASE. You’ll enjoy a 6-STEP PLANNING FRAMEWORK that's incredibly easy to follow, and works with any budget, any timeline, and any hosting format.  I'll show you exactly how to: Design your master schedule, Budget for various events & pre-parties, Find the best venue to fit your vision, Uncover creative options & workarounds for food & drinks,  Get and stay organized, and make an airtight communication plan, And you'll even have access to sample wedding weekend schedules & menus so that you can get inspired by what other couples have done. I can’t wait to see you there!  Cheers, Kara

Today on the Wedding Planning Podcast, we're exploring your top wedding questions, including: Ideal number of wedding party members / pro’s & con’s of larger vs. smaller group? What are your thoughts on doing a first look vs. waiting for the more traditional moment when I walk down the aisle? Inviting kids to the wedding - does it have to be “all or nothing?”  Babysitting options? OK to assign seats for the ceremony?  Divorced parents on my side and want to keep them separated. Including family & friends who want to help, but I don’t really know what to ask them to do.  What are some easy items to delegate? Etiquette involved w/ planning at the same time as my close friend?  Things are already overlapping and I’m feeling really frustrated What's the actual cost difference between hosting a wedding on a weekday vs. a weekend?   Submit your wedding planning questions anytime by visiting weddingplanningpodcast.co/contact Talk soon! Kara

They say hindsight is 20/20, and today on the Wedding Planning Podcast I'm sharing the top money spending regrets that married couples have. It's really easy to get swept up in dozens of "must-have's" during your engagement - but after today's episode, you'll think twice about these wedding expenses. Questions or topics you'd like to hear more on?  Please be in touch!  weddingplanningpodcast.co/contact Talk soon, Kara

My inbox is full of your wedding planning questions, including: Are wedding fairs worth the time? How to pick a DJ?  No idea where to start! My dress is very heavy, with a dramatic long train.  Should I consider a separate reception dress for dancing? >>> My fave site for reception party dresses >>> Lulus.com What are your thoughts on a NYE wedding?  We love the symbolism of beginning our lives together at the start of a new year, but the logistics of actually planning for NYE seems hard.  Struggling with creating a core wedding vision and building out from there.  I feel like we have so many ideas, but none of them are cohesive or go together.  Is there an easy place to start that I am simply missing? What’s a quick list of things to prioritize when shopping for venues? What are “hidden fees” to look out for with any venue or vendors? How do I specify number of people invited to the wedding when addressing the invitation envelope? >>> Be in touch anytime with your wedding questions by visiting weddingplanningpodcast.co/contact Talk soon! Kara

Creating a simple, info-packed WEDDING WEBSITE is the easiest, most hassle free way to easily share information with your wedding guests.  Join me today for a detailed wedding planning workshop on exactly how to create an amazing wedding website - zero technical skills required!  To get started, choose your wedding website design from an incredible community of independent artists & designers when you visit Minted Weddings. FREE Minted wedding websites include all the tools you need to get started, and you’ll even receive a $50 credit towards your wedding stationery when you visit www.weddingplanningpodcast.co/website. In today's show, we're covering what to include on your website, what not to include, and lots of priceless details on how to leverage this incredible tool to MAKE YOUR LIFE EASIER over the coming months.   I also have a really fun & interactive extension of your website that will make connecting with your guests a breeze between now & wedding day. Even if you’ve already got a wedding website up & running, I hope you’ll stick around for today’s conversation - I have lots of important website elements to share that many couples miss, and I want you to be able to leverage your wedding website to your FULL ADVANTAGE over the next few months ... making your life easier, and of course, your guests’ lives easier as well! A quick outline of what we're going to cover in today's meeting: Home Page Events Travel & Accommodations FAQ Page Your Story Wedding Party RSVP Details Links to your registry & don't miss my BONUS TIP for keeping in close contact with your wedding guests throughout the coming months via a private Facebook Group!  Here's a link that explains exactly how to set one up.

Affordable & beautiful Save the Date announcements and wedding invitations - how hard can that be?? Well, if you’ve spent 3 hours on a Saturday getting lost down the rabbit hole of 9 different wedding invitation websites, then you know that finding a practical solution that fits your style and your budget is much easier said than done.   Today I’m sharing a complete guide to wedding stationery, from Save the Dates to invitations.  We'll even review all of those mysterious extras like fancy paper type, additional enclosures, wax seals, envelope liners, and more.  And if you’re on a budget and looking to keep your invites as minimal and affordable as possible, I’ve got some exclusive listener savings to share totaling over $300!  See below for links & resources. LINKS + SPECIAL OFFERS MENTIONED IN TODAY'S SHOW: 25% off Save the Date announcements >>> weddingplanningpodcast.co/minted 830+ Wedding Invitations w/ matching website, Save the Dates, QR code & extras >>> weddingplanningpodcast.co/invite $50 stationery credit to use towards your save the dates and / or invitations when you create a wedding website >>> weddingplanningpodcast.co/website Redeem your FREE Wedding Invitation Sample Kit here

Setting a realistic wedding budget that works for you is one of the first steps you’ll take after getting engaged - and ideally before making any big wedding decisions.  So if you’re newly engaged (or maybe just need a wedding budget reset!), you’re in the right place.  To streamline the process, today's show is a step-by-step guide on exactly how to create a realistic wedding budget that gives you plenty of space for all the things that you value the most. Let’s face it, a wedding planning experience without ANY financial stress is unlikely.   Investing thousands of dollars in anything naturally comes along with doubts and anxiety.  But I’m here to break things down into manageable pieces, so that you can have a stress-free financial plan in the months ahead! Complete blog post for today's show >>> weddingplanningpodcast.co/wedding-budget

This week, I have an inbox full of your wedding flower questions to share!  I also put together a list of the top wedding flower mistakes that I see couples make, to further help guide you to "DIY wedding flower SUCCESS". Today we're reviewing: How much should 5 relatively simple bouquets cost?  I’m being quoted over $1200, which feels so ridiculous. Visiting a flower farm to pick stems w/ my bridal party - how early should we pick & arrange them so that they are still fresh? How much time should we allocate to making the bouquets & centerpieces in the day or two before the wedding?   Downsides to ordering flowers online?  Considering Costco but the prices seem too good to be true We definitely want to do flower bouquets for me & bridesmaid and a simple flower on the guys’ jacket, but do you have any ideas for creative centerpieces that are more affordable than flowers? From your engagement ring to your wedding day, you can protect your most cherished memories with BriteCo.  Visit brite.co/wedpod for a fast, free quote today and unlock peace of mind knowing that you're covered! Additional resources mentioned in today's episode: Wedding Flowers by Season Wholesale Flowers from COSTCO Wholesale Flowers from FIFTY FLOWERS  

The little dollar bill emoji with flapping wings is a great one-tap summary of planning a wedding.  Budgeting for expected expenses is hard enough, let alone all of the little unexpected stuff that sneaks in along the way!                                                         Today we’re going to shine a light on 16 annoying + unexpected expenses that couples don’t plan for, so that you can adjust your budget early on and not be taken by surprise in the coming months.   Full blog post for today's show can be found here. Thank you for sharing the show with someone who is helping you plan! Wedding questions, stories to share, or requests for a future episode?  I always have an open door and would love to hear from you >>> weddingplanningpodcast.com   Cheers to you! Kara