AL about the Wedding Planner Book

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When I was planning my wedding I didn’t use a planner book. I wrote notes on post it’s, old napkins, in my cell phone, anywhere I could… it was such a mess. BRIDES, learn from my mistakes. It would be so much easier if you had one place to write down all your notes, budget, vendors, guest list, and keep all the information in one place. 

So, I found this planner on Amazon by Caledonia Design Co. and they were kind enough to send me some wedding planners to review for you guys! 

Cutest planner, I had to display it around my house!

This planner is super easy to get, it’s available on Amazon and ships free with Amazon prime. Link here!

Reasons to Buy:

  1. It’s so cute! It comes in different colors and has cute quotes written throughout.
  2. It is super practical! It starts the planning process at 12 month and goes all the way till the day of the wedding! Each month has a list of items to keep you on track with your planning timeline. 
  3. It’s affordable for the quality! It’s only $35, and like I said.. free shipping! 

What it Includes: 

  • 12 Month Planning Overview 
  • 12 Month planning list 
  • 10 Month planning list 
  • 8 Month planning list 
  • 6 Month planning list 
  • 4 Month planning list 
  • 2 Month planning list 
  • 4 Weeks to Go
  • 2 Weeks to Go
  • Final Week Timeline
  • Day of Timeline Template 
  • Calendar
  • Guest List
  • Budget Planner 
  • Tons of space for notes
  • Pockets for receipts

It basically has everything you need to stay organized and help you along the way! 

Who should buy this:

  • Brides (duh)
  • Friends and family of the bride 
  • Bridal Shower Gift
  • Engagement party gift 

 They also sell yearly planners, they’re a something for everyone!

I love this planner, it’s such a sweet and cute company! Link Here!

This planner has my stamp of approvAL.

That’s AL you need to know about wedding planners.

AL about the Wedding Budget

wedding

The average cost for a wedding in the U.S. in 2019 is 38,700, according to Wedding Wire… YIKES!

I mean, I get it.. everybody wants a beautiful wedding but there are ways to have a dream wedding and stay on budget.

So… let’s cut costs?

Here are 3 simple tips to help you save over $1,000!

1. Skip the Champagne Toast!

For a wedding of 150 people you would need to get 36 bottles of Champagne. Depending on the price of the champagne you chose, it will be at least $200!

On top of that.. depending on your venue, they could charge corking fees, pouring fees or flute rentals!

Most people prefer to drink their own cocktails anyways, that way they don’t mix alcohol.

Savings: 200$

2. Skip the Wedding Cake!

The average wedding cake cost is $500.

I’m not joking. If you say the word “wedding” to a bakery the price automatically triples.

My advice is to do a small cutting cake for photos and skip the big traditional cake…Because who really eats it anyways? Most people get so busy dancing (…and drinking) that they forget to eat the cake!

*Extra tip…tell the bakery your getting an anniversary cake, then they won’t upcharge you 😉

Have some form of treats other than the cake, such as a candy bar, s’mores, or cake pops! Have fun with it and get something that iou and your fiancé both really love! We had a donut truck.. and it was still cheaper than cake! Trust me, your guests will be happy to skip this tradition.

Savings: $500

3. Wedding Favors

Depending on what kind you get, the average price is $2 per favor. So again, for a wedding of 150 guests, you would be looking at $300 minimum!

SO, you could skip them all together. OR, you can wrap up cookies, candies or a fun dessert as a take home gift! THEN you will kill two birds with one stone, dessert and a wedding favor!

Savings: $200

Total Wedding Savings: $1,000

That’s AL about saving your wedding budget!

AL about “Must Do’s” Before “I Do’s”!

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When it comes to wedding day, one thing is for sure… it will be chaos. It is important to stay as organized as possible so you don’t find yourself stressing out over things that can be avoided. I have created a planning list of MUST DO wedding day items and coordinating tips that you might forget to remember! 

When it came to my wedding, I had a wedding day coordinator through my venue which was a tremendous help! They were the best and made sure everything went smooth.

If you DO have a wedding coordinator, they should be prepared with these helpful tips. But it is always helpful to go over go over these things together before your wedding day. Not all wedding planners are as savy as Jennifer Lopez. (Favorite movie!)

If you DON’T have a wedding coordinator.. don’t stress. Just make sure to have a plan in place and people who are willing to help you on wedding day.

Here are my “Must Do’s” before “I Do’s”:

  • Wedding Set Up: Assign a friend or family member to be in charge of setting up décor, tables, sign in are, etc. I recommend taking pictures of how you want things to be set up, that way they have a clear vision of what you want.
  • Vendor Contact List: including phone numbers, emails, and times they are supposed to arrive at the venue. Give this list to somebody who will be at the venue helping with set up. That way if they have questions they aren’t bothering you to find answers.
  • Wedding Day Timeline: Be very detailed. Include times for arrival of vendors, arrival of bridal party, ceremony time, songs to be played at certain moments, reception outline, etc.       *Print it out give it to everybody!!
  • Vows and Speeches: Print them out and give copies to the officiant. Email a copy to yourself in case copies can’t be found on wedding day!
  • Marriage License: Assign two witnesses, officiant and a meeting place after ceremony to sign marriage certificate.
  • Rings… don’t forget them. Don’t laugh.. It happens. You won’t be wearing your wedding bands going into wedding day so it easy for them to get lost in the shuffle. Keep them in a ring box and give them to the best man or somebody responsible to hold until ceremony time.
  • Family Items: Assign somebody to be in charge of important family items. I had my grandmothers wedding gloves I wanted incorporated in my ceremony. After the ceremony my coordinator took them and put them in a box to be packed up so they wouldn’t be lost. You don’t want special items going missing on wedding day!
  • Wedding Gifts: Assign somebody to be in charge of putting cards, presents, guest book away after cocktail hour. That way no gifts go missing.. and it’s one less thing to clean up after the wedding.
  • If you are having a Dollar Dance, don’t forget to bring a bag! I got a satin white bag on Amazon. Then assign somebody to put the bag away right after the dance.
  • Photo List: Create a list of family photos you want taken by your photographer… you don’t want any family members to be forgotten. **Make sure to have DJ announce who will need to stick around after ceremony for pictures.
  • Bouquet: Order a toss bouquet from your florist. That way you won’t have to toss your pretty bouquet.
  • Garter: Don’t forget to wear your garter, or put it on before the garter toss.
  • Tips: Create tip envelopes for vendors before wedding day. I kept them in my Husbands suit jacket and handed them out at the end of the night. 
  • Clean Up: Assign a group to stick around and help with clean up. Create a list of all the items you need to take from venue.                                                                          ***Do a mental run through of your wedding day and think of anything you might need help with. Assign all these tasks to whoever is willing to help. You’ll be surprised about all the people willing to help when you need them!

Stay organized and have fun!

That’s AL about Must Do’s Before I Do’s!

AL about the Bride Bag!

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The day of your wedding will be a total blur! Staying as organized as possible will make it so you can enjoy every minute of your special day without feeling stressed and frazzled! I always thought making a wedding day emergency kit was pointless and I probably wouldn’t need it…wrong! There were so many things we were looking for in the bridal suite that we just didn’t remember to bring. I kept all of my wedding day items in a tote bag that way I wouldn’t forget where they were in all of the chaos of wedding day! 

I used this cute “Bride” bag that my bridesmaids got me! I put all my day-of essentials in here that way I didn’t forget anything! Link here !

AL the things you will need in your bag:

  • Benadryl (I woke up with hives the day of my wedding so this is necessary) 
  • Advil (In case you get a headache)
  • Pepto Bismol Tablets (In case you get a tummy ache from all the stress)
  • Cough Drops 
  • Airborne Chews (In case you wake up feeling under the weather )

** All of these things happened to me so it’s better to be prepared!

Beauty Essentials:

  • Face Powder
  • Lipstick to reapply 
  • Chapstick (If you put this on a stuck zipper it will help it zip up smoothly!)
  • Hairspray 
  • Curling iron (Some of my bridesmaids needed a touch up) 
  • Bobby pins (To help pin your veil) 
  • Deodorant 
  • Lotion 

** Tip: Keep a small clutch at your head table or sweetheart table with powder, lip stick, gloss, mirror, tissues, q-tips etc. That way your not running around to reapply your lipstick! You can even have your coordinator or bridesmaids set it there for you before the ceremony!

Extras:

  • Steamer (So important! For bridesmaids robes, dresses, suits!) 
  • Scissors (To cut off tags, snags off dresses, everything!) 
  • Tape
  • Safety pins
  • Floss 
  • Extra Earring backs (Mine broke while getting ready)

For the Bridal Room:

  • Snacks (Don’t forget to eat)
  • Water (Stay hydrated)
  • Phone chargers

For your Photos:

  • Ring boxes 
  • Invitation 
  • Pretty Hanger For your dress 
  • Perfume bottle 

*My photographers were amazing and had all this stuff for me, but just in case they don’t you will want these cute detail pictures.

The obvious:

  • Wedding gown 
  • Veil
  • Undergarments (Don’t laugh some of us forgot!)
  • Shoes
  • Jewelry
  • Garter (Don’t forget to put it on before the garter toss)
  • Most importantly… sandals for the dance floor! This is a must! 

Fun tip: Make a DIY emergency kit for a bridal shower or engagement party to take some stress off of the Bride-to-Be!

That’s Al about the Bride Bag!