Kim Moss
The Wedding Planner Shares
A Wedding Discussion For All Brides
The sparkle in your eyes nearly outshines your newly acquired bling and your engagement glow is palpable, you’re now ready to hunker down and begin planning in earnest, for what is undoubtedly the biggest day of your life. You likely have noticed that since announcing your engagement, you began to receive advice, both solicited and unsolicited from girlfriends, mothers, and co-workers on what’s first, last and in-between, what to do and not do, in other words, you hear wedding war stories. Deciding that you aren’t going to be telling a war story about your wedding and its planning, you subsequently purchase every bridal magazine found in CVS, Walgreens, Barnes and Noble, not to mention the many downloads of the online magazines for your phone or tablet.
Suddenly, the weekend weather is overcast and rainy giving you the perfect excuse to binge watch every bridal show that caught your eye while searching the guide; “Say Yes to the Dress”, “Whose Wedding is it Anyway?”, the Hallmark™ channel’s June wedding movie blitz, Lifetime channel or whoever else has decided it was a good weekend to program wedding movies. Grabbing the popcorn, wine and tissues, you settle in to watch, take notes and dream.
Online you signed up with Eventective, Thumbtack, The Knot, Wedding Wire, Wedding.com, Perfect Wedding Guide and any other wedding-related site to get inspiration for your wedding and honeymoon. Here’s the thing though; you are so exhausted from all of that, you don’t know which way is up! Face it, your Pinterest boards are overstuffed with ideas and with so many trends that are deemed “it” for the season, you quickly surmise there has to be a better way. Of course, the planner (that would be me) asks innocently, if you have consulted a wedding planner. You’re shaking your head no, and thinking you don’t have a budget for a planner, or the planner is going to do what they want, not what I want, or worse; that entire wedding planner business is a racket, I can do this myself! Indulge me while I pretend to be shocked and dismayed, but the fact of the matter is, contacting a planner should be number one on the list before you do anything else.
Why you ask? Because, more often than not, a certified wedding planner can answer simple and even some complex questions during an initial consultation and, you will undoubtedly learn quickly that it’s no racket; it’s a lot of details and moving parts but a true professional makes it seem like child’s play. That said, let’s pretend a little more, and assume you’ve asked me, your writer, where you should begin. Listen to what our conversation might be like.
You: We’re not exactly sure, what time of year we want the wedding, but we have been thinking of several different themes. Originally we dreamed of a wedding on the beach, but as huge Game of Thrones watchers, we thought that would be a great theme (without murdering a family member of course!), I was considering a Cinderella theme, even a Western theme, but genuinely we have no clue where to look or how much to budget. As far as a honeymoon, we know we want 4 to 5 star luxury, sand, sun, nightlife, shopping and fun, all-inclusive, and the deal breaker - it absolutely must be an adult-only property. We know we need something affordable for the number of guests on our list, but honestly, after reviewing everything, city hall is sounding like a perfect option right now and a big party after our first anniversary.
Planner: Well, clearly, you have some ideas on what you would like and I understand completely how it may feel overwhelming. I have a couple of questions first and then some ideas you can consider regardless of whether there is an unlimited budget or if you have a financially challenged one. You can plan a fabulous platinum wedding or one that looks like a platinum budget wedding and all without considering the city hall option. How does that sound?
You: Great! The beach destination wedding is what we’re leaning toward and most interested in. Ideally, somewhere not too far from home, are there any decent destination options in the US? We’re anticipating our guest list will be approximately 50 to 100 guests and want to keep our costs at $15,000 maximum, but we’re flexible.
Planner: Location, location, location, three words you’ll hear any realtor say and its true – location is EVERYTHING when it comes to any wedding. The trick is to find something unique and within your budget. Maryland’s Eastern Shore has wonderful options that are affordable and a short two-hour (or less) drive from the Baltimore-Washington metro area. St. Michael’s is known for its award winning venues, small town charm and scenic vistas with Harbourtowne Resort and Inn at Perry Cabin by Belmond which are two popular venues and, Harbourtowne was featured on the TODAY show for a wedding a few years ago. En route to Ocean City is historic Cambridge and the Hyatt Regency Resort, which provides dramatic views of the Choptank riverbank and glorious sunsets. Their beach provides you with that tropical feel while still being close to home.
A little further south is one of the best-kept secrets outside the Caribbean, Amelia Island, Florida. The luxurious Amelia Island Ritz Carlton positioned directly on the beach, has no competitor with its ocean views and amenities for brides looking to make a platinum statement. Head southwest to Texas and arrive in San Padre Island, where you can host a sunset wedding on the beach and party the night away. Looking for Caribbean flair? Mexico has fabulous locations to choose from – Cabo San Lucas, Puerto Vallarta and Riviera Maya, all featuring white sands, crystal blue waters, 4 and 5 star luxury hotels providing amazing views from wherever you stand. The ultimate in unique? A cruise ship wedding. Perfect for first or encore (second or more) weddings or for smaller intimate affairs. Royal Caribbean is one of the best for weddings and their ships are docked for embarkation of passengers and special events prior to sailing. You can wave bon voyage as husband and wife to your guests after they have disembarked from the ship and you continue onto a fabulous cruise honeymoon.
You: We never considered any of the destination wedding options you’ve mentioned, and the cruise ship – wow!
Planner: That’s why contacting a planner is key! They know best kept secret locations, unadvertised deals and ways to get more bang for your buck coupled with other professional tricks and tips you likely wouldn’t find on your own. Occasionally, they collaborate with travel agent professionals to ensure your wedding details are handled properly. Some are members of the Destination Weddings and Honeymoon Specialist Association, which is a group of travel professionals who specialize in romance travel. Naturally, hosting a destination wedding out of the country has a laundry list of requirements to ensure your marriage is legally valid in the United States, but it’s a breeze when you are working with a planner and a romance travel professional.
You: So what you’re saying is that I don’t have to stress out when it comes to selecting a theme or a destination, we have options, actually more than we had considered.
Planner: You have a plethora of options so much so, that it’s easy to get carried away and want to do everything and anything, especially once you have decided on a theme. However, the key factor before doing anything is to create and review a budget. Even if you haven’t written one out, through your initial due diligence, you have included EVERYTHING from planner consultation either for full service or a day-of-coordinator, attire, invitations, postage, thank you cards, venue rentals, florals, catering, rings, gifts to the bridal party, party favors, cake and last but certainly not least, the honeymoon.
You: Wow – that’s a lot. After reviewing everything, we agree that we need help – what will it take to sign you?
Planner: Smiling broadly, “a simple initial retainer and we can get started...”
Alright I think our pretend session went well, and the planner did a great job showing the value of their expertise and knowledge on different locale options. However, in all seriousness, if you are thinking of any of the themes mentioned above it would behoove you to work with a professional planner and to take a hard look at your budget. What drives the budget and everything else associated with your theme? How many guests are being invited! One important factor to remember is that destination weddings can have a positive impact on your budget. Many luxury properties have incentives for the number of rooms and nights at the hotel, for example for every 10 rooms you may get one free. There may be a free ceremony component or a wedding package for as little as $1500 if you stay after the wedding for your honeymoon for 7 nights and have a certain number of room nights booked. Sandals, Couples Resorts, and Hard Rock Resorts are the top properties that offer the best in beach weddings and luxurious honeymoons. Bottom line? Contact travel and wedding professionals to get started on the road to a happy wedding!
To learn more about about Kim Moss and her company Black Bag Travel click here!
Suddenly, the weekend weather is overcast and rainy giving you the perfect excuse to binge watch every bridal show that caught your eye while searching the guide; “Say Yes to the Dress”, “Whose Wedding is it Anyway?”, the Hallmark™ channel’s June wedding movie blitz, Lifetime channel or whoever else has decided it was a good weekend to program wedding movies. Grabbing the popcorn, wine and tissues, you settle in to watch, take notes and dream.
Online you signed up with Eventective, Thumbtack, The Knot, Wedding Wire, Wedding.com, Perfect Wedding Guide and any other wedding-related site to get inspiration for your wedding and honeymoon. Here’s the thing though; you are so exhausted from all of that, you don’t know which way is up! Face it, your Pinterest boards are overstuffed with ideas and with so many trends that are deemed “it” for the season, you quickly surmise there has to be a better way. Of course, the planner (that would be me) asks innocently, if you have consulted a wedding planner. You’re shaking your head no, and thinking you don’t have a budget for a planner, or the planner is going to do what they want, not what I want, or worse; that entire wedding planner business is a racket, I can do this myself! Indulge me while I pretend to be shocked and dismayed, but the fact of the matter is, contacting a planner should be number one on the list before you do anything else.
Why you ask? Because, more often than not, a certified wedding planner can answer simple and even some complex questions during an initial consultation and, you will undoubtedly learn quickly that it’s no racket; it’s a lot of details and moving parts but a true professional makes it seem like child’s play. That said, let’s pretend a little more, and assume you’ve asked me, your writer, where you should begin. Listen to what our conversation might be like.
You: We’re not exactly sure, what time of year we want the wedding, but we have been thinking of several different themes. Originally we dreamed of a wedding on the beach, but as huge Game of Thrones watchers, we thought that would be a great theme (without murdering a family member of course!), I was considering a Cinderella theme, even a Western theme, but genuinely we have no clue where to look or how much to budget. As far as a honeymoon, we know we want 4 to 5 star luxury, sand, sun, nightlife, shopping and fun, all-inclusive, and the deal breaker - it absolutely must be an adult-only property. We know we need something affordable for the number of guests on our list, but honestly, after reviewing everything, city hall is sounding like a perfect option right now and a big party after our first anniversary.
Planner: Well, clearly, you have some ideas on what you would like and I understand completely how it may feel overwhelming. I have a couple of questions first and then some ideas you can consider regardless of whether there is an unlimited budget or if you have a financially challenged one. You can plan a fabulous platinum wedding or one that looks like a platinum budget wedding and all without considering the city hall option. How does that sound?
You: Great! The beach destination wedding is what we’re leaning toward and most interested in. Ideally, somewhere not too far from home, are there any decent destination options in the US? We’re anticipating our guest list will be approximately 50 to 100 guests and want to keep our costs at $15,000 maximum, but we’re flexible.
Planner: Location, location, location, three words you’ll hear any realtor say and its true – location is EVERYTHING when it comes to any wedding. The trick is to find something unique and within your budget. Maryland’s Eastern Shore has wonderful options that are affordable and a short two-hour (or less) drive from the Baltimore-Washington metro area. St. Michael’s is known for its award winning venues, small town charm and scenic vistas with Harbourtowne Resort and Inn at Perry Cabin by Belmond which are two popular venues and, Harbourtowne was featured on the TODAY show for a wedding a few years ago. En route to Ocean City is historic Cambridge and the Hyatt Regency Resort, which provides dramatic views of the Choptank riverbank and glorious sunsets. Their beach provides you with that tropical feel while still being close to home.
A little further south is one of the best-kept secrets outside the Caribbean, Amelia Island, Florida. The luxurious Amelia Island Ritz Carlton positioned directly on the beach, has no competitor with its ocean views and amenities for brides looking to make a platinum statement. Head southwest to Texas and arrive in San Padre Island, where you can host a sunset wedding on the beach and party the night away. Looking for Caribbean flair? Mexico has fabulous locations to choose from – Cabo San Lucas, Puerto Vallarta and Riviera Maya, all featuring white sands, crystal blue waters, 4 and 5 star luxury hotels providing amazing views from wherever you stand. The ultimate in unique? A cruise ship wedding. Perfect for first or encore (second or more) weddings or for smaller intimate affairs. Royal Caribbean is one of the best for weddings and their ships are docked for embarkation of passengers and special events prior to sailing. You can wave bon voyage as husband and wife to your guests after they have disembarked from the ship and you continue onto a fabulous cruise honeymoon.
You: We never considered any of the destination wedding options you’ve mentioned, and the cruise ship – wow!
Planner: That’s why contacting a planner is key! They know best kept secret locations, unadvertised deals and ways to get more bang for your buck coupled with other professional tricks and tips you likely wouldn’t find on your own. Occasionally, they collaborate with travel agent professionals to ensure your wedding details are handled properly. Some are members of the Destination Weddings and Honeymoon Specialist Association, which is a group of travel professionals who specialize in romance travel. Naturally, hosting a destination wedding out of the country has a laundry list of requirements to ensure your marriage is legally valid in the United States, but it’s a breeze when you are working with a planner and a romance travel professional.
You: So what you’re saying is that I don’t have to stress out when it comes to selecting a theme or a destination, we have options, actually more than we had considered.
Planner: You have a plethora of options so much so, that it’s easy to get carried away and want to do everything and anything, especially once you have decided on a theme. However, the key factor before doing anything is to create and review a budget. Even if you haven’t written one out, through your initial due diligence, you have included EVERYTHING from planner consultation either for full service or a day-of-coordinator, attire, invitations, postage, thank you cards, venue rentals, florals, catering, rings, gifts to the bridal party, party favors, cake and last but certainly not least, the honeymoon.
You: Wow – that’s a lot. After reviewing everything, we agree that we need help – what will it take to sign you?
Planner: Smiling broadly, “a simple initial retainer and we can get started...”
Alright I think our pretend session went well, and the planner did a great job showing the value of their expertise and knowledge on different locale options. However, in all seriousness, if you are thinking of any of the themes mentioned above it would behoove you to work with a professional planner and to take a hard look at your budget. What drives the budget and everything else associated with your theme? How many guests are being invited! One important factor to remember is that destination weddings can have a positive impact on your budget. Many luxury properties have incentives for the number of rooms and nights at the hotel, for example for every 10 rooms you may get one free. There may be a free ceremony component or a wedding package for as little as $1500 if you stay after the wedding for your honeymoon for 7 nights and have a certain number of room nights booked. Sandals, Couples Resorts, and Hard Rock Resorts are the top properties that offer the best in beach weddings and luxurious honeymoons. Bottom line? Contact travel and wedding professionals to get started on the road to a happy wedding!
To learn more about about Kim Moss and her company Black Bag Travel click here!