Brittany Ellis Cole
Eventrics Weddings
Lakeland
EventricsWeddings.com
How do you guide your couples on the first steps to take?
The first step to beginning any successful plan is discussing the estimated guest count, the event or events the couple would like to host, their preferred month/date the occasion will take place and, of course, their budget. Once we have this information, we begin pricing out the entire wedding to make sure the plans fall within their budget. This happens prior to signing any vendor contracts to ensure the client remains in line with their anticipated expenditures. That way the planning process can be more enjoyable rather than stressful.
What are the biggest mistakes you see to-be-weds make when they start planning? How can they fix them?
One mistake I see couples make is not researching their selected date. I’ve had numerous couples set a date and later find out a large festival or major event is also taking place that same weekend. Checking the city’s calendar is always a smart idea before booking a venue space. If a client has already signed a contract with a venue for a date where a conflict exists, we can discuss changing dates or create a plan that will ensure there’s ample accommodation and seamless transportation.
What are your best tips for planning a fabulous wedding without going over budget?
Take the time and develop a budget. This provides a way to truly give thought to elements that are most important to the couple for their day. We encourage couples to consider their most important priorities for their wedding day, and then they can scale back as needed on some of their lesser important elements. The budget becomes the blueprint for the planning.
What’s the best reason to hire a planner?
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There are so many essential reasons to hire a wedding planner: their experience, extensive industry contacts, management expertise, budget knowledge and discipline, and familiarity with vendors. A wedding planner wears many hats—also including the role of mediator, financial planner and wedding insurance provider. Their abilities avoid unnecessary, and oftentimes costly, mistakes, save hundreds of hours of time and reduce the stress that goes along with planning one of the most important days of your lives. I feel the biggest reason you should hire a wedding planner is that the planner is the couple’s representative on their wedding day. She ensures the couple and their families can enjoy the experience with confidence that the planner will execute the wedding day of their dreams. The couple and families should feel like guests on the day so they can embrace and enjoy every precious moment.
What’s your best tip for planning a wedding in less than six months?
If you’re on the fast track to getting married and don’t want a long engagement I recommend you prioritize your to-do list. Always start with the budget and what’s realistic for your families. Next, decide if you’re going to hire a planner to assist or rely on yourself to organize the day. Once the budget is confirmed, search for venues within that range and research your dates. After the venue is contracted, the search for the perfect team of vendors would be next. Typically, I like to have all of the vendors hired within two months of the wedding date.
What are your favorite wedding trends right now?
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Food stations! I love the idea of this nontraditional presentation for a reception. It allows guests to mingle with more of the guests versus the individuals assigned to their tables. Food stations also allow for more variety. Another thing is hashtags. They’re one of the most popular wedding trends. A lot of couples are creating a wedding hashtag so guests can post pictures for all to enjoy. This provides the couple a fun and unique perspective of their celebration as well as the pleasure of being able to view the photos on the way to their honeymoon.
What should couples keep in mind when choosing a venue?
Always keep your guests in mind. Demographics, location, amenities, costs and services are all key factors to consider when deciding on your wedding venue. Understanding your guests’ demographics is key to a great guest plan. Planning a wedding in high season versus low season has a huge impact on the room rates the venue can offer. If your guests are local, consider how many will want to stay at the property as this will impact the size of the venue’s room block. If the majority of guests are coming from out of town, take into consideration if there’s a nearby airport and what transportation methods will be needed. Does the venue offer shuttle services or will they need to rent a car? Are there other amenities or services available that would attract out-of-town guests to stay and enjoy the area? It’s wonderful having guests attend a wedding celebration, so remember the more you plan for them in advance, the better their overall experience.
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What are the biggest pieces of advice you find yourself telling couples throughout the whole process?
Communication is one of the most crucial parts to any successful plan. Having an open line of communication with each other, any key family members involved with planning and their wedding planner is important. We break out the planning into monthly tasks that are relevant to the overall timeline. It’s important these tasks are met otherwise they can pile up in the last few months before the wedding, creating unnecessary stress.
What’s the most important thing to remember when choosing vendors?
When selecting your team of vendors it’s very important for you to connect with them. You want to feel comfortable communicating with them, that they understand your taste, and that their services or products align within your price range. When contracting vendors, know what additional expenses you’re responsible for, such as hotel rooms, meals and so on. Communicating up front all of the costs associated with their contract will allow you to better prepare financially.
Anything else you’d like to add?
Enjoy the planning process as much as possible! Being engaged should be filled with celebration and a lot of fun. Allow planning to be a memorable part of the process.
