save yourself the 7 most common wedding mistakes that costs brides thousands and how to avoid them

© 2010 Heels Above Event Planning, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

How to Save Yourself the 7 Most

Common Wedding Mistakes that Costs

Brides Thousands and How to Avoid

Them

©2010 Heels Above Event Planning, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Your parents, friends and family all know about your engagement. Now it is

time for the fun part. It’s time to start planning your wedding! You may be

wondering what to do, where to start. You have an end in mind, but no

beginning. You may already be overwhelmed and you haven’t even started yet.

Take a deep breath and relax. The information that I am sharing with you

today will help you to avoid some common mistakes make that costs brides

thousands of dollars. Let’s get started so we can save you some money!

Common Mistake #1: ProcrastinationCommon Mistake #1: ProcrastinationCommon Mistake #1: ProcrastinationCommon Mistake #1: Procrastination

With all that needs to be decided and done, your first response may be to just

do nothing at all. Sometimes we have a tendency when we feel overwhelmed to

do nothing at all because we just don’t know what to do. Maybe you feel that

someone or something will give you inspiration or that someone will magically

tell you when and where to begin.

One thing that I can say is, please; please don’t bury your

head in the sand. The saying that time is money is very true,

especially when it comes to weddings. The early bird really

does catch the worm.

Decide what it is that you want early. Don’t know what you want? Begin

looking for inspiration, look at magazines, websites, and talk to friends

about their wedding, read blogs. Get the wheels in your mind turning now.

Starting early gives the opportunity to be able to make good, informed

decisions. You should never feel forced or pressured into making a decision.

When you are, a lot of times the wrong decision is made because you feel you

have no choice. Remember that you always have a choice. This is your day.

Not your Mother’s, your friends, or your cousins. Make sure you get what you

want (staying within budget of course!) ☺

There are many brides that because they wait until the last minute have to

make a choice of using a vendor or venue because they are not available; many

are booked a year or more in advance. Yes, your wedding is all about you, but


remembers, you are not the only one getting married. There are lots of other

brides looking for the services that you are too.

You can make time can be a wonderful friend, not an enemy.

Common Mistake Common Mistake Common Mistake Common Mistake #2#2#2#2: : : : When is the Big Day?When is the Big Day?When is the Big Day?When is the Big Day?

Couples choose their month and day to get married on for various reasons; some

choose the day because it is the anniversary of the day they met, or maybe the

month is chosen because it is the Groom’s birthday.

When choosing when to get married, remember that will

influence your budget as well. A Saturday evening in June is premium. June is the most popular and busiest

month for weddings. Everyone wants to be a June bride.

I will say it again. Everyone wants to be a June bride.

So what does that mean? The law of supply and demand

kicks in pretty heavily, meaning that the supply is great; therefore, so is

the price! The same holds for having an evening wedding. Many couples want

to dance the night away and have a formal sit down dinner.

Do you really have to get married on a Saturday evening? If you really want

an evening wedding, why not Friday night? Just making that one small change

has a GREAT impact on your wedding budget. Sometimes as much as 30% or even

more! Now you can use that money on your fabulous wedding dress or wherever

else you want to.

If you still want a Saturday wedding, why not a fabulous breakfast buffet or

brunch? It would be a wonderful change for your guests and think of the

wonderful party favors you could have or great would it look for your

bridesmaids to walk down the aisle with pink parasols at an outside morning

wedding?

Depending on where you live, a winter wedding is so beautiful. A winter

wonderland is very beautiful as well, but remember that beauty does not have

to put a big dent in your pocket either.


Common Mistake #3:Common Mistake #3:Common Mistake #3:Common Mistake #3: Where are We Going to Get Married?Where are We Going to Get Married?Where are We Going to Get Married?Where are We Going to Get Married?

Deciding where to get married goes hand in hand with not procrastinating and

choosing when to get married. Why a venue is chosen is a personal decision,

but that decision doesn’t have to cost a lot. There are several ways to save

money when it comes to your venues.

You can choose to have two separate venues or have your ceremony and reception

in the same location. Of course the latter is

going to save you the most money. You will only

have one reception fee; you cut down on

transportation costs because you no longer need to

transport the bridal party and it will also save on

transportation costs. You also won’t have to

worry about your out of town guests getting lost because they are unfamiliar

with the area. If you are going to have two separate venues, make sure that

they are no matter than thirty minutes apart or even better yet, why not take

a bridal walk to your reception site?

As with choosing your wedding date, many venues price their rental fees based

on what time of day the wedding is. Remember, a morning and afternoon is a

lot less expensive! If your venue has a breathtaking view or is already

ornate, you will not have to worry about decorations.

Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Have you always wanted to get married in

the big cathedral like church downtown that your Aunt is a member of, but the

site fee is way more than you can afford? Ask your Aunt to talk to the church

to see if they would extend the discounted fee along to you since she is a

member. You would be amazed what possibilities are available if you ask.

Common Mistake Common Mistake Common Mistake Common Mistake #4#4#4#4: The : The : The : The Guest ListGuest ListGuest ListGuest List

The guest list is sometimes a tug-of-war between the bride and groom and both

sets of parents. Everyone wants to make sure that their friends are invited

and that family is not forgotten because you do not want anyone to have hurt

feelings or feel as if you do not want them to be a part of your special day.


Yes, you would like to invite everyone you know to watch you marry the one you

have chosen to spend your life with, but unless you have an unlimited budget,

this is not feasible. Start with four guest lists. Yes. I said four. That

was not a misprint. The bride, groom, parents of the bride, and parents of

the groom should all have their own lists. The bride and groom should sit

down together to compare their lists. Many times you all

have mutual friends so your lists will have a lot of

duplicates. Once you have combined your lists, you should

sit down with each set of parents to remove any duplicates

as well.

You need to be able to categorize your guest list.

Category #1: Immediate family (brothers, sisters, grandparents, aunts, and

first cousins), category #2: Not so immediate family, category #3: close

family friends, category #4: co-workers. Is this a difficult task? Yes, but

it is essential if you want to make sure that you stay within your budget.

Once you can place everyone into a category, it will make things easier.

Think about who you really and truly want to share your day with, who is

important that they be there? It is important to say to yourself: “If ______

was not there, I would really miss them.”

Everyone on your list does not need an invitation. Ask yourself, “Is this

person being sent an invitation just because I want them to know that I am

getting married?” If the answer to this question is “yes,” then send an

announcement, which would be sent after you have gotten married.

So take a look at your guest list; and think, look over, think and look over

again. How important is it that you invite a childhood friend that you have

not seen since 6th grade and talk to twice a year?

Common Mistake Common Mistake Common Mistake Common Mistake #5#5#5#5: Your Wedding : Your Wedding : Your Wedding : Your Wedding AttireAttireAttireAttire

All brides think about searching for THAT dress. The one that when you try it

on, makes you feel like no other. This is the dress that you will walk down

the aisle with your escort (Dad, brother, uncle) and all eyes will be on you.


When you think about walking down the aisle, you want to see your husband-to-

be to think “wow!” This means different things to different brides; is it

the Vera Wang gown? There is a Vera Wang dress that you must have but you

also know you cannot afford to spend $1,000 on a dress.

So how can you save and still have the dress of your dreams?

You can rent one. Renting gowns is increasingly becoming

popular. It gives you the dream dress without the dream

price. So go ahead and get your Vera Wang!

Another way to save on your wedding dress is to purchase a

previously owned dress. Think about it. It most likely has only been worn

once and for a few hours. So why not? One site to try is:

http://www.preownedweddingdresses.com. Sample sales are also a great way to

go when purchasing a dress. You can get a dress at a fraction of the cost.

Your AlterationsYour AlterationsYour AlterationsYour Alterations Many times an independent tailor is less expensive that the alterations where

you purchased your gown. Don’t know where to go? Check out the many bridal

forums that are out there. You can definitely find someone there. That is

the great thing about bridal forums; you can find out where to go and where

not to go!

Common Mistake #6Common Mistake #6Common Mistake #6Common Mistake #6: Not Asking: Not Asking: Not Asking: Not Asking

Since I was a kid, my Mom has always said: “You never know until you ask.”

I cannot tell you how true that is, especially when it comes to planning your

wedding. If it would mean the world to you and your grandmother if you had

the special cookies that the two of you made together when you were a little

girl as a dessert at the reception, why not ask the Caterer if they can make

them?

Have you decided that you wanted a headpiece after all, but you are almost at

your budget? Ask if the headpiece can be thrown in with the purchase of your

dress and veil.


Did you go to a bridal show and tasted some amazing dishes from one of the

Caterers, but figure there is no way that you could afford them based on the

price of the sample menu you saw? Why not call and see what they can serve

based on your budget?

Bottom line, you will never know what can happen, what can be done, what

provisions can be made unless you ask. Don’t accept something less just

because you were afraid to ask if what you want can be done. This is your

special day.

Regardless if your budget is $10,000 or $100,000, you can still have a

beautiful wedding, the one that you dreamed of, the one that you envision.

Common Mistake #7: You Can’t Afford a Wedding PlannerCommon Mistake #7: You Can’t Afford a Wedding PlannerCommon Mistake #7: You Can’t Afford a Wedding PlannerCommon Mistake #7: You Can’t Afford a Wedding Planner

Do you have the time to plan the wedding of your dreams? Do you know what

vendors are able reliable and can work with you and your budget?

You would really, really love to hire a wedding planner, but you know you

can’t afford it. Wedding planners are only for those with large wedding

budgets. No they aren’t. Any bride can have a wedding planner.

A wedding planner can offer you the experience and knowledge to make sure that

all aspects of your wedding are as you want. She can plan as much or as

little of your wedding as you would like.

One thing that I will say is that make sure you LIKE your wedding planner.

You are going to be spending a lot of time together. Regardless of if they

have the knowledge, if you don’t like them or it is not a good fit, things

will not go well. You want things to go well right? After all, this is your

wedding day! You should not have to be stressed about the relationship

between you and your planner. She is about to be your new best friend, your

problem solver, your mediator at times, and speaking to people on your behalf!

Heels Above Weddings already has a rolodex of venues and vendors that we work

with that fall into various budgets so you don’t have to spend the countless

hours on the phone and figuring out who will be a good fit for you.


We have a variety of packages at www.heelsaboveweddings.com depending on what

stage of planning you are in and your budget. If you are a do-it-yourself

bride and just need a little help and guidance, then take a look our Personal

Bridal Assistant Packages; it was created just for you. We also have payment

plans so you don’t have to worry about paying for our services up front or

all at once!

Still not sure? That is okay. I understand that you may not be ready to make

a decision about this investment for your wedding. Because of this, I am

offering you a complimentary get acquainted consultation on the phone or in

person. During out meeting, we can discuss your wedding in detail and any

concerns and apprehensions that you may have. Then you can decide what will

work best for you, which in the end, is all that matters. No obligation is

required from you.

It is just as important for me to mesh and connect with you as it is for you

to mesh and connect with me to make sure that you receive the best possible

service and the wedding of your dreams.

To learn more about our services, or if you’d like to schedule your

complimentary consultation, email us today at

[email protected].

I can’t WAIT to hear from you to discuss your wedding! ☺

Congratulations on your engagement and on behalf of Heels Above Weddings, we

wish you many, many years of happiness!


Lynn White, MBA

Certified Wedding Planner

Heels Above Weddings

[email protected]

www.heelsaboveweddings.com

******************************************************************************

******************************************************************************

ABOUT LYNN WHITEABOUT LYNN WHITEABOUT LYNN WHITEABOUT LYNN WHITE, MBA, MBA, MBA, MBA

Event Planning entrepreneur, Lynn White, MBA, owner of

Heels Above Weddings, a division of Heels Above Event

Planning, LLC realized her true passion after planning

weddings and events for friends, family, co-workers,

and past positions. She has held positions in various

industries, but these positions did not give her the

joy and fulfillment she has when planning.

Lynn has a Masters in business Administration and at the encouragement of

friends; she started her own event planning firm. She received her event and

wedding planner certifications from US Event Guide. She has been featured on

News Channel 8’s “Let’s Talk Live” for her creative decorating ideas.

Having seen countless friends and family not receive the wedding of their

dreams for various reasons, she believes that every Bride’s wedding day

should be filled with magic and surrounded by loved ones. Regardless of the

budget, Lynn makes sure that every Bride she works with has a unique wedding;

one that is her very own. She works with all Brides. Busy Brides that feel

stressed from the thought of planning their wedding and have no idea where to

begin, the Bride that is overwhelmed because she has started planning her day

and realizes the countless hours involved in planning her special day and

needs help and the Do-It- Yourself Bride that wants to make sure that her

family and friends are not working on her wedding day.

Lynn lives in the Washington DC Metro area and when not planning weddings for

Brides, she enjoys reading and spending time with friends and family.


Here are just a few testimonials from some of our past clients...Here are just a few testimonials from some of our past clients...Here are just a few testimonials from some of our past clients...Here are just a few testimonials from some of our past clients...

“A friend of mine referred me to Lynn as my search for a well-rounded wedding

planner left me frustrated and unsatisfied. Lynn was super responsive from the

beginning and has continued to impress me with her eagerness to please me. She

goes above and beyond to offer ideas and advice that is usually spot on to

what I’m looking for at my wedding. Lynn has a great work ethic and stays in

close contact with me even though my wedding is still months away. I would say

that Lynn is an expert in the field because of how many resources she has to

offer. If you have had any trouble finding the right wedding vendor for you,

call Lynn! She has endless amounts of knowledge and loads of contacts in the

wedding industry. I can honestly say that I am a picky bride, but Lynn has

exceeded my expectations. My only complaint is that I hadn’t found her

sooner!”

~Desiree, VA

“Heels Above is a wonderful business. Would highly recommend her. Very

professional and friendly.”

~Renee, MD

“Thorough, punctual and very attentive makes Lynn one of the best Event

Planners in the Washington, DC area. I will recommend her to everyone I

know.”

~Eric, MD

“You have been a pleasure to work with and I’m grateful that you were able

to work within my budget. I appreciate your ability to listen to my ideas and

bring them to fruition. The outcome was wonderful! Your personal sense of

style paired with my general "feel" for the gathering created an amazing

atmosphere - it was the perfect party. My guests are still raving about it!

You definitely exceeded my expectations. I wish you much continued success in

the future.

~Andrea, VA

save yourself the 7 most common wedding mistakes that costs brides thousands and how to avoid them

Documents