Ah, the budget. The most dreaded and in my opinion, underused, word in the wedding language. The truth is, we all have one. Whether it is $1k or $100k, there is still a fixed dollar amount that you as a couple agree that you are comfortable spending. If you do not have the budget conversation in the beginning phase of planning, trust and believe it will become an overwhelming topic towards the end.
I've decided to pull my favorite budget conversation from the POSH archives, The Truth about weddings and cash, for today.
No worries, if you happen to be in the fortunate category of the non-existent budget, here is one for you:Live like a celebrity...on a budget
Happy (financially responsible) planning!
Tuesday
POSH welcomes...Jordan
Our "Tis the (engagement) season" series was briefly interrupted yesterday by an extra special early delivery from Santa!
Jordan Byrd entered the world at 3:24 yesterday December 14th. At 6lbs, 9 oz and 19", he is certainly a healthy/happy little baby Byrd (love that name).
We had the honor of coordinating the Byrd wedding in October 2006. The Byrds were one of those families...the kind where you just know from the very first moment, the relationship is going to outlast the wedding day itself. Mama Byrd and I our initial meeting at their home and after the hour concluded, we found ourselves chatting like old friends from grade school. That meeting ended at 1:00am and was the beginning of an amazing friendship.
I often say that I am fortunate to have the opportunity to love my work. Not many people are able to play such an integral part in the lives of others. When you see the manifestation of a family from a relationship that you witnessed bound by law, it can be really overwhelming. I thank God for the opportunity.
Happy Wednesday!
Jordan Byrd entered the world at 3:24 yesterday December 14th. At 6lbs, 9 oz and 19", he is certainly a healthy/happy little baby Byrd (love that name).
We had the honor of coordinating the Byrd wedding in October 2006. The Byrds were one of those families...the kind where you just know from the very first moment, the relationship is going to outlast the wedding day itself. Mama Byrd and I our initial meeting at their home and after the hour concluded, we found ourselves chatting like old friends from grade school. That meeting ended at 1:00am and was the beginning of an amazing friendship.
I often say that I am fortunate to have the opportunity to love my work. Not many people are able to play such an integral part in the lives of others. When you see the manifestation of a family from a relationship that you witnessed bound by law, it can be really overwhelming. I thank God for the opportunity.
Happy Wednesday!
Sunday
Tis the (engagement) season:The "who" part of the equation
You said "yes", that was the easy part. The next part of the process is determining "who else".
I'm sure my industry peers are looking in shock that I did not start with the budget, but let's be honest, a budget with no guest list is just as meaningless as no budget. Knowing you will have $20k and not knowing if you are at 20 guests or 500, doesn't mean much. Money is a little easier to determine, you have or you don't, guess however, that is a number that may fluctuate, so try to get started with that first.
You and your fiance need to sit down and have a very serious discussion about what your ideal wedding consists of. If you are not sure where to start, start with the thought of whether your dream day will be intimate vs large. These two words alone, conjure different emotions and a different vision and will (hopefully) help to get you somewhat on the same page.
Take a moment to jot down the numbers you've discussed. Start with family and work from there. For your friends, will you invite any other than the bridal party? Will there be children invited? Co-workers? Neighbors?
Once you have jotted down the names of the people that you can think of off the top of your head, take a look. How close are you to where you ideally need to be? Does this mock list already consists of 200+? If so, you are far from "intimate" considering there is a very good chance that your parents will be contributing a "list" of their own.
If you find yourself needing to cut back, the next step in determining your guest list size is to set some boundaries. Perhaps for the single (for wedding purposes "single" means NOT engaged or otherwise married) people be invited with a guests? Are children considered those of a certain age? Is there a cut-off for friends you will invite (aka you must have known each other for 5+ years), have you seen your family members within the last 4 years. Setting steadfast rules will be a very easy way to eliminate some people right off the bat, without feeling guilty about doing so.
This should bring you closer to the ultimate goal: determining the one number you DO NOT want to exceed. If you still find yourself struggling, ask yourself a very honest question, would you on any other given day, be comfortable with taking this person to a $125 dinner and paying, if not, draw a big line between there name. because that is what your wedding expense for this one individual would be.
Once you've done that, whether it is three hundred or twenty, your next duty is to notify your parents of the amount of guests they are welcome to invite. A quick rule of thumb is that each set of parents receives 1/4 of the list and you and your intended receive half.
I'd love to end this post here but want to just give a disclaimer. I know that guest lists are not easy. Especially when you have so many people saying that other people just HAVE to come. There was an episode of the Cosby Show where Theo graduated and the father, Dr. Huxtable, invited everyone and brought lawn chairs for those who the stadium could not accommodate. THIS IS MY FAMILY! I do understand. Your wedding however, is not a free for all so a definite count is necessary to proceed with budgeting your expenses-tomorrow's topic.
So Internet, anyone else find they were extremely challenged with their invites? If so, how did you overcome?
I'm sure my industry peers are looking in shock that I did not start with the budget, but let's be honest, a budget with no guest list is just as meaningless as no budget. Knowing you will have $20k and not knowing if you are at 20 guests or 500, doesn't mean much. Money is a little easier to determine, you have or you don't, guess however, that is a number that may fluctuate, so try to get started with that first.
You and your fiance need to sit down and have a very serious discussion about what your ideal wedding consists of. If you are not sure where to start, start with the thought of whether your dream day will be intimate vs large. These two words alone, conjure different emotions and a different vision and will (hopefully) help to get you somewhat on the same page.
Take a moment to jot down the numbers you've discussed. Start with family and work from there. For your friends, will you invite any other than the bridal party? Will there be children invited? Co-workers? Neighbors?
Once you have jotted down the names of the people that you can think of off the top of your head, take a look. How close are you to where you ideally need to be? Does this mock list already consists of 200+? If so, you are far from "intimate" considering there is a very good chance that your parents will be contributing a "list" of their own.
If you find yourself needing to cut back, the next step in determining your guest list size is to set some boundaries. Perhaps for the single (for wedding purposes "single" means NOT engaged or otherwise married) people be invited with a guests? Are children considered those of a certain age? Is there a cut-off for friends you will invite (aka you must have known each other for 5+ years), have you seen your family members within the last 4 years. Setting steadfast rules will be a very easy way to eliminate some people right off the bat, without feeling guilty about doing so.
This should bring you closer to the ultimate goal: determining the one number you DO NOT want to exceed. If you still find yourself struggling, ask yourself a very honest question, would you on any other given day, be comfortable with taking this person to a $125 dinner and paying, if not, draw a big line between there name. because that is what your wedding expense for this one individual would be.
Once you've done that, whether it is three hundred or twenty, your next duty is to notify your parents of the amount of guests they are welcome to invite. A quick rule of thumb is that each set of parents receives 1/4 of the list and you and your intended receive half.
I'd love to end this post here but want to just give a disclaimer. I know that guest lists are not easy. Especially when you have so many people saying that other people just HAVE to come. There was an episode of the Cosby Show where Theo graduated and the father, Dr. Huxtable, invited everyone and brought lawn chairs for those who the stadium could not accommodate. THIS IS MY FAMILY! I do understand. Your wedding however, is not a free for all so a definite count is necessary to proceed with budgeting your expenses-tomorrow's topic.
So Internet, anyone else find they were extremely challenged with their invites? If so, how did you overcome?
Saturday
Industry Buzz...
Forgive me internet. I have committed the ultimate cyber sin and went on a short hiatus from the blog. Not without good reason though. The POSH family has expanded and in the last few months we've welcome many new couples to our home. I'm excited to introduce them to you over the stages of planning thier big events.
We will also be introducing a 12 day series entiteld "Tis the (engagement) season " which is my little homage to the 12 days of Christmas. This series will feature daily post from now until Christmas day (I promise to post on my birthday as well) to help all the newly engaged and ladies in "waiting" to prepare themselves for the ride which awaits them.
And now, back to our regularly scheduled (blog) program...
The wedding industry is one of the few that has cyclical trends. This season,vintage, rustic, tea length and smilebooths last season lemon, damask, king arthur and tiffany. As a bride, it is quite easy to get pulled into the trend cycle and find yourself up to your ears in all the things you just knew you'd avoid.
Well ladies and gentlemen, I'd like to introduce you to what I believe to be the next crazed buzz word for the 2010 season...Cinematography.
I'll be honest, this is one I'm excited to see grow. In a world where "videographers" are born by the minute and everyone with a camera believes they qualify, I'm excited to see the new brand of filmmakers that are taking wedding films to an entirely new level.
One of the studios in the forefront of this movement is Still Motion Photo and Cinema. Let me just tell you, if you have never viewed their work, prepare to be amazed. The videos they create are far from your parent's home video. They've mastered the art of telling a story through a motion-picture, artistic eye and the end result is certainly art in motion. The best part, this is all done through what appears to be a camera based recorder, small and unobtrusive, with built in light
My adorable bride Bethany first introduced me to this style as she has an incredible appreciation for the artform. If you find yourself drawn to this type of film, you will be happy to know that locally there are companies who offer a similar style including First Floor Films and CinemaCake Films(formally DVideography)and Illumimoto. If you are a lover of the 8mm "vintage feel" than Well Spun (whose work I adore) would also be a strong contender to capture your day.
How are you capturing your wedding memories?
We will also be introducing a 12 day series entiteld "Tis the (engagement) season " which is my little homage to the 12 days of Christmas. This series will feature daily post from now until Christmas day (I promise to post on my birthday as well) to help all the newly engaged and ladies in "waiting" to prepare themselves for the ride which awaits them.
And now, back to our regularly scheduled (blog) program...
The wedding industry is one of the few that has cyclical trends. This season,vintage, rustic, tea length and smilebooths last season lemon, damask, king arthur and tiffany. As a bride, it is quite easy to get pulled into the trend cycle and find yourself up to your ears in all the things you just knew you'd avoid.
Well ladies and gentlemen, I'd like to introduce you to what I believe to be the next crazed buzz word for the 2010 season...Cinematography.
I'll be honest, this is one I'm excited to see grow. In a world where "videographers" are born by the minute and everyone with a camera believes they qualify, I'm excited to see the new brand of filmmakers that are taking wedding films to an entirely new level.
One of the studios in the forefront of this movement is Still Motion Photo and Cinema. Let me just tell you, if you have never viewed their work, prepare to be amazed. The videos they create are far from your parent's home video. They've mastered the art of telling a story through a motion-picture, artistic eye and the end result is certainly art in motion. The best part, this is all done through what appears to be a camera based recorder, small and unobtrusive, with built in light
My adorable bride Bethany first introduced me to this style as she has an incredible appreciation for the artform. If you find yourself drawn to this type of film, you will be happy to know that locally there are companies who offer a similar style including First Floor Films and CinemaCake Films(formally DVideography)and Illumimoto. If you are a lover of the 8mm "vintage feel" than Well Spun (whose work I adore) would also be a strong contender to capture your day.
How are you capturing your wedding memories?
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