Today on the Wedding Planning Podcast, we’re doing a thorough review of wedding dress alterations, styling & accessories, & post-wedding preservation ideas, and so much more.

Our conversation covers the dress alterations process in detail, including pricing, money-saving tips, a timeline for when to get started, and alternative options for having your dress altered.

We also cover:

• What's a bustle, do I need one, and how much does it cost? (article on bustling I mentioned in today's show can be found here)
• Styling and shape wear options like bras, corsets, and compression garments,
• The importance of COMFORTABLE SHOES,
• Getting your dress home & last minute wrinkle patrol (the handheld steamer I mentioned can be found here)
• And some creative ways to preserve and / or repurpose your gown after the wedding.

I hope you love it, and congratulations on that beautiful dress!

Cheers,
Kara

PS - A special THANK YOU to this week's show sponsors, who made this free weekly episode possible:

• Enjoy early access to ad-free episodes each week when you subscribe to WEDDING PLANNING PODCAST PREMIUM in Apple Podcasts.

• Get professional help planning your dream honeymoon when you email susan@susanstravelservices.com . Don't forget to mention the Wedding Planning Podcast for $50 off your booking.

• FREE Wedding Websites designed by independent artists? Yes please! Get started building your wedding website today with www.weddingplanningpodcast.co/minted and take advantage of exclusive listener perks on save the dates, invitations & more.

• Shop Etsy for one-of-a-kind wedding day details, personalized just for you >>> www.weddingplanningpodcast.co/etsy

This week's featured wedding planning meeting is an overview of how to formulate a detailed wedding vision - and equally as important, learning how to articulate and advocate for that vision with those who are helping you plan.

Here's an overview of the specific scenario we'll be discussing:

"How can we reign in our wedding planner? Our venue includes a coordinator for the rehearsal and wedding day, and initially I was pleasantly surprised by how accommodating and informative she is. Since the initial relief and excitement of finding and booking the perfect venue, we’re starting to realize the huge task ahead of us in terms of booking EVERYTHING (the venue comes with nothing set up, so we need to choose tables, chairs, place settings, dance floor, bar, basically everything.)

At this point, I feel completely overwhelmed by her ideas & suggestions, and I’m starting to worry that the wedding she has envisioned for us does not line up with our vision OR our budget. How do I reign in our wedding planner and rest easy knowing that we are on the same page?"

In my years of experience, it’s not just the wedding planners who need to reigned in ... often times it's also the moms, bridesmaids, aunts, cousins ... feeling familiar?

We’re going to cover all these scenarios in today’s episode.

You'll also enjoy a sneak peek inside my digital wedding planning package with release of exclusive audio, "Creating Your Wedding Vision". This exercise alone is one of the most valuable wedding planning tools I have to helping you create a celebration that truly honors your priorities & values.

Tune in for so much more!

PS - A special THANK YOU to this week's show sponsors, who made this free weekly episode possible:

• Enjoy early access to ad-free episodes each week when you subscribe to WEDDING PLANNING PODCAST PREMIUM in Apple Podcasts.

• Get professional help planning your dream honeymoon when you email susan@susanstravelservices.com . Don't forget to mention the Wedding Planning Podcast for $50 off your booking.

• FREE Wedding Websites designed by independent artists? Yes please! Get started building your wedding website today with www.weddingplanningpodcast.co/minted and take advantage of exclusive listener perks on save the dates, invitations & more.

• Shop Etsy for one-of-a-kind wedding day details, personalized just for you >>> www.weddingplanningpodcast.co/etsy

Today I’m sharing AN ULTIMATE ENGAGEMENT CHECKLIST, including 10 key "to-do's" to launch your wedding planning journey into action.

CONGRATULATIONS! The days & weeks after saying "YES!" are a whirlwind of fun & excitement ...

From sharing the news with your loved ones, flashing that ring every chance you get, and dreaming of cakes and dresses, you're definitely at the start of an unforgettable time in your lives.

I’ve worked with thousands of engaged couples over the past 7 years of producing this podcast, and most of them are in autopilot mode already at this point in the planning process.

And unfortunately, those couples miss a much larger opportunity.

An opportunity to wait patiently for their ideal wedding vision to unfold BEFORE going out and making big, irreversible decisions that end up really limiting what’s possible for them ... and I don’t want that for you.

SO MUCH MORE inside today's free audio meeting!

Links & resources:

Is Engagement Ring insurance for you?

PS - A special THANK YOU to this week's show sponsors, who made this free weekly episode possible:

• Enjoy early access to ad-free episodes each week when you subscribe to WEDDING PLANNING PODCAST PREMIUM in Apple Podcasts.

• Get professional help planning your dream honeymoon when you email susan@susanstravelservices.com . Don't forget to mention the Wedding Planning Podcast for $50 off your booking.

• FREE Wedding Websites designed by independent artists? Yes please! Get started building your wedding website today with www.weddingplanningpodcast.co/minted and take advantage of exclusive listener perks on save the dates, invitations & more.

• Shop Etsy for one-of-a-kind wedding day details, personalized just for you >>> www.weddingplanningpodcast.co/etsy

"When the initial excitement settled, we felt like planning an entire wedding seemed really expensive, overwhelming, and exhausting."

Let me back up ...

My now-husband John proposed in the summer of 2009, at the end of a 3-week trip we took through Europe.

We were in Paris - our last stop - and we waited for hours to get to the lower platform of the Eiffel Tower, where he dropped to his knee with the sparking lights of the tower above us, and lit up city buildings & river boats in the distance.

We never even had dinner that night because it got so late, but you know how it is with the crazy excitement you felt on your engagement day - dinner didn’t even matter. We had just lived an incredibly powerful moment that was about to change our lives forever.

Within weeks, my ring was resized and fit perfectly. We had shared the news with literally everyone we knew, and we started discussions about potential venues and dates, and of course, the elephant in the room - how we would pay for everything.

Tune in for so much more!

PS - A special THANK YOU to this week's show sponsors, who made this free weekly episode possible:

• Enjoy early access to ad-free episodes each week when you subscribe to WEDDING PLANNING PODCAST PREMIUM in Apple Podcasts.

• Get professional help planning your dream honeymoon when you email susan@susanstravelservices.com . Don't forget to mention the Wedding Planning Podcast for $50 off your booking.

• FREE Wedding Websites designed by independent artists? Yes please! Get started building your wedding website today with www.weddingplanningpodcast.co/minted and take advantage of exclusive listener perks on save the dates, invitations & more.

• Shop Etsy for one-of-a-kind wedding day details, personalized just for you >>> www.weddingplanningpodcast.co/etsy

A universal truth? Your wedding day will FLY BY.

Having a well-thought out, well-planned WEDDING DAY TIMELINE is critical to keeping the day organized, and flowing stress free.

In this featured episode of the Wedding Planning Podcast, we’re actually reviewing & creating two separate timelines:

• The DAY-OF TIMELINE, including all the events between waking up, and the wedding reception beginning,
• The RECEPTION TIMELINE, including the events that will happen within the reception itself.

We’re going to focus on the DAY-OF timeline first, and you’ll find specifics on creating your reception timeline in the second half of this meeting.

Here’s a link to the Pinterest Wedding Timeline examples that I mentioned in the show.

PS - A special THANK YOU to this week's show sponsors, who made this free weekly episode possible:

• Enjoy early access to ad-free episodes each week when you subscribe to WEDDING PLANNING PODCAST PREMIUM in Apple Podcasts.

• Get professional help planning your dream honeymoon when you email susan@susanstravelservices.com . Don't forget to mention the Wedding Planning Podcast for $50 off your booking.

• FREE Wedding Websites designed by independent artists? Yes please! Get started building your wedding website today with www.weddingplanningpodcast.co/minted and take advantage of exclusive listener perks on save the dates, invitations & more.

• Shop Etsy for one-of-a-kind wedding day details, personalized just for you >>> www.weddingplanningpodcast.co/etsy

If you’re looking for some CREATIVE + AFFORDABLE wedding reception entertainment options that go way beyond dinner, drinks & dancing, then this wedding planning workshop is perfect for you!

Today’s wedding receptions feature creative entertainment ideas that are increasingly more personalized, more interactive, and more representative of your values, personal style and tastes.

There are endless ways to reimagine classic wedding reception entertainment & activities, and create a memorable, shared WEDDING EXPERIENCE based on your values & priorities.

In this meeting, we’re covering an overview of creative wedding entertainment ideas, and highlighting some fun twists on tradition that you can plan to treat your guests to an unforgettable experience.

GATHERING INSPIRATION FROM PINTEREST

I know podcasts don’t always lend well to visual examples, and I don't like simply rattling off long lists during the show ... so here’s a list of search terms that you can simply copy / paste into Pinterest for instant wedding entertainment ideas & inspiration:

• creative wedding guest book ideas

• wedding seating chart ideas

• wedding place card table ideas

• DIY selfie station

• DIY wedding photo backdrop,

• Bouquet toss ideas

• Garder toss ideas

• Money dance ideas

• Creative wedding toast

• Dessert bar ideas,

• Unique first dance ideas

For easy tips on getting a private Facebook group up and running, you can visit this link.

PS - A special THANK YOU to this week's show sponsors, who made this free weekly episode possible:

• Enjoy early access to ad-free episodes each week when you subscribe to WEDDING PLANNING PODCAST PREMIUM in Apple Podcasts.

• Get professional help planning your dream honeymoon when you email susan@susanstravelservices.com . Don't forget to mention the Wedding Planning Podcast for $50 off your booking.

• FREE Wedding Websites designed by independent artists? Yes please! Get started building your wedding website today with www.weddingplanningpodcast.co/minted and take advantage of exclusive listener perks on save the dates, invitations & more.

• Shop Etsy for one-of-a-kind wedding day details, personalized just for you >>> www.weddingplanningpodcast.co/etsy

Today on the Wedding Planning Podcast, we’re joined by a very special guest and friend of the show, Susan from Susan’s Travel Services.

Tune in for Susan's detailed process for planning the honeymoon of your dreams, including insider travel advice about flights, destinations, travel upgrades, and even her list of top travel mistakes to avoid.

We cover:

• The detailed process for finding your ideal honeymoon destination,
• Exactly when you should start planning this trip of a lifetime,
• The scoop on airfare and the best times to buy,
• Behind-the-scenes, expert insights that couples overlook when planning their honeymoon,
• Hot destinations for 2023 and beyond,
• And she even has some honeymoon planning mistakes to highlight for you, so that you can sidestep the common issues she sees come up for couples time & time again.

Travel and new experiences are incredibly special to me, and I hope you and your soon-to-be husband or wife enjoy the trip of a lifetime to celebrate your honeymoon!

To schedule a completely free honeymoon consultation with Susan, simply click here or visit www.susanstravelservices.com.

Don't forget to mention the Wedding Planning Podcast for $50 off your final booking.

Cheers to you & the trip of a lifetime!

Great news - you don’t need to be a professional designer or natural-born artist to select a beautiful & cohesive color palette for your wedding celebration.

Today on the Wedding Planning Podcast, we’re running through 5 easy steps for choosing the colors to incorporate into your rehearsal, ceremony & reception.

I also have a bonus rundown of the top Wedding Color Palette MISTAKES that I see couples make, so be sure to stick around until the end!

A lightening speed recap:

1. Start w/ your venue to guide your color selection,

2. Get color inspiration for your Save the Dates & wedding website - the first design elements your guests will actually see! I've linked 78 Save the Date options with beautiful sample color palettes here.​

3. Tips for using Pinterest to your advantage,

4. Consider your potential colors actually being worn by your wedding party,

5. And of course, KEEP IT SIMPLE!

Enjoy the show!

PS - A special THANK YOU to this week's show sponsors, who made this free weekly episode possible:

• Enjoy early access to ad-free episodes each week when you subscribe to WEDDING PLANNING PODCAST PREMIUM in Apple Podcasts.

• Get professional help planning your dream honeymoon when you email susan@susanstravelservices.com . Don't forget to mention the Wedding Planning Podcast for $50 off your booking.

• FREE Wedding Websites designed by independent artists? Yes please! Get started building your wedding website today with www.weddingplanningpodcast.co/minted and take advantage of exclusive listener perks on save the dates, invitations & more.

• Shop Etsy for one-of-a-kind wedding day details, personalized just for you >>> www.weddingplanningpodcast.co/etsy