What is Simply Classic?

Simply Classic is our Full Planning package. Everything wedding planning is supposed to be from Budget Formulation & Management to Vendor Meetings to Etiquette Advice to Guest Concierge. This is planning at its best and most Classic.

Here’s the official description:

You’ve gotten engaged and may have an idea that the task at hand will need a professional to guide you from start to finish. You and your fiancée work full time may have familial obligations and your time is a commodity you’d rather not squander, this is Classic wedding planning at its best.

Visit the Simply Classic page on our website to view all the services included in the Classic package.

Here’s your reality check:

If either you or anyone who would assist you in planning your wedding have not done so in the past 5-10 years, you would be very smart to hire a professional who is current on trends, costs, etiquette and recommendations.

Things are very different and little details make all the difference. Very rarely can a family member pull off a catering job for a large number of guests and sometimes items look a lot nicer on the internet than they do in person.

If you want to find out more about our Simply Classic Full Planning Package, please visit Simply Beautiful Concepts on the web or give us a call at 240.565.5103.

What is Simply Perfect?

Simply Perfect is our Month of Coordination Package. Some commonly refer to this type of service as “Day of Coordination.” In our package, coordinating the day of your wedding is most definitely included, however, for logistical, practical and professional reasons; Simply Beautiful begins working with our Brides 30 days prior to their wedding.

Here is the official description:

You are planning your wedding on your own and/or with the assistance of friends and family, yet want to enjoy the fruits of your labor without the pressure of handling the logistics.

Visit the Simply Perfect page on our website to view all the services included in the Perfect package.

Here’s your reality check:

I implore you, at the very, very least HIRE A COORDINATOR. Day of, month of…whatever it is called, hire a PROFESSIONAL coordinator. Why? A few brief reasons:

Don’ts

• · You DO NOT want to be scrabbling around for phone numbers and you’re cell phone to try to find out what is going on at the reception venue.
• · You DO NOT want to find out at the last minute that no one really knows how to pin a boutonniere on without ruining the flower.

Do’s

• · You DO want to enjoy your day, your love, your family and your friends.
• · You DO want to see the labor of your work unfold just as you had planned.

For the average Day of/Month of Coordination package, pricing is well worth every penny and more. If you want to find out more about our Simply Perfect Month of Coordination Package, please visit Simply Beautiful Concepts on the web or give us a call at 240.565.5103.

When the Money Runs Out! Part III: Raising Funds

The economy was NOT supposed to affect your wedding and ultimate passage into marital bliss. How could you have planned around something that is completely not under your control? But it has. Now what?

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you are aware that the “economy” is in bad shape. Simply Beautiful will break it down in a series to give you advice on, When the Money Runs Out.

If you and your fiancé find yourselves in a situation where you must take a timeout from the wedding plans to seriously assess your finances and the question has come up as to whether or not you can still have a wedding, you are not alone.

Raising funds to assist with wedding costs is an option that many couples in today’s society hadn’t thought of. With the growing trend of couples financing their own weddings, re-marriages and blended families, the traditional days of the bride’s parents footing the bill is not always the norm. Yet, some families still have a nostalgic way of thinking of weddings and marriages. They just may be happy to help and feel a big part of your wedding.

Once a close friend or relative has agreed to assist you financially, it’s time to be frank, or Bob or John. Whoever will be upfront and honest about what your needs are and how this generous person can help. Come to the table with your wedding audit from Part I and the ramifications of Part II. Some people would much rather commit to a specific expense than blindly writing a blank check to “help you with your wedding.” After the financial discussions and thank you’s have been had, re-visit your audit and see where you stand.

Raising funds will also, and should most certainly, include additional funds that you and your fiancé are contributing. Based on your wedding audit, you should be able to figure out how much additional money you will need per month to meet your wedding obligations. Once you have this figure, the work of raising funds is up to you. This should be by way of second jobs, yard sales, downgrading, sacrifices and compromises. These are the things that will be involved if you want to have the wedding you’ve planned WHEN you’ve planned it. Cutting out Starbucks and trips to the movie theater every week should be worth it.

So what do you do?

Cancel the Wedding

Raise more Funds

Postpone the Wedding

Check out these Simply Beautiful posts for more budget advice: Wedding Costs, Financial Cold Feet, Realistic Wedding Budgets.

When the Money Runs Out! Part II: Cancel the Wedding

The economy was NOT supposed to affect your wedding and ultimate passage into marital bliss. How could you have planned around something that is completely not under your control? But it has. Now what? Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you are aware that the “economy” is in bad shape. Simply Beautiful will break it down in a series to give you advice on, When the Money Runs Out.

If you and your fiancé find yourselves in a situation where you must take a timeout from the wedding plans to seriously assess your finances and the question has come up as to whether or not you can still have a wedding, you are not alone.

Cancelling the wedding seems so harsh. It is. Not to mention the shear emotional feelings associated with “cancelling” the wedding, even if it’s the couple’s decision for financial reasons or other reasons.

Yet, if the potential savings is tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands compared to a minimal percentage you will lose. Cancelling the wedding may provide some financial relief, especially when there are other mitigating circumstances that require your full financial resources immediately.

However, cancelling the wedding may not give you the financial holiday you may think.

Deposits, retainers and some purchases are usually non-refundable or returnable. Those items would be a complete loss. Also, many larger contracts, such as ceremony and reception venues have cancellation fees. These fees can range from 25-100% of the balance due depending on how far out you cancel.

After all is said and done, you may end up paying 50-100% of the cost of the wedding that you’ve decided not to have. In these instances, it’s probably best to explore options other than cancelling the wedding.

The best thing to do is to compare the cost of cancelling the wedding to the current cost of continuing with the wedding plans as they are. This will usually help you make the decision if it is advantageous financially to cancel or explore other options

So what do you do?

Cancel the Wedding

Raise more Funds

Postpone the Wedding

Check out these Simply Beautiful posts for more budget advice: Wedding Costs, Financial Cold Feet, Realistic Wedding Budgets.

Wedding Planning: 5 Tips To Help You Get Started

As you prominently display the 3rd finger on your left hand…the news hits your mother, your best friend, your sister…and the screams begin. YOU’RE ENGAGED! You are on cloud nine. Everyone is so happy for you. And EVERYONE has planning advice, tips and referrals for you. Usually starting with, “my neighbor had ABC Company do her flowers”, “my sister-in-law had invitations done by XYX”, “and your 5th cousin Hilda’s wedding was beautiful in the highlands of Scotland.” Just a moment ago, there was excitement and happiness thinking about this milestone and your impending future. Now, there is nothing but lists, lists, lists. To-do, To-call, To Buy, To Decide. Pretty soon your head will be swimming and your own vision for your wedding may begin to fade. So, how do you get your vision and your happiness back? Follow these 5 tips to help you get started planning your wedding:

1. Calm Down & Get Organized – A little bit of measured breathing never hurt anyone. Breathe. Now purchase a Wedding Planner Binder. There are 2 types of wedding binders, pre-made or self-made. Pre-made Wedding Planner Binders can be purchased at stationary stores such as Hallmark or book stores such as Barnes & Noble or Borders, Books & Music. Some big retail discount stores such as Target and Wal-Mart may have some as well. A self-made binder will take a little work and a little time. Here are the supplies:

(1) 3-4 inch 3 ring binder
(20-30) Tab Dividers. Advice: buy the most tabs per set (ex. 8 tabs are better than 5); look for printable labels
(50-100) 3-hole punched clear page protectors
(1) Heavy Duty 3-Hole Punch

Instructions for assembling a self-made wedding planner binder are as follows:
Locate wedding planner pages or software online. Some will be free, yet un-customizable and others will need to be purchased.
Print all pages associated with the wedding planner.
3-Hole punch all pages. Tip: Buy 3-hole punched paper to save you time
Label each tab according to each section of the planning pages.
Assemble your binder.
The first 2 sections in your binder should be, phone numbers/contacts and any variation of a checklist, preferably counting down to the wedding.
Each section should contain 2-4 empty page protectors for information, brochures, swatches, proposals, or contracts. Now that you’ve either bought or made a Wedding Planner Binder…DUPLICATE IT! That’s right, you will need 2 binders. The reason for 2 binders is backup. Just like your computer, your wedding planner binder needs a backup. One binder will be kept at your home or in a safe place with all of your valuable and final information. The other binder will be to carry along with you to meetings, fittings and tastings.

2. Make a Preliminary Guest List – A preliminary guest list will give you a rough idea of the size and cost of your pending nuptials. You may not think you have a big family and everyone fit a grandma’s dining room table during your childhood Thanksgivings but how many people have had children, gotten married? On your own and in private…start jotting down names and numbers. This can be as simple as one name, “Jane plus 3.” Do the same for your fiancé’s family & guests. You don’t have to know their full names and addresses. Just “Uncle#1 plus 2” or “Grandma 1 & 2” will do.

3. Research – The most expensive aspect of any wedding is the food/catering, topping out at 45-50% of overall budget. With your rough guest count, you will need to find out what the average cost per person for catering is in your area. To accomplish this, you can call various caterers on your own, solicit referrals from friends and family if they are willing to divulge their expenses, or you can call a Wedding Consultant. Simply Beautiful Concepts offers its potential clients a customized Simply Beautiful Bridal Presentation based on their initial free phone consultation. This package will include a preliminary vendor list and quoted pricing for services. The package is the client’s to keep, even if they do not select Simply Beautiful Concepts for their wedding. If you have your heart set on certain aspects of your wedding, location, accessories, décor etc. research those items as well.

4. Finalize Budget – Now you know what a realistic budget may look like. Sit down with your family and/or fiancé and decide on a budget. My advice to brides is to build in 10-15% variance on their set budget. Until you start looking at all the proposals and finalizing contracts, there is the potential for any one service to be more or less than anticipated based on the market, time of year and location.

5. Plan – Now you’ve got your wedding planning well on its way. Grab your wedding planner binder and start with the basics, ceremony location, reception venue and wedding consultant. Follow the checklist provided.

Happy Planning.