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Choosing a florist is another important part of wedding planning and it is imparative that you find the RIGHT florist to meet your needs in order to save you time and money. Below are some questions to ask yourself BEFORE setting up an appointment:

1. Do I desire floral only or do I need to include reception decorating also? (Some florists will make floral bouquets & arrangements while others will provide a complete decorating service.)
2. Determine your style then look at theirs’. (example: some florists will have a traditional style while others will provide creative modern looks – you want to work with the one that partners with your style.)
3. Decide date, location, and colors for your wedding.

For more information about how to plan YOUR wedding to save you time and money contact The Organized Partner, your Southwest Michigan wedding planning specialist. 269.760.9991

At The Organized Partner we take your desires for your outdoor wedding or special event and make them reality. Are you scared about planning your special event outdoor because of weather? We have you covered.  The Organized Partner specializes in planning outdoor events so we think of everything and give you good advice about planning. From where to set up the tents to bringing in portable facilities, to the weather back up plan, we do it all.  Planning, layout,coordination, and more.

Is your style: Romantic & Elegant, Fun & Brightly colored, Clean & Crisp like the Lake Michigan Air? We can take any setting you desire and turn it into an inspiration of you. Give us your idea and let us expand on it to make your event spectacular!

Step 2 – Determine the guest list
(If you missed Step 1, please review)

The number of guests you decide to invite will affect almost every part of your wedding planning. So it is important to get this down in a spreadsheet as soon as you finish Step 1 “Establish a budget”.

Decide who will have input on the guest list before looking for venues or vendors.

Start by getting everyone’s list of who they think should be invited.

If the list is far more than what you would like to have, you will have to make some decisions on who should be cut. Most couples are also cutting children from the guest list to keep the cost down.

It is all about prioritizing. Remember that this is your wedding, so you decide what your priorities are and who will share in your special day.

Stay tuned for Step 3 to start your wedding planning out right in 2010!

The Organized Partner – Jody VanBogelen
www.theorganizedpartner.com
269.760.9991

Whether you are new to the engagement scene or been here for a while, Congratulations! Over the next 3 weeks you will find the most important steps to beginning your wedding planning in 2010.

Step 1 – Establish a budget This is one of the most important steps to beginning the planning process that many people overlook or don’t believe is important, but it is! Whether you are newly engaged or have been engaged for a while you will need to start here BEFORE talking to a venue or vendors.

• Determine who is contributing to the wedding budget. Will you and your fiance pay for the entire event or will you have funds from parents, grandparents, or savings?
• Have a conversation with all involved. Determine how much each person will contribute and put it down in an Excel sheet or deposit into a checking account just for wedding expenses.
• You don’t have to worry about how much things cost or detail each category at this point, just find out how much you have to spend.
• Remember, the sky is the limit when it comes to ideas, creativity, products, but your budget will determine what you can afford.
• Determine a couple of possible dates for your wedding.

Come back next week for STEP 2!

The Organized Partner – Jody VanBogelen www.theorganizedpartner.com 269.760.9991

Photographers are an important part of your wedding. They will be capturing “your story” to create memories of your once in a lifetime occasion for you and your families to enjoy forever.

When hiring a professional photographer or videographer remember that you are not just paying for a block of time on your wedding day but you are paying for the entire experience. They will be spending a great deal of time with you and your families. To do it right takes time,money,personality, a heart for what they do, education, and skill.
Professional photographers will often put in time for your engagement session, 10-12 hours on your wedding day, and then 20-40 hours on your albums and design. Remember, you get what you pay for!

Thinking about using a friend or family member to take your pictures to try and save money?
Here is testimony on my own wedding photography experience 25 years ago before I trained in planning weddings and knew better. Yes it was a while ago but the experience was one that lasts a lifetime!

My parents had a friend of the family that was a great nature photographer and insisted that we use him for our wedding. (We did not have a wedding planner to help us) Nice man, but very inexperienced at setting up formal shots, dealing with people, being able to capture the events as they were happening, or knowing how important they would be after the event was over. He took very few pictures at the ceremony and formal shots afterwards because he didn’t know how to make that happen in the time we had and he wanted to get to the reception. So we took a few family shots and we were on our way to the reception. The pictures were our gift from him so we didn’t want to cause any issues. We arrive at our reception and when he wasn’t visiting with the guests, he took a few photos of us dancing and opening some of our gifts. After the wedding, he insisted on sending the film to a developer in Florida instead of someone locally. (remember, this was when they used film). We never saw our pictures. The developer lost all of our rolls of film. We had nothing but a couple of slides that we eventually received. (one had a gift in front of our faces and another had no faces at all!)

Don’t let this happen to you! We had nothing for an album, nothing for a wall or picture frame, nothing to share with family or friends and nothing to pass down to our children.

So when you are looking for a photographer for your wedding day, hire a professional wedding photographer.

If you need more help with the planning process, contact the wedding planning professionals at The Organized Partner. We work with you to bring you the best professional vendors in all areas of planning that will satisfy you and your budget. 269.760.9991