I know we have heard it before, but all brides are different. In my opinion it's very hard to have a cookie cutter wedding today when you all have such varied and unique ideas of how you see your wedding vision coming together. So many color choices, so many vendors, too many bridal shows to watch, so little time...the last statement is very true. Some of my brides have over a year to plan a wedding, but most are in the 6-9 month timeframe when they hire me. Work with your coordinator on taking care of the most urgent details first. The majority of the best vendors book very quickly. When you are on a tighter budget that can limit your selection. You may have to compromise on some areas, but you shouldn't have to settle for less. I have planned weddings in as little as 6 weeks, but we had to make lots of compromises in order to make it happen.

I had a conversation with several wedding guests recently and they were discussing how much weddings have changed since the weddings of 20 years ago. They couldn't believe how grand weddings have become and were very curious about my take on it. Did I feel it was a waste of money? Why do couples throw such big events? I explained that most couples are older when they marry today and since families are spread out across the globe it's an opportunity for family and friends to see each other. I asked them how long it had been since they had seen most of the guests at the wedding? They said it had been over 10 years and that was for a funeral. Times have changed, couples are earning their own salaries and quite often contribute, if not pay for their weddings.  When the bride's parents are paying it's important that they understand the cost of weddings. It has become an industry that makes each bride's wedding a fairytale. Weddings are not inexpensive, but they don't have to be over the top either. Work with your coordinator on setting up a budget based on your design preferences and see if you can find a number you can all live with.

Work with your coordinator to find a photographer within your price range so that you can have the album you want or the high res files if that's what is important to you. Is the cake one of the key elements to you? Start scheduling your tastings so you can find the perfect fit. Start collecting pictures of what you like and show them to the baker so they take care of it for you. Having a bridal binder will really help you organize your thoughts and put your ideas in one place for easy access at your vendor appointments.

Pace yourself, it will all come together.