The wedding centerpieces do not have to match the wedding bouquets in the same color, kind of family but they can be different flowers, completely different flowers but even just one of the same colors. Just make sure that it’s somehow linked to the bridesmaids and to their dresses and the bouquets that they held but as long as there is one connecting color so that you can see how they all go together in some small way that’s all that is necessary.

Different things to do would be to have some tables like big topiaries or large vases; they’ve got these really tall kind of like a free-flowing type of centerpieces and then have other tables have very short, small ones. That gives the room height and also gives different kinds of textures to the entire room because you are able to do different things and it pops all over but it’s not overwhelming. You don’t have all these huge vases and centerpieces on every single table so there is a nice balance.

Another thing to do would be incorporate fruit in the wedding centerpieces. That’s another big trend, you have this mix, the flower pieces come a little bit more alive. You can use a lot of lemons or limes or apples. Depending on what your theme is and the color of your flowers. That’s something else you can be creative with, sometimes people put pictures in with the flowers, so that one picture will be coming out or have small frames around the centerpieces and then just small flowers and that way again it’s making the table really personalized and that way you don’t have to use as many flowers.

The flower is definitely also a big part of the budget depending on what you do and how the wedding centerpieces are, it can add up. So finding ways to use more fruits and other things will lower the cost. That way you can buy a smaller number of flowers and that is another increasing trend.

My rule with wedding flowers is if someone is really, really particular about your flowers, obviously go with your color scheme. So what you do is that you or either the bride and groom pick. If they are more into what the bridesmaids are going to wear and the color of the linen and things like that, make those decisions first, and then go to your flowers.

If you’re very into your flowers and you know what you want your wedding flower centerpieces to look like and what you want your bouquets to look like, pick your flowers and then pick the rest around that. So you just have to see what’s more important to you, weigh that, and then whatever your decision is either pick your flowers first or pick your flowers based on your linens and your bridesmaids dresses and your overall color theme.

With wedding flowers a lot of times in the summer it’s a hydrangea and in the winter it’s kind of harder to get hydrangea; you can use white ones but it’s a little bit more difficult to get those. Your colors also go with the season. That it means in the fall typically a little bit more oranges and browns and reds and greens. In the winter definitely a lot of red and white and green or some blues in there. In spring is pastel and then summer is bright colors like yellows, purples and colors like that. It doesn’t mean that has to be the case but that’s typically how it is done. You can check out our other article about wedding flowers and wedding centerpieces.

The general advice I have to offer for wedding catering is for picking a caterer. Wedding catering can make or break your wedding 100 percent because they are responsible for for the setup and the breakdown of the wedding locations. The wedding caterers are who can be responsible for the seating; one of the biggest problems that can happen is that if the caterer you know doesn’t set up enough chairs at a table that’s a huge. This is a huge problem and it is such an awkward situation for guests to show up and they don’t have a seat.

So again making sure that you pick a caterer who really is experienced, you want to pick someone who’s done plenty of weddings because again, like it can make or break your ceremony and your reception.

So make sure they know what they’re doing with wedding planning and stay in constant communication with them once you have picked them.

Wedding caterers should basically jump through hoops to get the particular clients they have as the wedding coordinator should, and really be there and do whatever the bride and groom want. Obviously you give advice; if the bride and groom want something that’s not appropriate or not feasible, you have to be able to advise them and give them the best kind of solutions or alternate methods of getting what they want. The wedding caterers just need to be accommodating and trustworthy.

Like with choosing a wedding planner get some referrals, look at pictures, look at sample menus, see the number of weddings they’ve done, specifically the number of weddings they’ve done within the guest range that you’re going to have for your wedding and then again call those references and do as much research as you can before actually hiring the caterer.

Also look and see how willing the wedding caterers are to be flexible with your schedule as far as if you do have many people who have specific diets and how they are able to accommodate that and what they are able to do for the wedding guests, what solutions they’re able to offer and see also what they’re able to do about if you want something specific

Are they able to you know do something creative and fun that goes along with the theme of the wedding that you happened to have had in your head for your wedding and make sure that they’re able to meet all the needs that you have as a wedding planner.

It is also important to taste the food. I recommend that you interview anywhere from like six to eight caterers and then from there go to a tasting with probably two or three and then base your choice on that. The food is obviously extremely important. Make sure you like the food and also just make sure that they’re able to meet all the needs that you have for what you want for your specific wedding.

Some people want to get married in a place a little bit more personal like their family or to the bride and groom’s home. As I talked about before its this wave of more personalized weddings. They want to go someplace that really means something special to them, and if it’s not church or whatever particular religious background they have then it’s something that they want to do the wedding on a place they love like on the beach, they want to be out by the water.

It’s also more fun like and makes a better experience for the bride and groom and for their guests. So I think that’s definitely why there are more of these weddings at special locations and there are many places now that you can do ceremonies and wedding receptions at. You are at an outdoor venue and then you come indoors for the reception.

So it’s also a lot easier logistically to coordinate the ceremony and having a wedding reception at the same venue. As a wedding planner you don’t have to figure out how you’re going to get the bridal party from one wedding location to the other. You don’t have this huge kind of lag time between the wedding ceremony when all of your guests arrive at the wedding reception place before the bride and groom and the bridal party show up. It makes for an easier flow and I think the brides and grooms notice that and so that’s another reason that kind of helps just to do everything together. They kind of want to do one-stop shopping and have everything at once and it just makes everything easier for the wedding planner.

The couple has plenty of time and think about a date and about different dates that are available. It’s fun for them yet it is a kind of year of just something always weighing on their mind, and it’s really important for them to take the time in the beginning to really focus on only on just getting engaged and have fun with it, and just really appreciate where they are in their life.

So I would just try to throw that out there in the beginning or even before the wedding planning. And then you know we come back and we visit the timeline of wedding planning, and that typically is about a year. The important thing is to pick two or three dates that work. So that’s the first thing, you are looking at what time of year you are going to be working with for your wedding plans. That way when you go to your wedding reception site and your wedding ceremony site if they’re at two different places and you are able to be flexible with the dates. They may already have something booked, so that way you’ve got a little bit more flexibility and you really want to book the church or the wedding ceremony site and the wedding reception site as early as possible, so that’s the first thing that a wedding planner should do. Most places seem to get booked about at least anywhere from a year to nine or eight months in advance. The earlier you book the better that you can do that planning. And again having the multiple dates allows for some flexibility and a better chance of being able to get the venue that you want for your wedding.

The next biggest thing in wedding planning that comes pretty close to picking out the wedding reception site and the wedding ceremony site would be if it is an on-site or off-site caterer. If you are allowed to bring in an outside caterer, pick your caterer. The wedding planner and the caterer are the ones who run the show, so you really want to make sure that you get the caterer that you want for your for your wedding.

A good wedding planner will try to knock out those three big ones from the very beginning. From there on out I find that it is really helpful to try to make all the big decisions like lock in your florist, lock in your band or DJ or whatever kind of music that you want. You want to lock everything in so you have everyone committed as early as possible. This way you know who you’re working with and then from there you work on more specific things like what songs you want and things like that.

You’ve got plenty of time to focus on that stuff throughout the rest of the engagement and throughout the rest of the year, but try to lock everyone in that you want as early as possible. What I mean by that is after you’ve picked the big wedding ceremony site and wedding reception site and the caterer, you basically want to make the rest of your decisions within eight to six months out.

Then what you end up doing, because all these other vendors obviously have weddings in between, you kind of touch base with them and follow up with them and then you really start working with them really and really closely. I would say probably three months out as far as picking specific songs and things like that. So you really start working with all those and doing the exact flowers, that’s about three months out, and then you obviously have more contact as the of the wedding date nears.

When looking for a wedding planner I would always ask from the client’s perspective. The wedding planner should ask for some examples of what you would want and show the couple some samples and photos. This helps to you to determine what kind of style the wedding planner has, all wedding planners have a different style. What you really want to do is find someone who is the best wedding planner for you and is a good match. Because you are trying to find the right wedding planner for you and for your wedding because you’re going to have a relationship that’s going to be very stressful for probably anywhere from over a year to six months.

Sometimes even three months, so you really want to find someone who you can trust and form a partnership with. A wedding coordinator who matches your style that you think if you want someone who is direct and straight to the point then you find that out during your interview. So definitely watch the style, and also another way I find with style is looking at the different styled weddings that they’ve planned.

So look at samples, every wedding coordinator or planner should have some kind of portfolio and with that should include pictures of weddings that they’ve had, sample invitations, sample menus, sample flowers, song lists, etc. Everything that they’ve done and that they’ve had input on and how they were involved and what their role was in that wedding. And then they should also have references, every bride and groom should always call and talk to someone else and see, because you’re definitely get one side from the wedding planner, but you’re going to hear something else from the bride and groom and then try to take your image and your perception of that wedding planner to marry it with the references. And every wedding planner should have references to give out. I think that’s definitely one of the biggest things to look at.

Also look at the wedding planner and see before you go meet with one, figure out what your needs are. Some brides and grooms want to plan things on their own and they really just need someone who’s going to give a little bit of input and a little guidance, but they don’t want someone who is really, really involved. So make sure that you find someone that matches that and is going to be able to meet that and is not going to be threatened by the fact that the bride and groom really want to take charge of this themselves. These couples want to be able every now and then to have the opportunity to contact somebody and to get some extra advice. So you really need to make sure that you know when you go meet with the wedding coordinator that they are able to give you what you need.

Now if you want someone who says oh I do this whole weekend experience and you need to make it a three or four-day event and really caters to every need and is willing to do everything and go on every appointment with you be it from flowers to cake tastings to caterers to everything, then you have to make sure that you’re finding someone who’s able to offer that as well. So it’s really just making sure that you feel comfortable and that they are able to show their work to you and to show the range of their work, what the wedding planner is capable of and what he is not capable of. From there continue and just get to know the wedding planner a little bit more.

Weddings are becoming bigger and they are even more detailed and personal than they used to be, with all these monogrammed little gifts. These gifts that each guest receives at a wedding that are left on the tables for dinner, the personalized little notes, there is no longer the guestbook but now there’s plates that people sign and you have to make sure the plate moves around and then the couple can have this plate to display at their home on their mantle. It’s just all these little things of personalized touches that people don’t want to do the traditional guestbook or things old fashioned like that. The wedding planner has to be on top of all that and make sure that all those little details that make it a personal wedding are implemented and followed through with by all the other vendors.

Detailed orientation is one thing that a wedding planner should provide and there are other characteristics that one would look for in a wedding consultant.

First and foremost is trust in the wedding planner or consultant. The couple needs to be able to trust you implicitly and you earn that trust by following up when you say you’re going to do something, always being proactive in helping them. You are the expert, so you are there to guide them if they have questions and you are there to foresee problems that your client won’t be able to see.

And maybe they want the wedding ceremony to run a certain way, you have to say okay and you have to take a step back and think. Now they want the groomsmen to walk in this way and then the bridesmaids to walk in this way and you have to figure it out logistically. You know the church or you know the venue where they’re getting married, how is that possible. You have to be responsible for thinking of all those little things and how they are going to be played out and orchestrated.

That is where being detailed oriented comes in and that’s what helps with the trust because if you show that you’re thinking that far ahead and you’re looking at not only the big picture but the little picture and exact details on how things are going to happen and then your clients will trust you. Obviously you’re showing them that you know what you’re doing and that you’ve done it before. That you have experience and that you’re really thinking every little detail out and that you want this to run as smoothly as possible. And then if you gain the trust of your bride and groom and their families it will make the whole event so much smoother and just make everything be a much better working relationship with your clients.

So I think trust and really just delivering and catering to your client is extremely important. I think that as a wedding planner it is also important to really work on your relationship with other vendors. It is great to be able to go into a consultation, especially one you know, the first or second with a new client and they’re going to ask you, if you have someone that you would recommend and you know whether it be a caterer or a florist and to be able to say yes and here’s who I’ve worked with in the past.

If you can get this network of people working on the same weddings then you have trust with them which is huge for the overall effect of the wedding planning. Sometimes it’s very difficult to work with someone whom you’ve never worked with before because there is always some risk involved. You don’t know the outcome because you don’t have an established relationship. The more relationships that you can do and go out there and network and meet new vendors is really important and that also helps you as I mentioned before to stay on top of your wedding planning game. Look at trends from all the different areas, from flowers to music to caterers. All those different details add up and, it really helps in the final result of the wedding. So as much networking as you can do is extremely important and really getting to know other vendors and their industries that are related to weddings.

As a wedding planner does different things and it varies from planner to planner depending on if they’re full-service or not. There are wedding planners who just work the day of an event and just make sure that everything runs smoothly, where the bride has already coordinated some things.

Then there are wedding planners who are there from the very beginning, sometimes even before the engagement. Couples who know that they are going to get married and that want the wedding planner there from the very beginning to work with the families on the budget and do everything. You help with the flowers, you help with the invitations, the wording on the invitations. Here the wedding planner takes care of everything.

The wedding planner helps pick a caterer, the dresses both for the bride and the bridesmaids, flowers, music and goes to all these appointments with the bride to check and make sure that she and the family gets everything she wants.

Some wedding planners also help with the bridal showers, the bachelor(ette) parties, the bachelor parties, etc. They also help with the rehearsal dinner as far as handling all the logistics, as well as sometimes now there are toast wedding brunches and stay afterwards events. So anything that is associated with the wedding, some wedding planners take on all of that work.

When it comes to the wedding cakes tasking, obviously do that when you are picking out your cake. Basically if you have got different layers, you can have different layer, a chocolate layer or you can have just basic vanilla or almond flavored. Then you have the kinds of different creams in them and most large bakeries can pretty much make whatever kind you want. If you want a carrot cake and then you want the German chocolate layer that’s totally acceptable, they can do that.

Some smaller cake shops only have like five or six to choose from and you can pick that out you are limited in choice. Technically the cost is less if it’s a smaller shop. However, I do think tasting is the most important and looking at plenty of pictures and seeing what their work is like and what they have done. Normally when you go to the cake shop they actually have some sample cakes out for you to see. Then you can see what they have done in the past or what they are going to be using for an upcoming wedding, so that way you can see the wedding cakes in person.

A good trick to save money on the wedding cakes is to find out what the minimum sized cake is that you can order. Typically you know if you want one just to cut so you can do that tradition that’s fine. Normally the smallest I’d say is about a 25 to 35-person cake; you can get that with whatever design you want and then when you pick the flavor of cake you have the bakery make a sheet cake of that flavor in the back so that when the caterer serves it you know no one will ever know that it didn’t come from this one on display. You’re saving some money that way. So it’s kind of like a little trick of the trade that you learn as a wedding planner.