Hello out there!  I hope everyone had an amazing Valentine's Day and is enjoying this fabulous time of year.

So, we are in the middle of engagement season and the topic of budget is a big issue for newly engaged couples.  It can be awkward, uncomfortable and daunting to talk about budget when planning the wedding of your dreams.  

First and foremost...EVERYONE HAS A BUDGET.  Whether your budget is $10,000 or $100,000 it is still a budget and your ideas will need to fit within those parameters.

So here are some tips for handling the budget discussion.

1.  Sit down with both sets of parents.  Ask what, if anything, they are able to contribute. Sometimes it is a dollar amount. Sometimes they will say, I want to pay for photography or flowers up to a certain dollar amount.  But be up front and ask the questions.

2.  Talk honestly as a couple.  What can you two afford to contribute to the wedding expenses?  Be honest...Do NOT go into major debt to plan a wedding.  It is not a competition.  It is a wedding celebrating two people in love making a lifelong committment to each other.  

3.  Have realistic expectations.  You may have to sacrifice in some categories to get what you really want in other categories.    You can not have surf and turf, open-premium bar and a live band for 150 on $5,000...so something will have to give.  Be realistic.

4.  Set priorities.  If photography is a priority get the best possible photographer you feel comfortable paying.  If food is a priorty stretch the food budget and lower another category.  

5.  Carefully watch your guest list.  Less guests = less money.  It is that simple.  So Uncle Joe, three times removed does not have to be on the guest list if no one in your family has seen him since Reagan was President. 

6. Hire only professional wedding vendors, with wedding experience.  It will cost you far more in time and effort if you hire someone who is not a pro or let a family member handle certain things. 

7. Hire a fantastic Wedding Planner, like Fabuluxe Events.  Wedding planners will know which vendors and venues will fit your budget. They can help you negotiate contracts.  They can keep you on-track and sane during the process and that my friends, is priceless.

So remember, EVERYONE IS WORKING WITH A BUDGET.  They key is being realistic and honest about it from the very beginning.

And remember,
You Deserve a FABULUXE Day!
Jen
jennifer@fabuluxeevents.com 
561-254-2041 

Happy 2019!!

 We are excited to see what the new year brings! So many people got engaged over the holidays but now you are thinking...Holy Cow, what do I do now!

It seems like all of the sudden everyone is asking you things like

• "When is the Wedding" 
• "What is Your Theme"  
• "Who is in the Wedding"  
• "Can I Bring a Date"
• "I Have a Friend who is a ______ (Photographer, baker, officiant, florist, etc)"  
• "I Have 15 Dietary Restrictions...that won't be a problem will it"

So the first thing to do is take a deep breath...this will all be ok.  Here are some reminders and Top 10 things to do 

• Enjoy the Moments - Being engaged is special, take the time to stare at your ring for hours, flip through wedding magazines, and dare I say it, spend time on Pinterest (just don't get sucked into the Pinterest vortex!)
• Decide on things you like and don't like - find your style.  

Don't forget Date Nights and Exercise!

And most important of all...

Remember why you are doing all of this...to celebrate your love and commitment to each other!

Here are our Top 10 things to do now that you are engaged.

1.  Decide what kind of wedding you want - Destination Wedding, Formal Wedding, Casual Wedding at the Beach, Something Rustic, Something Classic

2.  If you don't live near your families, decide where you will hold the wedding.

3.  Have an open, honest conversation with both families about any money they be contributing to the wedding, what costs you are expected to cover, how you are to use funds contributed by your families.  This one is hard and stressful...but better to get it out in the open and avoid conflict later on down the line.

4.  Start you guest list - Be realistic - if you haven't spoken with, emailed or seen these people in over a year - seriously think about whether they need to be invited - this includes distant family. And remember the size of the venue you select will impact the size of the guest list.

5.  Decide what time of year you want to get married - know the busy times of year in your area, check for popular dates, dates that are important to your family (birthdays, milestones, etc), holidays, festival dates (in West Palm - Sunfest, BoatShow, Tree Lighting, etc).

6.  Choose your wedding party - and no, you don't have to have the same number of bridesmaids and groomsmen and yes, you can have bridesmen and groomsladies.

7.  Select your venue.  But don't visit more than 2-3 venues in one day.  It's overwhelming, confusing and tiring.

8.  Get your engagement ring appraised and insured.  This one isn't fun but it is necessary!

9.  Start refining your budget by category.

10.  HIRE A WEDDING PLANNER!!! No matter what level of planning you hire (full planning, partial planning, month of coordination) you have just hired someone to give you Peace of Mind and you can't put a pricetag on that item!

At Fabuluxe Events we have 3 Different Levels of Planning.  Our goal is for you and you family to feel like guests at your own wedding.  When you hire us you are buying peace of mind!

Happy Planning!

Jen

561-254-2041

jennifer@Fabuluxeevents.com

We have all heard it...I am paying for the wedding so you need to do it my way.  Wow...talk about a difficult position to be in as a bride and as a wedding planner. 

It all goes back to communication.  As soon as you get engaged you need to sit down with both sides of the family and find out who is paying for what.  And then find out if there are any restrictions that go with those items.

For example - You father and I would love to pay for the florals -- but since we are paying we only want red roses and I will call the florist and wedding planner and arrange it all for you. 

A scenario like that is probably not what you had envisioned.  You have been carefully pinning away on Pinterest, have a book of ideas that you have been saving since Kindergarten and have watched every episode of Say Yes to the Dress.  Red Roses everywhere doesn't match any of that.

It's time to have some tough conversations.  Speak up in a polite way and thank your family for offering to pay for the wedding, but mention that there ideas don't necessarily match your own.  

If that doesn't work for everyone, find a way to pay for things on your own...that may mean a smaller wedding, but you will have control.

We understand that family politics can cause stress during wedding planning and that's no fun for anyone.  This is supposed to be a time of celebration and joy.

Our wedding planning contract states very clearly that we "take direction from the bride only, no matter who is paying for items in the wedding."  So if your mom, or future mother-in-law call us and ask us to do something that we haven't discussed with you, our response will be "we need to talk to ____bride about this as she is our point of contact, have you discussed this with her yet?"  Then we will reach out to you and get approval or let you know that a difficult conversation is headed your way.

The key is remembering keeping the lines of communication open, remembering why this wedding is happening and finding the joy in the celebration.  And you can always call us to vent or ask how to handle a sticky situation.  We have seen it all!