“Whatever you want.”
Every time I hear a wedding vendor utter those words, it makes me want to elope. I was at a major wedding show over the weekend, and every time I asked a question, an unwed vendor with a bubbly attitude and gummy smile shot this canned response at me.
I know that you know I’m planning for my “special day” and the veteran sales lady at your company told you to say anything to “help make my dream come true,” but I’ve got news for you.
I don’t know what I’m doing. None of us do.
I can gaze over every page of every wedding magazine since spring 2006 and still not know the first thing about early fall seasonal flowers in the Pacific Northwest. That’s why I’ve come to you Mr./Mrs. Wedding Vendor. You are my expert. You are the reason I paid $17 dollars at the door. To seek your worldly advice.
Because when I do ask if you have custom cake designs on your portfolio, and you tell me you can “make anything I want” without any actual answer, you make me feel like you’re not an expert and I should bag this charade and head to Vegas.
Wedding Questions Bridezilla Needs Answered
Just like every bride, I’m on a limited budget, I’m running out of time and I’m overwhelmed by vendors who are too cautious to give me answers to these questions:
Attire
- Should my flower girl and junior bridesmaid wear the same type of dress? Have you ever seen/done that before? Will it look ridiculous?
- Do all tuxedo rentals come in one-size-fits-most?
- Do all groomsmen have to wear the same tuxedo? Why?
- What’s the best way to make my groomsmen not look like they’re scoping for sixteen year old prom dates?
Entertainment
- What are some unique song options to play during the recessional? Can a string quartet play Al Green?
- What are the most successful dance songs to get everyone on the floor?
Food
- When you have other options for your catering menu, what are they? What worked well, what didn’t?
- If I supply my own alcohol, do I really need to pay you to open every bottle?
Flowers
- Without diving deep into botany, which flowers are in season for my wedding?
- Do you have any recommendations for a non-traditional bouquet toss?
- How much do bouquets cost, roughly? What if I can track down my own flowers?
- If my mom wants to wear a red rose/baby’s breath corsage, can you be the one to tell her she’s not going to prom? (This is an actual problem I’m having)
Invitations
- Do I really need to include the directions in my invitation? Will it make it any cheaper? Seriously, I don’t want anyone coming to my wedding who doesn’t know how to Google (start learning now, Grandma).
- What’s the total invitation cost for 100 people? With RSVP cards? With envelopes? Without my initials cut-out of scented, glitter tissue paper?
Think you’ve got a solution for a Bridezilla in need? If you are an expert wedding vendor, email me at [email protected] and we can highlight your company along with your helpful hint.
Attire:
*I have seen flower girls and jr. bridesmaids in the same style of dress which can be a very cute touch. If your bridesmaids are dressed the same this may be a good way to keep the transition of your style going. If your bridesmaids have similar style or color dresses, but are more custom you may want to do this with the jr. bridesmaids and flower girls.
In my opinion, a larger wedding party might look better with a more uniform style and keep the focus on your special day.
*Groomsmen are not required to wear the same, but again you don’t want too much focus on the groomsmen and not enough on the bride and groom.
There are elegant ways to add some uniqueness to their attire such as giving them a small tasteful splash of color or a unique boutonniere.
*All tuxedo rentals do not come in one size fit all. In fact, many of the national men’s suit chains offer close to tailored fits. You may want to check out Men’s Warehouse or Michaels Formalwear. Besides do you really want the guys to look like they’re one size fit all?
*Keeping the groomsmen in age-appropriate and style compatible looks that match your wedding style is a terrific approach to prevent the “prom date wedding” look. Avoid using outdated styles and outrageous colors. Remember their style should compliment not overpower yours or your grooms.
*As far as your mom’s corsage goes, try to remind her that although it is your day, it’s important to you that she looks absolutely amazing. Then after you butter her up some, show her your favorite most dazzling choices for her corsage.
Food:
*Offering seafood and pasta with a white or butter sauce worked well at a budget wedding I planned in Key West. No matter what, I would definitely stay away from choices with red sauces or other staining items. A big hit for some of the events I’ve coordinated is having a variety of hor-d’oeuvre options during cocktail hour prior to the reception. Having a few tasty pre meal options puts a little less pressure on the dinner menu.
Flowers:
Although I don’t live in the Northwestern region, I do know that depending on the exact time of fall there are many attractive and budget friendly choices such as alstomeria, daisies, chrysanthemums,but you may want to fill the bouquet by using a small amount of pricier flowers and textured plants like lilies, shampoo ginger, shraspedia, or dusty miller. These can add an extraordinary bang of color and texture to your arrangements while staying in season.
I’d love to help you with any other ideas or questions, so for a more straightforward, but gentle approach email me at [email protected].
I hope you have the day you’ve dreamed of.
Sincerely,
Demetria
Very helpful post! Just break down your thoughts and answer the questions.And for saving the budget on flowers,try buying flowers from the wholesale and use flowers with big blooms, the few of which could substitute the bunch of smaller flowers.
Thank you for sharing!