When Should You Hire a Hawaii Wedding Planner?

Hiring a wedding planner can be a tricky business when it comes to how much time and work you have got left. Wedding planners are not just people who will clear all the mess you make. Instead, they are professional consultants who will make sure everything goes according to plan. If your wedding is local, then a wedding planner may not get too involved with the proceedings and you can do most of the work yourself.

On the other hand, a wedding planner will have more influence when it comes to destination weddings. But that doesn’t mean hiring a wedding planner will limit your control over the wedding. Instead, with a wedding planner, you get professional assistance on what and what not to do. 

Before discussing the best time to hire a wedding planner, let us overview the three types of people that hire us:

1. Couples that know they need a wedding planner before planning.
2. Couples that make some phone calls with no luck, and then decide to get professional help.
3. Couples that tried planning their wedding on their own only to realize that the pressure is getting to them and decide to get professional assistance.

The chances of messing things up increase significantly as you go from type 1 to type 3. But that’s what wedding planners are for; to clear the mess and make everything right.

Ideally, you should hire a wedding planner from six months to 18 months before the wedding to make all the process smooth. A wedding planner will bring something new to the table, like what shipments you need, what type of theme your wedding should have, the decorations, and all the small details that can complete the biggest day of your life. This will also give you ample time to discuss your needs and wants for the wedding and see where ends meet.

That is not to say that hiring a wedding planner just six weeks before the wedding is a bad idea. However, doing so will only result in a wedding that is held to meet the formalities, and not your aspirations. 

Why don't we talk about your Hawaii wedding planning dream and see how to make it a reality.  Give us a call for a consultation.

When to Send Wedding Invitations

The etiquette of wedding planning is often tricky. When it comes to invitations, it can be a huge challenge. Here are some of our top tips for inviting people to your Hawaii wedding.

If all of your guests live nearby, send your invitations no earlier than 8 weeks before your wedding date. This helps keep guests from double booking.

If you are planning a destination wedding or many of your guests will be travelling, send your invitation between 8 and 10 weeks before your wedding. This gives guests a bit of extra time to plan their travel.

A save the date doesn’t have a set time to be sent, but should only be sent when you have a date firmly in place. This is usually after you have booked your venue and some of your vendors.

Your RSVP deadline should be approximately 4 weeks before your Hawaii wedding. This is generally determined by when your vendors, such as caterers, need a final count.

When you send out your invitations, it is a formal way of asking people to be a part of your big day. If you would like help planning your Hawaii wedding, give us a call!

Photo: Flickr/Adrianne Curran

How Much Should the Bride Pay for Bridesmaids’ Expenses?

When you plan a Hawaii wedding, it’s a thrill to choose your bridesmaids. Your attendants are the closest women in your life, be they friends or family. They will want to help you have the wedding of your dreams, but they may be concerned about the cost of being a bridesmaid.

The biggest expense for any bridesmaid will be the dress. This is something each attendant should pay for herself. It’s the bride’s responsibility to be considerate of the financial situation of the ladies in her bridal party. This could mean choosing a budget-friendly dress for them, or helping to pay a portion of the cost of the dresses.

The bride should always pay for any extras, such as matching accessories or professional hair and make up. The bride should also pay for the bouquets, as these are part of the overall wedding flowers.
Maids should pay for their transportation to Hawaii, if they do not live here, but the bride should pay for transportation on the wedding day. For out-of-town attendants, the bride should also provide accommodation.

Overall, the cost for each bridesmaid should be split between the bride and the maid. This should allow each attendant to be a part of your special day without it being a financial strain.

Planning everything for your bridesmaids is part of planning the perfect wedding. If you want help planning your dream Hawaii wedding, give us a call today!

Working with the Best Vendors

When you plan your Hawaii wedding, you want the best -- the best venue, the best cake, the best first dance, the best dress. There’s no set thing that is the best for every couple, though. The dream dress for one bride will be another bride’s nightmare. Whatever your taste, though, you will want to work with the best vendors.

A great vendor, whether it’s a baker, venue, caterer, or entertainer, will be able to work with you to find the perfect solution for your taste and budget. This is the way for you to get the best for your Hawaii wedding.

Finding the best vendors can be a challenge, especially if you are planning a destination wedding. This is where an experienced wedding planner can come in very handy. As a planner, we have preferred vendors that we regularly work with. This means we know they offer the best services for your Hawaii wedding.

Working with a Hawaii wedding planner’s preferred vendors also means that you don’t need to spend countless hours online trying to find reviews and recommendations, only to end the search as confused as when you started! Saving yourself this time and stress can be invaluable in your wedding planning.

If you want to work with the best, give us a call today to find out what we offer!

How to Create Your Wedding Budget

Before you start shopping for your wedding dress or booking your entertainment, the first part of your wedding planning should be setting a budget. Whether you have a few thousand dollars to spend or a few hundred thousand dollars to spend, a budget is a way to allocate that money in the way that best suits your personal preferences.

Total budget
First off, figure out what you have to spend on the wedding as a whole. Be realistic about this. After all, it’s always better to aim for a lower budget and be able to spend more on your honeymoon than to set a budget you really can’t afford.

Priorities
The next step is to think about what your priorities are. Whether it’s a particular dress, venue, caterer, band, or anything else, if there is something that you simply cannot bear to compromise on, make sure you are clear on this from the start. You can then build the rest of your budget around the cost of this part.

Line items
To complete your wedding budget, you’ll need to figure out what you have to spend on each individual part of your wedding. This requires you to make a list of everything that will require money. A consultation with an experienced Hawaii wedding planner can help ensure you haven’t forgotten anything.

A wedding planner can also be a great help in getting the most from your wedding budget, however big or small it is. To find out how we can help you create the perfect wedding within your budget, give us a call today!

Photo: Flickr/kimubert

Why You Should Find Accommodation Near Your Venue

You have worked hard to plan the perfect Hawaii wedding, but have you put the same effort into finding accommodation near your venue? If you and your guests aren’t all staying at your wedding venue, it is crucial that you find places that are very near.

If you’re planning a wedding in Hawaii from afar, it is easy to underestimate distances. When you work with a Hawaii wedding planner, you can get local insight into how long it will really take to get from one place to another. This is very important if your ceremony and reception are in different locations, and if your guests will be staying somewhere else.

Your destination wedding in Hawaii is an excellent choice, and you and your guests will love taking advantage of all the places to sightsee, but you don’t want accidental sightseeing on your wedding day.
Picking a location to stay that is nearby will save time and frustration for you and your guests.

It is also good to give your guests information on a variety of accommodation so they can choose something to fit their budget. They may prefer staying some place very luxurious, or they might want to save money on their hotel so they can spend it on enjoying all Hawaii has to offer.

The best way to ensure that you are staying near your ceremony and reception is to work with a local Hawaii wedding planner. To find out more about what a wedding planner can do to help with your destination wedding, give us a call today!

Photo: Flickr/Zach Dischner