Planning a wedding is an exciting and joyous occasion. Anticipation of the big celebration with your friends and family can be exhilarating. However, the planning process can also be daunting and confusing. The Bridechilla Community is here to support and encourage you during this special and potentially overwhelming time. On this episode of the podcast, Aleisha addresses listener questions including how to find the right vendors, helping family understand and respect your wedding day wishes, and managing the demands of preparing your new home while planning the wedding.
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Should you hire a wedding planner?
Establishing your budget is the first step to planning your wedding. Many couples try to save money by doing much of the planning themselves instead of hiring a wedding planner or coordinator. Aleisha discusses the value of hiring a wedding planner and what to expect from a budget standpoint. She also gives ideas for how to avoid extra stress when not hiring a wedding planner. The key is finding the right vendors that can best help accomplish the vision you have for your wedding.
Photo by Amanda Vick
Think about where you are getting married and don’t just assume that ‘wedding season’ is just summer
How can an off-season wedding save you money?
There are several options that can help Bridechilla’s save money that are discussed during this episode. One way is to have an “off-season” wedding. Depending on what area you live in, there might be certain peak times during the year where wedding venues and vendors charge more for their services. Looking for values in a time other than peak season can be a cost-saver. Some couples also choose to use artificial flowers instead of real flowers to save cost and have flowers that may not be in season. Listen to this podcast to hear other advice and tips from Aleisha.
As long as there is a balance and there is teamwork and as long as you are enjoying yourself and you don’t feel obligated to do it, great! It doesn’t make you any less of a feminist or any less in support of equality if you like to clean a bathroom.
Photo by bruce mars on
Communicating well with family and friends
Often the actions of family and friends during a wedding are well-meaning, but can be unintentionally stressful or off-putting. They may have desires or requests that could come as an unwelcome surprise to the couple. What is the best way to deal with overbearing family members? And how do you catch up with old friends who want to celebrate but who may not be invited to the wedding? How can you communicate effectively without being rude? Aleisha discusses this and much more on this episode of the Bridechilla podcast.
I do think part of wedding planning for a lot of people is also preparing the nest, preparing the home
Preparing a home while planning a wedding
Bridechilla Ronnie’s fiancé has been very involved in the planning, which has lightened the load for her. However, Ronnie is having trouble knowing what to do with the extra time she has and has found herself doing more ordinary tasks around the house. This question leads into great encouragement for couples who are not only planning their wedding, but also creating a new home and life together. It is perfectly natural to begin the process of preparing the home and dividing up tasks among each other. Part of the difficulty and fun of marriage is learning how to work together and that can start even in the wedding planning stage.
Photo by Volha Flaxeco
Show Highlights
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[0:53] Aleisha talks about her move back to Australia from London and how it reminds her of the amount of stuff we accumulate
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[3:25] Whether it be wedding items or just general stuff, you can buy and sell on online marketplaces and reduce waste
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[4:34] Is it worth it to hire a wedding planner and if so, how much can you expect to spend?
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[9:04] How to search for a vendor using trusted recommendations and without getting overwhelmed
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[10:39] The benefits of understanding your location and what time of year is considered wedding season
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[12:16] What is the best way to go about using artificial flowers at your wedding?
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[15:48] Bridechilla Hannah asks how to avoid obligation guests popping in on the wedding day while the bride and wedding party are getting ready.
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[18:40] Hannah also asks how to catch up with friends that she might not be inviting to her wedding
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[25:51] Ronnie asks how to handle the fact that her fiance is being very helpful in the wedding planning
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[30:00] Part of wedding planning is also preparing the home for your marriage
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[33:17] What do you do if you change venues and have to reduce your guest list?
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[39:32] Aleisha talks about her honeymoon experience in Bali
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[41:50] How to get in touch and have your wedding planning answered by Aleisha
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With thanks to our Bridechilla Partners
Show image by Alvin Mahmudov
