The Bridechilla Wedding Podcast back catalogue- audio wedding planner. Catch up on all of the past episodes of the podcast, find wedding inspiration and more.
Intro
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Your wedding doesn’t have to leave a negative mark on the environment. There are some easy ways to plan a sustainable wedding, which is exactly what Aleisha shares on this podcast. Weddings can be incredibly wasteful. Disposable plates and cups, clothing worn only once and then discarded, and flowers that aren’t sustainably sourced are just a few of the ways weddings can take their toll on the environment. However, during this episode, you will hear several great and resourceful ideas for reducing your environmental impact without sacrificing your wedding dreams.
We all bear the responsibility of taking care of the environment. With the wedding industry continuing to expand, planning a sustainable, eco-friendly wedding is increasingly important. If you don’t know where to start, this episode includes some great tips. One of the most common items wasted at a wedding is food. Knowing a firm guest-list count and working with your food vendor can keep from food being discarded after the wedding. Listen as Bridechilla Kathryn shares her ideas for reducing food waste and more.
You think about all the stuff you are doing already, there is just a slight pivot in the choices you are making there. And also, it’s not costing you any more money. And actually using recycled and repurposed clothing and decor and renting things will save you money
Many couples buy brand new dresses and suits for themselves and their wedding party. Often, these items are worn once and either stored for eternity or discarded. There are options that reduce clothing waste, including renting, buying pre-owned, or buying items that can be re-worn in the future. Also, when considering clothing, it is important to think about where and how the clothes are made. Buying ethically made clothing is one easy way to plan a sustainable wedding.
If you can find your dream dress and rent it, why wouldn’t you?
The Brides Project is a bridal boutique…with a heart! Wedding dresses are donated to The Brides Project from all across the country. Some are “pre-loved” – donated by brides who want to see them dance another day. Many are donated directly from bridal salons, so they are brand new! The best part of all is that the money raised from the sale of gowns supports families touched by cancer through the Cancer Support Community of Greater Ann Arbor.
I think this sort of fast shopping is really irresponsible in some parts because it is so easy to get stuff that its not even a thought
Something Borrowed Blooms is a rent & return floral boutique who specializes in creating wedding flower collections using premium silk flowers. The flowers are rented to you for your wedding, for a fraction of the cost of a traditional florist. Check out their instagram for inspo.
Jane Bridal Bouquet by Something Borrowed Blooms
Happily Ever Borrowed is the premiere, luxury, e-boutique that RENTS bridal veils & accessories to brides for their wedding day! Try their Send Before You Spend Box! Choose any 3 pieces on our site for just $50 and when you return them to us, you get $25 towards your wedding day rental!
While it might seem easier to use plastic tableware at your wedding, consider the environmental impact all that trash can have. Aleisha discusses the option of using washable plates and cups to serve your guests. She also shares a great way to reduce beer bottle and can waste. Taking a few small steps will not only reduce waste, but will look nicer and can actually save you money. A little creativity goes a long way in saving the environment and saving your wedding budget. Hear more tips during this episode of the Bridechilla podcast.
There are some really good, modern, very well priced designers out there who make a point of saying ‘we don’t use factories that do bad things, we encourage supportive working environments that are paying a living wage and 4-year-olds aren’t making your wedding dress.
Photo by Freddy G
One of the easiest ways to plan a sustainable wedding is to work with a wedding planner and vendors who are considerate of the environment. Many vendors will have alternative ideas that will help you avoid waste in your wedding.They can draw from their experience to help you come up with helpful ideas. During this episode, Aleisha discusses different partners and sponsors who provide great options that are also eco friendly. A sustainable wedding doesn’t have to be difficult. It just takes mindfulness and collaboration. Listen to this podcast to hear many ideas to help you plan your own sustainable wedding.
Wildlife friendly wedding guide
Show image by James Owen
There are a ton of resources available to help you when you are when creating your wedding mood board. On this episode of the Bridechilla podcast, guest Oleta Collins from Flourishing Art joins Aleisha to talk about the best ways to go about creating a mood board. With pinterest, instagram, and a whole host of wedding related websites, blogs, and podcasts, there is a treasure trove of ideas that you can pull from. Sorting through and knowing which ideas are realistic and within your budget is the real challenge. Oleta shares advice from her wedding planning experience on how to create the most helpful wedding mood board.
I want to see what they like, what they love, what their inspiration is, but I want to see the dislikes just as much as the likes.
A picture is worth a thousand words, especially when it comes to planning a wedding. They can help communicate a look or design you’d like to include in your wedding. They can also stir your creative juices to help create something completely unique and original. When developing your mood board, Oleta suggests not only looking for ideas you really like, but also including some images or things that you don’t like. This will help your vendors better capture the vision you are trying to accomplish for your wedding.
Photo by Annie Gray
One of the drawbacks of sites like pinterest and instagram is that they host staged, produced photographs. Many of these images have been painstakingly created, but are incredibly unrealistic to pull off in a real wedding. Unfortunately, these photos can create expectations that do not match the budget needed to pull off such an idea. It is important for couples to have a good understanding of their budget even as they create their mood board so they can then select ideas that are manageable. Oleta says that with an unlimited budget, anything is possible, but most couples don’t have that, so budget must be considered.
No is an option when there’s no budget. If you have a budget, anything is achievable.
Photo by Annie Spratt
There are two important factors to consider when working with vendors to establish wedding budgets and plans. The first factor is contingencies. Every wedding budget should include a contingency line item. Hear Oleta and Aleisha discuss the likelihood of going over budget and how to handle that during this conversation. The second consideration is bad weather or natural disasters that could potentially derail your wedding plans. Listen to this episode for tips on how to plan for these types of often unexpected events.
If you are looking at having this amazing, dramatic, wonderful night and you want to remember it for the rest of your life, make sure you have professionals that are going to cover you.
Want to know all the questions to ask your vendors? Download now.
When planning your wedding, it is really fun to dream big and consider what fun and exciting ideas you can include in your wedding. Oleta shares some of the most unique ideas that couples have asked her to include in their weddings. In order to accomplish these things, having the right professionals involved is essential. Going to the flower market on the morning of your wedding trying to pull together decorations is a bad idea. Hire the right people to set your dream in motion and then enjoy your day. Hear all about this and much more on the Bridechilla podcast.
[0:50] Introduction of guest Oleta Collins and how she started Flourishing Art
[4:47] How to start your wedding planning process without being overwhelmed and ensuring that they are asking the right questions
[7:57] What kinds of dislikes should you be prepared to share with vendors when showing them your mood boards
[10:27] Style shoots are beautiful but can be logistically unrealistic, so expectations need to meet reality when planning
[13:41] Oleta discusses how she helps couples understand the budgetary needs to pull off their dream wedding
[16:54] Considering the wedding budget and building in a contingency line
[19:40] Make sure that your vendors have insurance so that you and your guests are covered in the event of bad weather or natural disasters
[27:48] Oleta shares some of the flashy, big ideas that couples have asked her to accomplish for their wedding
[32:50] How many images or pieces of inspiration should you include on your mood board?
[37:33] The importance of getting professional to help plan your wedding
[43:31] How people can get in touch with Oleta
A passion for floral design started early for Oleta, with her first job at a family member’s flower shop at the age of 12. Although it was initially just for spending money, she quickly discovered her knack for arranging blooms and never stopped. Since those early days, Oleta has worked on TV and movie set designs, managed the largest design studio in LA, and earned her credentials from the American Institute of Floral Design. Based in Bakersfield, California, she has brought the LA flair to her ruralhometown along with her fresh, new ideas and creations.Her dream of inspiring clients is brought to life every day, as she meets and falls in love with every couple that she encounters. Oleta dedicates herself to learning the unique quirks of each client and embedding their guests’ partnership into every detail of the wedding experience. When Oleta is a part of an event team, the love she weaves intoevery aspect is palpable — guests will experience the scents, colors, textures, sounds, and tastes of each couple’s dreams.In her spare time, you can find Oleta serving up a lob on the nearest pickleball court or snuggling her plethora of furry and feathered loved ones that she rescued with her husband. In fact, if you come by the shop, you may get to meet one of their pups!
Website | Facebook | Instagram
Show image by Nikiya Christie
One of Bridchilla’s most popular topics (and guests), wedding photographer Cavin Elizabeth, joins the Bridechilla podcast to answer more wedding photography questions. Once word got out to the Bridechilla community that Cavin Elizabeth was joining the show, the questions flooded in. Cavin has tons of wedding photography experience and wisdom from which she shares advice. During this episode, she answers questions about how to trust your wedding photographer, the importance of contracts, whether or not to tip your vendors, and how to plan the wedding day timeline with your wedding photographer. (Listen and read the Part 1 blog here)
Let them (the photographer) be in charge. There’s a reason you hired them. If you don’t trust them to do their jobs then you probably should not have hired them
Bridechilla Jackie asks Cavin how to give a photographer guidance about what kind of pictures they want while still trusting them to do their work well. Cavin encourages couples not to try to micromanage their wedding photographers, especially on the day of the wedding. While it is ok to give them some of your thoughts and ideas, it is best to trust that, if they are professionals, they know how to do their job. Cavin says if you trust them enough to hire them, trust them enough to do their job without micromanaging.
Image by Cavin Elizabeth
There’s all kinds of tipping alternatives that show your gratitude if you don’t or can’t spend any more money on tips.
Tipping vendors is a recurring question that comes up in the Bridechilla community. Should you tip your wedding photographer? If so, how much should you tip? When and how do you give them the tip? Cavin gives advice from her experience of receiving tips for her wedding photography. She also gives some great tipping alternatives that can allow the couple to show gratitude without shelling out even more money. Hear her advice about tipping and much more on this episode of the Bridechilla podcast.
Do not hire anybody for your wedding without a contract.
When hiring a vendor, you want to ensure that you are getting exactly what you pay for. Even if you are hiring a freelance photographer, it is essential that you have a contract. The contract should lay out the terms of service, any contingencies, and all of the specifics of what you are paying for from that vendor. If a vendor doesn’t offer a contract, you should ask them for one, or even draw one up yourself. Listen to Cavin’s advice about contracts with vendors on this podcast.
Image by Cavin Elizabeth
Anything that is sensitive that could possibly come up when that photographer is dealing with the family, especially in family photos, they need to know.
Nobody has the perfect family. Everybody has weird or difficult family dynamics of some sort. A wedding offers a unique opportunity for those dysfunctions to be on full display. How can you deal with difficult or dysfunctional family dynamics. Cavin encourages Bridechillas to give the photographer as much information as possible in advance of the wedding day so that they can help avoid any awkward or harmful situations. Hear all about that and much more on this wedding photography Q&A episode of the Bridechilla podcast.
Image by Cavin Elizabeth
Do not do other people favors for your wedding. If there is something you want for your wedding, do what you want for your wedding
[1:46] Bridechilla Jackie asks how to work with a photographer, giving them guidance for what she and her partner want while trusting them to do their job well.
[5:21] One key characteristic of being a bridechilla is treating people with kindness
[6:27] Chelsea asks about the rules of tipping your wedding photographer.
[10:30] Cavin Elizabeth talks about the power of referrals
[11:57] What are some important issues that should be covered in a photographers contract.
[22:41] Bridechilla asks for tips for dealing with dysfunctional family dynamics while trying to take wedding photos
[26:56] How to handle a difficult or potentially disruptive guest coming to your wedding
[28:00] When planning the wedding day timeline, how much do you involve the photographer?
[32:16] How to handle frendors and family members who want to work for your wedding, when you don’t want them to?
[38:00] Cavin Elizabeth talks about her resources and how you can book her to photograph your wedding.
Cavin Elizabeth is an international wedding film and digital photographer based in San Diego. She operates a boutique studio with a focus on personal connection that makes couples more at ease while being photographed for their special day. This gives Cavin’s picture a natural, authentic and romantic look. She also wrote a book entitled A Bride’s Guide to a Picture Perfect Wedding that teaches brides how to get the most out of their wedding photography and have magazine worthy images. Catch up on Cavin’s previous episode of Bridechilla, all about how to find the right wedding photographer for your wedding here.
Show image by Cavin Elizabeth
On this episode of the Bridechilla podcast, Aleisha’s husband Rich joins the show to answer wedding questions from the Bridechilla community. Being a part of the Bridechilla community gives you access not only to Aliesha’s knowledge and insight about planning a wedding, but also a great support system of men and women who are going through a similar journey as you. During this podcast, you’ll hear questions about appropriate tipping for a European wedding, how to deal with bad customer service from a wedding venue, and engagement gift ideas for the groom.
A wedding day is about wearing things that make you feel comfortable and fabulous.
The engagement period is full of excitement. You are looking forward to a great celebration and a wonderful, meaningful marriage thereafter. There can also be a lot of stress. There are so many plans to be made, vendors to book, and guests to invite. Depending on the length of your engagement, you will have to be strategic in how you prioritize your time and finances. Ellie writes in asking for Aleisha’s advice about how to go about prioritizing her planning with one year left before the wedding day.
Photo by Alvin Mahmudov
In America, it is customary to tip generously. It is a way of showing gratitude for excellent service. However, if you are planning a destination wedding in another country, you should be sure to consider their customs. Acting like an American in other countries can often be seen as rude or pretentious. Aleisha discusses the tipping customs specifically in Italy and encourages listeners to be savvy when visiting other countries. Rather than risking the chance of offending your foreign hosts, take some time to research and understand their traditions and then follow suit. Here all about that and many more Wedding Q&As on this podcast.
The last 6 months of wedding planning really flies and that’s when things happen that you might not be ready for. Even when you are really organized you still have to be a bit ninja.Enter your text here…
When planning your wedding, it is important to first know what you and your partner want. Once you are in agreement, and you have set a prioritized budget, then the goal is to make your dream a reality. So what do you do when poor customer service threatens to get in the way of your dream day? How do you handle a vendor who is inconsiderate or unhelpful when problems arise? Aleisha shares a pertinent story of how she handled a recent experience with poor customer service and gives tips for how couples can handle a similar situation when planning their wedding.
Photo by George Coletrain
I feel like art is something that everyone underestimates as gifts
When a couple gets engaged, typically the groom-to-be gives the bride-to-be a really nice, expensive ring as a symbol of their love and betrothal. Less common is for the bride-to-be to give her partner something in return. However, one Bridechilla wanted to do just that. What are some good gift ideas for your partner to celebrate your engagement. Hear Rich and Aleisha give some great ideas as they answer that and many other questions on this Wedding Q&A episode of the Bridechilla podcast.
[0:43] Aleisha and Rich start the show by speaking in Spainish and talking about why Rich is joining today’s podcast
[4:14] Ellie asks for tips from the Bridechilla community for the one year countdown for her wedding.
[8:36] How do you handle tipping vendors in Europe so that you show gratitude without offending?
[19:32] Bridechilla Kim asks how to deal with family who wants the partner to wear a dress when she doesn’t want to.
[24:41] What do you do when you discover that your wedding venue has some issues that you don’t want to deal with?
[31:04] Aleisha shares a story of bad customer service she experienced with a vendor and how she handled it.
[34:20] What would be a good gift to give your male partner as a way to celebrate your engagement.
[39:15] Rich and Aliesha give some ideas for gifts to give your fiance
[42:56] How can you submit a question for Aleisha and/or her guests to answer on the podcast
Show image by insung yoon
Jess Bishop, founder of The Budget Savvy Bride joins the Bridechilla podcast to talk about wedding budget busters with the Bridechilla community. We talk a lot about how important setting and sticking to a budget is when planning a wedding. Jess has dedicated her work to helping couples plan beautiful weddings without busting their budget. On this episode, Aleisha and Jess talk about some money saving ideas and weigh in on tips and advice other Bridechillas offer. If you are planning a wedding and are looking for some creative ways to save money, then be sure to listen to this podcast.
When saving money for your wedding, you want to make sure it is in a place where it will only be used for wedding expenses. You could hide the money under your mattress and hope you don’t forget about it. Or you could consider opening up a designated bank account specifically for wedding funds. Opening a bank account is easier than ever and with some banks can be done simply online. Having this account allows for people to make donations to your wedding fund and helps you keep up with your wedding budget.
Photo by Blake Wisz
If you know yourself and you know you can be responsible with paying those cards off every month, I think it’s a really great thing to take advantage of.
If are particularly disciplined and financially responsible, one way to help stay budget conscious and reap some extra benefits is by using credit cards. While you must be diligent to maintain your predetermined budget and pay the card off each month, credit cards can help you earn points or rewards that you can use for your honeymoon or after wedding travel. Jess and Aliesha share their experience with credit cards and how they have benefited from the perks during this conversation.
Photo by Becca McHaffie
Bridechilla Mandy suggests one way to save money and get really great items for your wedding is to go thrift shopping. There are certain times or seasons where you can find fantastic decorations, arrangements, and even dresses at a fraction of the price. Thrifting is also a more sustainable way to shop for your wedding and allows for the reuse of wedding items that otherwise would likely only be used once. Hear about thrift shopping and other great ways to avoid wedding budget busters on this episode.
I think it’s really great to have a dedicated bank account for your wedding funds.
Aleisha and Jess discuss several ideas that other Bridechillas submitted on this episode of the Bridechilla podcast. From booking a venue that only requires a minimum spend without a rental fee, using the free cricket machine at the library to DIY crafts, and having a family member purchase your cake, there are a ton of helpful and creative tips during this podcast. If you want to plan a beautiful wedding without blowing your budget, then be sure to listen to this episode of the Bridechilla podcast.
Sometimes it really does take sitting down and comparing things really closely
Photo by Matheus Ferrero
[0:14] Aleisha introduces this episodes guest who is a regular on the show, Jess Bishop, founder of The Budget Savvy Bride
[2:06] The pros and cons of setting up a designated bank account for your wedding funds
[4:15] Bridechilla Chelsea advises that couples use one particular credit card for wedding expenses and use the points for the honeymoon
[6:09] Jess and Aleisha discuss some of the perks of using particular credit cards
[9:33] Aleisha shares a story of her honeymoon and how a credit card perk got them an amazing hotel room
[11:49] Using a credit card responsibly can help your credit score and might provide purchase protection
[13:16] Bridechilla Mandy suggests hitting thrift stores after wedding season ends in your areas
[16:12] How do you get over the guilty feelings of asking your friends to spend money for a destination wedding?
[25:38] Jess talks about her book The Budget-Savvy Wedding Planner & Organizer.
[29:12] When serving guests at the wedding, start with the good wine, then switch to the cheaper kind
[32:42] You can save money by booking a venue that only charges a minimum spend with no rental fee
[35:03] Veronica talks about usings a cricket (paper cutter) at her local library to help save cost for certain wedding items
[39:03] Bridechilla Amanda gives a great piece of advice based on how she had a family member buy her wedding cake for her.
Jessica Bishop is the founder of The Budget Savvy Bride and author of the book The Budget-Savvy Wedding Planner & Organizer. Jessica is an expert at planning weddings on a budget and has helped couples all around the world plan the wedding they wanted at a cost they could afford. She has shared her tips with a multitude of publications and media outlets. She joins to Bridechilla show to share ways to plan a beautiful wedding without busting your budget.
Show image by taylor hernandez
The Bridechilla podcast is all about helping people plan their wedding without the stress. We are a community dedicated to helping each other plan the weddings we want without losing our shit. One of the ways we support each other is through question and answer podcast episodes. Bridechillas submit questions and Aleisha answers with the hopes of helping others gain insight and answers to their own similar questions. On this Wedding Planning Q&A episode, Aleisha answers questions about having a special hens party, how to deal with money from relatives or other donors, and when it’s ok to take off your engagement ring.
Not all weddings are large and elaborate events. Some couples choose to have a small, intimate party with only their close friends and relatives. How can you still celebrate with your larger circle of friends without taking on the extra expense and planning stress of a bigger wedding? Is it ok to invite them to a party celebrating your marriage without inviting them to the actual event? Find out Aleisha’s thoughts during this episode.
Don’t rush things if you don’t feel ready to do things like get hitched. Don’t rush. You have plenty of time
Accepting monetary donations for your wedding can help ease the financial strain. It can also increase the pressure to please the donor with your plans. Sometimes money is given with strings attached. Is there a way to accept money from a relative or donor without giving up the decision making control? How can you talk to the person offering money so that they understand their investment doesn’t give them unwanted input into the planning process? Hear what Aleisha has to say about that and much more on this Q&A episode.
Maybe it’s about rebranding the event as a hen’s day but also in the invitation say “I really want to share this with you, you’re really important people in my life
It can be a lot of fun to have friends or family members join your for various aspects of the planning process. These can be special times of love and bonding. But what if your friend or relative has strong and differing opinions from yours? How can you still enjoy spending time with them while not letting their opposing feedback drag you down. As always, open communication is a great start. Find out more advice about dealing with that and other difficult wedding planning issues on the Bridechilla podcast.
There are ways you can accept money and not have to give away all of the decision making process.
Getting engaged is so exciting. You begin to dream and plan not only for the wedding, but also for the life and marriage you are about to begin with the one you love. And you get a beautiful new ring to wear on your finger that symbolizes that love. How do you care for this priceless piece of jewelry? When is it ok to take the ring off? Hear the answer to that and many other questions on this week’s wedding planning Q&A episode of the Bridechilla podcast.
Photo by Genessa Panainte
There are not many people in my life I would take shopping and really want their genuine feedback
[0:26] Aleisha talks about her new voiceover booth in the cupboard
[2:52] Introduction of this planning a wedding Q&A episode.
[3:17] The first question is an anonymous email about inviting friends to a hen’s party that aren’t invited to the wedding?
[7:27] Kay asks what to do about her boyfriend that talks about his wedding plans and thoughts at length before they are even engaged
[12:02] Bridechilla Megean asks what to do about her fiance who doesn’t want to accept money from relatives or other donors
[16:42] Aleisha shares a story about accepting money from her dad and how it affected her
[27:09] How to proceed with buying a wedding dress when the mother of the bride doesn’t like the same looks that the bride wants
[35:03] Do you wear your engagement ring all the time or just for special occasions?
Show photo by Matt Reiter