"Oh, I love what I do!"

On a fairly frequent basis, we receive calls from potential clients who are really stuck with a smaller budget and cannot find resources or help in what they can do to have a wedding for let's say 80-100 people and only spend about $5,000.00.  "Can this be done?  Where do I start?".  Those questions echo through my phone....

The first thing that comes out of my mouth to these lovely people is "first off, I will not allow you to utilize a large portion of your dedicated budget to paying us a fee for our services!"  Our fee to plan a full service wedding will eat up quite a chunk of that savings....so, I do the right thing and I spend ten or fifteen minutes of my time, steering them toward a good path to start.  You can almost hear an exhale of relief come through the phone.  They listen earnestly and appreciate the information that is being delivered.

Every persons life situation is different and not every couple wants to have a large gala affair.  In what we do as Event Planners our first order of business is to protect our clients or even potential ones for that matter.  My heart is filled from the Thank yous of these people, I never meet or will ever become a part of their event.  I may have played some part in assuring them that if they are careful and look at the items that are most important to them, they can throw a killer party, reception and or wedding for under $5,000.00.  It's all about making choices which are important to you.   Here are some examples:

• Don't care about a full sit down dinner? Well then negotiate a luncheon or hors' dourves menu for your guests.
• Keep the guest list to a minimum and make your Food and Beverage bill more palatable to your wallet.
• Call on talented people in your life who instead of spending money on a gift for you can use their creative talents to help...Know a caterer?  A baker?  Ask for help:)
• Be cautious about the money pitfalls of throwing a large event outdoors on your property or your families...Generators, lighting, tents, tables and chairs can really eat up a good chunk of your budget.  There are definite cost savings in some areas of an at home reception but the to-do-list and work involved is something people should consider. 

Each person has their own reasons for getting married and they also have different takes on how to showcase that statement of love and commitment.  I may not have the correct answer for every persons need but we can tell them what has worked in the past and work towards a creative solution to a new problem. 

I loved having the conversation that I did yesterday with the future bride...My work is my passion and if I can help anyone in any way, I aim to do just that:)