Hello! If you’re listening to this episode on its re-cast date, Happy Boxing Day! Yesterday was Christmas here in the United States and today’s episode is a recast of a previous episode from Season 2. We’re re-casting today’s episode because it’s still very relevant - Hi, it’s a wedding planning podcast and today’s episode talks about what to do when you get engaged, which happens to EVERYONE planning a wedding. To fast-forward to a specific part of the podcast episode, check out the...

Welcome to another exciting episode of Ask the Planner Podcast! I'm your host, Desiree Adams, and today I'm sharing five things I WISH more online wedding planning checklists included. Believe me, using a generic checklist as a starting point won't cut it when planning your special heirloom occasion. As a professional wedding planners, I've seen many couples miss out on CRUCIAL details that make their day truly unique and memorable. In this episode, we'll chat about five things that you won't...

Welcome to another exciting episode of Ask the Planner Podcast! I'm your host, Desiree Adams, and today I'm spilling ALL the tea on why I hate the Knot (and where I think you should find your wedding vendors instead!). We had a reel go viral about this very topic last year, and it was so interesting to see  how many people had no idea how the Knot operated on the vendor side of things! If you're recently engaged and trying to find your wedding vendors, this is a must-listen episode. Plus,...

 Today we’re diving into the custom wedding dress and alterations process. Whether you’re newly engaged and on the hunt for the perfect gown or you’ve already said Yes to the dress and now need to start the alterations process, you’re going to want to listen to today’s episode with my very sweet and special guest, Sarah Kolis. To fast-forward to a specific part of the podcast episode, check out the timestamps below: Meet Sarah Kolis [01:57]When to search for a wedding dress? [3:16]How do you...

Want your wedding to feel luxurious? Then you need to incorporate all FIVE senses into your wedding design. Today, loverves, we are talking all about the sense that is almost never taken into account, even though it can make such a difference in your wedding day (and how people remember your wedding day). Today we are talking about the sense of smell. And more specifically, how you can incorporate smells and fragrances into your wedding day in a meaningful and impactful way. How can you avoid...

Today’s episode is going to be short and sweet as I give you my insider’s view of all the upcoming Holiday / Black Friday / Cyber Monday deals to watch out for. I love a good sale, so I scouted out my favorite retailers, made some calls and emails, and today I’m going to help you map out your holiday shopping strategy. To fast-forward to a specific part of the podcast episode, check out the timestamps below: Clutch Chargers [6:49]Proven Skincare [9:21]Noteworthy Scents [14:22]Honeylove...

Welcome to another exciting episode of Ask the Planner Podcast! I'm your host, Desiree Adams, and today we're diving into a topic that's at the heart of wedding planning: which wedding planner is right for you? It can be overwhelming when you first get engaged, and it might feel like you have only two options - going all-in with a full-service planner or tackling everything yourself. But the truth is, there's a whole range of wedding planning services out there, and today, we're here to...

Today we're talking about the ins and outs of vendor contracts and costly mistakes to avoid before signing those contracts. This episode is going to help both couples and vendors protect themselves when entering into agreements for weddings and events. But don't worry; I’m not going to scare you with legal jargon. Today I’ve invited an attorney to break it down with us in a way that's both informative and approachable. Whether you're curious about the intricacies of contracts, how to protect...

Happy Halloween! Today’s episode is a special Halloween edition. I’m sharing wedding disasters and how to avoid them. I am sharing HORROR stories - from a recent wedding. Not only are they going to make you cringe and be happy you weren’t there, but I’m also going to give you some tips to make sure this doesn't happen at your wedding. To be clear you would have NEVER known that anything went wrong at this wedding. It’s still one of my favorite and most beautiful weddings. But after that...

Today I’m sharing with you the 6 most important templates in your wedding planning toolkit. Spoiler alert, all of these items can be found in our template shop and listeners of the show get 10% off with the code PODCAST10. This podcast is not about getting you to buy. It’s about helping you get organized and aware of the tools out there to make planning your wedding easier and more enjoyable. To fast-forward to a specific part of the podcast episode, check out the timestamps below: The...

Wedding dress shopping. This is an endeavor filled with as much excitement as it is with drama. When do you go? Who do you take with you? What dress style should you wear? In today’s episode, I talk with Stella Jones, owner of Stella's Bridal, a boutique wedding gown shop with two locations in New York. Not only do we answer these very important questions, but we also talk about body positivity, what she said when a bride asked her how to prepare for the wedding night, and so much...

Today I’m joined by Rachel Cruze, Personal Finance Expert & Bestselling Author, from Ramsey Solutions to talk about wedding budgets & awkward money conversations with your partner with Rachel Cruze. Here's a summary of our interview: Meet Rachel Cruze [02:50]When should couples talk about their long-term financial goals?[6:08]Should couples combine finances before they get married? [11:25]What financial milestones should couples achieve before they get married? [17:25]Why is it...

What's the difference between a wedding planner and a wedding venue coordinator? When you start planning your wedding, you might find yourself asking this question. You may also ask,  Do I need a wedding planner if the wedding venue has a coordinator?What does a wedding venue planner do that the wedding planner doesn't?What is the difference between an event planner and an event coordinator?What is the difference between an independent wedding planner and an on-site venue coordinator?To...

When you're picking out your wedding decor, it’s important to pick design elements that serve a purpose. When I design weddings for my couples, I want to make sure that the elements we include in the design or the details we pick for the wedding decor have meaning. They weave little tidbits of information that I’ve pulled from the couple’s story into the overall day. In this episode, I break down the design process into 4 basic steps: 1: Find Your Inspiration [8:18]2: Pinterest Purge...

Your wedding day timeline is used by all of your vendors to understand the flow of the wedding. It also can make or break your day because if things fall behind, it has a domino effect and the rest of the day can get really off the rails if something goes wrong. So it’s important to spend time putting together a solid day-of timeline.   I’m going to break down the process for you in 7 simple steps Step 1: Pick the Start time for your Reception and CeremonyStep 2: Choose Your Reception End...

Today we’re talking about how to make your wedding more sustainable, and environmentally friendly.  Being eco-friendly is becoming more and more important for couples and consumers.  Especially with the most recent push for conservation efforts, it’s so important to be mindful of the greener alternatives made available.  If you're looking to get started on your green wedding, you may have questions such as: Here's a summary of our interview: Birthday Update! [5:55]Meet Lowell George...

Today’s topic is an important one because your wedding venue affects so much of your wedding planning and your wedding budget! Whether you’re just starting the venue search or you’ve locked in a venue and are further along in the process, this is a crucial episode to listen to so that there aren’t any surprises after you’ve signed the contract with your wedding venue. Whether it’s services that you thought were included or additional vendors or fees that you didn’t plan for, this episode will...

Today’s topic is is really near and dear to my heart and also kind of a hot button issue for me. But I promise to be as bi-partisan for both sides so you get a balanced perspective. If one of the reasons below is why you're considering not hiring a wedding planner, then definitely have a listen on what I think about that. 5 REASONS YOU THINK YOU DON'T NEED TO HIRE A WEDDING PLANNER: One or both of you have a background in event planning. [07:05]You have a hard time giving up control and...

Today we’re talking about the dangers of scamming, and why scammers target newly engaged couples to take advantage of. I have to be honest, wedding scams and how to avoid them wasn't something I thought a lot about until after meeting today's guest.  But, now I'm taking extra precautions to avoid becoming a target of any kind of scams. HIGHLIGHTS FOR EPISODE 60: How to Avoid Getting Scammed Before You Say “I Do” Here's a summary of our interview: Meet Adam K. Levin [8:20]The 4 ways scammers...

Have you ever sat down to do some wedding planning and thought, I have no idea what we should do first? Or worse, you have so many things to do, you spiral because you know you need to do everything but can’t decide which thing is important, so you end up not doing anything?  In today’s episode, I’m going to walk you through the 10 main steps you should be taking to plan your wedding from start to finish.  You’re going to get clarity on what you should do first and what can wait and feel so...

READ THIS FIRST!  This episode is a recast from Season 1. Please try to ignore my filler language. I was still learning how to podcast realized soon after this episode not to do that (thanks to one of your reviews!). We've edited this down to remove as many of them as we could but we didn't want to compromise the conversation. If this is your first episode with the podcast, I promise the quality of our episodes has gotten much better! Thanks for your patience!  *** Your wedding officiant is...

Wedding season is upon us and if you’re starting to think about what supplies and last-minute items you’re going to need for your actual wedding day, this post is for you. Today, I’m giving you a behind-the-scenes peek at my day-of wedding emergency kit. It might be a little weird, but I really love my supply kit. It's been a lifesaver at so many weddings, and I'm so excited to do an in-depth walkthrough today with you! EPISODE 59 HIGHLIGHTS: Day of Wedding Emergency Kit To fast-forward to a...

It is not easy trying to put emotions into writing, ESPECIALLY when you know that writing will be spoken in front of a crowd of people.  Wedding vows and speeches are daunting for anyone, but they do not have to be! If you are engaged, and nervous about writing your vows, OR you are a performing a wedding speech for the bride and groom, this blog post is for you. HIGHLIGHTS FOR EPISODE 62:  Top tips for what makes a good ceremony speech? [20:48]How long should a speech be? [25:54]Advice for...

There’s more to your wedding than just tables and chairs. So today I’m going to give you a thorough wedding rentals checklist of the things you’ve probably thought of but also several other things that may not even be on your radar. So today we’re going to talk about 4 main kinds of rentals: CeremonyTabletopTables and ChairsLounge and FurnitureEquipment I’m excited to share this episode with you because I love getting ORGANIZED and checklists make my heart happy.  To fast-forward to a...

Whether you’re a couple about to get married or you’re a wedding planner, you would probably love to find a template for your wedding seating chart to make the table assignments process easier and stress-free. If so, you may be wondering: Where can I download a template for my wedding seating chart?How do I assign the table assignments in my wedding seating chart?Who should I assign to a table first in my wedding seating chart?How should I set up the template for my wedding seating...