WEBVTT
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Welcome to episode three of Let's Plan Your Wedding.
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Today we're talking about one of the most complex yet important early decisions you'll make, choosing your wedding date.
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We're going to walk you through how to get there, our date matrix process, what to think about when building your planning timeline, and what takes more or less time than you were expecting.
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Welcome to Let's Plan Your Wedding.
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I'm Abby.
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And I'm Tamar, and this is Let's Plan Your Wedding, the podcast where we are your wedding planners, and every episode is a planning meeting just between us.
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When you subscribe online at Let's Plan Podcast.com, you'll get access to our exclusive show notes, timelines, budgets, and all the wedding planning templates we use with our own clients.
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And if you have questions, submit them directly on the site and we'll get right back to you.
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So pop in your earbuds, step into our podcast office, and we'll take care of the rest.
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Okay.
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Are we ready?
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Let's plan your wedding.
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Hi everyone.
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Welcome back.
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Welcome to episode three.
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Today we are going to talk about timeline and getting to your wedding date.
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And joining us today, as she does often throughout this series, Linda, our mentor, our colleague, and the woman with more wedding planning war stories than anyone we know.
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So to recap the last two episodes, the first one was you're engaged now what?
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We talked about all the things that you should be thinking about right when you get engaged.
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Not much of it has to do with planning, but thinking about how you're going to be planning.
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We covered getting to your guest count.
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And then our last episode was a deep dive into budget.
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And so today we're really excited to talk about how to get to and choose a wedding date and the timeline.
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And as always, hopefully you've gone to let'splanpodcast.com and you have downloaded our Let's Plan Podcast workbook, which will have your guest list, manager, your budget, and your timeline, which we're going to discuss today.
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I have a timeline adjacent story to tell.
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Linda and I were on a site visit in Rhode Island at a yacht club, and we were having a full meeting, bridegroom, bride, Linda's already chuckling, bride's parents, very formal, like sport coat and tie to wedding planning meetings, formal.
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And we had the tent company and the floral designer and the lighting designer and some additional decor and design colleagues there with us.
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And we were talking about the installation and what that would look like over the week prior to the wedding, what that would feel like at the club, and how much we were going to be in everybody's way.
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And in the middle of the meeting, I turned to in front of everyone, I turned to our tent colleague, and I said, Would you mind sharing?
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Would you mind sharing?
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Would you mind sharing your erections?
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Oh my God.
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And the entire group completely lost their composure, as I just did.
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And he well, first there was dead silence.
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And everyone stared at one another.
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We were standing in a big circle.
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Oh God.
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On the lawn.
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Yes.
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Yes.
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We were.
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That's hilarious.
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Would you mind sharing your erection schedule?
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He said, sure.
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I think I should check with my wife first.
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Oh my God, that's amazing.
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Probably wanted to fire me on the spot.
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No way.
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No way.
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Well, I'm not even sure if they got it.
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That's hilarious.
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So when brides call and say to us, which they often do, like, oh, you know, I've booked the band and the venue and the photographer, so everything's mostly done, and I j I like, it's like I just need dot dot dot.
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How do you react?
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Can I tell you that's a great question?
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Because I often told would tell new clients that a father of a bride came to interview me and he drew a box on a piece of paper, and he said, So in that wedding box, I have the venue, I have the band, I have the floral designer.
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What else do I need to make a good wedding?
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Why why do I need anybody else?
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Right.
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You're like, you only have a list of four names.
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You haven't done any of the work.
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It's really right.
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But even if you just took venue and someone says, Great, I have my venue, like I really only need you four dot dot dot.
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When you think about what do you need to do in order to get to your wedding date after you've booked the venue, there's an entire year's worth of work that you're doing, which is why, like again, we'll go over this on our timeline.
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But just having the vendor, even though there's a lot of work getting up to picking that vendor, there's a ton of work that happens after.
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So that's what we're gonna go over today is about timeline and checklist.
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And even though we're not gonna go over all of the details, because if you go download our workbook on let'splanpodcast.com, you will get our incredibly detailed month-by-month timeline with the checklist, and you'll have every little thing you need to do.
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We'll talk about the big picture here today.
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So once a client has become engaged and they've established a wedding budget and they've established what their priorities are and they've established a guest count, what's next?
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So typically the first thing on everyone's mind is where and when am I getting married?
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What is my wedding date and where and what venue am I going to be able to hold that in?
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So, or the next step that you and I take is we do what we call like the date matrixing.
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So you're gonna start doing all this research on all the different potential venues.
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And we also highly recommend that at the same time you're searching and gathering information on the pricing and availability for the other really important vendors that are important to you.
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Typically, this is musical entertainment, so a band or a DJ.
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And in some cases, it can also be a photographer that you really love or you're excited about, or even a videographer if that's important to you.
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Additionally, if you're not being married in a venue that comes with food and beverage, this would include a caterer.
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Yeah.
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So you and I will typically like create a spreadsheet, and as we get venue information and availability dates in, we'll put the date at the top and the venues along the side.
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And then we go down the list of, you know, okay, here are all the venues and here's what dates they're available.
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And then we layer on top of that the band or DJ availability, and then maybe sometimes the photographer uh availability.
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And typically there's like one or two or three dates that pop up as great common dates, and then you can decide which of that is the best.
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I feel like a lot of people ask me, sort of as a friend, how far in advance do I need to book a band or a venue or a photographer?
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And there's a lot of different people who say a lot of different things.
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If you're being really candid, like how far in advance do you think you need to if you had all the time in the world, when would you book those three things?
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My answer is book them whenever you're ready to book them.
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I would take care of the top three whenever you're ready to take care of the top three.
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But the reality is there's no real answer to that.
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For me, yeah, there's no real answer to that question.
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But wouldn't you say it's fair that a band will probably start booking a year out, like on average.
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Yes.
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That a booking agent or a band will say, I have bookings for this time next year.
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Specifically for the peak wedding season months, which here in New England are typically April through November.
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November.
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Yeah.
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Yeah.
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I think also there's consideration for what's happening in and around your desired location.
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So there may be a reason that a hotel isn't booked or is booked.
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There may be a conference in town.
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There may be the Red Bull cliff dive-in, right?
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Yeah.
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There may be the Boston Marathon.
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There may be the Boston Marathon.
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It's not a holiday anywhere else, but that weekend is a terrible weekend here in Boston.
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Yeah.
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We always say commencement weekends too, which can kind of vary throughout Boston specifically.
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They're all different weekends and days.
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When you think about just generally like timeline and the planning process, what would you generally say about like pace of planning?
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I feel like it's intense at the outset.
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Um, both because you want to secure your vendors quickly, and also there's this outside pressure to have, you know, your friends and your family want to know what's the date?
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Yeah.
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Where's it gonna be?
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Do we need to travel?
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Do we need to book our hotel room?
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So there's that intensity at the outset.
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Yeah.
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And then I feel sometimes I feel like intensity is a negative word, and I there's no negative connotation here.
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Yeah.
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But the two months out, yeah, just before the wedding date, there's a lot of details that need to be shared with vendors.
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Right.
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So there's again this like refocus on details and details.
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Well, the hurry up and wait is that your RSVP deadline is typically four weeks before your wedding date.
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And there's a then you have to kind of just reconfirm every detail with your final number for the caterer, for the amount of rentals you have, for your all the details.
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Printed materials.
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Yeah.
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All of that.
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Yeah, I think it's okay to say it's intense, it is, right?
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And wedding I think I don't think that's a bad word.
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But you know, I remember so well that many clients would there would be a lull because they would book so soon, hire us so soon in the process.
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And the beginning part was lots of phoning and lots of emailing and lots of meetings, and then there'd be months, literally months in between, where we would be doing our work, but there's very little involved for the the bridegroom and their families to be doing, except thinking about guest lists.
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Yeah.
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And so, and then it picks up so quickly at the end.
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Right.
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I feel like in the beginning it almost feels like you're working on it daily, yes, yes, multiple times during throughout the week.
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Then it kind of goes into even like once a week, once every other week, you can pace yourself into doing some wedding planning for a while, and then like you're saying, like eight weeks out, you're back to that kind of daily situation.
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Consideration.
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Yeah.
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And it sort of is a pressure cooker.
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I remember so many times that we would have brides who would say, I was so excited to get engaged.
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And then when I started the process of trying to find a location and a band, it became overwhelming.
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And it's just not a happy time for me.
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And that's when they would reach out.
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I was just gonna say that's when they call us.
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Yes, that is, it's always when they call us.
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I think what's it like for me, it's funny, and I think this is what why we want to give our timeline to our listeners, is because even for us, we we refer to our timeline every time we sit down to work on a client.
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Where are we?
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Where were we?
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What is in process?
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What is still left to do, what's coming up?
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And it just even for us, even though we have it like in our heads after all these years, I still find this checklist very sort of comforting in that way that we know we can look at it and say, Oh, you know, yeah, we're we're exactly where we need to be.
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Or you know what, we don't need to actually think about this client today.
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We can come back to this next Monday or whatever it ends up being.
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I'd like to revert back to something that Linda mentioned earlier in this episode.
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There should be consideration when creating your timeline about what you do for a living.
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Yeah, for sure.
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There are over the course of your year of planning, let's assume 12 months for around numbers purposes.
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If you are an accountant, you should be sure that between March 15th and April 15th, there are no deadlines that need to be met.
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If you're a teacher and you know that you are available in March for two weeks or in December for two weeks, or after June 15th, plan accordingly.
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This is not, it doesn't have to be written in stone and should be a guideline, but be give yourself some grace.
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Yeah.
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You know what I also think about, like especially sort of A up front and then B sort of closer to the end, is there's probably a couple days you're gonna need to take off from work or school.
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A lot of our uh clients are actually in grad school as well, so that's another consideration.
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But you are gonna have to take it'll actually behoove you to sort of plan, like, okay, I'm gonna take like two days off up front, or one definitely day off up front, one day off in the middle, one day off about you know, eight to ten weeks out, because you can get so much done in as much as we can get done online now and over Zooms.
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There are moments where you're gonna need and want to be in person.
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So you're gonna wanna look if you can, like you're gonna want to look at your venue.
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You're gonna want to tour them, you're gonna wanna meet with people.
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So, like in the beginning, go tour your venues and take a full day and go do that.
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Like in the middle, we always do like a styling meeting.
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So before our final viewing, we often take our clients to different rental room companies and we show them different textiles and rental options of chairs and tables and furniture, and like we kind of play with everything, and that's a really helpful and informative day.
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And then at the end, the really fun day is your tasting and viewing day.
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So, to Tamar's point about being mindful that you will probably have to give up a day or part of a day here and there.
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Yeah, a weekday.
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We only can meet with prospective clients or clients currently in the planning process Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday.
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Yeah, because Monday we're recovering and Friday we're detailing, if not on site.
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Starting with an installation.
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So be mindful when you are looking at your timeline and be thoughtful of weekday scheduling.
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Love it.
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So what do you think takes more time in the planning process than it actually does?
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And what do you think takes less time in the planning process than it actually does?
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Like, for example, I think getting an invitation from design to print probably takes a little bit longer than people would think it does.
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If you're working with a designer, if you're just picking something online, obviously you can do that in a night and it's great and easy.
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The iterative process of designing a more custom invitation, I think, surprises people that like you think you can get it done in like two weeks, but sometimes it it takes it does.
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It takes longer.
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I agree with that.
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That's an excellent example.
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One thing I think that people don't consider that they're gonna put any time into is creating a list for the photographer for day of.
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I think oftentimes that gets pushed to the very end.
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Yes.
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And then they do it that morning.
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And the photographer doesn't really know the players.
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So it's exceptionally helpful for your photographer to have a list of family members, bridal party, any specific iteration of family members that you would like photographed together.
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If this isn't clearly outlined to the photographer and communicated to the photographer, they oftentimes miss a photo opportunity.
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Yeah.
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You know what I what jumped into mind is I think something that surprises the bride and groom is actually that you don't end up typically, you don't talk to your band until two weeks or your DJ until two weeks before your wedding date.
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And that feels like I think that gives people agita because you want to talk about your flow and you want to talk about your, you know, your do's and don'ts of what to play and what not to play.
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And your song selections.
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Totally.
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And a band actually can't handle hearing from you much before two weeks.
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They'll forget it won't be a priority, it's not fresh in their minds, and you actually want that information really fresh in their minds.
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So I feel like a lot of times they're like, I haven't heard from the band yet, or I haven't been able to talk to my band.
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I'm like, they really don't want to talk to you until max two weeks before your wedding.
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Unless there's some very specific we've had examples of bands needing to learn to practice a song for songs 100 verses the music.
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Yeah, and so we'll communicate a month out or two months out.
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Yeah, but in terms of evening.
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Yeah.
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Speaking with a band leader two weeks out.
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That's an interesting um timeline note.
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Yeah.
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I also would like to add that the part I think that people are most surprised about is the process of choosing a date.
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I I keep going back to that because I feel there's so many opportunities that involve so many people in choosing the right date.
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And I think that is really time consuming.
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Okay, time for our episode three game.
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And this one is called Love or Hate the Wedding Date.
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So we all get invitations in the mail, and it's for all different types of w wedding times of year.
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And I just want to know, do you love or hate the wedding date?
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So let's throw we're gonna throw out dates, and you just gotta say quickly if you got an invitation for this wedding date, would you love it or would you hate it?
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Love or hate the wedding date.
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Here we go.
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Fourth of July.
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Love.
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Neutral.
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Hate I actually think it's the one day a year.
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I'm almost okay with any other holiday.
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If I'm being honest, like if you ask me about Christmas, I actually may in an odd way be like really thrilled for a Christmas Day wedding.
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I think that could be so beautiful.
00:18:10.960 --> 00:18:13.759
There's something about that one Fourth of July day.
00:18:13.839 --> 00:18:17.359
It's like the universal, this is my summer day off.
00:18:17.920 --> 00:18:19.440
Why do you love it though?
00:18:20.160 --> 00:18:26.000
Because I think that there's no for the exact reason I think that you dislike it.
00:18:26.160 --> 00:18:34.720
There's no religious or I don't want to say important because I feel patriotic about the United States of America, but it's celebratory, though.
00:18:35.039 --> 00:18:36.480
It is a celebratory mate.
00:18:37.359 --> 00:18:39.119
There's nothing polarizing about it.
00:18:39.519 --> 00:18:47.599
Fourth of July, I don't really think people have strong political, religious, or affiliative feelings about.
00:18:48.079 --> 00:18:49.279
Why are you neutral on it?
00:18:49.599 --> 00:18:58.160
Well, I'm neutral because I feel that there's something wonderful to celebrate on the Fourth of July.
00:18:58.400 --> 00:19:07.119
And there's so many other dates that people might choose that when there's nothing going on, and a wedding would be the top priority.
00:19:07.200 --> 00:19:08.720
There wouldn't be doubt about it.
00:19:08.960 --> 00:19:09.279
Yeah.
00:19:09.599 --> 00:19:14.079
What do people need to know about getting married over a long weekend in general, like a holiday weekend?
00:19:14.400 --> 00:19:15.359
May I respond to that?
00:19:15.519 --> 00:19:15.839
Yes.
00:19:16.160 --> 00:19:27.519
I think in my in my work, the hardest dates for people were Memorial Day and Labor Day weekends.
00:19:27.839 --> 00:19:28.240
Why?
00:19:28.559 --> 00:19:33.519
Because it's the beginning and the end of the summer holiday.
00:19:33.759 --> 00:19:42.799
I think people move into their um if they happen to have another place to go or a second home or a vacation.
00:19:43.119 --> 00:19:47.759
It's at the beginning of the summer and closing at the end of the summer.
00:19:48.079 --> 00:19:59.920
And I quite often would hear from people that they thought it was very much of an inconvenience to attend a wedding on those holidays.
00:20:00.079 --> 00:20:00.160
Yes.
00:20:00.559 --> 00:20:09.440
You know, my brother, my brother and sister-in-law got married on Labor Day, and I remember, and it was a destination wedding in Lake Tahoe, and I remember saying to my sister-in-law, I was like, Well, that's great.
00:20:09.519 --> 00:20:11.920
You just have to expect that like not everybody's gonna be able to come.
00:20:12.000 --> 00:20:16.079
It's a long weekend, it's a destination, and every single person came and I ate my words.
00:20:16.480 --> 00:20:18.240
So New Year's Eve.
00:20:18.400 --> 00:20:20.160
Love, love, love.
00:20:20.559 --> 00:20:21.200
Oh my God.
00:20:21.359 --> 00:20:23.759
Everyone wants a plan on New Year's Eve.
00:20:24.000 --> 00:20:28.799
And what is more fun than being dressed up and it doesn't feel manufactured?
00:20:28.960 --> 00:20:30.160
No, it's it's real.
00:20:30.400 --> 00:20:31.599
I know it's just great.
00:20:31.839 --> 00:20:32.160
I love it.
00:20:32.240 --> 00:20:32.400
Right?
00:20:32.880 --> 00:20:35.599
And you get like a hundred percent of the people to stay through midnight.
00:20:35.839 --> 00:20:40.559
Are you talking about not manufactured, but the forced merriment that people feel on New Year's Eve?
00:20:40.799 --> 00:20:41.200
100%.
00:20:41.680 --> 00:20:42.160
Yes.
00:20:42.480 --> 00:20:43.920
Sunday weddings.
00:20:44.960 --> 00:20:48.160
If the if it's on a holiday weekend or just a Sunday wedding?
00:20:48.559 --> 00:20:50.079
Answer it both ways.
00:20:50.400 --> 00:21:02.319
I think if it's not on a holiday weekend, I actually love the idea of like a Sunday kind of late afternoon, early evening wedding that doesn't go, maybe it ends at 10 and starts at three or four in the afternoon.
00:21:02.480 --> 00:21:03.119
I kind of love that.
00:21:03.359 --> 00:21:05.279
A cozy autumn Sunday wedding?
00:21:05.519 --> 00:21:13.599
Yes, or a spring, beautiful, like in May or June, like a tea I don't know.
00:21:13.759 --> 00:21:13.920
Yes.
00:21:14.160 --> 00:21:15.680
Why does the word tea come to mind for me?
00:21:15.759 --> 00:21:16.000
I don't know.
00:21:16.240 --> 00:21:17.680
Or a Friday wedding.
00:21:18.880 --> 00:21:27.039
My only issue with a Friday wedding is that people are exhausted and it's often difficult for people to get there in time.
00:21:27.359 --> 00:21:34.799
That's so right, like a lot of the times if you have a bridal party and people are working, it means they probably have to take Friday off.
00:21:35.119 --> 00:21:40.400
We find that with a traditional Friday evening rehearsal dinner or welcome reception as well.
00:21:40.640 --> 00:21:40.960
Yeah.
00:21:41.440 --> 00:21:53.039
In most not most, but any working guests or bridal party have difficulty arriving to a rehearsal and a rehearsal dinner on time on a Friday evening.
00:21:53.599 --> 00:22:00.480
That said, Friday and Sunday weddings are significantly discounted, so it's a great way of saving money.
00:22:00.880 --> 00:22:06.880
But I'd rather do a Sunday, like a beautiful Sunday wedding than a Friday night wedding.
00:22:07.119 --> 00:22:08.240
Winter weddings.
00:22:08.640 --> 00:22:09.759
Love or hate the date.
00:22:10.000 --> 00:22:10.480
Love.
00:22:10.880 --> 00:22:11.519
Love.
00:22:12.000 --> 00:22:12.640
Love.
00:22:13.119 --> 00:22:24.400
I think any season that you can lean into the season and use inspiration in the decor is a date that I love.
00:22:24.960 --> 00:22:28.079
I love filling those kind of quieter times in your calendar.
00:22:28.160 --> 00:22:36.400
So by I'm gonna say selfishly because I did this, but by February or even early March, people are dying to get out of their house.
00:22:36.559 --> 00:22:37.839
They want something to go to.
00:22:37.920 --> 00:22:44.000
They'd be so enthusiastic, snow or no snow, for a reason to celebrate.
00:22:44.319 --> 00:22:44.640
100%.
00:22:45.119 --> 00:22:47.279
There's like a really wonderful energy.
00:22:47.519 --> 00:22:48.079
Agreed.
00:22:48.240 --> 00:22:48.559
Yeah.
00:22:48.799 --> 00:22:51.200
That's love or hate the wedding date, listeners.
00:22:51.279 --> 00:22:54.799
But honestly, any date you choose is the right date for you.
00:22:55.039 --> 00:22:55.359
Okay.
00:22:55.680 --> 00:22:57.119
Let's wrap this episode up.
00:22:57.359 --> 00:22:59.200
Okay, guys, that was another great meeting.
00:22:59.359 --> 00:23:01.279
Here's what we want you to walk away with today.
00:23:01.440 --> 00:23:03.759
Your wedding date is not a siloed decision.
00:23:03.920 --> 00:23:09.279
You have to matrix venue, band, photographer, the people you love, your own work calendar, etc.
00:23:09.680 --> 00:23:12.640
Get all of those things together before you commit to anything.
00:23:12.880 --> 00:23:18.880
Your homework is to go to our website at let'splanpodcast.com and download our free matrix template.
00:23:19.119 --> 00:23:23.680
Write in your top three venue options and the dates that you know are available.
00:23:23.839 --> 00:23:24.480
That's it.
00:23:24.640 --> 00:23:28.000
You're not committing to anything, you're just starting the matrix.
00:23:28.160 --> 00:23:30.640
Do it this week while the episode is fresh in your minds.
00:23:30.880 --> 00:23:34.559
Your detailed timeline and checklist are waiting for you at Let's Planpodcast.com.
00:23:34.720 --> 00:23:37.279
Download the Let's Plan workbook if you haven't already.
00:23:37.440 --> 00:23:42.000
Find the timeline tab, and you'll see what you should be doing and when all the way to your wedding date.
00:23:42.160 --> 00:23:48.000
And it will also act as your checklist so you can keep tabs on what you still have to do, what's in process, and what's complete.
00:23:48.160 --> 00:24:02.720
On our next episode, we're talking about ceremony planning and flow of events, how to build your wedding day schedule, what makes a difference between a magical evening and a chaotic one, and the three worst wedding speech moments we've ever witnessed.
00:24:03.039 --> 00:24:04.640
You look totally crazy.
00:24:05.039 --> 00:24:06.079
In the best way.
00:24:06.799 --> 00:24:12.720
And remember, subscribe wherever you listen, leave us a review, and follow us on Instagram at Let's Plan Podcast.
00:24:13.039 --> 00:24:13.519
Questions?
00:24:13.680 --> 00:24:17.440
Drop us a line at Let's PlanPodcast.com and we will get right back to you.
00:24:17.599 --> 00:24:22.480
And for what it's worth, New Year's Eve is still the best wedding date there is.
00:24:22.640 --> 00:24:24.720
We will not be taking questions on this.
00:24:24.960 --> 00:24:26.319
See you next time.
00:24:31.119 --> 00:24:32.880
This podcast is for entertainment only.
00:24:32.960 --> 00:24:37.039
The Let's Plan Your Wedding Podcast assumes no responsibility for errors or omissions.
00:24:37.200 --> 00:24:44.880
It is produced by AGTF LLC in a separate capacity and is provided as is, with no guarantees of accuracy, completeness, or usefulness.
00:24:45.039 --> 00:24:48.480
The podcast is for informational, private, and non commercial use only.
00:24:48.640 --> 00:24:53.440
Reproduction, modification, or redistribution without AGTF LLC's consent is prohibited.
00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.479
Welcome to episode three of Let's Plan Your Wedding.
00:00:02.640 --> 00:00:09.119
Today we're talking about one of the most complex yet important early decisions you'll make, choosing your wedding date.
00:00:09.279 --> 00:00:19.839
We're going to walk you through how to get there, our date matrix process, what to think about when building your planning timeline, and what takes more or less time than you were expecting.
00:00:20.239 --> 00:00:21.839
Welcome to Let's Plan Your Wedding.
00:00:22.000 --> 00:00:22.640
I'm Abby.
00:00:22.800 --> 00:00:30.800
And I'm Tamar, and this is Let's Plan Your Wedding, the podcast where we are your wedding planners, and every episode is a planning meeting just between us.
00:00:31.039 --> 00:00:41.039
When you subscribe online at Let's Plan Podcast.com, you'll get access to our exclusive show notes, timelines, budgets, and all the wedding planning templates we use with our own clients.
00:00:41.280 --> 00:00:45.039
And if you have questions, submit them directly on the site and we'll get right back to you.
00:00:45.280 --> 00:00:50.159
So pop in your earbuds, step into our podcast office, and we'll take care of the rest.
00:00:50.320 --> 00:00:50.640
Okay.
00:00:50.960 --> 00:00:51.840
Are we ready?
00:00:52.000 --> 00:00:53.840
Let's plan your wedding.
00:00:57.359 --> 00:00:58.399
Hi everyone.
00:00:58.560 --> 00:00:59.280
Welcome back.
00:00:59.439 --> 00:01:00.960
Welcome to episode three.
00:01:01.200 --> 00:01:04.879
Today we are going to talk about timeline and getting to your wedding date.
00:01:05.040 --> 00:01:15.120
And joining us today, as she does often throughout this series, Linda, our mentor, our colleague, and the woman with more wedding planning war stories than anyone we know.
00:01:15.439 --> 00:01:18.959
So to recap the last two episodes, the first one was you're engaged now what?
00:01:19.200 --> 00:01:23.439
We talked about all the things that you should be thinking about right when you get engaged.
00:01:23.599 --> 00:01:27.040
Not much of it has to do with planning, but thinking about how you're going to be planning.
00:01:27.200 --> 00:01:29.359
We covered getting to your guest count.
00:01:29.519 --> 00:01:32.879
And then our last episode was a deep dive into budget.
00:01:32.959 --> 00:01:40.400
And so today we're really excited to talk about how to get to and choose a wedding date and the timeline.
00:01:40.480 --> 00:01:55.359
And as always, hopefully you've gone to let'splanpodcast.com and you have downloaded our Let's Plan Podcast workbook, which will have your guest list, manager, your budget, and your timeline, which we're going to discuss today.
00:01:55.680 --> 00:01:59.439
I have a timeline adjacent story to tell.
00:01:59.760 --> 00:02:18.960
Linda and I were on a site visit in Rhode Island at a yacht club, and we were having a full meeting, bridegroom, bride, Linda's already chuckling, bride's parents, very formal, like sport coat and tie to wedding planning meetings, formal.
00:02:19.759 --> 00:02:29.439
And we had the tent company and the floral designer and the lighting designer and some additional decor and design colleagues there with us.
00:02:29.599 --> 00:02:42.639
And we were talking about the installation and what that would look like over the week prior to the wedding, what that would feel like at the club, and how much we were going to be in everybody's way.
00:02:42.879 --> 00:02:55.280
And in the middle of the meeting, I turned to in front of everyone, I turned to our tent colleague, and I said, Would you mind sharing?
00:03:01.759 --> 00:03:03.520
Would you mind sharing?
00:03:09.120 --> 00:03:11.439
Would you mind sharing your erections?
00:03:14.800 --> 00:03:15.919
Oh my God.
00:03:16.400 --> 00:03:22.000
And the entire group completely lost their composure, as I just did.
00:03:22.639 --> 00:03:26.639
And he well, first there was dead silence.
00:03:27.199 --> 00:03:29.840
And everyone stared at one another.
00:03:30.000 --> 00:03:32.240
We were standing in a big circle.
00:03:32.479 --> 00:03:33.280
Oh God.
00:03:33.680 --> 00:03:34.479
On the lawn.
00:03:34.719 --> 00:03:35.120
Yes.
00:03:35.280 --> 00:03:35.599
Yes.
00:03:35.840 --> 00:03:36.159
We were.
00:03:36.400 --> 00:03:37.360
That's hilarious.
00:03:37.680 --> 00:03:41.039
Would you mind sharing your erection schedule?
00:03:41.520 --> 00:03:42.400
He said, sure.
00:03:42.560 --> 00:03:44.000
I think I should check with my wife first.
00:03:44.400 --> 00:03:45.599
Oh my God, that's amazing.
00:03:46.000 --> 00:03:47.759
Probably wanted to fire me on the spot.
00:03:48.000 --> 00:03:48.560
No way.
00:03:48.719 --> 00:03:48.960
No way.
00:03:49.360 --> 00:03:51.280
Well, I'm not even sure if they got it.
00:03:54.719 --> 00:03:55.680
That's hilarious.
00:03:55.919 --> 00:04:06.319
So when brides call and say to us, which they often do, like, oh, you know, I've booked the band and the venue and the photographer, so everything's mostly done, and I j I like, it's like I just need dot dot dot.
00:04:06.719 --> 00:04:07.599
How do you react?
00:04:07.919 --> 00:04:09.759
Can I tell you that's a great question?
00:04:10.000 --> 00:04:33.120
Because I often told would tell new clients that a father of a bride came to interview me and he drew a box on a piece of paper, and he said, So in that wedding box, I have the venue, I have the band, I have the floral designer.
00:04:33.759 --> 00:04:36.240
What else do I need to make a good wedding?
00:04:36.480 --> 00:04:38.480
Why why do I need anybody else?
00:04:38.720 --> 00:04:38.959
Right.
00:04:39.120 --> 00:04:40.879
You're like, you only have a list of four names.
00:04:40.959 --> 00:04:41.920
You haven't done any of the work.
00:04:42.160 --> 00:04:43.040
It's really right.
00:04:43.279 --> 00:04:48.720
But even if you just took venue and someone says, Great, I have my venue, like I really only need you four dot dot dot.
00:04:48.959 --> 00:05:00.240
When you think about what do you need to do in order to get to your wedding date after you've booked the venue, there's an entire year's worth of work that you're doing, which is why, like again, we'll go over this on our timeline.
00:05:00.480 --> 00:05:07.759
But just having the vendor, even though there's a lot of work getting up to picking that vendor, there's a ton of work that happens after.
00:05:07.920 --> 00:05:11.839
So that's what we're gonna go over today is about timeline and checklist.
00:05:12.000 --> 00:05:26.720
And even though we're not gonna go over all of the details, because if you go download our workbook on let'splanpodcast.com, you will get our incredibly detailed month-by-month timeline with the checklist, and you'll have every little thing you need to do.
00:05:26.800 --> 00:05:28.959
We'll talk about the big picture here today.
00:05:29.360 --> 00:05:39.920
So once a client has become engaged and they've established a wedding budget and they've established what their priorities are and they've established a guest count, what's next?
00:05:40.240 --> 00:05:44.079
So typically the first thing on everyone's mind is where and when am I getting married?
00:05:44.160 --> 00:05:48.079
What is my wedding date and where and what venue am I going to be able to hold that in?
00:05:48.240 --> 00:05:52.480
So, or the next step that you and I take is we do what we call like the date matrixing.
00:05:52.639 --> 00:05:57.040
So you're gonna start doing all this research on all the different potential venues.
00:05:57.120 --> 00:06:06.959
And we also highly recommend that at the same time you're searching and gathering information on the pricing and availability for the other really important vendors that are important to you.
00:06:07.199 --> 00:06:10.959
Typically, this is musical entertainment, so a band or a DJ.
00:06:11.040 --> 00:06:17.839
And in some cases, it can also be a photographer that you really love or you're excited about, or even a videographer if that's important to you.
00:06:18.160 --> 00:06:23.279
Additionally, if you're not being married in a venue that comes with food and beverage, this would include a caterer.
00:06:23.519 --> 00:06:23.920
Yeah.
00:06:24.160 --> 00:06:34.720
So you and I will typically like create a spreadsheet, and as we get venue information and availability dates in, we'll put the date at the top and the venues along the side.
00:06:34.959 --> 00:06:40.160
And then we go down the list of, you know, okay, here are all the venues and here's what dates they're available.
00:06:40.480 --> 00:06:48.240
And then we layer on top of that the band or DJ availability, and then maybe sometimes the photographer uh availability.
00:06:48.399 --> 00:06:56.639
And typically there's like one or two or three dates that pop up as great common dates, and then you can decide which of that is the best.
00:06:56.879 --> 00:07:03.839
I feel like a lot of people ask me, sort of as a friend, how far in advance do I need to book a band or a venue or a photographer?
00:07:04.000 --> 00:07:06.399
And there's a lot of different people who say a lot of different things.
00:07:06.560 --> 00:07:14.000
If you're being really candid, like how far in advance do you think you need to if you had all the time in the world, when would you book those three things?
00:07:14.319 --> 00:07:17.600
My answer is book them whenever you're ready to book them.
00:07:17.920 --> 00:07:22.079
I would take care of the top three whenever you're ready to take care of the top three.
00:07:22.240 --> 00:07:29.439
But the reality is there's no real answer to that.
00:07:29.600 --> 00:07:31.920
For me, yeah, there's no real answer to that question.
00:07:32.240 --> 00:07:39.120
But wouldn't you say it's fair that a band will probably start booking a year out, like on average.
00:07:39.360 --> 00:07:39.680
Yes.
00:07:40.000 --> 00:07:44.319
That a booking agent or a band will say, I have bookings for this time next year.
00:07:44.639 --> 00:07:53.839
Specifically for the peak wedding season months, which here in New England are typically April through November.
00:07:54.079 --> 00:07:54.399
November.
00:07:54.639 --> 00:07:54.879
Yeah.
00:07:55.040 --> 00:07:55.199
Yeah.
00:07:55.439 --> 00:08:03.279
I think also there's consideration for what's happening in and around your desired location.
00:08:03.759 --> 00:08:08.800
So there may be a reason that a hotel isn't booked or is booked.
00:08:08.879 --> 00:08:10.720
There may be a conference in town.
00:08:10.879 --> 00:08:15.519
There may be the Red Bull cliff dive-in, right?
00:08:15.759 --> 00:08:15.920
Yeah.
00:08:16.079 --> 00:08:17.519
There may be the Boston Marathon.
00:08:18.160 --> 00:08:19.439
There may be the Boston Marathon.
00:08:19.600 --> 00:08:25.120
It's not a holiday anywhere else, but that weekend is a terrible weekend here in Boston.
00:08:25.279 --> 00:08:25.439
Yeah.
00:08:25.759 --> 00:08:29.920
We always say commencement weekends too, which can kind of vary throughout Boston specifically.
00:08:30.079 --> 00:08:32.559
They're all different weekends and days.
00:08:32.879 --> 00:08:39.919
When you think about just generally like timeline and the planning process, what would you generally say about like pace of planning?
00:08:40.240 --> 00:08:42.960
I feel like it's intense at the outset.
00:08:43.600 --> 00:08:57.679
Um, both because you want to secure your vendors quickly, and also there's this outside pressure to have, you know, your friends and your family want to know what's the date?
00:08:57.759 --> 00:08:57.919
Yeah.
00:08:58.080 --> 00:08:58.799
Where's it gonna be?
00:08:59.039 --> 00:08:59.759
Do we need to travel?
00:08:59.919 --> 00:09:01.200
Do we need to book our hotel room?
00:09:01.360 --> 00:09:04.559
So there's that intensity at the outset.
00:09:04.720 --> 00:09:04.960
Yeah.
00:09:05.200 --> 00:09:12.960
And then I feel sometimes I feel like intensity is a negative word, and I there's no negative connotation here.
00:09:13.120 --> 00:09:13.360
Yeah.
00:09:13.600 --> 00:09:21.759
But the two months out, yeah, just before the wedding date, there's a lot of details that need to be shared with vendors.
00:09:22.000 --> 00:09:22.159
Right.
00:09:22.320 --> 00:09:27.039
So there's again this like refocus on details and details.
00:09:27.360 --> 00:09:33.279
Well, the hurry up and wait is that your RSVP deadline is typically four weeks before your wedding date.
00:09:33.360 --> 00:09:44.080
And there's a then you have to kind of just reconfirm every detail with your final number for the caterer, for the amount of rentals you have, for your all the details.
00:09:44.559 --> 00:09:45.759
Printed materials.
00:09:46.000 --> 00:09:46.320
Yeah.
00:09:46.720 --> 00:09:47.360
All of that.
00:09:48.320 --> 00:09:51.200
Yeah, I think it's okay to say it's intense, it is, right?
00:09:51.279 --> 00:09:54.320
And wedding I think I don't think that's a bad word.
00:09:54.639 --> 00:10:06.960
But you know, I remember so well that many clients would there would be a lull because they would book so soon, hire us so soon in the process.
00:10:07.360 --> 00:10:30.399
And the beginning part was lots of phoning and lots of emailing and lots of meetings, and then there'd be months, literally months in between, where we would be doing our work, but there's very little involved for the the bridegroom and their families to be doing, except thinking about guest lists.
00:10:30.480 --> 00:10:30.799
Yeah.
00:10:31.039 --> 00:10:34.879
And so, and then it picks up so quickly at the end.
00:10:35.200 --> 00:10:35.360
Right.
00:10:35.519 --> 00:10:41.679
I feel like in the beginning it almost feels like you're working on it daily, yes, yes, multiple times during throughout the week.
00:10:41.840 --> 00:10:54.879
Then it kind of goes into even like once a week, once every other week, you can pace yourself into doing some wedding planning for a while, and then like you're saying, like eight weeks out, you're back to that kind of daily situation.
00:10:55.279 --> 00:10:55.679
Consideration.
00:10:55.840 --> 00:10:56.240
Yeah.
00:10:56.879 --> 00:10:58.720
And it sort of is a pressure cooker.
00:10:58.879 --> 00:11:08.159
I remember so many times that we would have brides who would say, I was so excited to get engaged.
00:11:08.399 --> 00:11:17.360
And then when I started the process of trying to find a location and a band, it became overwhelming.
00:11:17.440 --> 00:11:19.440
And it's just not a happy time for me.
00:11:19.519 --> 00:11:20.720
And that's when they would reach out.
00:11:21.200 --> 00:11:22.799
I was just gonna say that's when they call us.
00:11:23.039 --> 00:11:25.600
Yes, that is, it's always when they call us.
00:11:25.840 --> 00:11:38.559
I think what's it like for me, it's funny, and I think this is what why we want to give our timeline to our listeners, is because even for us, we we refer to our timeline every time we sit down to work on a client.
00:11:38.720 --> 00:11:39.279
Where are we?
00:11:39.440 --> 00:11:40.159
Where were we?
00:11:40.399 --> 00:11:41.360
What is in process?
00:11:41.440 --> 00:11:43.360
What is still left to do, what's coming up?
00:11:43.440 --> 00:11:57.039
And it just even for us, even though we have it like in our heads after all these years, I still find this checklist very sort of comforting in that way that we know we can look at it and say, Oh, you know, yeah, we're we're exactly where we need to be.
00:11:57.120 --> 00:11:59.440
Or you know what, we don't need to actually think about this client today.
00:11:59.519 --> 00:12:02.240
We can come back to this next Monday or whatever it ends up being.
00:12:02.559 --> 00:12:06.960
I'd like to revert back to something that Linda mentioned earlier in this episode.
00:12:07.200 --> 00:12:12.720
There should be consideration when creating your timeline about what you do for a living.
00:12:12.960 --> 00:12:13.440
Yeah, for sure.
00:12:13.840 --> 00:12:20.960
There are over the course of your year of planning, let's assume 12 months for around numbers purposes.
00:12:21.360 --> 00:12:29.279
If you are an accountant, you should be sure that between March 15th and April 15th, there are no deadlines that need to be met.
00:12:29.440 --> 00:12:40.080
If you're a teacher and you know that you are available in March for two weeks or in December for two weeks, or after June 15th, plan accordingly.
00:12:40.559 --> 00:12:47.840
This is not, it doesn't have to be written in stone and should be a guideline, but be give yourself some grace.
00:12:48.000 --> 00:12:48.240
Yeah.
00:12:48.480 --> 00:12:58.720
You know what I also think about, like especially sort of A up front and then B sort of closer to the end, is there's probably a couple days you're gonna need to take off from work or school.
00:12:58.960 --> 00:13:02.559
A lot of our uh clients are actually in grad school as well, so that's another consideration.
00:13:02.720 --> 00:13:20.960
But you are gonna have to take it'll actually behoove you to sort of plan, like, okay, I'm gonna take like two days off up front, or one definitely day off up front, one day off in the middle, one day off about you know, eight to ten weeks out, because you can get so much done in as much as we can get done online now and over Zooms.
00:13:21.279 --> 00:13:24.159
There are moments where you're gonna need and want to be in person.
00:13:24.240 --> 00:13:27.360
So you're gonna wanna look if you can, like you're gonna want to look at your venue.
00:13:27.440 --> 00:13:30.240
You're gonna want to tour them, you're gonna wanna meet with people.
00:13:30.399 --> 00:13:33.840
So, like in the beginning, go tour your venues and take a full day and go do that.
00:13:34.000 --> 00:13:36.159
Like in the middle, we always do like a styling meeting.
00:13:36.240 --> 00:13:51.120
So before our final viewing, we often take our clients to different rental room companies and we show them different textiles and rental options of chairs and tables and furniture, and like we kind of play with everything, and that's a really helpful and informative day.
00:13:51.200 --> 00:13:56.320
And then at the end, the really fun day is your tasting and viewing day.
00:13:56.720 --> 00:14:04.159
So, to Tamar's point about being mindful that you will probably have to give up a day or part of a day here and there.
00:14:04.399 --> 00:14:05.279
Yeah, a weekday.
00:14:05.440 --> 00:14:14.399
We only can meet with prospective clients or clients currently in the planning process Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday.
00:14:14.559 --> 00:14:19.919
Yeah, because Monday we're recovering and Friday we're detailing, if not on site.
00:14:20.320 --> 00:14:21.679
Starting with an installation.
00:14:22.000 --> 00:14:29.440
So be mindful when you are looking at your timeline and be thoughtful of weekday scheduling.
00:14:29.840 --> 00:14:30.320
Love it.
00:14:30.480 --> 00:14:37.039
So what do you think takes more time in the planning process than it actually does?
00:14:37.200 --> 00:14:40.960
And what do you think takes less time in the planning process than it actually does?
00:14:42.080 --> 00:14:51.039
Like, for example, I think getting an invitation from design to print probably takes a little bit longer than people would think it does.
00:14:51.200 --> 00:14:56.960
If you're working with a designer, if you're just picking something online, obviously you can do that in a night and it's great and easy.
00:14:57.200 --> 00:15:06.639
The iterative process of designing a more custom invitation, I think, surprises people that like you think you can get it done in like two weeks, but sometimes it it takes it does.
00:15:06.799 --> 00:15:07.360
It takes longer.
00:15:07.519 --> 00:15:08.080
I agree with that.
00:15:08.159 --> 00:15:09.360
That's an excellent example.
00:15:09.600 --> 00:15:19.519
One thing I think that people don't consider that they're gonna put any time into is creating a list for the photographer for day of.
00:15:20.320 --> 00:15:24.720
I think oftentimes that gets pushed to the very end.
00:15:24.879 --> 00:15:25.120
Yes.
00:15:25.279 --> 00:15:26.720
And then they do it that morning.
00:15:27.039 --> 00:15:30.639
And the photographer doesn't really know the players.
00:15:30.879 --> 00:15:44.720
So it's exceptionally helpful for your photographer to have a list of family members, bridal party, any specific iteration of family members that you would like photographed together.
00:15:45.039 --> 00:15:53.039
If this isn't clearly outlined to the photographer and communicated to the photographer, they oftentimes miss a photo opportunity.
00:15:53.279 --> 00:15:53.679
Yeah.
00:15:53.919 --> 00:16:05.519
You know what I what jumped into mind is I think something that surprises the bride and groom is actually that you don't end up typically, you don't talk to your band until two weeks or your DJ until two weeks before your wedding date.
00:16:05.600 --> 00:16:14.159
And that feels like I think that gives people agita because you want to talk about your flow and you want to talk about your, you know, your do's and don'ts of what to play and what not to play.
00:16:14.320 --> 00:16:15.440
And your song selections.
00:16:15.600 --> 00:16:15.919
Totally.
00:16:16.080 --> 00:16:20.240
And a band actually can't handle hearing from you much before two weeks.
00:16:20.399 --> 00:16:26.879
They'll forget it won't be a priority, it's not fresh in their minds, and you actually want that information really fresh in their minds.
00:16:27.039 --> 00:16:31.840
So I feel like a lot of times they're like, I haven't heard from the band yet, or I haven't been able to talk to my band.
00:16:31.919 --> 00:16:36.960
I'm like, they really don't want to talk to you until max two weeks before your wedding.
00:16:37.440 --> 00:16:48.960
Unless there's some very specific we've had examples of bands needing to learn to practice a song for songs 100 verses the music.
00:16:49.039 --> 00:16:53.039
Yeah, and so we'll communicate a month out or two months out.
00:16:53.360 --> 00:16:55.840
Yeah, but in terms of evening.
00:16:55.919 --> 00:16:56.080
Yeah.
00:16:56.399 --> 00:16:58.639
Speaking with a band leader two weeks out.
00:16:58.720 --> 00:17:01.600
That's an interesting um timeline note.
00:17:01.759 --> 00:17:01.919
Yeah.
00:17:03.440 --> 00:17:12.720
I also would like to add that the part I think that people are most surprised about is the process of choosing a date.
00:17:12.960 --> 00:17:23.759
I I keep going back to that because I feel there's so many opportunities that involve so many people in choosing the right date.
00:17:23.839 --> 00:17:26.640
And I think that is really time consuming.
00:17:26.960 --> 00:17:29.119
Okay, time for our episode three game.
00:17:29.200 --> 00:17:31.920
And this one is called Love or Hate the Wedding Date.
00:17:32.000 --> 00:17:36.559
So we all get invitations in the mail, and it's for all different types of w wedding times of year.
00:17:36.799 --> 00:17:39.440
And I just want to know, do you love or hate the wedding date?
00:17:39.599 --> 00:17:46.880
So let's throw we're gonna throw out dates, and you just gotta say quickly if you got an invitation for this wedding date, would you love it or would you hate it?
00:17:47.039 --> 00:17:48.160
Love or hate the wedding date.
00:17:48.319 --> 00:17:48.880
Here we go.
00:17:49.200 --> 00:17:50.319
Fourth of July.
00:17:51.359 --> 00:17:51.920
Love.
00:17:53.279 --> 00:17:54.000
Neutral.
00:17:54.480 --> 00:17:58.880
Hate I actually think it's the one day a year.
00:17:58.960 --> 00:18:01.200
I'm almost okay with any other holiday.
00:18:01.599 --> 00:18:08.960
If I'm being honest, like if you ask me about Christmas, I actually may in an odd way be like really thrilled for a Christmas Day wedding.
00:18:09.039 --> 00:18:10.559
I think that could be so beautiful.
00:18:10.960 --> 00:18:13.759
There's something about that one Fourth of July day.
00:18:13.839 --> 00:18:17.359
It's like the universal, this is my summer day off.
00:18:17.920 --> 00:18:19.440
Why do you love it though?
00:18:20.160 --> 00:18:26.000
Because I think that there's no for the exact reason I think that you dislike it.
00:18:26.160 --> 00:18:34.720
There's no religious or I don't want to say important because I feel patriotic about the United States of America, but it's celebratory, though.
00:18:35.039 --> 00:18:36.480
It is a celebratory mate.
00:18:37.359 --> 00:18:39.119
There's nothing polarizing about it.
00:18:39.519 --> 00:18:47.599
Fourth of July, I don't really think people have strong political, religious, or affiliative feelings about.
00:18:48.079 --> 00:18:49.279
Why are you neutral on it?
00:18:49.599 --> 00:18:58.160
Well, I'm neutral because I feel that there's something wonderful to celebrate on the Fourth of July.
00:18:58.400 --> 00:19:07.119
And there's so many other dates that people might choose that when there's nothing going on, and a wedding would be the top priority.
00:19:07.200 --> 00:19:08.720
There wouldn't be doubt about it.
00:19:08.960 --> 00:19:09.279
Yeah.
00:19:09.599 --> 00:19:14.079
What do people need to know about getting married over a long weekend in general, like a holiday weekend?
00:19:14.400 --> 00:19:15.359
May I respond to that?
00:19:15.519 --> 00:19:15.839
Yes.
00:19:16.160 --> 00:19:27.519
I think in my in my work, the hardest dates for people were Memorial Day and Labor Day weekends.
00:19:27.839 --> 00:19:28.240
Why?
00:19:28.559 --> 00:19:33.519
Because it's the beginning and the end of the summer holiday.
00:19:33.759 --> 00:19:42.799
I think people move into their um if they happen to have another place to go or a second home or a vacation.
00:19:43.119 --> 00:19:47.759
It's at the beginning of the summer and closing at the end of the summer.
00:19:48.079 --> 00:19:59.920
And I quite often would hear from people that they thought it was very much of an inconvenience to attend a wedding on those holidays.
00:20:00.079 --> 00:20:00.160
Yes.
00:20:00.559 --> 00:20:09.440
You know, my brother, my brother and sister-in-law got married on Labor Day, and I remember, and it was a destination wedding in Lake Tahoe, and I remember saying to my sister-in-law, I was like, Well, that's great.
00:20:09.519 --> 00:20:11.920
You just have to expect that like not everybody's gonna be able to come.
00:20:12.000 --> 00:20:16.079
It's a long weekend, it's a destination, and every single person came and I ate my words.
00:20:16.480 --> 00:20:18.240
So New Year's Eve.
00:20:18.400 --> 00:20:20.160
Love, love, love.
00:20:20.559 --> 00:20:21.200
Oh my God.
00:20:21.359 --> 00:20:23.759
Everyone wants a plan on New Year's Eve.
00:20:24.000 --> 00:20:28.799
And what is more fun than being dressed up and it doesn't feel manufactured?
00:20:28.960 --> 00:20:30.160
No, it's it's real.
00:20:30.400 --> 00:20:31.599
I know it's just great.
00:20:31.839 --> 00:20:32.160
I love it.
00:20:32.240 --> 00:20:32.400
Right?
00:20:32.880 --> 00:20:35.599
And you get like a hundred percent of the people to stay through midnight.
00:20:35.839 --> 00:20:40.559
Are you talking about not manufactured, but the forced merriment that people feel on New Year's Eve?
00:20:40.799 --> 00:20:41.200
100%.
00:20:41.680 --> 00:20:42.160
Yes.
00:20:42.480 --> 00:20:43.920
Sunday weddings.
00:20:44.960 --> 00:20:48.160
If the if it's on a holiday weekend or just a Sunday wedding?
00:20:48.559 --> 00:20:50.079
Answer it both ways.
00:20:50.400 --> 00:21:02.319
I think if it's not on a holiday weekend, I actually love the idea of like a Sunday kind of late afternoon, early evening wedding that doesn't go, maybe it ends at 10 and starts at three or four in the afternoon.
00:21:02.480 --> 00:21:03.119
I kind of love that.
00:21:03.359 --> 00:21:05.279
A cozy autumn Sunday wedding?
00:21:05.519 --> 00:21:13.599
Yes, or a spring, beautiful, like in May or June, like a tea I don't know.
00:21:13.759 --> 00:21:13.920
Yes.
00:21:14.160 --> 00:21:15.680
Why does the word tea come to mind for me?
00:21:15.759 --> 00:21:16.000
I don't know.
00:21:16.240 --> 00:21:17.680
Or a Friday wedding.
00:21:18.880 --> 00:21:27.039
My only issue with a Friday wedding is that people are exhausted and it's often difficult for people to get there in time.
00:21:27.359 --> 00:21:34.799
That's so right, like a lot of the times if you have a bridal party and people are working, it means they probably have to take Friday off.
00:21:35.119 --> 00:21:40.400
We find that with a traditional Friday evening rehearsal dinner or welcome reception as well.
00:21:40.640 --> 00:21:40.960
Yeah.
00:21:41.440 --> 00:21:53.039
In most not most, but any working guests or bridal party have difficulty arriving to a rehearsal and a rehearsal dinner on time on a Friday evening.
00:21:53.599 --> 00:22:00.480
That said, Friday and Sunday weddings are significantly discounted, so it's a great way of saving money.
00:22:00.880 --> 00:22:06.880
But I'd rather do a Sunday, like a beautiful Sunday wedding than a Friday night wedding.
00:22:07.119 --> 00:22:08.240
Winter weddings.
00:22:08.640 --> 00:22:09.759
Love or hate the date.
00:22:10.000 --> 00:22:10.480
Love.
00:22:10.880 --> 00:22:11.519
Love.
00:22:12.000 --> 00:22:12.640
Love.
00:22:13.119 --> 00:22:24.400
I think any season that you can lean into the season and use inspiration in the decor is a date that I love.
00:22:24.960 --> 00:22:28.079
I love filling those kind of quieter times in your calendar.
00:22:28.160 --> 00:22:36.400
So by I'm gonna say selfishly because I did this, but by February or even early March, people are dying to get out of their house.
00:22:36.559 --> 00:22:37.839
They want something to go to.
00:22:37.920 --> 00:22:44.000
They'd be so enthusiastic, snow or no snow, for a reason to celebrate.
00:22:44.319 --> 00:22:44.640
100%.
00:22:45.119 --> 00:22:47.279
There's like a really wonderful energy.
00:22:47.519 --> 00:22:48.079
Agreed.
00:22:48.240 --> 00:22:48.559
Yeah.
00:22:48.799 --> 00:22:51.200
That's love or hate the wedding date, listeners.
00:22:51.279 --> 00:22:54.799
But honestly, any date you choose is the right date for you.
00:22:55.039 --> 00:22:55.359
Okay.
00:22:55.680 --> 00:22:57.119
Let's wrap this episode up.
00:22:57.359 --> 00:22:59.200
Okay, guys, that was another great meeting.
00:22:59.359 --> 00:23:01.279
Here's what we want you to walk away with today.
00:23:01.440 --> 00:23:03.759
Your wedding date is not a siloed decision.
00:23:03.920 --> 00:23:09.279
You have to matrix venue, band, photographer, the people you love, your own work calendar, etc.
00:23:09.680 --> 00:23:12.640
Get all of those things together before you commit to anything.
00:23:12.880 --> 00:23:18.880
Your homework is to go to our website at let'splanpodcast.com and download our free matrix template.
00:23:19.119 --> 00:23:23.680
Write in your top three venue options and the dates that you know are available.
00:23:23.839 --> 00:23:24.480
That's it.
00:23:24.640 --> 00:23:28.000
You're not committing to anything, you're just starting the matrix.
00:23:28.160 --> 00:23:30.640
Do it this week while the episode is fresh in your minds.
00:23:30.880 --> 00:23:34.559
Your detailed timeline and checklist are waiting for you at Let's Planpodcast.com.
00:23:34.720 --> 00:23:37.279
Download the Let's Plan workbook if you haven't already.
00:23:37.440 --> 00:23:42.000
Find the timeline tab, and you'll see what you should be doing and when all the way to your wedding date.
00:23:42.160 --> 00:23:48.000
And it will also act as your checklist so you can keep tabs on what you still have to do, what's in process, and what's complete.
00:23:48.160 --> 00:24:02.720
On our next episode, we're talking about ceremony planning and flow of events, how to build your wedding day schedule, what makes a difference between a magical evening and a chaotic one, and the three worst wedding speech moments we've ever witnessed.
00:24:03.039 --> 00:24:04.640
You look totally crazy.
00:24:05.039 --> 00:24:06.079
In the best way.
00:24:06.799 --> 00:24:12.720
And remember, subscribe wherever you listen, leave us a review, and follow us on Instagram at Let's Plan Podcast.
00:24:13.039 --> 00:24:13.519
Questions?
00:24:13.680 --> 00:24:17.440
Drop us a line at Let's PlanPodcast.com and we will get right back to you.
00:24:17.599 --> 00:24:22.480
And for what it's worth, New Year's Eve is still the best wedding date there is.
00:24:22.640 --> 00:24:24.720
We will not be taking questions on this.
00:24:24.960 --> 00:24:26.319
See you next time.
00:24:31.119 --> 00:24:32.880
This podcast is for entertainment only.
00:24:32.960 --> 00:24:37.039
The Let's Plan Your Wedding Podcast assumes no responsibility for errors or omissions.
00:24:37.200 --> 00:24:44.880
It is produced by AGTF LLC in a separate capacity and is provided as is, with no guarantees of accuracy, completeness, or usefulness.
00:24:45.039 --> 00:24:48.480
The podcast is for informational, private, and non commercial use only.
00:24:48.640 --> 00:24:53.440
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