yael’stip

” I was thinking about getting me and the girls matching phone cases for the wedding day” one of my brides said to me “Look! Aren’t they cute!?” she said as she showed me her a picture on her phone.

“They are super cute! But can I just make a small suggestion…” I said as she started scrolling through the photos of the different colored cases. “don’t have your phone on you during your wedding day.” She looked at me with a blank expression. “I know… it sounds crazy, but you will thank me later!”

Unplug for the day. You aren’t going to need your phone. It will only distract you from one of the best days of your life! Give your phone to your Made of Honor and have her do all the answering. You can even put it on airplane mode and give all your vendors your bridesmaid number and have someone else be in charge of taking the selfies. You deserve to enjoy your wedding and take a break from the digital world. I mean, let’s be real, everyone important to you will either be in that getting ready room with you or see you in the next 5 hours. So, this is what you want to do. Wake up on your wedding day. Turn off the alarm. Hand that bad boy over to whoever is closest to you and enjoy every moment of your wedding. You have spent months, possibly years, working towards this day, don’t miss even one second of your magic. Have your bridesmaids and family take care of all the loose ends and last minute phone calls. Pour yourself a mimosa, put on your “Bride” robe and get ready to be the happiest girl alive.

“Yael!” Everyone is booked! I cannot find a single decent band that isn’t already booked! Please tell me you have some incredible connection and can find me a band of my dreams!” My bride was getting married in three months and she and her fiance just couldn’t agree on a band… so they put it off, got caught up with everything else on their never-ending todo list and all of the sudden, their wedding was right around the corner and they were left without a band!

“Ok. Don’t worry, we will figure it out! Let me ask around! I’ll be in touch ASAP” I hung up the phone and began calling all of the local vendors I knew, I am sure SOMEONE knew someone who might still be available and within her budget. For all of my readers out there, don’t fret! She found an awesome band that she, her husband and all of their guests absolutely loved! It was an incredible wedding with tons of dancing and great music. Everything worked out just the way it should have!

One thing at a Time! Being engaged is a magical time in your lives as a couple. You just agreed to be partners for life. You and your best friend promised to spend the rest of your days next to each other, cheering each other on and being each other’s biggest support system. Planning a wedding should be exciting and fun. It’s the beginning to your marriage! It breaks my heart when I hear how chaotic and stressful it can be. The todo list feels like it just goes on and on and there is no end in sight! Take a deep breath! It is going to be ok! Instead of looking at everything all at once, focus on one big task at a time. Once you finish one thing, then go on to the next. Trust me on this one, it is way easier. I know what you’re thinking “Ok Yael, that makes total sense but what do I focus on first!? What should be my top priority when?! How do I know when to book what!?” You are in luck! I have put together a YP cheat sheet to help you figure out the ideal time to book your favorite wedding vendors!

“So I think we found the perfect venue” one of my bride’s said as we were chatting on the phone.

“Oh great! Which one!?” I asked as I pull out my pen and notebook to jot it down.

As my excited YPbride continued, my heart sunk. I could tell she was thrilled! She found an amazing venue that fit her style, her budget and the coordinator even said they were still available for her preferred wedding date! She was over the moon excited! The only problem was, she was inviting over 350 people and the venue was slightly too small for her guest list.

As I waited for her to take a breath I calmly said “That all sounds great… but do you know the trick in figuring out how many guests can fit in the venue?”

She hesitated and said “oh… no, what is it.”

Friends and family come first. You want everyone there don’t you? That’s why you have to take into consideration how many people are near and dear in your heart before you find your venue. Ok, I will make this as easy as possible. If you are anything like me, numbers are not your friends. Your favorite number is now 30. All you have to do is multiply 30 x the number of names on that guest list and BAM, you have your number. The rule of thumb = 30 square feet per guest. It is that simple. I know, it sounds like a ton of space and you are probably wondering, “Yael, is that really necessary?!” I promise you it is! Think about it… you don’t JUST need a place for your incredible friends and family to sit.  You need room for not only the guests, but the tables they will sit at and enjoy the delicious food you chosen, a dance floor to show off their coolest dance moves, space for the amazing waiters and waitresses to move swiftly and comfortably and a good amount of space for the band, the cake, the incredible dessert table, the bar, and the other bar (because sometimes, one bar is just not enough). Your wedding is much more than a sit down affair and you and your guests deserve to be able to move around comfortably. So, when you start researching venues, pull out that calculator baby!