Northern California Wedding Planner | Reading Between The Lines

Wedding planning is not black and white with stringent rules, nor is it a cookie cutter package that works exactly the same for every couple. Instead it is a very personalized, fluid experience that differs for every couple. That’s why we feel it is so important to try to really gauge each couple’s expectations and preferences for the best possible experience, and to be able to proactively avoid scenarios where something goes wrong due to lack of planning or the foresight into what simply works well for hosting a large number of guests.

Our role as a wedding planner is to take the couple’s preferences, site logistics and all contracts/proposals and read through all of the details including what isn’t stated in a contract.. So not only will we look for what each vendor is providing, we seek to understand what is NOT included or provided by all of the vendors to ensure that nothing is missed.

For instance, if your DJ package includes only one sound set-up we may work through your site logistics and determine that it’s sufficient or we may see that having the second sound system set for cocktail hour & reception is necessary. We may also see that you need a lapel microphone for ceremony rather than a stand microphone. Or perhaps your bartending service does not provide the alcohol or ice, cups, straws, napkins or garnishes but they do provide the bar kit (cocktail shakers, lemon slicer, bottle openers, ice bucket etc.) We go through all of these details and confirm before your wedding so that nothing is left to the day-of to improvise.

We’ll confirm pricing for overages so that if you decide to extend your DJ for an hour or your photographer stays late for that epic moonlight portrait you are aware of any additional fees as well as how those will be charged (check or cash the night of, invoiced the following day, etc.) Our couple’s best interest is always at the forefront of our planning and you have our team to advocate for you.

One area that we feel strongly about is keeping our couple’s budget on track so that none of our client’s ever feel like they are over extending what they originally budgeted. Instead the planning process should be transparent and information should always be accessible at all times. All of our couples have access to their own custom planning dashboard which gives them full control of their planning details 24/7! If you are feeling stressed about your upcoming wedding and feel like you could benefit from having another set of eyes to help you read between the lines - we’d love to chat!

~ Happy Planning! ~
The 530 Bride Team

Northern California Wedding Planner | Celebrating One Year ~ Lawna & Eric

The Dunbars - Creekside Rose Garden, Chico

Photos by Sarah Tamagni Photography

You know what they say about couples who train together..well they slay their wedding photos of course! These two are not only ultra fit (can you say abs) but also super sweet, so it was pretty incredible to be right alongside them on their planning journey. Thanks to Sarah Tamagni Photography for these amazing photos and we are wishing a very happy anniversary to Lawna & Eric!

Event Partners
Photographer: Sarah Tamagni Photography
Wedding Management: The 530 Bride Lead by Delphine
Beauty: Hair by Carmen Montero at Envee Hair Studio; Make-up by Powder Room
Venue: Creekside Rose Garden
Caterer: Truck-a-roni
Bar: Rollin Bar
Rentals: Mac’s Hardware

Northern California Wedding Planner | Open House at The Palms

We were so excited to participate in the open house event at The Palms in Chico, under new management of the amazing team at WeDo Designs. It was so fun to chat with couples and to catch up with some of our favorite local wedding pro’s! {Here’s a few pics that we snapped on our phones, can’t wait to see the professional images from the evening!}

Make sure to check out The Palms and these local wedding professionals for all of your wedding needs! The Wedding DJ // Cambray Rose // Special Times Catering // Ranalla Photo & Film // Flowers by Rachelle // Shuberts // Bacio Catering

Northern California Wedding Planner | Backyard Durham California Wedding - Alie & Brian

A beautiful Durham, California wedding wouldn't be complete without an incredible couple who worked their booties off getting this property ready to go for their special day! 1 Year ago in April, we had the opportunity to take a look at the property that they wanted to re-vamp into a wedding venue for their big day a year later. They were concerned that we wouldn't have seen their vision; but automatically, we did. 

We saw their wedding come to life on April 28th. With hard work and perseverance and of course love, they made it happen! From knee high grass and houses planted on the property, to a beautiful open space with designated areas for specific moments, it was magical!

Alie and her ladies were pampered and were getting ready to go for the wedding at the one and only Hotel Diamond, in downtown Chico. We're always so giddy when we get to drop off flowers to our couples there! 

Tyler and Mayela with Ranalla Photo and Films captured their love so beautifully in a way that is hard to explain... so here are some highlights that we absolutely love!

We wish we could put this entire album on this one blog post, but we will leave you with these! Thank you to all of our incredible vendors for making their day absolutely beautiful!

Makeup: The Powder Room // Hair: Julia LynnFox // Photographer: Ranalla Photo & Films // Venue: Durham Backyard // Coordination: The 530 Bride // Getting Ready Location: Hotel Diamond // Wedding gown: Always Elegant // Rentals: Chico Party Rentals // DJ: The Wedding DJ // Catering: Truckaroni

Northern California Wedding Planner | Communicating The Details

On many levels technology has changed the game.  At our fingertips we have hundreds of apps for making our lives easier.  From collecting our thoughts on visual boards, taking notes, playing music, tracking finances, electronically signing, planning your outfit, scheduling transportation, creating graphics, sending a cup of joe; you name it..there is an app for it.  

While we have come so far in technology and creating ways to "connect," the one shortfall is that we have tried and failed to replace the human element.  An app cannot do the one thing that matters most for a successful event. Execution. Expressing your priorities and having a trusted planner on-site to ensure that all of the details from your notes, Pinterest board, email, vendor agreements etc are actually delivered, assembled, utilized in the degree that you intended on your wedding day.  

When we see all of the articles and apps out there to plan your wedding, it makes us want to yell from the rooftops that phone apps and planning websites don't have nothin' on the behind the scenes magic that comes from a wedding planner working with a team of professional vendors.  

iPod's will never replace a DJ who can emcee your event and keep the guests engaged.  Raise your hand if you have been to an event where the ipod awkwardness was what you remembered more than the beautiful flowers or great food. (Raising Hand)  The same can be said for not having a professional photographer capture your day, a friend with a nice camera won't know the ins and outs of photographing a wedding. 

So how do you communicate your details after you have been planning for a year? We call it a brain dump, not a glamorous term but essentially you need to get all of these ideas and plans out of your brain and on to paper.  If you know exactly how you want your welcome table set up, then try to do a mock set-up using the items that you have or sketch out an example.  When you pack your items to bring to your venue, label each box of what is inside and where it needs to go. For example "Serving utensils for sweetheart table" etc.  We schedule master planning sessions with all of our couples where we go through how they would like their event to flow, set-up and break-down of what items they are bringing versus what is being rented, what needs to be packed or returned to rental companies etc. 

If you are feeling stuck or overwhelmed, reach out to your local wedding planner for tips on how to feel organized and prepared for your wedding day! 

~ Happy Planning!

Northern California Wedding Planner | Budgeting for Service Fees

Cake cutting fees, plate charges, set-up and breakdown, delivery, corkage, gratuity..the fees may seem to pop up everywhere but here is a little info to help you navigate when budgeting for your wedding.  When it comes to fees think of it as a convenience fee to compensate for time or for additional services.

Here are a few of the common fees that you may have not factored in yet! 

Service Fees
When looking over your agreement, do make sure to factor in applicable tax, service fees and gratuity. 

For example you may see this on your catering contract:

An eighteen percent (18%) service charge will be included in the final billing on all food, beverage and labor. The service charge covers the use of our equipment, kitchen essentials, buffet décor, energy costs, liability insurance fees, and all necessary permits and other administrative expenses. Please note that the service charge is taxable based on California State Regulation 1603(f) and is not a gratuity for the personnel.

Cake Cutting Fees
Typically charged when your venue, caterer or other staff who are not affiliated with the bakery who provided the cake.  The fee ranges any where from a flat fee of $25 to anywhere from $1-$4 per guest.  This mainly is due to covering the staff member designated to cut the cake (especially for large cakes or multiple tiers.)
https://www.theknot.com/content/wedding-cake-cutting-fee 

Corkage Fees
Corkage is a per bottle fee that a restaurant charges a customer who brings their own wine to be consumed at that restaurant. This isn't allowed in the majority of restaurants in the country, but it's very common/normal in Northern California. http://www.forkandbottle.com/wine/corkage.htm

Delivery Charges 
This one is pretty standard - Rental items, florals, cakes or other specialty items will likely have a delivery fee if you aren't planning to pick-up.  Delivery fees are charged to cover fuel and for the driver's time.  

Set-up/Break-down Charges
The set-up and break-down fees covers the time and labor of setting up chairs, tables, place settings etc for your wedding.  Often the break-down is the area where couples underestimate the amount of labor to clean-up after a large celebration.  Not only cleaning up the garbage and packing the personal items/decor but ensuring that all rental items are packed/stored/stacked per the rental company agreement.  Wood chairs often need to be bagged then stacked which is an extra step as well.  Just ask your wedding party, they DON'T want to do this after a long day of celebrating with you! 

Additional Hours/Services 
When you book your vendors such as a photographer, you will often book based on the number of hours they will provide coverage.  If you decide to you would like them to stay longer, you will likely be charged for the additional hour at a premium.  When it comes to additional services, this is called "out of scope" meaning the vendor wasn't contracted for the specific service but will provide it for an additional fee.  

Recently, a few articles have been circulating accusing the wedding industry of price gouging just because it is a wedding.  However, I think when it comes to fees it is more common in the service industry than most people realize.  Until you have planned a wedding, you just aren't aware of them and it can be a sense of sticker shock when you start seeing the numbers.  We recommend starting with your venue search and narrowing down your selection by first understanding these fees associated.  Work with your wedding planner to ensure that you have accounted for these in your budget! 

~ Happy Planning! ~