Wedding Planning Collective Podcast

Is a DIY wedding really cheaper? Sometimes, but the hidden costs of DIY can catch you off guard. After 20+ years and 500+ weddings, I'm talking through the cautionary tale of a DIY wedding teardown that went very wrong, plus the DIY wedding projects that are absolutely worth it and the ones I always tells couples to leave to the pros. You’ll learn my three simple rules for deciding what to DIY, how to budget for the costs you can’t see yet, and how to plan setup and teardown so your family isn’t stuck cleaning up on your wedding night.In this episode:The DIY teardown story that cost one couple their security deposit (and a lot more)What actually counts as DIY: decor, florals, food, bar, photos and musicDIY wedding projects worth doing: invitations, signs, favors and welcome bagsWhy fresh florals, catering and bar service are best left to professionalsThe real cost of Amazon and Temu backdrops, arches and votivesHidden DIY costs: tools, samples, returns you never made, U-Hauls and venue overtime feesWhy a friend with a nice camera or a Spotify playlist isn’t the same as a pro photographer or DJKate’s 3 DIY rules, plus how to pack and label by table so setup and teardown go smoothlyKate’s 3 DIY rules:Skip anything that can’t be done in advance.Skip anything that needs heavy setup or teardown on the wedding day.Skip anything that has to be done on the wedding day itself.Mentioned in this episode:The Wedding Planning Blueprint: planningcollective.com/membershipFree Wedding Planning Happy Hour, Nov 18: planningcollective.com/happyhourPast episodes: Amazon Prime Day and Black Friday wedding shopping, and what day of coordination really means

Can you really have a wedding for $10,000? Sure...but not by simply shrinking an average wedding. In this episode, I walk you through how to build a $10K wedding budget around what matters most to you: setting your priorities, breaking down your Big Picture Number, and why so many wedding costs don’t change with your guest count. Plus, I compare two couples with the same $10,000 and completely different weddings.In this episode:Why the average wedding cost won’t help you planHow to use your priorities to build a $10,000 budgetThe costs that change with your guest count (and the ones that don’t)Two sample $10K budgets for two very different couplesThe mistakes that make a smaller budget really hard, plus ways to stretch itRead the full breakdown: planningcollective.com/10000-wedding-budgetWant help building your own budget? The Wedding Planning Blueprint walks you through it step by step, with a budget tracker and personal help from me. planningcollective.com/membershipJoin me live: my free monthly Wedding Planning Happy Hour. planningcollective.com/happyhourIf this episode gave you even one helpful tip, I’d love it if you’d rate, review, and subscribe. It helps other couples find the planning help they need!

Most first vendor calls go the same way: “Are you available?” and “How much is it?” In this episode, I’m sharing the questions that actually help you decide who to book, including the ones most couples don’t think to ask until something goes wrong.In this episode:How to prepare for vendor calls (and why you only need to talk to your top three)Five questions to ask every single vendorThe make or break questions for your venue, caterer, photographer, DJ, and plannerGood signs and red flags to listen forGet the full list: questions for all 13 types of wedding vendors at planningcollective.com/vendorquestionsWondering what's next? The Wedding Planning Blueprint walks you through who to book and when, with templates and personal help from me. planningcollective.com/membershipJoin me live: my free monthly Wedding Planning Happy Hour. planningcollective.com/happyhourIf this episode gave you even one helpful tip, I’d love it if you’d rate, review, and subscribe. It helps other couples find the planning help they need!

Wedding planner, wedding coordinator, day of coordinator, venue coordinator. Do you need one? All of them? None of them?This week I saw a bride on Reddit ask someone to explain it to her like she's five, and over 20 people answered. A lot of them were wedding pros, and almost every answer was different. So if you're confused, it's not you. Even our industry can't agree on this one.In this episode, I'm refreshing one of my classic topics. I walk through each type of planning help, what it really includes, when to book, and how to figure out which one fits your wedding. I also share the story of a couple who booked their venue first and ended up losing their band budget because of it, and why I always recommend booking your planner before anything else.In this episode:The Reddit post that started it all: "Explain this to me like I'm five"Two different problems: "we're going to miss something" vs. "we don't want to be in charge of the day"What a wedding planner actually does (sorry, J.Lo)The two big hesitations: cost and giving up controlWhy the titles are so confusing, and why I still call it day of coordinationMy number one tip: don't shop by titleFull service planning, and why you still get to do the fun partsWhy you should book your planner before your venue (and the band budget story)Day of coordination: what really happens before the wedding dayWhen to book a day of coordinatorPartial planning, and what I'd tell the bride from that Reddit postVenue coordinator vs. independent plannerPlanning it yourself, with a roadmapFour questions to ask yourselves before you hire anyoneThe "explain it like I'm five" recapMentioned in this episode:Free Wedding Planning Happy Hour, Wednesday, October 21 at 6pm EST: planningcollective.com/happyhourThe Wedding Planning Blueprint: the Planning Path, Pocket Planner, and Ask Kate (add Blueprint link)Read the blog post: How To Tell If You ACTUALLY Need A Wedding PlannerMore on day of coordination: What Is Day of Coordination?If this episode gave you even one helpful tip, I'd love it if you could rate, review, and subscribe. It helps other couples find the planning help they need, and it would mean the world to me.

Every fall the wedding trend lists start rolling out, and every fall I watch couples start to feel like their wedding is out of date before they've booked a single vendor. So this year I'm doing things a little differently.In this episode, I'm walking you through eight wedding trends for 2027 and 2028, what the data from The Knot, Pinterest, and Zola actually says, and most importantly, how each one can work for a real wedding on a real budget. Because some trends are worth the splurge, some are an easy, inexpensive add, and some are going to make you say "why did we do that?" when you look back at your photos.In this episode:Trend 1: Something Old Is the New Something New (and why a family audit beats a vintage shopping spree)Trend 2: Your colors don't have to match anymoreTrend 3: The room is the decorTrend 4: Think Italian summer, not a theme partyTrend 5: Flowers with focus (hello, hydrangeas)Trend 6: Guest experience starts with the basicsTrend 7: Photos that feel real and cinematicTrend 8: Your wedding, your rulesPlus my one bonus prediction about how couples are getting planning helpVendors I mentioned: Simply Brilliant Events (Nicola's stunning sage and lavender palette) and Kristina's Catering (interactive food done right). Both are on Instagram.Want help making these trends work for YOUR wedding? Join me for my free Wedding Planning Happy Hour on October 21 at 6 PM ET. We'll talk through how to actually put these trends to work, and I'll answer your questions live. Can't make it? Sign up anyway and I'll send you the replay.planningcollective.com/happyhourWondering where to start? The Wedding Planning Blueprint gives you a clear Planning Path, the Pocket Planner AI (trained on my 20+ years and 500+ weddings), personal video answers through Ask Kate, and templates so you never start from scratch.planningcollective.com/membershipIf this episode gave you even one helpful tip, I'd love it if you'd rate, review, and subscribe. It helps other couples find the planning help they need!