TO DOs BEFORE I DO Wedding Podcast

I’m very happy to bring you this new episode.  I had the opportunity to interview Brit Bertino.  Brit was such a delight to talk to and she shares some great wedding tips and advice to help you plan your own wedding.  Brit is an Award Winning, Celebrity Wedding Producer who owns and manages a very successful wedding planning business called Simply Weddings Las Vegas.  She has been in the wedding business for many years now and during our interview, Brit shares her insight on what a day in the life of a wedding planner is like, tips on how to have a stress free planning process, ways to personalize your wedding reception and so much more!     www.todosbeforeido.com www.simplyweddingslv.com

In this episode of the podcast, I’m sharing part two of my Indian Wedding series with you.I had the opportunity to interview Preeti, one of the co-founders of TheBigFatIndianWedding.com.  They are a wedzine (wedding + magazine + online) which helps South Asian brides plan their wedding. From DIY to inspiration to cultural tidbits and real wedding features, Preeti and her team hope to help you make your wedding planning process easier.  I feel like there is so much to learn about the beauty and traditions of Indian weddings, so we’re bringing you a two part series!     In my previous episode, part one, we are gave the listeners a crash course on being a guest at an Indian wedding.  We talked about what to wear, what to expect and some basic do’s and don’ts. In this episode, I’m sharing the 2nd part of this series where I interview Preeti and we talk about planning an Indian Wedding.  Preeti talked about the different types of South Asian weddings, how to prioritize your budget, how to customize it to fit your personality and style and so much more!  I really enjoyed getting to know Preeti and talking to her about all things weddings!  

We’re talking about Indian weddings on the podcast!  I had the opportunity to interview Preeti, one of the co-founders of TheBigFatIndianWedding.com.  They are a wedzine which helps South Asian brides plan their wedding. In this episode, part one, we are giving the listeners a crash course on being a guest at an Indian wedding.  In my interview with Preeti, I picked her brain everything a guest should know - from what to wear, what to expect, the meaning behind some of the traditions and some basic etiquette for guests.   www.todosbeforeido.com www.thebigfatindianwedding.com

I had the opportunity to interview Melanie Marconi, one of the founders of a company that is helping make your life as a bride or groom to be, a little less stressful.  Her company is called WhereWillTheyStay.com and they make the process of researching, negotiating and securing your hotel room blocks for your wedding weekend as easy and efficient as possible so you can concentrate on the most important aspects of your milestone event.  During our interview, Melanie teaches me how to be a hospitality pro and we talk about things like what exactly a hotel room block is and why it's important to set one up for your wedding, the timeframe of setting them up, important factors to consider when looking for accommodations and how to make out of town guests feel welcome.   www.todosbeforeido.com   www.wherewilltheystay.com

In this episode of the podcast, I’m excited to share a recent interview I had with Rebecca Hochreiter and Megan Velez of Destination Weddings.  Planning a wedding in general can sometimes be overwhelming and stressful, let alone adding in the factor of planning from afar!  Over at DestinationWeddings.com, they help you relieve some of that stress because they are a full-service planning site that specialize in celebratory travel across the globe. They are providing brides and grooms the ultimate, one stop wedding planning experience  by combining the personal service and expertise of their Certified Destination Wedding Specialists to plan weddings all around the world.     During our interview, Megan and Rebecca talk about the latest trends in destination weddings, like the most popular countries couples travel to to say “I do” and the up and coming countries that are gaining more popularity.  We also talk about a destination wedding budget versus a traditional at-home wedding budget and discuss what couples can do to still add some of their own style and flare to their destination wedding and not have it seem so generic and cookie cutter-ish.  Jeff and I have been fortunate enough to attend a couple of our close friends destination weddings and as guests, we loved making a vacation out of it to celebrate our friends’ love and union.  If you’re considering a destination wedding, I hope that you find this episode helpful and you’re able to gain some useful takeaways!     www.destinationweddings.com Destination Weddings Trend Report

Question: “Can you help me determine all of the important vendors I need to tip and what amount is appropriate for each, but at the same time won't bust my budget?” www.todosbeforeido.com  

In this episode, I’m sharing a recent interview I had with Kara Lamerato.  Kara is the Owner, Blogger & Product Designer of Kara’s Vineyard Wedding.  Over at Kara’s Vineyard Weddings, she blogs about DIY wedding projects and also sells custom wedding décor, specifically Place Card Holders made from hand-selected, vintage wine corks.  Wine and weddings -- two things I love and Kara has made a successful business out of it!  Based out of San Diego, CA, Kara has done custom work for over 1,500 weddings around the world!  Since Kara’s specialty is custom place card holders, in this episode, I pick her brain on seating assignments, the escort card table and seating charts.  I hope that you enjoy listening to this interview and that you’re able to gain some useful takeaways that you and your fiance can apply to your wedding planning!   www.todosbeforeido.com

Question: My Fiance and I would like to have an "unplugged wedding." For our wedding day,we really want to preserve the intimacy and have some control over what is shared to those who were not on our guest list. We would like to be able to be in charge of how and when we  share our photos on social media, on our own terms, in our own time. What suggestions can you offer in how to approach this so that this is clear to our guests without making them feel bad or like we are being too regimented or strict?    

In this episode of the podcast, I’m sharing a recent interview I had with Jacqui Morgan at Wanderable.  Wanderable is a free and customizable honeymoon registry and their mission is simple: make gift giving memorable..  Wanderable helps engaged couples fund their honeymoons by offering beautiful free honeymoon registries. Couples simply post items centered around their upcoming honeymoon, from hotel stays to couples massages to snorkeling expeditions, into their Wanderable registry and their friends and family gift the amount that they cost.  The gift of experiences and adventures will last you a lifetime!   What I love about Wanderable is that the site is super easy to navigate and it is also easy on the eyes!  Scrolling through all the destinations they feature on their site will give you a bad case of wanderlust!  During our interview, Jacqui and I talk about the top honeymoon destinations, how you can have an amazing yet affordable honeymoon and some important to dos when it comes to planning your own honeymoon.  They are doing some incredible things over at Wanderable to help couples create incredible travel memories!   I hope that you enjoy listening to this interview as much as I do and hope you’re able to gain some useful takeaways. www.wanderable.com   www.todosbeforeido.com

Traveling typically has the potential for being stressful, even if that travel is to celebrate one of the greatest occasions in life!  So, for this Five on Friday, I’m sharing 5 honeymoon planning tips to keep you and your fiance happy during your honeymoon planning and even happier on your trip! 1. Determine a budget 2. Check the weather 3. Talk about the type of honeymoon you want with your fiance 4. Do your research 5. Consider a travel agent or concierge service www.todosbeforeido.com

Question: Is it appropriate to register for gifts if we elope?   www.todosbeforeido.com

As I am recording this episode of the podcast, it is 91 degrees F, but feels like 103 degrees in Florida!  It is brutally hot!  So this episode of the podcast is focusing on summer weddings and the major dos and don’ts of getting married outdoors.   Do try to beat the heat Do send out save the dates for a summer wedding Do take into consideration your ceremony time Do consider your wedding day attire Do make your guests feel comfortable Do not take a chance on the weather Do not leave your wedding cake in the sun Do not forget about the bugs www.todosbeforeido.com

This Five on Friday is about elopements and the 5 essential things that brides and grooms can do to ensure it is special! 1. Dress the part 2. Hire a photographer 3. Have a first dance 4. Incorporate something personal into the ceremony 5. Send out an elopement announcement Remember, the whole reason to have a wedding in the first place is to get married and express your love for your significant other. When you elope you do just that.  At the end of the day all that really matters is that you and your new significant other are newlyweds. www.todosbeforeido.com

Question: We all know planning your own wedding is hard but how do you get less stressed about it? www.todosbeforeido.com

In this episode of the podcast, I’m sharing a recent interview I had with Vivian Hernandez of Wix.  Over at Wix.com, they believe that creating a website should be made simple. When it comes to weddings, they have beautiful templates and options to help you get started on creating your very own wedding website. There are no creative limits, no coding experience necessary – just the complete freedom to express yourself through your website.  Vivian is the Marketing Communications Manager at Wix and she shares her insight with you on how to create a wedding website that is not only beautiful, but that’s informative, is a true reflection of your wedding style and that showcases your’s and your fiance’s love story.  She also dives in to some of her top tips for couples who are creating their own wedding website.   www.todosbeforeido.com

In this episode, I rounded out 5 groomsman gift ideas that hopefully your groom-to-be would love to give his guys!   1. Shoes 2. Duffel bag 3. Tie and accessories gift sets 4. Subscription 5. An experience www.todosbeforeido.com

Question: What are some creative ways to have a wedding with a budget of $1,000?   www.todosbeforeido.com

In this episode of the podcast, I’m sharing a recent interview I had with Poppie Pack.  She’s a Senior Designer + Social Media specialist at Canva.  Canva is an Amazingly Simple Graphic Design Software.  It gives you everything you need to easily turn ideas into stunning designs. Create designs for Web or print and Canva also specializes in paper goods for your wedding.  You can add a personal touch to your wedding invitation with a custom design in Canva!  During my talk with Poppie, I learned about the basic process of creating a wedding invitation from start to finish, the best ways to print digital invitations, how to have your personality and style shine through your wedding paper goods and so much more.  I hope that you enjoy this interview and you’re able to gain some useful design takeaways.   This episode of the TO DOs BEFORE I DO Wedding Podcast is brought to you by RapidLash.  RapidLash is a clinically-proven and dermatologist tested serum that helps improve the overall appearance and condition of your eyelashes and brows. After just 30 days of use, you’ll start to notice denser-looking, and healthier-appearing brows and lashes…. which will make your eyes pop, especially on your wedding day! You can visit Rapidlash.com to learn more about their amazing product line and also visit my website, todosbeforeido.com, where I’ll have direct links on where you can easily purchase RapidLash.   www.todosbeforeido.com

In this Five on Friday episode, I’m giving you 5 ways to cut costs on your wedding invitations because, let’s face it, we all pretty much want to save money where we can and we don’t want to break the bank when it comes to our wedding budget.  When it comes to wedding invitations, there are so many different options to select from -- you have to figure out the style you want, what type of fonts and colors to use, what enclosure cards to add to your invitation suite and what type of cardstock or paper you want to use.  The options are endless and can get overwhelming at times!  And then of course, couple that with having expensive taste and getting sticker shock when you see how much an invitation will cost then multiply that by how many actual invitations you need.  But don’t you worry - here are 5 tips on how you can cut some costs when it comes to your wedding invitations. 1. Use a local printer 2. Make the most of your space 3. Try partial customization 4. Skip the calligraphy 5. Use RSVP postcards or online RSVPs This episode of the TO DOs BEFORE I DO Wedding Podcast is brought to you by RapidLash.  RapidLash is a clinically-proven and dermatologist tested serum that helps improve the overall appearance and condition of your eyelashes and brows. After just 30 days of use, you’ll start to notice denser-looking, and healthier-appearing brows and lashes…. which will make your eyes pop, especially on your wedding day! You can visit Rapidlash.com to learn more about their amazing product line.   RapidLash is available at CVS, Ulta Beauty, Walgreens, Kohl’s, Bed Bath & Beyond, Drugstore.com, DuaneReade, Dermstore and other retailers.  To find a RapidLash retailer near you, visit: RapidLash Store Locator   To see the amazing before and after pictures from women who’ve used RapidLash products, visit: RapidLash Results

Question: What are your thoughts on ordering a dress on Etsy versus actually buying a dress in store?   This episode of the TO DOs BEFORE I DO Wedding Podcast is brought to you by RapidLash.  RapidLash is a clinically-proven and dermatologist tested serum that helps improve the overall appearance and condition of your eyelashes and brows. After just 30 days of use, you’ll start to notice denser-looking, and healthier-appearing brows and lashes…. which will make your eyes pop, especially on your wedding day! You can visit Rapidlash.com to learn more about their amazing product line. www.todosbeforeido.com