I love wedding glossies– I really do!  They are filled with great ideas, plenty of wedding porn (aka pictures), bridal fashion and trends.  However, they say a lot of things that sometimes, a luxeling like myself, just can’t get with.

So, here I am– ready to debunk a lot of the "stuff" and help you sort through the fluff and poppycock and get to the truth.

And we’ll laugh along the way.

1. "You’ll Save More Money By Having Your Wedding During a Holiday Weekend" — Nope!  Ain’t gonna happen.  You need to prepare yourself for the possibility that you could actually pay more than you had planned.  Vendors have higher premiums during event weekends, and while venues can say the same, they can also tack on higher food and beverage minimums.  Another big thing– your guests!  They will have to pay higher prices for airline tickets, and you will find stricter room block requirements, too.  But hey, at least you can use the festive decorations that are already up in your reception venue (isn’t that what the glossies say?)
2. You can intimidate your way to a better deal  Yup, another loser here.  Well, I think that title is a bit  misleading. The magazines tell brides "Make sure you tell potential vendors that you intend to shop around or are interviewing other vendors" or "Put vendors on point and let them know that you are ready to play ball"… Let’s review a few of these, shall we?

• "I am interviewing several other XXXX.  Why should I choose you over them?"  This is not Miss America. You don’t want to hear my stance on war peace or starving children.  You don’t want me to give some self-absorbed why I’m great and what I can do for you speech. Instead, let it come naturally. If during the course of any meeting with any wedding vendor you don’t SEE for yourself the benefits of hiring that vendor, then that’s not the vendor for you.  And please don’t think that the fact that you told me that you are interviewing another planner will make me a.) lower my prices, b.) throw in freebies, c.) talk bad about the other planner to make me look better.  I’m not easily intimidated.  And you shouldn’t be either when you hear I’m interviewing other clients for your wedding weekend :)  It’s all bout finding the good match with personalities, if we click, we click. No need to play games.
• "What did you do before you were a XXX.." (and other none-of-your-business questions).  Hi, I’m Terrica– I’m a Scorpio and I love to take long walks on the beach and candlelight dinners…come on now!  This is utter nonsense and rubbish!  Quite  honestly, anything personal or non-specific to your wedding that your vendor wants you to know s/he will tell you.
• "Is this the best price you can offer?  Are your prices negotiable?" There is an old saying that "if you don’t ask, you don’t get". I would like to formally throw in my bid to remix that saying for 2008… "If you ask like a jerk or this is your first question to a vendor, you DEFINITELY won’t get".  Brides hate it when vendors look at them and see dollar signs. Guess what, we hate it too.  If you want something for nothing, or come into the meeting with a set agenda of talking us down, you won’t enjoy the experience.  It’s not shopping for a used car, it’s piecing together the perfect event team to work on the most important day of your life

3.  Destination Weddings are easier and cheaper. This is true, and then not so much.  Destination Weddings can be a lot of fun, and with proper planning.  But you also need someone to corral your guests.  Why? Because your guests will think it is a FANTASTIC idea to go to Negril, Jamaica for your wedding.  But wait for the deposit time comes around, people become amnesiacs.   In order to reap the benefit of a lot of international resort’s wedding perks, you need to guarantee a minimum of 10-20 guest rooms.  So my suggestion is not to plan a get away wedding if you aren’t completely comfortable with either going alone (just the two of you) or with 5 other people.

4.  DIY EVERYTHING.  Honey, put the glue gun DOWN.  You will burn out faster than a dollar store candle if you attempt too many DIY projects for your wedding.  Find ONE good project that you can make fabuluxe and do it.  Otherwise, your wedding will look tacky and shabby.  Why? Because you don’t have the facilities or capabilities to make it perfect for 5 projects 120 times.