wedding planning

From cakes to venues, planning a wedding can be quite the stressful endeavour. LearnVest shares how woman launched her career as a wedding planner and answers some of the most frequently asked questions by brides.

The decision to hire a wedding planner is a tough one for many brides-to-be. I myself was on a tight budget and chose to do all of my own planning—but I also had a super-organized mom and sister to help me.

As I look back on the year that I spent getting ready for the big day, I can’t help but recall the many late nights when I felt exhausted and overwhelmed, a few tense conversations with my family—and even a handful of moments spent bickering with my fiancé. Thankfully, I didn’t permanently fracture any relationships, but I certainly felt the pressure and had some “bridezilla” moments that I’m not proud of.

RELATED: 10 Wedding Gifts You Should Never Give

How much is your time, energy and mental well-being worth?

That’s a question that San Diego–based certified wedding planner Alison Howard encourages every bride-to-be to ask herself. LearnVest sat down with Howard to discuss what it takes to be a wedding planner, and how this professional can help you craft a dream wedding—and save your sanity.

LearnVest: How did you get into wedding planning?
Alison Howard: Wedding planning found me. I studied elementary education, so my original plan was to be a teacher. But I wasn’t inspired—it was more my parents’ dream than mine. When I got married in my early 20s, I didn’t have a planner. In fact, there was no such thing at the time. Everything went perfectly, but at the end, I remember thinking: That was a lot of work. There has to be someone out there who can help plan weddings.

I was the first of my friends to get married, so when others started tying the knot, they came to me for advice. After I had assisted several people with their weddings, a friend said, “You should start a business.” I’d always had an entrepreneurial mindset because my dad was an entrepreneur, so the idea wasn’t daunting. I interned with professional planners—and then took a chance.

So what exactly does a wedding planner do?
I oversee the logistical elements of hosting a wedding, and break up the planning into phases, so it’s manageable and less overwhelming for the bride and groom. I get to know each client, do a ton of research, suggest vendors, meet with those vendors (either with or without the client), read contracts carefully, handle negotiations and make sure that everything goes smoothly on the day of the wedding.

I have two types of packages: complete planning and partial planning. And this is typical of what wedding planners across the country offer. Complete planning is the whole she-bang, from start to finish. A client will usually approach me 12–18 months before the wedding, typically a couple of weeks after getting engaged. Then I do everything from booking the date and venue to overseeing all of the logistics on the wedding day.

Partial planning is for the couple whose wedding is generally six to eight months away or less. Maybe they’ve found their venue, photographer and one or two other vendors—but they need help finding a few more vendors, putting all of the pieces together, keeping everything organized and managing the event on the actual day.

Read on for more.

A wedding is a wedding. The only difference between gay ones and straight ones is what the officiant pronounces you at the end of the ceremony. Right?

OK, so that's like 80 percent true. As my fiancée and I have learned while planning a wedding alongside our good (and straight) friends marrying the weekend after us, the issues are the same: When are RSVPs due? What can we get for favors? Speakers cost how much? But in a few situations, being gay can tack a few extra items onto your to-do list, or at least some considerations.

Well, now that I'm a few days (!) out from my big day, I'm going to share a few of the things you don't have to worry about — and, of course, those that you do — as a gay couple planning your big day. Here's how it was both the same as and different than planning a straight one.

What's Different

Finding a venue: After coming this close to putting a deposit down on a place we discovered didn't allow gay weddings at all, my fiancée and I were pretty heartbroken and a bit shell-shocked to boot. So don't get your heart set too soon, and research mindfully — consider finding a local gay-friendly venue database. Nothing beats having an event coordinator who's almost as excited about the Prop 8 ruling as you were.

Picking titles: Mr. and Mr.? Ms. and Mrs.? Who's the bride — anyone? People won't know what to call you unless you tell them, so particularly with photographer contracts and other wedding paperwork, you'll need to at least have agreed upon something for official documentation. Even if you don't feel strongly about it, have an answer ready so you don't leave anyone guessing, feeling awkward, or — worse — offending someone else.

Dealing with drama: Unfortunately, there are still plenty of people against same-sex marriage. Recognize that the topic is sensitive for some, and don't expect it, but at least prepare yourself for negative feedback. It only took one uncle's call about my sinful ways to dampen my excitement and cause a rift among family. Lean on your support group: my fiancée and I have 109 incredibly loving people attending our wedding, and they are all OK with ignoring the naysayers. Allow yourself to be the bigger person, accept others' perceptions of you, and enjoy what you have.

Find out what's not different about planning a gay wedding when you read more.

Planning a wedding can be one of the most stressful times in a relationship. Finances are an especially tricky subject but luckily LearnVest weighs in with some financial advice for your big day.

Figuring out who, exactly, is financing your wedding is one of the most crucial parts of setting a wedding budget.

Gone are the days of the bride’s parents paying for her wedding; these days, most couples pay for at least part of their weddings themselves.

RELATED: 48 Creative Ways to Save on a Wedding

Which leads us to the cash versus credit debate.

Even those of us who have been dreaming about our weddings may not have been saving for them for nearly as long. As you consider the wedding you want, it can be very tempting to pay for part of it — or most of it — with a credit card. But should you?

To find out, keep reading.

To many brides, a dream wedding includes all the flourishes, including an all-you-can-pour open bar. But let's face it: with some venues charging $30 per person or more, many couples must find alternatives in order to keep wedding costs from floating out of reach. But don't sign up for a cash bar yet: we're serving up a few ideas on how to keep your beverage budget in line so that your dream wedding doesn't become the wet blanket for your big day!

• Create a few signature cocktails. Give your guests a taste of your personality as a couple by serving a signature drink or two. You'll limit the amount of alcohol imbibed since you can incorporate inexpensive mixers, and you can choose a less expensive brand of alcohol. Not only will this selection help you stick to your budget, but also, your guests will enjoy learning more about you through your drink choices!
• Use the bar's well alcohol. Some bars and bartenders get deals on certain types of liquor — savings they can pass on to you!
• Create a beverage bar. A serve-yourself cocktail bar lets you control the amount of alcohol your guests consume if you provide dispensers with a couple of bases (say, a raspberry lemonade vodka mixture). But give them plenty of fruits and other fun mixers to create something unique and their own.

Save with four more tips when you keep reading.