Hindsight Bride™

Hindsight Bride Podcast Today we have Corey Parker from My WedDeal talking about his own $6000 wedding and how he and his (now) wife got creative to have an awesome wedding without sacrificing their dream of buying a house. Some of my favorite tips include: Buy a plain wedding gown and have a local tailor add custom embellishments. Use a free public venue like a park or beach. Save money on a band by booking a private room at restaurant that already has live music. Hear more about My WedDeal and Corey's story here (Does not play in Firefox! Use Safari or Chrome for best results!):   Show Notes: MyWedDeal Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Youtube, Blog The Worlds Worst DJ Video {A Hindsight FAV!}   Don’t forget to subscribe on iTunes! *** The Hindsight Bride Podcast is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License. You are free to re-post as long as you link back to HindsightBride.com. Please do not alter the original work.

Bridal Koolaid Cocktail Hour #5 | The Big Budget Episode Image from One House Love. Sherry and John opted for a DIY backyard wedding surrounded by lots of friends and family. Welcome to Episode five of the Bridal Koolaid Cocktail Hour. Today we're talking to Lindsey from Frugally Wed about wedding budgets and what the first thing you need to do if you want a big wedding on a small budget. Yes it can happen, according to Lindsey. Listen to ideas about how to save for your wedding, how long your should save for it, and what portion of your income you should set aside for you wedding. {Warning: NSFW} The Bridal Koolaid Cocktail Hour is NEVER safe for work, or children. Put on some headphones for this shit!   {Notes} My podcast plugin is still not playing well with Firefox. Please view in a different browser. Better yet, subscribe or listen on iTunes The Bridal Koolaid Cocktail Hour will be re-launching with it's own website. Stay tuned and get ready to adjust your RSS feeds. w00t! Links mentioned on the show: Rogue Bride Frugally Wed Wedding Budget Calculator Broke Ass Bride Colorado Wedding A Practical Wedding    Get your BKCH podcasts automatically. Subscribe on iTunes:

Bridal Koolaid Cocktail Hour #4  Image from Bride Chic (Don't let the pretty picture fool you. This episode is as raw as ever!) Rogue Bride insists that each episode of the Bridal Koolaid Cocktail Hour gets better. This week, I agree. We have Louise from The Thirty Something Bride with us as we discuss cheap knockoff dresses from China, David's Bridal, (low-cost solution, or evil empire?), and wedding dress markups at bridal salons. We also have Cris from Kiss My Tulle make a special appearance to talk about Free Wedding Dresses. P.S.  My podcast plugin is still not playing well with Firefox. Please view in a different browser. Better yet, subscribe or listen on iTunes Links Mentioned in the Show: The Thirty Something Bride Kiss My Tulle The Wedding Dress Project Wedding Stats  {dot} org Jonathan Campbell Photography TruLu Couture Todd Reichman's Man To Fish Blog Love My Dress Pre-owned Wedding Dresses Dolly Couture Tutu Chic Bride Chic We are now on iTunes! Subscribe now and get your BKCH podcasts automatically. Click the iTunes button:

Hindsight Bride Podcast I'm thrilled to bring you another Hindsight Bride Podcast episode with Lake Tahoe wedding planner Stephanie Anderson from One Fine Day Events. Image from Catherine Hall via One Fine Day Events  The number one tip Stephanie had for planning a wedding is know your budget. This doesn;t necessarily mean you have to have an exact dollar an=mount in mind. A basic range will do in the beginning. Sometimes couples say they "have no budget." That they will just pay whatever things cost. Often times, weeks before the wedding, the same couple is trying to shave tens of thousands of dollars off of the final bill because they really only wanted to pay $30K. Having a range, sat $20-$30K can help your planner manage both costs and expectations. Stephanie also talked about using magazines and inspiration shoots to find your style; what exactly you can expect from your wedding planner and stylist, and how accurate those wedding reality shows are!   Don't forget to subscribe on iTunes! *** The Hindsight Bride Podcast is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License. You are free to re-post as long as you link back to HindsightBride.com. Please do not alter the original work.

Bridal Koolaid Cocktail Hour This week luxury wedding photographer and photography business blogger Todd Reichman joins us to discuss the the controversial post "Dear Wedding Bloggers, You Suck," Jonas Peterson's subsequent "Mason Jar Manifesto," and Abby Larson of Style Me Pretty's reply to both as well as where brides fit into all of this. Image from Apartment Therapy   Show Notes: Dear Wedding Bloggers, You Suck Mason Jar Manifesto It's All in the Details...or Is It?   We are now on iTunes! Subscribe now and get your BKCH podcasts automatically. Click the iTunes button below: P.S. It is not lost on me that I publish a cocktail hour podcast in the morning. But hey, it's five o'clock somewhere, right?  

Bridal Koolaid Cocktail Hour episode #2 We're back with another episode of BKCH with the Rogue Bride, where we explore the oft ignored corners of Wedding Word and share real stories and real prices. This week we interviewed Rachel from Black Market Bakery.  Rachel shared information about: How bakers determine what to charge for wedding cakes How to properly transport a wedding cake Tips on decorating your own wedding cake (hint, go with asymmetry) Questions to ask your baker This week the Rogue Bride also shares her stories finding a florist and a photographer; we talk about practical jokes at weddings, and dish on the Wedding Merchants Business Academy meeting. ♥ New logo, designed by the lovely Elisa from Events by Elisa ♥ NSFW We received the following listener question about our swearing policy. Listener Question: In the last episode you missed bleeping out a few swear words. I was listening to your show at work! You should be more careful. BCKH Answer: The BKCH is not safe for work. We do bleep out some swearing, but only it's funnier to bleep it out than not. Links mentioned in the show Black Market Bakery Flutterglass Photography Broke-Ass Bride A Charity Wedding TTD Shoot Wedding Merchants Business Academy Cake Wrecks Da Font Smitten Kitchen Swiss Meringue Buttercream Karl Straus Brewery Gardens Edible Flowers post by Jodi from Short Street Cakes  

This is as raw and as h0nest as it gets. Let me just start by saying, I am both amazingly thrilled and scared completely shitless to publish today's podcast. I've teamed up with the Rogue Bride to create the most honest, authentic, no-holds-barred podcast covering everything from cheap-assed wedding dresses to the cost of DIY weddings to the fact that 15K is A LOT of money in the real world--that is, outside of the wedding world. But we also discuss vendor pricing, self-improvement during the planning process, and our consummate (and maybe even just a bit hypocritical) love of  all the "The Pretty Pretty" we find daily on wedding blogs. It's a big show!  Show Notes Rogue Bride Brides.com Real wedding Budgets Wedding Marketing.net This was mistakenly called  in the podcast The Wedding Report Think Splendid Bridal Tweet Broke-Ass Bride Interview Hindsight Couple on DIY Bride 100 Layer Cake Vintage Gown Don-Q Rum (The Accidental Sponsor) Music by Houdini Roadshow To find out why this photo is featured, listen to the podcast! Get the podcast automatically; subscribe on iTunes! *** The Hindsight Bride Podcast is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License. You are free to re-post as long as you link back to HindsightBride.com. Please do not alter the original work.    

Get inside the hearts and Minds of Engaged Grooms I am so excited about this interview with J. Kevin Powell, publisher of the Sophisticated Groom magazine. Kevin offers some great advice for grooms, couples, and brides alike. The idea for the Sophisticated Groom came to Kevin when he was planning his own wedding. He points out that when he and his fiancee got engaged "she got a 400-page glossy magazine" and "he got the same brochure teenagers get for the prom." (i.e. the tux brochure.) So he started doing his own research to answer questions about what exactly are couples spending their money on. writing the vows, and what to expect after the wedding and into the marriage. Kevin talks about what part of the wedding planning process he was interested in and which parts he left up to his partner. He also discusses how to plan together without killing each other. What to do with an apathetic partner and how to handle and overbearing one. He also lists the top dos and don't of wedding planning, and gives money-saving tips for your venue, cake, and catering. So download and listen now. Better yet, subscribe in iTunes and never miss an episode. Bonus!!! Kevin has also offered Hindsight Bride readers and listeners a special discount. You can get a year and a half (that’s six issues) of the Sophisticated Groom for $10. Simply use the coupon code: HindsightBride. This offer is valid through Aug 22nd, 2011. Links: The Sophisticated Groom Ultimate Bachelor Excursion Want to write for the Grooms Journal? Email info@sophisticatedgroom.com The Man Registry   Don't forget to subscribe on iTunes! *** The Hindsight Bride Podcast is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License. You are free to re-post as long as you link back to HindsightBride.com. Please do not alter the original work.

Bride Turned Photographer Dishes Out Her Best Hindsight Advice Today we have Asheville Wedding Photographer Sarah Rominger with us talking about her experiences as both a mountain bride and as a professional wedding photographer.  You may remember Sarah from last week. She photographed the Laid Back Southern Mountain Wedding in Asheville. Sarah is with us once more on the Hindsight Bride Podcast. Sarah shares all sorts of stories and advice from both the bride's and the wedding photographer's perspective. She tells how venue was the most important to her and that she looked at so many, her fiance eventually let her venue hunt without him. Sarah shares how she and and her family DIY-ed Martha Stewart-inspired ceremony fans, and give us the skinny on how much time and effort it took. And Sarah recounts how she and her new husband ended up eating dinner at Wendy's because they didn;t make time to eat their dinner at the wedding. Sarah also dishes up some great advice for choosing a photographer. This show is chock full of great advice and great stories. Here's a little teaser from the classic Hindsight Bride interview: Three things you're glad you did: I'm really glad that we had a first look Glad we chose a venue where all the major things--chairs and tents, etc-- were included. Because we seriously considered a venue where things weren't included and I would have had to bring everything in on the wedding day, and I'm just so glad I didn't go that route. It would have been that much more I would have had to do, and I already had enough on my plate. I'm glad I carried Sprite with me... Click play  and listen to the podcast find out why Sarah was glad she carried Sprite... (It at minute 18-ish) Find Sarah Rominger on: The Web: http://sarahromingerphotography.com/ Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/sarahromingerphotography Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/sarahrominger Don't forget to subscribe on iTunes! *** The Hindsight Bride Podcast is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License. You are free to re-post as long as you link back to HindsightBride.com. Please do not alter the original work.

Today's podcast features Laura Murray of Laura Murray Photography with us talking about the difference between editorial style and photojournalism; how to find the right fit in a photographer, and some of her best tips for your wedding day.   Laura's best advice: Come up with a schedule for the day. Usually you do this with a wedding planner, but in the absence of a planner, i [Laura] help [clients] establish a timeline. Cushion your timeline to accommodate if you're running late and to make sure your not rushing from one event to the next. You want to be able to slow down and enjoy every moment of your wedding day as much as possible. Remember what your wedding is really about. It's about you marrying the love of your life. No matter what happens, embrace everything that the day will bring and realize it will be perfect regardless of what happens. Don't be afraid of rainy on your wedding day. The light is so soft and romantic when it rains, and it makes beautiful photographs. Find Laura on: The Web: http://lauramurrayphotography.com/ Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/lauramurrayphoto Her Blog: http://lauramurrayphotography.com/blog/   Don't forget to subscribe on iTunes! *** The Hindsight Bride Podcast is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License. You are free to re-post as long as you link back to HindsightBride.com. Please do not alter the original work.

An Interview with MyRegistry.com Founder and President Nancy Lee I recently had the pleasure of talking with Nancy Lee about wedding registry tips tricks and etiquette. Of course registering for wedding gifts seems pretty straight forward, at first: You and your fiance show up at the Pottery Barn, Macy's, or Bed Bath and Beyond. You get your scanning gun and wield it about the store scanning this and that. You do a lot of fantasizing about the parties you'll throw and how you'll be the entertaining queen of your friends. You may fight a bit. Then you go home and anticipate becoming BFFs with the UPS man. Or you can install a registry tools bar and shop from any store online, including places of extreme swooning like Etsy and Wedzu. While MyRegistry.com allows couple to have the best of both worlds (the scanning gun and the online tool bar) as Nancy Lee points out, registering for gifts is not just about picking out items and letting every day be like Christmas in the following weeks. There are guest considerations, questions of etiquette, and decisions about what you actually want and need. In this interview Nancy Lee discusses: How your guests really feel about your registering for cash gifts. How to register for a house, a honeymoon, or for parts of your wedding (i.e. the band, photographer, or catering) Selecting gifts in price ranges that everyone can afford. What types of things to register for. Do you really need fancy china? And how to get your groom involved. For more information or to register, go to MyRegistry.com   Don't forget to subscribe on iTunes!   *** The Hindsight Bride Podcast is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License. You are free to re-post as long as you link back to HindsightBride.com. Please do not alter the original work.    

A Hindsight Bride Podcast I had an opportunity to catch up with DJ Ari from Beat Train Productions. We talked about songs you don't want to play at your wedding, songs you do, how to find a great DJ, and what to expect when you book a Beat Train Productions. Image from Two Ring Studios via Hindsight Bride Beat Train productions has been widely recognized throughout the wedding industry. They're Little Black Book members, they've won best-of awards from The Knot, and Wedding Wire. And they are an accredited business through the Better Business Bureau. Image from Two Ring Studios via Hindsight Bride Beat Train Productions has offices in both Boston and New York, and they serve all mountain locations in New England and New York State. You can find Beat Train Productions online at: http://www.beattrainproductions.com/ (Boston) and http://www.beattrainnyc.com/ (New York) Don't forget to subscribe on iTunes!   *** The Hindsight Bride Podcast is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License. You are free to re-post as long as you link back to HindsightBride.com. Please do not alter the original work.  

Sandra DiDomizio from Green Fox Events Shares her Best Wedding Planning Advice Image from Float Away Studio via Hindsight Bride I caught up with eco-conscious event planner, Sandra DiDomizio, to talk about planning eco-conscious weddings in remote mountain towns like Mammoth Lakes, CA. I had a blast talking to Sandra about unique mountain culture and how it fits into destination weddings. We talked about less-thought-about eco-friendly acts like composting your wedding foods. We also talked about day-of coordination and what to expect from your wedding planner. For more information on Green Fox Events, visit them at www.greenfoxevents.com

Angie from Vow Muse shares her tips and tricks Wedding planning requires soooooo much attention to soooooo many details: finding the perfect dress, selecting lovely flowers to match your equally lovely decor, and creating a fabulous, fun atmosphere for your guests. Decisions on table linens, guest favors, cake flavors and design, and invitation, program, and menu designs are some of the more obvious details to attend to. Less obvious ones (especially if you don't have a planner) may include time lining the event, figuring out who will MC and what they will say and when, and making sure your vendors get appropriate breaks and are fed. If you're a DIY girl, it's necessary to borrow down into even finer details, such as making sure salt and pepper make it to the tables, or making sure you have dessert plates and forks for your cake. Image from Adam + Imthiaz Photography Amid parsing through all the wedding details and minutia, one detail is often over looked until the last minute. The vows. Too bad too. They're arguably the most important part of the wedding. The reason why you're all there. Without the wedding ceremony, your wedding turns into a reception. It's just a fancy party. My guest today is Angie from Vow Muse, the vow and ceremony writing service based online and in the San Francisco Bay Area. Angie will share some of her insights and tips for: writing your own vows writing a maid of honor or best man speech finding inspiration and overcoming writers block For more information on getting help with your vows, visit VowMuse.com

Lara discusses dealing with a dress debacle + setting priorities I have Lara back with us today on the podcast. You'll remember Lara from a few days ago; her's was the DIY Mammoth Lakes Wedding featured this past Tuesday. Lara gives the full story of her dress debacle on the podcast. In love with a J-Crew wedding gown but not loving the ivory color, Lara commissioned a seamstress to make a customized version of the dress. During the final fitting, Lara realized the hem was both crooked and too short. Find out how Lara dealt with this nightmare of a situation. Lara also discusses setting priorities and special considerations for mountain brides in the West. Her best hindsight advice from this episode: "Remember your wedding is not a competition." Well said Lara! Sponsored by The Sheet News I am thrilled to Welcome our very first podcast sponsor: The Sheet News in Mammoth Lakes California. The Sheet publishes the annual Eastern Sierra Wedding Guide, which will be published both online and off  this Saturday (April 23) In the meantime, you can download a copy of last year's wedding guide, which has both editorial content and a listing of Eastern Sierra wedding professionals.