Weddings are tailor-made for the OCD among us… all made up as they are, not just of frothy fabric and champagne fizz, but also of endless hundreds of details. The compulsive list-maker thrives in this setting. The woman who takes a more “Hakuna Matata” attitude may find herself dying by a thousand cuts—cuts made by little things forgotten or overlooked. The best antidote if you are not the compulsive list-maker type – A wedding planner. They aren’t terribly expensive, and if you truly are panic-stricken at the thought of where to start, let alone how it should all end up—it’s money well spent.

As with all your wedding professionals, you need to ask some questions to find out how experienced the you chosen planner is. How many years in the business? How many weddings has she or he planned? A little time spent talking with a wedding planner should reveal to you whether this person is someone you can relate to.

People have styles: if you want a smallish church wedding with outdoor reception and she is already talking about lavish venues and gold lamé chair covers, you may not be a match. Bridal fairs conjure up images of a lot of walking and swag bags stuffed with brochures, but they can be golden for you in chatting up wedding professionals without the commitment of walking in their door. Vendors at a bridal fair or wedding walk are dying to talk to you—or should be! They’ve gone to a lot of trouble to be there—and as for you, you can see to whom you feel drawn… while staying at arm’s length for now.

There can be big $$ savings from a bridal fair too! The Wedding Network in Woodstock holds one of the best in our area, twice each year. The next one is coming up June 25th on the beautiful Woodstock Square from Noon-3:00.  One of the Wedding Network’s big successes is their Pick 4 Program. If you choose four vendors from among their members, each of those Vendors offers you a special discount or deal.

So say you go to the Wedding Network’s semi-annual bridal fair, and you come away having hired a wedding planner, an officiant, a videographer and someone to provide you vintage or specialty touches—from doves to dishes. Each of those four vendors will cut you a deal. What a deal!