Not sure how to change your last name, where to start, or even when, once you’ve tied the knot? We’ve got this covered in today’s episode, with our very first guest!

Alex Golney from Nee Name Change is with us and she is going to help us walk through the process of changing your name after the wedding and not only that, but how to do it in style.

Use discount code “J&J10” for 10% off name change kits at https://neenamechange.com/.

Give @neenamechange a follow on Instagram!

If there is a topic you’d like us to touch on, please let us know by sending a note to thebeforeidopodcast@gmail.com

Be sure to check us out on Instagram:

@beforeidopodcast

@jacksonandjuneevents

And check out our website for all your wedding planning needs: www.jacksonandjuneevents.com

We’ve got such a fun one today - we are going to talk about all things moving in together!

I feel like it is such a relevant topic when wedding planning because a lot of couples are either doing this at the same time they are planning or they have just recently moved in together before getting engaged. Many of our couples will hop on calls and be like, “oh we were looking at houses this weekend” or “we were packing up our apartment”, so it’s definitely something that we experience a lot with our couples.

Nowadays, we feel like it is common for couples to move in together before they get married, so it feels like people skip over it as a milestone, but it is such a big part of progressing your relationship, getting ready for that next big chapter of life, and setting a really strong foundation for marriage.

We'll share our top tips for moving in together and have also gathered advice from our Instagram audience and friends. Let's dive in!

1. There will be a transition. And you will do things to annoy the other
2. Share each other‘s biggest pet peeves at the beginning
3. It’s not about molding your partners routines to your routines, it’s about creating new routines together
4. Be flexible
5. Divvy up chores ahead of time
6. Get your mail under control
7. Make sure bills are in both of your names and both of you have access to pay them
8. Create a household, email address and calendar
9. Talk about your open door policy with family members and friends and make sure you are on the same page
10. When you are merging your belongings, remember, you don’t need two of everything
11. Talk about alone time
12. Do fun things
13. First out of bed makes coffee, last out of bed makes the bed
14. Do not feel like it is the end of the world or your relationship if you guys get more agitated with each other in the beginning

If there is a topic you’d like us to touch on, please let us know by sending a note to thebeforeidopodcast@gmail.com

Be sure to check us out on Instagram:

@beforeidopodcast

@jacksonandjuneevents

And check out our website for all your wedding planning needs: www.jacksonandjuneevents.com

It’s party time! We’re talking all about the pros, the cons, and best practices for both wedding DJs and bands!

The decision to hire a DJ or a band for your wedding is always a big one. And honestly, there is no right answer because each wedding and each couple is so different! So what we’re going to do is talk through pros and cons with each and some personal opinions to help you decide which option is best for you!

DJ:

What we love:

• Your music selection is more customizable
• Specific songs are guaranteed to be the versions that you love
• Usually, DJs are fantastic MC’s that know how to guide and maintain a dance floor
• They usually come with really cool lighting and uploading options that create a party vibe
• They leverage technology
• Have a ceremony and cocktail hour option
• They are more budget friendly!

What we don’t love:

• They can be over or under energetic or your specific party feel
• They can have terrible transition times
• They can control the party a little too much
• Sometimes their set-ups aren’t quite aesthetically pleasing

When I recommend a DJ instead of a band:

• Tighter budget
• If the couple is super picky about the version of certain songs and is requesting a larger variety of genres
• If the couple is wanting more of a club feel
• If the guests need a lot of handholding to get on the dance floor
• If the venue does not have room for a band

Bands:

What we love:

• They give a very grand and energetic vibe to the reception
• If you have a good one, they keep the dance floor packed
• They give a classic feel with live instruments
• Some bands can offer one or two musicians to play instruments for the ceremony and or cocktail hour
• The musicians make the guests feel like they are part of the performance

What we don’t love:

• They are expensive
• They take up a lot of room in the reception space.
• Sometimes they are not the best MCs
• They need to take breaks during your dance floor time
• Sometimes their versions of songs aren’t exactly like the originals
• Some bands are very set in their list and don’t offer a lot of customization
• Sometimes they can have a lot of requirements

When I recommend a band over a DJ:

• When the couple has the budget for it
• If the couple is a huge fan of live music
• If the couples guests are pretty self-sufficient in getting the party started
• If the couple is OK with a more traditional wedding reception set list

Again, this is not a comprehensive list of pros and cons for bands and DJs, this is just a good starting point for you and your fiancé to have a discussion and weigh the options to help you ultimately make a decision!

We love them both and just want you to feel empowered to choose whatever option works best for your wedding.

If there is a topic you’d like us to touch on, please let us know by sending a note to thebeforeidopodcast@gmail.com

Be sure to check us out on Instagram:

@beforeidopodcast

@jacksonandjuneevents

And check out our website for all your wedding planning needs: www.jacksonandjuneevents.com

It’s DINNER TIME! We’re talking all about wedding dinner service today! Food is our favorite and we have a LOT of opinions here, so let’s jump right in.

Types of dinner service options at weddings:

1. Buffet
2. Stations
3. Served Meal
4. Heavy hors d'oeuvres
5. Food trucks

We are going to talk through what we love, what we don't, and what we’ve seen work well for each of these service types.

1. Buffet:
   • What we love:
     • The pre-work for a buffet is super simple
     • It gives guests straight forward options
   • What we don’t love:
     • If your guest count is over 200 people it takes FOREVER
     • If your reception space is already tight, it is SO uncomfortable
     • Guests give us mean looks when we’re dismissing tables
   • What we’ve seen work well:
     • They are great for groups less than 200 guests
     • They are great in LARGE spaces
     • Double sided/served!
     • Have a preset salad, water, and table wine (caution if outside)
2. Stations:
   • What we love:
     • You get some creative food options
   • What we don’t love:
     • Guests are so LOST
     • It makes the reception space feel really chaotic
     • It takes away from the structure of party flow
     • So many plates
     • No way to dismiss tables
   • What we’ve seen work well:
     • Make a map of the room to tell guests what food is where
     • Have a preset salad, water, and table wine (caution if outside)
3. Served Meal:
   • What we love:
     • It’s so organized
     • It is quicker if scheduled correctly
     • Guests don’t have to get up as much!
   • What we don’t love:
     • There is a lot more prep work
     • It does come with some extra staffing costs, but we think it’s worth it
   • What we’ve seen work well:
     • Table assignments with meal indicators on place cards picked up as guests enter reception and give caterer a count of each meal per table.
     • Preset salads, water, and table wine to cut down on service time
4. Heavy hors d'oeuvres:
   • What we love
     • It’s super budget friendly
     • Great for a relaxed, day time wedding
   • What we don’t love:
     • People are hungry
     • Same unstructured feel as stations
5. Food Trucks:
   • What we love:
     • Yummy food
     • Creates a fun and relaxed atmosphere
     • Folks can keep coming back throughout the night
     • Can be very budget friendly
   • What we don’t love:
     • Lots of guest movement
     • Can be chaotic
     • Lacks a little bit of structure
   • What we’ve seen work well
     • You have to have the right venue space for it
     • Start at cocktail hour
     • Customizable food options

If there is a topic you’d like us to touch on, please let us know by sending a note to thebeforeidopodcast@gmail.com

Be sure to check us out on Instagram:

@beforeidopodcast

@jacksonandjuneevents

And check out our website for all your wedding planning needs: www.jacksonandjuneevents.com

Today’s topic may be a heated one - unwanted opinions, advice, and conflicts that inevitably arise while planning.

We might get spicy here, as these are things that typically lead to some stress, uncomfortable conversations, and weird situations, but we think that when you’re getting married, you don’t have time for any of that noise. So, we’re here to help.

Please note - we don’t want to seem like we’re telling you not to take advice from anyone whatsoever.

What we want people to take away from this is you can, and maybe should, hear people out initially but if you’ve decided on something and that person or people keeps pushing, you have to draw the line somewhere.

We’re going to go through some real life examples of unwanted opinions and talk through how we would coach our clients to handle them:

1. Opinions about class (plated dinner, black tie attire, band vs dj, etc.)
2. Hand written/calligraphy on invitations vs. printed. Also digital RSVP’s.
3. What to do when someone says, “Don’t spend a lot on flowers, they’re already dead”
4. When someone is making it out like their opinions are MORE important than the fiance’s
5. Eating dinner separately from rest of wedding group
6. Big one: having kids at the wedding
7. Opinions about guest list and who is on it
8. Do you have to register for fine china?
9. Wedding registry vs. vacation fund
10. Countering decisions we’ve already made
11. Serving alcohol!

If there is a topic you’d like us to touch on, please let us know by sending a note to thebeforeidopodcast@gmail.com

Be sure to check us out on Instagram:

@beforeidopodcast

@jacksonandjuneevents

And check out our website for all your wedding planning needs: www.jacksonandjuneevents.com

Honestly, the differences between a wedding coordinator and a wedding planner are foggy even among other wedding industry pros. And just a little caveat here, every coordinator/planner is a little bit different, but this is how most folks in the industry would describe the difference, and how we at J + J break it down.

Let's start with 5 key descriptors of a coordinator.

Coordinator (Event Management Package):

1. Services typically start ~6 weeks before wedding. You usually cannot access them before this mark.
2. When services do start, the coordinator will jumps in and help tie up any loose ends and executes your plan.
3. A coordinator will create your weekend timeline.
4. She/He will coordinate deliveries and vendor set up before and during the wedding.
5. She/He will be present to act as "air traffic control" on wedding day.

In a nutshell, you do the planning and your coordinator will jump in at the end to bring your vision to life.

Now let's talk Wedding Planner.

Full Service Planner:

1. Services start upon hire.
2. A planner will help find and hire your vendors.
3. A planner takes the lead on design and assist in setting/following a budget.
4. You have access to your planner throughout the entire planning process:
5. A full service planner might also provide services like sending out invitations, tracking RSVP’s, delivering welcome bags to hotels, planning welcome parties, etc.
6. Your planner will of course create your timeline and be present on wedding day to act as "air traffic control."
7. Your planner will attend vendor meetings with you, act as your sounding board, and help you make the big ticket decisions.

Basically your planner will get to know you and your wedding vision from the very start and execute plans throughout engagement to make that vision come true.

Now let’s touch on a Partial Planner: Another caveat, I feel like everyone does partial a little differently, but this is how WE do our partials:

A Partial Wedding Planner is a service level up from a Wedding Coordinator. View it as the Event Management package with added support and coaching - not hands off planning like a Full Service.

In our partial plan, we help you set the foundation for your wedding plans by analyzing your budget, coaching you through vendor hires by sending a short list (usually 2-5) of vendor options that fit your budget/style, then you make the hires.

In a nutshell, a Partial Planner is your wedding planning coach, helping you stay on track and helping you make wise planning decisions along the way, then will execute your plans through Event Management at the 6 week mark!

If there is a topic you’d like us to touch on, please let us know by sending a note to thebeforeidopodcast@gmail.com

Be sure to check us out on Instagram:

@beforeidopodcast

@jacksonandjuneevents

And check out our website for all your wedding planning needs: www.jacksonandjuneevents.com

Your venue determines your wedding date, location, and over-all wedding style/feel. Things really start to feel real when you have a date and a venue! And while choosing your venue is super exciting, it can also majorly eat into your budget… unless you ask the right questions and make sure your venue dollars are providing not only a location but service and a comfortable guest experience.

Here are some key things I always advise couples to look for in their wedding venue:

1. How many guests can this venue accommodate?

2. What services are included in the venues rental fee?

3. What rental items does this venue require you to hire in?

4. Does this venue have comfortable accommodations for your guests?

5. Will there be any other weddings scheduled during our wedding weekend?

6. When can we drop off our decor items?

7. What venue staff will be present on wedding day? What is their role?

8. When does the “clock” start on wedding day?

9. What time do we have to be out?

10. What is the parking situation?

11. Does this venue allow sparklers?

12. Security Deposit and Payment Plan

13. Double Booking Protocol

14. Inclement Weather Procedure *for an outside wedding*

I hope these questions are helpful in your venue search! If you have any other questions are need my input on anything, please let me know! I’m here to help!

If there is a topic you’d like us to touch on, please let us know by sending a note to thebeforeidopodcast@gmail.com

Be sure to check us out on Instagram:

@beforeidopodcast

@jacksonandjuneevents

And check out our website for all your wedding planning needs: www.jacksonandjuneevents.com

We are talking about Proposals! We’re going to actually walk through the process Alex went through to propose to Sammy, to maybe help someone out there who might be stuck on what to do first. We’re also going to share some fun proposal stats we gathered through polling our audience on Instagram:

• 66% of our audience was together 1-5 years before getting engaged and 7% less than a year!
• 47% of our audience said that their engagement ring was a total surprise, but 35% said they picked their ring out.
• 62% of our audience was truly shocked when proposal came
• 56% celebrated with just the 2 of them
• 61% did not have a photographer
• 64% didn’t have help planning the proposal

Alex’s planning process:

Pre-work: Talk with your partner about your shared expectations for your relationship, and the timeline they may have in their head. Do they want to get married before a certain point in time? Are they in no rush? Brides Magazine actually just published an article about how important this is. https://www.brides.com/collaborative-proposals-trend-8414491?utm_campaign=brides&utm_content=likeshop&utm_medium=social&utm_source=instagram

Step 1: Go ring shopping - I recommend you go together so you can have your significant other try rings on, primarily to get their ring size, look at different styles, and at some places they’ll talk to you about what a high quality diamond looks like and give you options at different price points.

Step 2: Think about how you want to propose, and how your future fiancé would want to be proposed to.

Step 3: Nail down the who, what, when, and where to have the perfect proposal

Step 4: Get your significant other wherever you need them to be and pop the question!

It’s showtime! You will be nervous, excited, emotional, maybe even black out, but it’s going to be one of the best days ever.

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, get on the same page as your significant other when it comes to the proposal. Get aligned with when, how, and under what circumstances. But it’s also totally fine to keep some small details a surprise! The most important thing is that you two are making the big decisions together!

Hope that helps!