Why Should I Hire a Wedding Planner?

So, you’re newly engaged and planning your wedding, and you’re wondering if you should hire a wedding planner! This blog is for you!

Many people already know that they need a planner because planning just isn’t their thing. However, you might be someone who is used to planning parties or trips and you think you’ll be fine without one. But is this going to be true down the line?

Well, we’re here today to tell you why we think everyone should hire a wedding planner! 

Wedding planning should be fun!

You shouldn’t have to worry about the logistics of your wedding. Your wedding is a celebration of you and your partner, so you should be focusing on the fun stuff! Those few months leading up to the wedding should be about spending time with your partner and prepping for the big day in fun ways, such as appointments to get your attire, engagement parties, bachelor or bachelorette parties, or picking out rings. For some, it may mean you need more time to work to get prepared to be gone for your wedding and/or honeymoon. Whatever your plan for leading up to the wedding, it should not include unnecessary research and questioning that a wedding planner could do for you to save you time!

We have extensive knowledge of the wedding world.

During planning, comparing prices, packages, and deals takes up a ton of time. It can be really overwhelming, but a planner can do that for you! We’re knowledgeable about what average pricing and offers are available in our area and we can tell you the best options so you can save money and get the best deals!

We make the timelines.

On the day of your wedding, there will be a lot of moving parts. There’s the catering and bar, musician or DJ, guests, officiant, flowers, rentals, venue staff, and more. There has to be a timeline so that everyone working on your event knows what's going on! We make you a timeline based on everything you’ve shared with us, the things we know need to happen already, and the things your vendors communicate with us. We know exactly how much time each piece of your day should require, like getting ready, photos, the ceremony, and so on. Then, in communication with you and your amazing vendors, we can verify that everything will line up perfectly on your wedding day.


We take the stress off of you on the big day. 

A huge part of our job is making sure you’re relaxing and having fun on the day of your wedding. It is so important to us that you don’t have to worry about anything else on the day of, because this day should be about you and your partner! You won’t have to worry about set up and clean up, communicating with your vendors, or worrying about where you should be and what you should be doing. We will take care of all of this on the day of. We will coordinate where vendors are and answer their questions, as well as make sure you’re in the right place.

No matter what you need for your wedding, we can help! We offer full planning, partial planning, and day-of-event management. We have a package to match the amount of help you need. Click here to see our packages.

Click here to contact us for a free consultation! We’d love to help you make your vision come to life.

Our Favorite Wedding Details

Courtney Paige Photography

This blog is going to be all about our favorite wedding details here at Julie Rupert Events! We’re solely using photos from past weddings we’ve done (as always) so that we can showcase some of our favorites! 

Emily Hancock Photography

Julie is a big fan of diamonds! As they say, diamonds are a girl’s best friend! Beautiful ring shots are a classic. Here are a few favorites of ours:

This brings us to our next point, detail shots. We loooooove detail shots! This is a great way to capture the essence of your wedding day. These photos feature the rings, the invitation, stationary, and shoes, all with a touch of flowers and other little additions. Julie loved the hand-painted picture of a couple’s venue (The Seclusion).

Sydney loves lots and lots of colors! This modern and fun style is great in the summertime and there are so many ways to do it. You can do a mix of colorful flowers in your arrangements or you can have your bridesmaids wear different colors. Samantha also loves when florals are used to draw color into the wedding. 

Fun napkins are also a big favorite of ours. Colorful or patterned napkins are always fun and can add a lot to the reception space. Sydney and Samantha loved these blue napkins:

Out of Twig Photography

Serving communion to your guests is a beautiful way to share a moment with each and every one of your guests during your wedding. If communion is something you were considering, consider making it an intimate moment with each of your guests. We loved watching this sweet tradition. One of Samantha’s favorites:

The Kama Photography

Doing private vows is another fan favorite here at JRE. Doing your vows with just you and your partner (and your photographer and videographer, by choice) create the sweetest, most intimate moment you can cherish forever. It is a beautiful moment to be able to share with them on such a chaotic day. 

Courtney Timms Photography

There are so many favorites of ours, these are just the highlights!

Need some help planning your wedding? Click here to chat with us!

Instagram: @julierupertevents

Facebook: Julie Rupert Events

5 Moments You Don't Want to Miss at Your Wedding

Courtney Paige Photography

Your wedding day can go by super fast, so make sure you are taking it all in and enjoying the day! We’ve compiled a list of important moments that you do not want to miss at your wedding:

Julissa Martinez Photography

  1. Private moments with your partner

On your wedding day, it can get pretty chaotic and it’s easy to get distracted from your partner. We recommend doing a private first look, prayer, or vow reading. This day is about you two, so make sure you spend time with them. 

2. Special moments with your loved ones

We love seeing those heartfelt moments with your family and friends. The couple’s dances with their family always get us emotional (no matter how long we do this) and it's a moment you’ll always remember.

The Kama Photography

3. Special ceremonies

If this is something that is important to you, don’t forget to include ceremonies or traditions, such as prayers, special meals, or dances. These will always hold a special place in your heart.

4. Fun moments you can always remember

Make sure you get plenty of time to laugh and have fun with your family and friends! Your wedding is a celebration of your new life with your partner, so have fun! Get on the dance floor with your friends and have some laughs during dinner!

5. Feel those emotions!

Your wedding is such a joyous day so don’t be afraid to shed a few tears of joy. We love seeing the tears during the ceremony and toasts (in a good way, of course)!

Julissa Martinez Photography

Remember, your wedding day is all about you and your partner, so do the things that are important to you two!

Need help planning your wedding? Click here to schedule a free chat with us!

Most Popular First Dance Songs

Photo by The Kama Photography

The first dance is a big moment for many people at their wedding. It is also a very customizable tradition, meaning there are many things you can do to make it your own. You get to pick the song, meaning you pick how slow and romantic or how fast and fun it is, you can choreograph it, you can get your guests involved … anything you want!

Photo by Courtney Paige Photography

There are some songs we hear at a lot of weddings. But, this definitely isn’t a bad thing! There are some songs you just can’t beat! We reached out to Roy Shannon Prusak, the owner of RSP Entertainment (@rspentertainment_va), to find out some of the most popular songs he hears for a couple’s first dance. We work with RSP Entertainment a lot, so we agree with this list!


Locally, we hear “Better Together” by Luke Combs, and “Joy of My Life” by Chris Stapleton often. Roy also suggests “Speechless” by Dan + Shay as a great one.

Additionally, here are some classics that you can’t go wrong with:

“Perfect” by Ed Sheeran

“Thinking Out Loud” by Ed Sheeran

“Baby I’m Yours” by the Arctic Monkeys

“Better Half of Me” by Tom Walker

So far, these have just been some favorites that we hear a lot locally in VA, but looking a little broader, here are some other hits:

“Can’t Help Falling in Love” by Elvis Presley (or other covers)

“At Last” by Etta James

“Growing Old With You”  by Restless Road

“Tennessee Whiskey” by Chris Stapleton

“All of Me” by John Legend

“In Case You Didn’t Know” by Brett Young 

“Say You Won’t Let Go” by James Arthur

“I Wanna Dance with Somebody” by Whitney Houston

“The Way You Look Tonight” by Frank Sinatra

“Lover” by Taylor Swift

This list also has lots of other songs by Luke Combs, Ed Sheeran, loads of country artists, and other classics like Frankie Valli and Elton John. Listing them all out, it is apparent that country is the top genre for first dance songs, so we tried to mention some from different genres in case country or pop wasn’t your thing!

Whatever song you choose for your first dance, make it represent you as a couple. There is no right or wrong! 

Photo by Courtney Timms Photography

If you need an amazing professional DJ service for your wedding or event, check out RSP Entertainment below! 

www.RSPentertainment.com

www.RSPsouthcarolina.com

Instagram:

@rspentertainment_va | @rspentertainment_sc

Facebook:

www.facebook.com/RSPentertainment www.facebook.com/RSPsouthcarolina

Photo by Whole Heart Studios

The Best Wedding Colors for 2023

Photo by Courtney Paige Photography

Choosing the perfect color scheme for your wedding is an important (and stressful) step in wedding planning! There are SO. MANY. choices. But, have no fear, we have some inspiration for you from some of our past weddings! 

Reading up on wedding themes and colors, we found that Pantone released the 2023 color of the year recently. According to them, the color of the year is Viva Magenta and it is this beautiful shade of red shown below. They have lots to say about the inspiration behind this beautiful color, but we love the vibrance and positivity of this shade. 

Photo by Hannah Malloy Photo

Emerald green is a popular color for ANY season and any weather! We see a lot of weddings with emerald green. You can pair emerald green with a blush, baby blue, or greys, each pairing having many different vibes. 

Photo by The Kama Photography

We also LOVE earth tones like the bouquet and suit below. Especially summer and fall weddings! Earth tones include lots of shades of greens, terracotta, tans, and browns.

Photo by Emily Hancock Photography

Photo by Courtney Paige Photography

Julie loves all things PINK! Pink is a timeless color for a soft and romantic feel for your wedding. It pairs beautifully with white and different kinds of greenery.

Photo by Out of Twig Photo

Blue is a great color to use in the spring or summer months as there is such a wide shade range. There is a lot you can do with blue and florals, such as having bright flowers paired with a bridesmaid’s dress like below (one of our planner Sydney’s all-time favorites). Alternatively, you can mix blue with white, greens, or pinks.

Photo by Whole Heart Studios

Navy blue is also a good option (strongly supported by our planner Samantha)! These napkins were a hit:

Photo by Out of Twig Photo

Whatever colors you choose for your wedding, make it something that represents you, whether that is bright and vibrant, classic and simple, or anywhere in between!

For some extra inspiration:

https://waldophotos.com/the-wedding-colors-trending/#:~:text=2023%20brides%20are%20pairing%20emerald,bridesmaid%20dresses%20to%20check%20out.

Pantone’s color of the year by TIME: 

https://time.com/6238112/pantone-color-of-the-year-2023/

Need more help? Contact us to set up a complimentary consultation so we can help you plan your big day!

Seating Chart vs. No Seating Chart

So, your big day is coming up and you’re probably wondering if you should have a seating chart or not. Well, the answer is simple: yes! If you’re not sure if you want to do a seating chart or you don’t see the need, keep reading!

Photo by Out of Twig Photo, Sign by Zazzle

  1. Your guests won’t be confused about where to go when cocktail hour is over.

People need direction! Telling your guests exactly where they’re going to go after the ceremony and cocktail hour will give them more of an idea of what the rest of the night is going to look like and who they’re going to sit with. 

Photo by Emily Hancock Photography

2.  Your guests won't have to ask you and your partner a bunch of questions.

This one goes with the first point. During cocktail hour, you're either taking pictures or enjoying getting to talk to all your guests. You aren’t going to want to be answering questions about where someone is supposed to sit! Having one spot where your guests can find their seat is efficient and easy for them and saves you a lot of time.

3. Ensures everyone has somewhere to sit and there isn’t any awkward seat shuffling when people have to squeeze into a table.

If you don’t have a seating chart, once the room gets filled up, the guests are going to run out of space if they don’t have reserved seats. This will lead to guests having to ask other guests to shuffle around and make space for them, and that’s always an awkward situation for everyone. 

Photo by The Kama Photography

4. Catering knows what food to serve to which guests.

If you’re having a plated meal with different entrees, the catering staff will have to know what food to serve each guest. In this scenario, you will need a seating chart directing guests to their table and then a place card indicating which guest sits at which seat. The place card will also note the guest’s meal choice and food allergies. This eliminates confusion on the catering side of things and ensures smoother dinner service.

Photo by Jamie Vinson Photography

5. Guests don’t have to stress about who to sit with.

Even if you’re not having a plated meal, having a seating chart means everyone has a seat and doesn’t have to stress about who to sit next to. You get to ensure your friends are sitting with people they know and would probably want to sit with anyways. Also, assigning tables to your guests will help avoid any uncomfortable run-ins with friends or family members who may not want to sit near one another.

As you can see, there are many reasons to have a seating chart. There are also SO many different kinds of seating charts and ways to make it unique to you!


Like this advice and want more? Book a free consultation with us to find out how we can help you with your big day!

I'm engaged! Now what?

Photo by Victoria V. Photography

Recently engaged? We’re here for you! Whether you’ve had a Pinterest board for your wedding since you were 12 or have no idea where to start, we’ve got you covered! It can be stressful planning a wedding, but here are the most important things you should do when you first start your wedding planning process:

  1. Set a budget

Let’s be real, weddings can get really expensive. But, there are so many ways to save money, and one of those is setting a budget right off the bat. Doing this helps avoid miscommunication and arguments down the line. Figure out how much you and your partner can save/budget for the wedding. If you have family that wants to contribute to a wedding fund, find that out too. Having a budget to follow will give you a guideline as you make decisions throughout the planning process.

Photo by Danny Gorman Photography

2. Pick a day and find a venue 

Next, you’ve gotta pick your day! Choosing your day can be completely random or it can be on a day that holds significance to you as a couple. Also, consider the seasons and what you want the weather to be like on your big day. If you already have a small detail of your wedding picked out (such as a flower you’ve always wanted, a dress style you’ve always loved, or a color scheme you know you want), make sure it will go with the season. For example, what flowers will be easily available in each season, wearing a strapless dress outside in the winter, or having the ceremony outside when it could snow.

Photo by Julissa Tabora

3. Hire a wedding planner!

This one is our favorite, of course! Whether it be someone to handle Event Day Management or Full/Partial Planning you will need someone there on your big day to ensure your wedding dreams come to life and you are able to enjoy the day with friends and family. A wedding planner is important to have in order for your day to run smoothly and take the stress off of you!

Photo by Emily Hancock Photography

4. Hire your core vendors

Aside from the venue, these core vendors include your caterer, photographer, and entertainment. These vendors are important to figure out early on because they are vendors that can typically only take one event per day. So, if you try to book them last minute, they may not be available for your wedding day. These vendors can get booked up over a year out depending on the date, so make sure you reach out to them sooner than later, especially if you’re getting married during peak wedding season in your area. Remember to lean on your planner for recommendations, that’s what they are there for!

You have to consider many things when planning a wedding, but getting these few things accomplished will help avoid last-minute disasters. Planning your wedding should be fun, and we’re here for you if you need that extra help! 

Need help with planning? Contact us and we’ll help you with all the logistics and details to make your day go smoothly!