With Yellow Umbrella Events, you can have whatever you like! It’s not just some silly lyrics from one of last year’s rap song, it’s the truth. You CAN have whatever you like! And that’s all there is to it. Granted, you’ll have to pay for it, but you can have it.

What in the world has brought on this crazy rant of mine today? Glad you asked. During a conversation with a recently acquired bride, she explained to me that she wasn’t going to be able to have the elaborate display of all the different types of foods that she wanted at her wedding, so they settled on a choice of chicken and steak with sides. Now, I know what this brides budget for food and beverage was and I know that they had plenty of room for whatever they wanted to eat. Upon pressing her for the details, we came to learn that her caterer had told her that what she was asking for didn’t make sense. It apparently wasn’t logical to this particular caterer. But it was to the bride. She wanted to have several different food stations at their wedding – one of BBQ, one of sushi, one of Italian food, one for seafood – you get the picture. Is this a typical wedding dinner? Nope! But it was what our lovely bride wanted, and with good reason. She had friends and relatives coming from all over the world to attend this wedding and she wanted local fare, as well as foods from each region, to serve to her guests to make them feel comfortable. How thoughtful, and pretty cool, of them! And our poor bride had been made to settle for something that she really didn’t want simply because it was a little extra work for the caterer. Was price her main concern? No!  Her guests experience was her main concern. And she would have gladly paid for it. We have since switched to a caterer that was more than accommodating to their requests and bride and groom are thrilled that they can now have the wedding of their dreams!

I wish that I could say that this is the only instance where I have heard a wedding vendor tell a bride and groom that what they wanted simply couldn’t be done, but it’s not. This is a common theme in our first meetings with brides and grooms. There is often something that the couple feel like they can’t have, either due to concerns over tradition, lack of funds, feasibility of what they’re asking for, family situations, and more. As wedding and event planners, we’re highly skilled at getting you what you want! That’s part of what you pay us for – to make your wedding vision come to life. We are there to support all of the quirky things that make you, you and make your wedding, your wedding!

Now let’s talk money! I probably should have started this blog with the note that you can, indeed, have whatever you like, but you have to be willing to pay for it. And in a number of situations, this statement is true. If you have a wedding with 200 guests and 25 dinner tables and are simply set on five foot tall floral centerpieces with crystals dangling from each one, you are not going to make this happen on a $2000 total floral budget. You are going to have to make some decisions on what’s really important to you. Could this opulent effect be achieved in another way? Could we move some money from other areas of the budget to accommodate this desire? Will you decide to increase your budget in this area? There are a number of factors to consider. But you can have whatever you like!

Requests from couples are sometimes odd, sometimes romantic, and sometimes just over the top. But they are often what makes a wedding the most fun! If you want a Ferris Wheel at your wedding venue, you can have it. If you want custom made chocolates in the shape of your own face to give to your guests as favors, you can have it. Fireworks display, hot air balloon rides for your guests, dancing Chinese dragons, Roger Creager or Miranda Lambert to serenade you, you can have it!

The key to getting exactly what you want is staying flexible! Be open to suggestions and listen to the options that are available to you. Be willing to move money around your budget to where it is most logical. Decide in advance what is most important to the two of you. This will help you focus in on what really matters when you’re having to make decisions about your wedding. If you determine, as a couple, that the pictures mean the most to you, then you’ll already know that if you have to make adjustments in your budget, that the photographer is the priority and maybe having a full open bar for 6 hours isn’t. Instead, you may choose to serve only beer and wine, and use the difference to hire a better photographer. There are a number of these types of decisions that you will be making when you’re planning your wedding, so take some time before you really get started, for you and your fiance to discuss what you really want out of your wedding.

We want to know, what’s the one big splurge that you’re planning for your wedding?

Cheryl Bailey
Owner & Lead Event Designer
Yellow Umbrella Events