Why Hiring a Professional Stylist for Your Wedding Outweighs the Perks of DIY Decor

Every bride dreams of creating the perfect atmosphere for her wedding—a day that captures her love story through beautiful, thoughtful decor. The rise of Pinterest and DIY wedding blogs has made the idea of DIY decor incredibly appealing. There’s something so personal and rewarding about handcrafting elements of your special day, and it can seem like a cost-effective way to add your own unique flair. However, while the pros of DIY decor may seem enticing, the reality is that the workload and stress that comes with it often outweigh the benefits.

The Appeal of DIY Decor:

• Personal Touch: DIY allows you to infuse your own personality into every detail, from centerpieces to seating charts.

• Potential Cost Savings: You might be able to save money on certain decor items by doing it yourself.

• Creative Control: You have full creative control over every single design element, ensuring everything is exactly how you envision it.

These points sound wonderful on the surface, but when it comes to pulling off the wedding of your dreams, DIY decor comes with many hidden challenges and stresses that can take away from the joy of your big day.

The Cons of DIY Decor:

• Time-Consuming: Preparing all your decor items will eat up your time—hours that could be spent relaxing, planning other aspects of your wedding, or spending time with loved ones.

• Overwhelming Workload: From designing to sourcing materials, assembling, setting up, and then breaking down, DIY can become an exhausting task, often leaving brides burned out before their wedding day even arrives.

• Last-Minute Stress: On the day of your wedding, the last thing you’ll want to do is worry about whether your centerpieces are perfectly placed or if your ceremony arch is secured. The pressure of getting every detail right falls on you, your family, or friends, adding unnecessary stress when you should be enjoying the moment.

Why Hiring a Professional Stylist is the Better Choice:

A professional wedding stylist understands how to bring your vision to life—elevating it with expert design, flawless execution, and countless thoughtful details that will surprise and delight you.

1. Stress-Free Experience for You and Your Guests: A stylist takes care of everything from setup to teardown, allowing you, your family, and your friends to relax and focus on what matters most—celebrating your love. Instead of worrying about decor, you can enjoy a completely stress-free day knowing every detail is being managed by a professional.

2. A Cohesive, Stunning Vision: Professional stylists don’t just focus on isolated elements—they see the bigger picture. From your ceremony to your cocktail hour and your reception, a stylist will ensure that every part of your wedding flows seamlessly together, creating a cohesive atmosphere that embodies your style and theme.

3. Attention to Detail: Brides often focus on the big decor items, but a stylist will add so many small details that elevate the entire event. Whether it’s the way candles are placed to create the perfect romantic lighting, the personalized signage that guides guests, or the arrangement of florals for maximum impact, a stylist’s expertise ensures your decor feels luxurious and polished from every angle.

4. Access to Unique Resources and Vendors: Professional stylists have connections with decor rental companies, florists, and specialty suppliers. They have access to high-quality pieces that you may not be able to find on your own, and they know how to use these elements to create a visually stunning event.

5. Tailored, Creative Solutions: A stylist will work closely with you to understand your vision and find creative solutions to bring it to life—even if you have specific ideas or constraints in mind. Their experience allows them to come up with unique concepts and suggest decor elements you might never have thought of.

6. Cost-Effective in the Long Run: While it may seem more expensive upfront, hiring a professional stylist can actually save you money in the long run. They can work within your budget to create an amazing look without the guesswork, last-minute purchases, or trial and error that often comes with DIY projects.

At the end of the day, your wedding is meant to be one of the most joyous and memorable experiences of your life. By entrusting your decor to a professional stylist, you’re not just investing in beautiful decor—you’re investing in a stress-free, magical day where every moment can be enjoyed to the fullest.

So, if you’re weighing the idea of DIY versus hiring a stylist, remember: while DIY offers creative freedom, the overwhelming workload and stress can quickly overshadow those initial benefits. Let a professional stylist handle the details so you and your loved ones can enjoy the best day of your life, worry-free!

Why Hiring a Stylist for Your Wedding Décor is the FIRST decision you should make!

Planning a wedding involves countless decisions, from selecting the perfect dress to choosing the ideal venue. Among these choices, deciding on the decor is undoubtedly one of the most exciting yet challenging tasks for any bride.

While many brides opt to take on the challenge themselves, there's a compelling case to be made for hiring a professional stylist such as Everybody Say Love Events to bring your wedding vision to life.

Here are several reasons why entrusting your decor to a stylist could be the best decision you make for your big day:

• Expertise and Creativity: Professional stylists specialize in creating stunning visual experiences. They possess a keen eye for design, color coordination, and aesthetics, allowing them to transform any space into a magical setting. By leveraging their expertise, you can rest assured that every detail of your decor will be meticulously planned and executed.

• Save Time and Stress: Planning a wedding is a time-consuming process, and DIY-ing your decor can add unnecessary stress to an already hectic schedule. Hiring a stylist frees up valuable time, allowing you to focus on other aspects of your wedding planning while ensuring that your decor is in capable hands. From sourcing materials to setting up on the day-of, a stylist handles all the logistical details so you can relax and enjoy your special day.

• Access to Resources and Suppliers: Professional stylists often have established relationships with a network of suppliers, florists, and rental companies. This means they have access to a wide range of decor options and can secure exclusive deals that may not be available to the general public. By tapping into their network, you can achieve a curated look that reflects your personal style while staying within your budget.

• Attention to Detail: It's the little details that can truly elevate your wedding decor from ordinary to extraordinary. Professional stylists have a knack for incorporating unique touches and thoughtful accents that tie everything together seamlessly. Whether it's personalized signage, ambient lighting, or intricate tablescapes, they ensure that every element of your decor contributes to the overall ambiance and mood of your celebration.

• On-Site Coordination: On the day of your wedding, the last thing you want to worry about is setting up and styling your decor. A professional stylist takes care of all the logistics, from arranging floral arrangements to hanging drapery, so you can focus on getting ready and enjoying the moments leading up to your ceremony. Their presence ensures that everything runs smoothly, allowing you to relax and soak in the joy of your special day.

In conclusion, while DIY-ing your wedding decor may seem appealing at first glance, the benefits of hiring a professional stylist are undeniable.

From their expertise and creativity to their ability to save you time and stress, a stylist can help bring your wedding vision to life in ways you never thought possible.

So, why not sit back, relax, and let a stylist turn your dreams into reality? After all, your wedding day is a once-in-a-lifetime occasion that deserves nothing but the best.

How to Write Heartfelt Wedding Vows

Is there a Template or Outline for Writing Wedding Vows?

There are many templates for writing wedding vows, but using them runs the risk of sounding generic, of sounding like you copied and pasted someone else’s words. These vows should be as personal and genuine as possible. Instead of leaning on someone else’s template, we recommend you weave together your vows by incorporating specific examples and stories that apply to you, your partner, and your relationship

• Express Appreciation and Share Your Love Story (1 minute): Begin by expressing your appreciation for your partner and recounting your love story. Don’t just focus on the high points; it can feel more ‘real’ when there is an acknowledgment of the bumpy roads that you’ve traveled together.

• Make Specific Promises (1 minute): Promise actions or commitments that are unique to your relationship. This is your chance to be sincere and genuine. Don’t just promise to cheer them up when they’re sad; promise to drive 30 minutes to the specific restaurant that has their favorite Diet Coke and superior ice.

• Acknowledge Your Community (30 seconds): Recognize the role your friends and family have played in your journey and express your commitment to integrating both your communities.

• Conclude with a Declaration (30 seconds): Summarize your vows with a heartfelt declaration that encapsulates the essence of your love and looks to what you plan to work towards in the future together.

The Provenance Vow Builder provides a series of thought-invoking questions to guide you through each of these considerations, ultimately weaving together your personal thoughts at the click of a button.

Tips for Writing Wedding Vows:

DON’T use cliche, overly flowery language: Be honest and authentic to who you are. The best vows are not generic platitudes about love, but instead feel hyper-specific to you, your partner, and your relationship.

DO balance your partner’s vows: Writing your vows in solitude to be shared for the first time with your partner on the wedding day is a beautiful tradition, but it is not without risk. It can be super awkward discovering live in front of the audience that your respective vows are of completely different lengths or tones. Use the Provenance Vow Builder to ensure your vows are of similar length and tone to your partner’s before the big day, allowing you each to tszuj toward general balance and parity to avoid any awkward discrepancies.

DON’T share overly embarrassing stories: While humor can be a great addition, steer clear of sharing anything that might make your partner or guests uncomfortable.

DO keep your vows a surprise for each other: It is a really special moment to share your vows for the first time on the big day. That said, it can help relieve stress if you ask a mutual friend to review each of your vows beforehand to confirm general balance. Use the Vow Builder privacy settings to hide the contents of your vows from your partner, while letting your officiant or wedding planner see them both.

DON’T read your vows off your phone: Opt for a printed copy or vow booklet instead of reading from your phone to maintain a more intimate and genuine connection with your partner, and to avoid looking like you are scrolling through Instagram.

DO have an extra copy for the officiant: Give an extra copy of your vows to the officiant so they can assist if needed or in case you misplace your copy.

DON’T wing it: Practice your vows beforehand and avoid improvising on the spot to ensure you convey your emotions and sentiments as intended.

DO stay hydrated and prepared: Have a water bottle and tissues nearby in case you need them to stay comfortable and composed during your vows.

DON’T let your officiant photobomb the grand finale kiss photo!: Ask your officiant to move to the side before pronouncing you as married and introducing the kiss. Make sure it is written into the script (these cues and others are included in the Provenance Ceremony Builder, as demonstrated below).

How to Begin Writing Your Vows

It is completely normal to have swirling thoughts and ideas of what you want to say, but no idea how to structure them into coherent vows. Here is a step-by-step guide (and a gif!) to show you how to get started.

STEP 1: Set your length and tone

We heard from many couples (and observed ourselves as experienced officiants) that they were anxious that their partner’s vows were drastically different from theirs in length and tone, creating an awkward imbalance during the ceremony’s critical crescendo. And so, we included within the Provenance Vow Builder a way for you to view your partner’s vows’ relative length and tone without revealing the content of their speech.

This is the feature that went viral on TikTok (linked here). Couples were excited to find that they can finally avoid that awkward “I poured my heart out for 6 minutes and they only said 2 sentences?!” risk.

STEP 2: Reflect on your love story (past, present, and future)

Additionally, couples we have shared that the hardest part of writing their vows was simply staring at that intimidating blinking cursor on the blank page.

The Provenance Vow Builder has curated questions to help you overcome writer’s block, remember the moments you want to share, and draft the promises you want to make.

We have had couples share that they made “date nights” out of using our tools because it helps them reminisce on moments that they would not have remembered otherwise.

STEP 3: Put it all together, review, and share with a trusted person

Your vows are a significant part of the ceremony, so it is essential to strike a balance between expressing your love and keeping your audience engaged. While there is no strict rule on length, aim for vows that are between 30 seconds and 3 minutes. As for the tone, some people lean sentimental, while others like to incorporate jokes. What matters most is that they reflect you, your partner, and your relationship while also feeling balanced.

You can edit the vows directly, as well as control whether you would like to (or not!) share its contents with other collaborators. And finally, once ready, we enable you to download and print before heading to the altar.

What is a Group Vow or the Declaration of Intent?

In addition to personal vows, weddings will have a Declaration of Intent, and sometimes even a group vow.

The Declaration of Intent is a legal part of the ceremony where both partners confirm that they come of their own free will. It is often worded from the officiant as “Do you take…,” to which each person responds “I do.”

The Group Vow has become increasingly more popular as a way to bring community into the special day. The officiant will ask if everyone here promises to support the couple, to which they respond “We do.”

A variety of options for both scripts can be found in the Provenance Ceremony Builder.

Closing thoughts

Crafting your wedding vows can be one of the most meaningful parts of wedding planning. By following these steps, you will create vows that are heartfelt, authentic, and a true reflection of your unique bond.

5 Wedding Trends for 2024

Wedding season is upon us and with it, a stream of new ideas, vision and styles will be showcased!

Here are the Top 5 Wedding Trends experts expect to be incorporated into the next wave of celebrations of loved-up couples.

COLOUR! COLOUR! COLOUR!

It’s goodbye to whites, creams and pastels and hello to bright and bold!

Joy will be bursting from the love in the room, along with the styling elements such as strong colours in the flower arrangements, table linens and stationary. Vibrant purples, magenta and fiery reds will be making a comeback to showcase couples’ personalities and make a statement with the eye-catching colour palette.

PATTERNS

Quite possibly our favourite trend prediction, patterns are hitting the wedding scene and we cannot wait to see them!

Level up your styling by incorporating a pattern in multiple elements throughout your wedding. From your invitation to stationary at the reception or even your table linens, patterns are a great way to add depth, personality and a pop of difference.

The added bonus of a pattern is it is completely custom to the couple and their colour palette, so you are ensuring that the wedding is unique and memorable. Patterns can be floral, chic geometric designs or bold retro designs – the options are limitless!

ALTERNATIVE ATTIRE

Traditional wedding dresses, suits and bridal party attire are set for a shakeup with couples choosing to opt for modern and versatile options.

As with our first two trend predictions, colour and pattern are also sneaking their way in – say arrivederci to plain colour, satin bridesmaid dresses and we absolutely cannot wait to see the first bride who dares to rock a colourful, patterned veil for the big day!

Get set to see more brides in tailored suits, mini dresses and a second dress for the party end of the night.

SUSTAINABILITY IS KEY

With sustainability becoming increasingly important, brides and grooms are incorporating

eco-conscious elements into their wedding plans.

Electronic invitations are a great place to start along with locally grown florals, eco-friendly guest favours and zero waste catering.

MICRO WEDDINGS

While we adore largescale weddings and the grandeur that they bring, micro weddings (guest numbers typically no higher than 50) are on the rise, with couples opting to invest higher into the experience of the day than the number of attendees.

A common misconception is that a smaller guest list means a smaller impact, which couldn’t be more incorrect. One of our favourite 2023 wedding’s is that of Chen & Shirly for a total of 32 guests, held at the beautiful Sequoia Lodge.

Smaller group sizes allow for couples to spend more time with each visitor, providing a more unique and memorable experience.

Want to incorporate some of the predicted trends in to your wedding day but need some help getting there? Contact us today and let’s set your wedding apart from the crowd!