Inclusive wedding planning resources for April 2025. ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏
Elisabeth Kramer, Wedding Coordinator and Consultant
A couple stands under a flowering tree at their wedding.

Got sneak peeks from my first 2025 wedding and I mean, gorgeous, right?

Photo: Jess Buckley Photo; Venue: The Victorian Belle

 

You asked, I answered!

Someone took me up on my standing offer to answer a wedding planning question for free; yay!

Q: My fiancé and I just started sending out our first round of save-the-dates (essentially for our Tier 1 guests). We know the industry rule is that 80 percent of guests will respond YES. If that's the case, is it risky to invite over our max capacity, assuming the 80 percent rule will come through? So for example, if our max capacity is 110 can we invite 137 people on our first round of invites?

A: The phrase that catches my eye is “max capacity.” This tells me that you literally cannot fit more than 110 people in your venue.

If that’s the case than yes, this is risky. I think the internet overestimates how many people RSVP “no” for a wedding. I find it’s typically closer to 10 to 15 percent, particularly since Covid (the people want to party).

One solution? Consider sending invites sooner, perhaps closer to 10 weeks before the wedding (vs. six to eight weeks before). You can set an earlier RSVP deadline and then, based on that, extend invites to Tier 2. Not without risk but better than an overcrowded room.

 

Cool wedding planning resources I made

PSA: Be nice. You’ll get better service.

I originally wrote this in 2021 when pandemic feels were high but as we enter many vendors' busiest season, it’s a worthy reminder for us all.

New resource: What’s the average cost of a wedding guest in Oregon?

I crunched the numbers using real data from catering, rentals, and venue contracts.

If you’re getting married in June or July, you’re about 60 days out.

That’s topical because, among other things, you can apply for your marriage license in Oregon. You might also have upcoming deadlines for things like event insurance.

I recently crossed 175 five-star reviews on Google.

This one really stuck out: “She was relaxed with a smile on her face the entire day, knowing exactly when to step in and assist to keep things running smoothly, but never overstepping, letting the couple enjoy their day.”

 EVEN MORE FREE WEDDING PLANNING RESOURCES 
 

Cool wedding planning resources other people made

Last call: Vow writing workshops.

I like these!

Sustainability is possible in weddings.

This YouTube channel is a treasure trove of resources. It was born from a documentary about sustainable weddings that I was a part of in 2023.

Speaking of: There’s a carbon footprint calculator for weddings.

Sobering.

And, after that, if you need some comfort food…

I recently learned about a new vendor in Portland called Every Hour Happy Hour, an all-in-one charcuterie cart and mobile bar. The dream.

Psst — Per my code of conduct, I don’t take kickbacks or other things of value for my referrals.

Northwest folks, some upcoming wedding events:

  • Leach Botanical Garden’s Spring Wedding Open House — 5 to 7 p.m. Saturday 5/3 in Portland

  • On Saturday 5/3 and Sunday 5/4, The Budget Savvy Bride is hosting the inaugural Savvy Weddings Summit, an online event for engaged people who are just starting to plan.

Note: I won’t be at these, which I only mention so you don’t look for me.

 

Wedding vendors, this is for you

Wedding vendor meet-ups are happening! I’m hosting one in Portland today (Wednesday 4/30) and there’s one in Seattle in early May. Think of this as a free, low-effort way to meet coworkers you like.

A couple walks back down the aisle after their wedding ceremony.

Bye!

Photo: Jess Buckley Photo; Venue: The Victorian Belle

 

Weddings take a lot of work! For a little extra help, consider:

  • asking me a question for free

  • using this gallery of free resources

  • reading these articles

  • reading my book

  • renting my brain for an hour

  • hiring me to coordinate

 

Elisabeth Kramer Enterprises LLC, P.O. Box 1533, Portland, OR 97207, USA

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