We hired Gigi’s Gourmet Kitchen (gigisgourmetkitchen.com) for my daughter’s wedding, and the experience was extremely disappointing. Here’s what happened: - Cocktail Hour Appetizers: Only one tray each of meatballs and eggrolls were served initially — and only after I asked staff to begin circulating. Once those trays were gone, there was a 30‑minute gap with no food. Eventually, one more tray of each item appeared, and that was all that was served for over 100 guests. My grandson and I even had to step in to distribute charcuterie cups ourselves. - - Dinner Service: While the food had flavor, it was served cold. Guests were discouraged from requesting both shrimp and chicken, even though this was never communicated as a limitation. Caesar salads were barely distributed (only about 10–15 guests received one), and asparagus — which was part of the agreed menu — was never served at all. And she admitted they forgot the asparagus! - - Cake Service: We paid for four servers who were contracted to cut and serve the cake, yet no staff assisted. The coordinator had to bring the cake back herself, and my husband and I ended up passing slices to guests. The mother and father of the bride! - - Agreed Details Ignored: To‑go boxes and cake shooters, which we discussed at length beforehand, were not provided. I even shipped the boxes to her location, per her request to have them ready for that night ! and not one was provided. - . At the end of the night, six large trays of food were left over, despite many guests not receiving items during service. As this was a destination wedding, we had no way to store or transport them, and they went to waste. - - Response Afterward: When these issues were raised, the caterer refused to make things right ! She actually has admitted to these mistakes and yet even though she charged me $425.00 in gratuity - which she took the liberty of adding onto the last invoice - has not refunded one penny.

I think this following concept is super cool, necessary and doable. Yes you've planned your wedding all by yourself, all without hiring a wedding planner! Yay you did it! Your hard work has paid off! However, things are gonna happen! The photographer may get lost, the cake is late, and the florist forgot her layout sheet on where the flowers should be placed!! We hope it doesn't, but what if it does? This is where a vendor manager day of coordinator comes in! ​Hiring a coordinator for vendor management is the ultimate hand-off. A month before the day, they take your list and become the single point of contact for everyone. Confirming details, delivery times, set up, etc are just a few things they can do to save your mental health! They will arrange it all on day of, and you can just sit back, drink mimosas and feel like the queen you are! ​If you're designing your own wedding, who is running your vendor management on the day?

If you feel overwhelmed right now, try this instead! AND remember this for your Big Day! Just breathe! The 4-7-8 Technique ​This pattern is a natural tranquilizer for your nervous system. It is particularly helpful if you feel anxious or have tightness in your chest. ​Step 1: Exhale completely through your mouth, making a whooshing sound. ​Step 2: Close your mouth and inhale quietly through your nose to a count of 4. ​Step 3: Hold your breath for a count of 7. ​Step 4: Exhale completely through your mouth, making a whoosh sound to a count of 8. ​Repeat for 4 cycles. ​Why it works: The long exhale is the key. It forces your heart rate to slow down.

Did you know that the average wedding cake can cost anywhere from $3-$8 per slice? Cost will be affected by intricate designs, specialty fillings, , specialty decorations, like sugar lace or fondant designs. So when using the budgeting tracker in wedspead, you sould budget on the higher end if your dream cake is more elaborate. Drop a photo of your dream cake in the comments.