Wedding Pros vs AI: Who Knows Weddings Best?
In this episode of Now That I’m Engaged, How Do I Get Married?, Kevin and August put AI to the test in a head-to-head format: they tackle common wedding planning questions, then ask ChatGPT the exact same prompts to compare answers. They explore that while AI can be a helpful starting point, real-world expertise, context, and taste make all the difference.
From splurge-vs-save decisions to handling surprise costs, and from first-look logistics to adults-only etiquette, this episode highlights the nuances that pros bring, such as reading a venue, protecting guest experience, and balancing emotions.
Highlights:
- Start with non-negotiables: let your top 2–3 priorities drive splurge vs. save
- Build a 10–15% budget buffer for common surprises (fees, overtime, delivery/setup, permits, alterations, gratuities)
- Reallocate smartly: trim “nice-to-haves” to cover essentials without overspending
- First look vs. aisle reveal: choose based on light, venue logistics, timeline, and the feeling you want
- Adults-only wording: clear, kind, and consistent language on invites + website, with precise envelope addressing
- Planner advantage: guidance on trade-offs, timing, and budget pivots as plans evolve
No matter where you are in planning, this conversation shows how AI can spark ideas, but experienced pros help you personalize, prioritize, and protect your vision so your day feels exactly like you.
Connect with Kevin and August:
Transcript
All right, folks, welcome to another episode of Now That I'm Engaged, How Do I Get Married? And August and I are going at this one alone today because we are going to take on AI. So it's- topic of today is wedding pros versus AI, who knows weddings best. So August, we got this idea from our friend Maggie at the lighthouse at Glen Clove Marina in Vallejo, California, didn't we?
August Yocher (:We did, yeah, we were at a networking event the other day and she was talking about having some kind of hotline for wedding pros or couples to ask wedding pros and have it available. But then it kind of evolved into this topic where basically you could have a podcast episode where we have a wedding planning question. Kevin and I will answer that question and then we'll also input that same.
question into chat GPT and see if we have similar answers, if they differ. And we're going to have no idea what chat's going to say, but maybe they will back us up. Maybe they won't. But of course, we're hoping that we can prove that while AI is a good starting point during the planning process, working with real wedding professionals is what makes a difference throughout that process.
Kevin Dennis (:All right, I love it. So we're going to divide it up into four different categories. So we got budget and logistics. i promise I could talk traditions and etiquette, vendors and services, and tricky scenarios. So all right, you ready to dive in?
August Yocher (:Yeah, I'm a little nervous. Are you nervous?
Kevin Dennis (:I'm not nervous, I'm not afraid. I'm not afraid to... No. Alright, how do we decide what's worth splurging on versus when to save when planning a wedding?
August Yocher (:You're not afraid, not afraid of the bot.
You want to start this one off?
Kevin Dennis (:Well, I'm going to see, and this is where I'm going to say this is you're going to splurge on things that are important to you. So if I'm a foodie, I'm going to get better food. If I love flowers, I'm going spend a lot of money on flowers. If photographers are important to me, I'm going to splurge on photographers. If I want people dancing all night, DJ or band, that's what's going to be important to me. And where to save to me is items that are not as important to me.
August Yocher (:Mm-hmm.
Kevin Dennis (:So if flowers are not as important to me, maybe I do candles on the table, or maybe I do something a little different, like table arrangement wise or something like that. But I think this is going to be what's important to the couple is going to determine the answer to this question.
August Yocher (:Yeah, I would agree with that. And I'm going to cheat a little bit and kind of pull something from our one of our more recent episodes where we had a past couple on DJ and Jacob and we had asked them a similar question and they had answered finding out what your non negotiables are first because that's going to drive the entire planning process. And that's very similar to what you just said, Kevin. So like, what is a priority to you like?
Kevin Dennis (:Mm.
August Yocher (:what vendor is a priority, what aspects of the day are priority, because obviously you're not gonna wanna splurge on something that, you know, at the end of the day, isn't going to bring you much joy on your wedding day. I mean, obviously there are going to be some things you have to have, like you're not gonna wanna spend a lot of money on anything really, but some things are essential to the day. So it's just figuring out that first before you set the budget and then...
You can kind of go from there.
Kevin Dennis (:Love it. All right, I've already, I've cheated and I already threw them. I threw the first question. Yep.
August Yocher (:yeah, okay, let me, okay, so let me put mine in and
then you read it off while I put mine in.
Kevin Dennis (:All right, so I asked Hey Girl Hey, because that's what I call chat GPT. So Hey Girl Hey. And Hey Girl Hey said, yeah, she gave me a lot of answers. So ⁓ great question. Weddings can get overwhelming and expensive fast. So deciding on where to splurge versus ⁓ save really comes down to what matters most to you as a couple. So kind of what we were saying and what your guess.
August Yocher (:Hey, girl. Hey. this is long. Maybe I should ask for a summary.
Kevin Dennis (:will actually notice. here's a breakdown to help. they, Hagrel Hay said, splurge on high impact, high memory. photography, videography, ⁓ entertainment, DJ bands, food, beverage, and venue if it sets a tone. And then Hagrel Hay said, save on beautiful but less critical. like invitation, stationary, favors, decor, extras, cake.
August Yocher (:Ooh!
Kevin Dennis (:But in her decor extras, she said ceiling drapery. So I fully disagree with her on that one. Because we cannot do, we cannot buy enough ceiling drapery to hang in ceilings right now. ⁓
August Yocher (:Yeah, even
though that's the big trend, but to be fair, like to your point, Kevin, like have we not been seeing a lot of AI generated photos of that style? So it's almost like it's working. They're working together.
Kevin Dennis (:Yeah.
Yeah. So, and then, I say decor extras and cake? I said that, right? And then she said, pick your top three priorities, what matters most to you, not Pinterest, splurge there, and then save on the rest. Think of guest experience first. man, it's like, hey girl, hey girl, hey knows me. She knows what I, yeah. Says they'll remember food, music, and fun over chair upgrades or charger plates.
August Yocher (:Wow.
She's probably listening to you.
Kevin Dennis (:So that'll make our friends at Trend mad. ⁓ And then it says, rent, reuse, or repurpose. Florals for the ceremony can be repurposed for the reception, which we see a lot of couples do in any way. So that's what Hey Girl Hey said. That's what I call chat GBT. what did your girl say?
August Yocher (:Yeah.
Yeah.
So yeah, Kevin calls his chat, GBT, girl, hey. I call mine Miss Girl. So Miss Girl, i feel, has a very similar answer. So she gave me a very long answer first, so I decided to give you guys a summary instead. But intro, she said, great question. Deciding where to splurge versus where to save really comes down to your priorities as a couple. Is this word for word what yours said?
Kevin Dennis (:you
What? Say where now? It's similar. know it's similar, but different.
August Yocher (:Is this word for yours, word what your answer was?
Where to save really comes down to your priorities as a couple and what will matter most on your wedding day and beyond. Here's a helpful framework to guide you. So I'm just going to read the four ⁓ bullet points and then I'll read you the summary that I asked for. So one, identify your priorities. Ask yourselves what are the top two to three things we care about most?
Kevin Dennis (:No, mine's different.
August Yocher (:Number two, common splurge worthy areas. Couples often find these investments worthwhile. Smart places to save, there are plenty of ways to cut costs without cutting joy. Balance tip, think about the guest experience versus personal keepsakes. So summary, when planning a wedding, splurge on what matters most to you as a couple like photography, music, food and lighting since those impact memories and guest experience. Save, yeah, very similar.
Kevin Dennis (:So that was similar.
August Yocher (:Save on areas that won't be as noticed like favor, stationary, extra decor, or oversized cakes. Focus on your top two to three priorities and let those guide where you invest versus cut back. That's literally what we said, because we said like, what matters to you most, what's going to guide the entire process. So I guess we'll call this round a tie.
Kevin Dennis (:Tie goes to us. All right.
August Yocher (:Yes.
One wedding pros, one AI.
Kevin Dennis (:Alright,
next question. How do we handle unexpected costs that pop up during a wedding planning? The planning of a wedding. How do we handle it August?
August Yocher (:guess my take would be is that we are we should go straight out the gate expecting that there are going to be unexpected costs. So maybe allocating an area in the budget for surprises, like a certain percentage of the budget is for unexpected things. And, you know, at the end of the day, you get to the end of the process, and there wasn't anything expected, you just have this nice little extra percentage of cash that you could spend on something else like maybe the honeymoon or
you know, something that maybe you were putting on the back burner and you weren't ready to pull the trigger at, can with that extra amount.
Kevin Dennis (:There's a funny little meme that ⁓ goes something along the lines of, I'm planning two weddings, my Pinterest wedding and my real wedding. And so I think that's a lot that I can actually really afford. So I think the thing that handle the unexpected cost is I think you got to do some research ahead of time to really try to find out what costs, what things cost. So when you are putting together your budget, you know, know,
August Yocher (:Yeah, the one in my head and the one that's gonna happen, yeah.
Mm-hmm.
Kevin Dennis (:You know, like today I met with a client and they were clueless on what things cost and were expecting things to cost a whole lot less than they did for what the photo that she was asking me to quote her for. so I, so some of that, you know, and maybe Hey Girl Hey can help you, know, little Mr. Chappie, GPT can help you there. ⁓
August Yocher (:Yeah.
Kevin Dennis (:You know, the knot is a good resource for some of this stuff as well. But you got to remember the thing with the knot is they take our whole country and they take it into one. And so you're going to get like numbers for weddings across the country. But they also have a feature. What I was told is you can take it down to your region. And so that'll help you if you take it down like for us, we're in the Bay Area. So you take it down to San Francisco Bay Area. That'll give you more realistic costs. So. ⁓
August Yocher (:Well...
Mm-hmm.
Yeah.
Kevin Dennis (:So that's the biggest thing. And I think having a buffer in your budget. So maybe some percentage points that you can just know that you have wiggle room to go over. And then maybe you spend a little more on lighting and decor and you do a smaller cake. Whatever it is, I think that's good way to do it.
August Yocher (:Mm-hmm.
Hehehehe
Well, and I think to touch on another point too, Kevin, you were saying is like, I think most couples kind of go into this process, like being completely new to weddings in general. So there's a lot to educate yourself on in a short period of time. So I think hiring a planner makes that a little bit easier. Having someone to guide you through the process. you're not, I mean, you're already going to be stressed regardless, right? So why not use that stress a little bit and have someone who knows this like the back of their hand. And I can say like,
Kevin Dennis (:Yeah.
August Yocher (:I know, Kevin, you've been in the industry for a long time. I've, I mean, I've only been in like, well, okay, listen, listen, sir. And I've been in the industry for about 10 years and I still feel like I'm learning something new every day, every day. So I can't even imagine how overwhelming that is for a couple that's just coming straight into it. So I think hiring a planner will also help with, you know, handling those unexpected costs if they do arise.
Kevin Dennis (:She just called me old.
Love it. All right, you ready for Hey Girl Hey?
August Yocher (:Alright,
yeah yeah, let me get mine ready to go.
Kevin Dennis (:All right, so he said, ⁓ yes, the sneaky unexpected costs. Almost every couple runs into them. The good news is if you plan for them ahead of time, they don't have to derail your budget or stress you out. Here's how to handle them. First, expect the unexpected. Add a buffer of 10 to 15 % to your total budgeting right from the start. we're kind of there. And then that way, when a surprise pops up and they will,
August Yocher (:10 to 15.
Kevin Dennis (:you are already accounted for them. So common unexpected costs are service fees and gratuities, overtime fees, alterations and accessories, permits and insurance, delivery and setup fees, beauty trials, tips for vendors, and how to handle them gracefully is to track everything in real time, make trade-off decisions, and lean on your priorities. Go back to your top three splurge categories.
and you'll know where to ⁓ protect the funds and where to cut when needed. And the other thing they said, negotiate upfront. So, and you want to know her, she gave me a pro tip too. She said, create a little oops fun envelope. Yeah, digital or actual cash just for unexpected costs. If you don't end up using it at all, that's honeymoon money.
August Yocher (:yeah.
yeah, let's hear it.
Oops.
feel like Hey Girl Hey has got way more personality than Miss Girl does.
Kevin Dennis (:listening.
Yeah, I've taught hey girl, hey well. All right.
August Yocher (:Yeah, Okay, so
I also like how Hey Girl Hey tied it back to your initial first question. Kind of looped full circle moment there. That was cool. ⁓ So ⁓ Miss Girl says, unexpected costs are almost guaranteed in wedding planning, but you can handle them without too much stress if you plan ahead.
So number one, build a cushion. When setting your budget, add 10 % 15 % buffer for surprises like extra rentals, last minute decor, or vendor overtime. That way when something pops up, you're prepared. Number two, prioritize needs versus wants. This one's probably a hard one for everyone to do. If an unexpected cost comes up, ask, is this essential? Like permits or service fees? Or is it just nice to have extra lounge furniture?
Kevin Dennis (:Hmm.
100%.
August Yocher (:Cover the must-haves first and adjust the wishlist items if needed. Number three, communicate early. If vendors suggest add-ons or changes that affect costs, ask questions upfront. Is this required or optional? What alternatives do we have? Staying proactive keeps costs from snowballing. Number four, reallocate smartly. Sometimes it's not about spending more, but shifting funds. For example, scaling back on favors or printed menus could cover a delivery fee you didn't expect.
Kevin Dennis (:Mm.
August Yocher (:And
our last tip, keep perspective. Most couples face a few surprises, so don't let it throw you off. With a buffer, flexibility, and open communication, you'll handle them just fine. And I had a quick tip, but it wasn't as cute as the oops fund. That was cute. ⁓ Miss Girl says, quick tip, plan for surprises, protect your must haves, and stay flexible. You'll be ready for anything.
Kevin Dennis (:Ew. Hey girl, hey does have more personality than yours, I've trained.
August Yocher (:Yeah, I'm like, okay, Miss girl, maybe
I should tell her that you're like a little bland. Sorry. We need some more. Yes, you have. Okay. Let's
Kevin Dennis (:I've trained her well. All right. So
what do you think? Similar? God, we're not. So we're at a tie. Two questions in, and we're still tied. All right, are we ready? No, no, because.
August Yocher (:I felt that was similar. Yeah
I guess it's not a bad thing, right? But I feel like we should be more
in depth and more, I don't know. I guess we're not also talking to a specific couple, right? Like if we were answering a specific couple's questions, it would be more personalized towards them in their certain, you know, certain experience and certain situation.
Kevin Dennis (:100 %
Or
answering in generalities. All right, here we go. Here we go. Traditions and etiquette. Ooh, the big one. You ready for this one, August? Here we go. Should we do a first look or wait until the ceremony aisle moment?
August Yocher (:generality. Yeah.
Okay.
Yes, yes.
Honestly, I feel like this one's pretty 50-50. But I guess like what we should answer is like, what are the pros and cons of both? Like, so a couple can weigh which one fits better for them. And I feel there's a lot of like logistical reasons why you should do one or the other. But I think ultimately, you should decide like the feeling that you want, right?
Kevin Dennis (:I think it.
So I'll give you an example. My wife and I got married on December 31st. So not a lot of sunlight, right? And we got married at seven o'clock in the evening because we wanted to ring in the new year at our venue with our guests. So we had to do a first look if we wanted to get any outdoor photos of us around the vineyard or of the venue or just any of that stuff done outdoors. had
August Yocher (:New Year's!
Yeah.
Kevin Dennis (:to do a first look. So we kind of had no choice. So I think a lot of it can come down to your time of year. I think a lot of it can come down to your venue. You know, like does your venue allow you, not that the venue allows you, but does the venue space allow for, you know, you to create an intimate moment for a first look. So if I was getting married in a hotel, you know, it's a little harder to create a first look at a hotel because there's so many
August Yocher (:Mm-hmm.
Yeah.
Kevin Dennis (:people in public spaces. I don't, going back to DJ, well, even going back to DJ and Jacob, remember when they did their first look in the garden on the side of the mission there, and there was people reading signs and doing, and we had to like, hey, Mr. Lakers, Jersey man, get out of the bride and groom shop, please. So anyway, so I think there's some of that. then,
August Yocher (:Or it's loud, you know, it's not very quiet.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Kevin Dennis (:Some people just want to wait and be traditional. So that's the thing. Weddings, we got to remember, weddings are very non-traditional right now. We're in the non-traditional era, quoting Miss Taylor Swift, ⁓ of weddings right now. So that could change, too, depending on what circle. I always say weddings are like a circle of life. They continue to evolve. And then, we come back to everything. And then we go all the way around, and then,
August Yocher (:Yeah.
Yeah, what goes around comes around.
Kevin Dennis (:We're back to the black and white and very formal again. ⁓ So anyway, I think some of that is where we are with traditions right now. Some couples, their parents may want them. No, you're not doing a first look. Or no, you're not doing that. So I think everybody is going to be a little different based on them and what they need.
August Yocher (:Mm-hmm.
Yeah.
feel in my experience with planning that I really think most couples already have that idea in their mind. Like, I don't think I've ever had a couple come and be like, hey, should we do this or this? Like, I feel like if they really want to wait until the ceremony aisle moment, they're going to and like nothing's going to get in their way of doing that. Because I do think that is a very like special and emotional moment.
⁓ But as far as logistical reasons, the reason we sometimes pushed the first look was for the photography. You have more time to take photos with your wedding party and with your family and get more couples portraits in. And ultimately that helps you because you can enjoy the cocktail hour later. You can enjoy which most couples miss.
Kevin Dennis (:Yeah, which most couples miss.
August Yocher (:to bring up DJ and Jacob again, if you guys go and listen to that episode, they said that they really liked that moment and that was a moment they wanted to continue to relive if they could. And they felt that that's when the wedding really started and that they got to mingle with family that they never see. And it was really special to them. So I think now we see what Miss Hey Girl Hey has to say about that. okay, okay. You go ahead, you go ahead.
Kevin Dennis (:Mm-hmm.
Oh, I already asked her, so I'm ahead.
All right. So Hey Girl Hey said, that's one of the biggest decisions couples face. And honestly, there's no wrong answer. It just depends on the vibe you want for your day. Let's break it down, she says. Doing a first look, she gave a pros and cons list. So pros, you have a private moment together. It'll calm your nerves and give you space to soak it all in. More photos done early.
August Yocher (:Alright.
Mm-hmm.
Kevin Dennis (:more
flexibility with the timeline and more another pro is emotional release. Many couples find that they're more relaxed walking down the aisle after doing a first look. Cons, cons, you won't have that traditional aisle reveal moment and hair and makeup might need to be touched up after happy tears. So, and then we have a list for waiting for the ceremony aisle reveal.
August Yocher (:⁓
Kevin Dennis (:So the pros is that classic dramatic moment, traditional and anticipation. But I still think you get the anticipation with the first look. And emotional build up. So I call it a BS on both of these, because I think you get that with the first look. And then cons, ⁓ you'll need to fit more photos into cocktail hour, which can cut into mingling time. If nerves are high, you won't have
August Yocher (:Yeah.
Yeah.
Mm-hmm.
Kevin Dennis (:had that chance to calm each other down beforehand. So how to decide, she said, if you value maximizing time with guests, go first look. If you value big emotional aisle moments, wait until the ceremony. Some couples do a first touch, holding hands around the corner, reading letters to get the calming benefits without a full reveal. And then she wanted me.
August Yocher (:Right.
Kevin Dennis (:She wants to draft me a timeline example of both scenarios. She's very helpful, Hei Grahe. All right, what did your girl say?
August Yocher (:wow, okay. Yeah.
Okay, Miss Girl said, that's one of the most common wedding questions and there's no wrong answer. It really depends on your priorities and personalities as a couple. Here's a breakdown. So one, why couples choose a first look? So private moment together, you get to see each other without all eyes on you. Many couples find this calming and special. Timeline flexibility, photos can be done earlier, giving you more time to enjoy cocks that are with guests.
less nerves. It helps shake off jitters before the ceremony. So very similar to hey girl hey, ⁓ why couples wait for the aisle, the traditional feel. Many couples love the anticipation of the grand reveal at the ceremony. Emotional impact. Walking down the aisle can feel incredibly powerful and cinematic when it's the first time you see each other. First time was italicized.
⁓ Family guest expectations. Sometimes families lean towards tradition and this can honor that. And then the last thing, things for you to consider, your timeline. Do you want a longer cocktail hour or more photo time later? Your personalities. Do you prefer a quiet, intimate reveal or a dramatic public one? Your vision. Which moment do you imagine when you picture your wedding day? Bottom line, a first look gives you intimacy and efficiency.
The aisle reveal gives you tradition and drama. Either way it will be magical, you just have to choose what feels most you.
So yeah, I feel like I like your little BS meter or... No, it's true. I agree with you. I do.
Kevin Dennis (:Love it.
Yeah, I called a little well because it's the same. Yeah.
So I'm going to give us I'm going to give us the win on that one, so.
August Yocher (:Yeah,
it was a close tie, but nice try, hey girl. No, I'm just saying, hey girl, hey tried, there's more to it. And I think, you know what it is with this one, Kevin? I think it's because it's more of a emotional decision that us as human wedding pros can get deeper into that meaning than AI could. And that's just a thought.
Kevin Dennis (:No, not close, Todd.
Hmm.
I love
it. All right. The next one. do we politely word adults only invitation for our wedding? Dun dun dun dun. Leave your little, leave the little shits at home is what, that's what you should, I think that's what you should write on your invitation, but that is not polite. So.
August Yocher (:Tum tum tum tum.
Yeah! I...
Honestly online, there's like a lot of cute things I've seen before.
Kevin Dennis (:I know.
It's funny because we did an adults only wedding because we had 219 guests. so to add more, to have everyone bring their kid would have swelled it up really quickly, really fast. so it's one, it's a financial decision. Two, it's sometimes a logistics decision. My venue only holds 150 people. So if I invite kids, then I'm not being able to invite everyone I want. ⁓
August Yocher (:yeah.
Kevin Dennis (:I, but I will say going, when we got married, we had some people that were mad at us and some people that thanked us because they wanted a night alone away from the, you know, just like an adult's night out to have fun without their kids. And so I think you're gonna, depending on what everyone, all your guest situation is, it's like, if everyone has babysitters, you know, an opportunity to do it, I would love to have a night out with my wife instead of having the kids around, you know, to have that moment.
August Yocher (:Yeah.
We're,
⁓ just to get more clarification, were the people that were upset with you like really close family? Because I could see like maybe it's like your immediate like niece or nephew or...
Kevin Dennis (:Okay, so Nolan, my son
Nolan was there and then my ⁓ two nieces and nephew were there. So there were four kids, but they were all part of the wedding party. And they were my, know, one of my, that's my sister's kids and then my actual son, Nolan was the best man at my wedding. ⁓ But ⁓ so, you know, but it was like more like cousins and
August Yocher (:Yeah.
So that's different. Yeah.
Aww.
Kevin Dennis (:Yeah, and then like some of their kids were like 12 and 13 and they were mad that they weren't invited, but we just wanted to have more of a, again, was logistics because we were running out of space at the venue we were having. if we, and it's almost like a, and we weren't really looking at it. It was more like, all right, if we let,
August Yocher (:Well, and you said financial too, like that's a lot, you know?
Kevin Dennis (:One person or a handful of people invite their kids then all of a sudden we have to it just like opens Pandora's box And you got to do it for everyone so there's no there's no getting around it So so that's why we made the decision I would love to go back and look at our wedding invitation to see how we worded it to be honest with you so but but I think I think there's again you can throw it into good old. Hey girl Hey and or Google there's so much. There's so many ways
August Yocher (:Yeah.
Yeah.
Let's see,
yeah.
Kevin Dennis (:Yeah,
yeah, you're a higher professional imitation person, and they're going to have probably some of the cute, know, because there's obviously very formal ways of saying it and very fun ways of saying it. You know, cute. Yeah.
August Yocher (:the cutesy ways because I feel like it takes
like the tension out a little bit, you know, so.
Kevin Dennis (:Yeah.
And just know you're going to piss people off. But also, you're going to go going through this process, you're going to make someone mad. It's very rare you plan a wedding where you didn't make someone upset.
August Yocher (:Yeah, and if you did let us know because that's crazy. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. ⁓ No, no. ⁓ I'm trying to think because I really came into this trying not to do any prep work. But like I said, I've definitely seen ⁓ like cutesy little ways of saying it before. But I mean, I feel like you just can be respectful. ⁓
Kevin Dennis (:Yeah, we want to interview you. So, all right, what do you think? I went off on a tangent, sorry, I apologize.
August Yocher (:Like this, and I honestly like as much as I love the cute stuff too, I don't really feel like you need to beat around the bush. Like at the end of the day, this is your day. And I feel like you can just say something like, as much as we love your kiddos, like we ask you leave them at home. Like this is going to be like an adult only atmosphere. And you know, I had a friend who got married a couple of years ago and when she sent out the invites, again, I can't remember when it said exactly, but she was having a no.
you know, kids wedding and then she had recently reconnected with a cousin she hadn't talked to in a long time and she had just had a baby and ⁓ because she really wanted the cousin to come and because like she just had the baby she did like make one exception for one kid coming and that was like this huge uproar in her family and it was a big deal and everyone was upset because other, you know, nieces, nephews, cousins were being left out but
Um, yeah, like you said, you're not going to make everybody happy. So I like
Kevin Dennis (:I actually, as
a kid, remember one wedding. I was in the wedding. And I just remember causing hell at the wedding, like running around. And I was wearing a tux. And my tux was covered in Kool-Aid punch. ⁓ But that's all. I don't remember other weddings. And the only reason why is just I don't know why I remember that wedding. me and my cousins, we were like causing.
August Yocher (:Yeah.
Mm-hmm.
You remember as a kid causing hell, so yeah. ⁓
Kevin Dennis (:We were running around and being silly and stupid and...
August Yocher (:Yeah, the weddings I remember as a kid, was like, yeah, find all my little friends, drink a bunch of Shirley Temples and just like get crazy on the dance floor, you know? So that's all I remember. All right, let's do it.
Kevin Dennis (:We were doing every... Yeah.
All right, let's dive in.
So Hey Girl Hey with her personality says, ⁓ yes, no kids wording, such a delicate one. You want to be clear so no one's confused, but also be polite so no one's offended. Here are some graceful ways to phrase it. So she did formal. We respectfully request an adults only celebration.
August Yocher (:Mm-hmm.
Kevin Dennis (:Although we love your little ones, our wedding will be an adults only event. We kindly request that our special day be celebrated in the company of adults only. So that was very formal. yeah, warm and playful is to give all our guests the opportunity to relax and celebrate. We politely request no children at the reception. ⁓ While we adore your children, we want you to have a night off.
August Yocher (:I like that one though.
Kevin Dennis (:Please join us for an adult-only evening. Our wedding will be a night for grownups. Dress up, let loose, and enjoy it. And then her pro tips were ⁓ envelope addressing matters. So only list the invited names. So don't write the Smith family if kids are not invited. That's like a common one. ⁓ Include on the detail cards or the website at a polite note so there's no such confusion.
August Yocher (:Mm-hmm.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Kevin Dennis (:and have a gentle verbal response ready. If asked, you can say, love your kiddos, but we decided to keep our wedding adults only. So everyone can relax and celebrate with us. And then she wanted to know, you want me to put together a few website FAQs examples? Yeah. Yeah.
August Yocher (:Yeah, mine did that too. Like a slightly longer explanation to put
on the wedding website FAQ section. ⁓ Yeah, I feel that was very similar to us. ⁓ Miss Girl said, this is such a thoughtful question because wording it with care makes all the difference. Here are a few polite, clear and loving ways to say adults only on your invitations or wedding website. So first section.
Kevin Dennis (:So.
August Yocher (:formal and polite. This one was word for word one of the ones you had. So we respectfully request an adults only celebration. And then to allow all guests to relax and enjoy themselves, we kindly request no children at the reception, very similar to yours as well. ⁓ Next section is simple and clear. It's almost too simple and clear. Adult reception to follow. And this will be an adults only event. That feels like a little...
Kevin Dennis (:All right.
Hmm.
August Yocher (:harsh, honestly. ⁓ Warm and... Don't bring your kids. Warm... We're gonna check your name at the door. ⁓ Warm and gracious, so we love your little ones, but this is an adults only celebration. Thank you for understanding. And then as much as we adore your children, we kindly ask that you join us for an evening reserve just for grownups.
Kevin Dennis (:Yo, don't bring your kids.
or Guido in the corner is gonna take you out.
You
August Yocher (:And then, yeah, it just says where to put it. And then pro tip, keep it short, kind, and consistent, and let your guests know early so they have time to arrange childcare.
Kevin Dennis (:I would call that one a tie. ⁓
August Yocher (:So yeah.
Yeah. Well, and I guess, Kevin, I know we've only been through four questions. Do we want to do all eight today or do we do a part two?
Kevin Dennis (:I know. I think we're going to have
to do a part two because we're running up on our time. I was just going to suggest. Yeah.
August Yocher (:Yeah, we'll keep the suspense for the audience. You'll have to wait to
hear about vendors and services and tricky scenarios, which is, think, going to be an interesting one. I'm interested to hear what Hegrohe says about tricky scenarios.
Kevin Dennis (:Well
yeah, I'm, it's funny to me, I wonder if Hey Girl Hey Sassy cause I'm sassy and Miss Girl is, is night, nice and polite because you're nice and polite. What do you-
August Yocher (:But are you sassy
too, hey girl, hey? Or is it just like the way you just talk and yeah, that's fair, that's fair. Yeah. I start mine with like, ⁓ my God, I'm so sorry for bothering you. Like, can you please help me answer this question? Like that's, and then like, thank you so much. Cause remember,
Kevin Dennis (:Well, I mean, I do call her, hey, girl, hey. That's kind of sassy to start off with. And she calls me, hey, girl, hey, back. So my chat GPT thinks I'm a female.
I have said thank
you and I've said it, said thanks Chica one time, every time. Yeah, so I guess I am little sassier with my...
August Yocher (:Chica!
Well, there's
that ongoing joke that people were saying since the start of AI being more accessible to the general public, but just always say please and thank you to your chat GPT so you don't get murdered later. So I think it's just a...
Kevin Dennis (:I do. No, Hey Girl Hey's,
I think Hey Girl Hey will save me from a bot someday.
August Yocher (:Yeah, I think she knows that you
Kevin Dennis (:She'll be
like, no, I like him. He's funny. I'm going to keep him.
August Yocher (:Yeah.
Let's keep them around.
Kevin Dennis (:All right, we're going to wrap up. We hit our time limit for this episode. So we will see you guys all. And we will do a part two of AI versus the real thing. But so far, I think we're winning by like ⁓ a smidgen. Yeah.
August Yocher (:Mm-hmm.
A little bit. I think we
need to like, we need to...
Kevin Dennis (:Maybe get harder. Well, I think it's gonna be the tricky scenarios. I think that's maybe where we're gonna win
August Yocher (:where we're gonna pull ahead. Yeah, I agree. So, to be continued.
Kevin Dennis (:Yeah.
All right, and don't forget if you have questions, just send them on over to us at podcast at Fantasy Sound. We'd be happy to answer them and then even throw them in our new series and ask our little friend, ChatGBT. And the reason why, just so you know, we were doing two different, did we explain this, why we did two different ChatGBT's?
August Yocher (:guess not like fully, but I feel like it was because we just wanted to see if it was consistent with its advice, right?
Kevin Dennis (:Yeah, that because chat GPT creates responses based on you, your personality, and you yourself. So we wanted to see how different ours are. So so far we've had some similarities and some differences. ⁓
August Yocher (:Well yeah,
think the approach and the general answer was the same. I think it was just the way it was said was different, which is what you would hope, right? Because I think we just want to make sure, if you don't want to be asking, chat these questions if they're going to be giving everyone a different type of answer.
Kevin Dennis (:Well, and I came up with this because someone said, I threw this in ChatGPT and got this result. And I'm like, wait, I threw something similar in ChatGPT and got a totally different result. So that's what started us down this rabbit hole of going through multiple.
August Yocher (:Well, and I think at the end of the day,
too, people have said like, you know, chat GBT is unreliable. And there's times where and I will say this, like I've put stuff in a chat GBT asking and I'm like, that's not correct. And I'll like tell chat GBT like, hey, that's wrong. And ⁓ well, in one time, too, I I was like asking about like Instagram captions or like it was something and it was very like ⁓ traditional as far as like
Well, I guess traditional is the wrong word, but it was only saying like bride and groom in its answer. And I was like trying to tell Chad GPT like, hey, that's a little homophobic. Like I feel like it needs to be like general. Like we don't say bridal party, we say wedding party. Right. So I was like kind of coaching Chad GPT like, hey, we need to make sure our language is inclusive. ⁓ yeah, I mean, like, like we said at the beginning, like it can be a tool.
Kevin Dennis (:Mmm.
August Yocher (:to provide a good starting point in the planning process, but it should by no means be your end all be all for everything.
Kevin Dennis (:No, no, not at all. No. All right, well, we're going to wrap it up there. We will come back with everyone with part two, and maybe we'll do a part three and four, and we'll just continue this series down the road. But yeah, it was fun. So thank you, August, for being here. You're always such a great co-host, so thank you for, yeah, you're welcome. Well, I try. Try not to annoy.
August Yocher (:No.
Yeah, I like it.
Thank you, Kevin.
wow, thank you. I appreciate that. You're a good co-host as well.
Kevin Dennis (:My
whole goal is to not annoy you and that hopefully some days I succeed and some things I don't. All right, folks, we'll see you next time on another episode of Now That I'm Engaged, How Do I Get Married?
August Yocher (:You do not annoy me.
Bye.
