Myths About Wedding Planners

There are so many myths about hiring a wedding planner or a wedding coordinator for your wedding. Let’s face it, weddings are expensive-even the smallest of weddings can cause financial panic attacks. But true fact: if you are nervous about hiring a  professional to help plan/coordinate your wedding because its expensive, wait until you hire an amateur. I want to calm your nerves about adding one more expense to your wedding and to help you understand what a planner/coordinator really does, in terms of your wedding.

1. Hiring a Wedding Planner/Coordinator will save you money! What??? But it’s true…Everyone is on a budget. Big weddings, small weddings and the DIY weddings. But the reality is, the majority of weddings are on a tight budget. What people don’t realize is that a planner/coordinator has seen it all: all types of budgets and all types of needs. One of the most important things to do after the big engagement happens, is set a realistic budget. Let the planner/coordinator take a look at the budget and help you allocate the money to the most important things. Planners work with so many vendors (photographers, catering etc…) in your area, that the planner/coordinator can give you good insight to the quality of their work and what they cost. Not all vendors are easy to work with and you need an expert to guide you on your vendor choices.  Let the planner give you recommendations that fit your budget. For my vendor list, I have the most expensive to the least expensive vendor that I recommend. Just because you know of a great florist doesn’t mean it fits your budget-shop around. The planner/coordinator can help you scale back your vision to fit your budget and refer you to vendors that will give you the best product for your price point.
2. Hiring a Wedding Planner/Coordinator does NOT mean that your mom, grandmother, sister and best friend will not be a part of the planning. This is probably one of the biggest myths I encounter. Yes, mom can be at every vendor meeting. Yes, grandma can help with the buffet, making her famous baked beans. And of course, you want your sister(s) and your best girl friend right by your side while trying on dresses and picking out the perfect veil. The planner/coordinator adds additional guidance and knowledge to all the planning. The planner thinks about the things you may not think about or even know. Hiring a planner/coordinator will not take away the fun of planning for your family and closest friends and you still have complete control over your wedding! There are so many details that goes into planning a successful wedding, that hiring a planner/coordinator is almost a must! But, most importantly-your family and friends are a guest (and some are in the wedding) at your wedding. You don’t want your mom and grandmother running around the day of your wedding placing linens, checking on vendors and greeting guests. You want them relaxed and pampered for the wedding. Let the coordinator take care of all the day-of details.
3. Hiring a Wedding Planner/Coordinator is only good for the day-of duties. Wrong! It’s a reality that most everyone holds a full-time job and planning a wedding is like having another full-time job. Hiring a planner/coordinator is like hiring a personal assistant throughout the planning process that can handle all the details that take up so much time. A planner/coordinator knows what needs to be done for a wedding, after all this is what they do several times throughout the year. Let the planner/coordinator keep track of all the details that you don’t have time to think about.  By hiring a good planner/coordinator, you can guarantee that no detail will be forgotten or missed!
4. Hiring a Wedding Planner/Coordinator is not needed because the venue has a coordinator. True, the venue coordinator is important. They facilitate the staff needed at the venue (in house catering-if offered, having the facility open and clean for the wedding etc..) and they help you understand what packages are offered by the venue but that is really as far as many of them go. It’s very rare you find a coordinator that will do all the day-off duties, like getting you and the wedding party down the isle, that a planner/coordinator will do. In addition, a planner/coordinator will work closely with all your vendors (including the venue coordinator) throughout the planning process and the day-of to make sure everything that was planned is executed.

Bottom line, you deserve a wedding planner/coordinator. Take the pressure off of yourself and hire a professional.

 

First Look

 

That moment when the doors open, the guests stand, and out walks the bride for everyone to see. It’s a huge moment with tons of build-up and anticipation. While we all look at her dress, her hair and adore the beautiful bouquet she is carrying, photographers will agree that capturing the look of the groom seeing his bride for the first time is priceless. There are tears and smiles and nervous sweat. Every women in the crowd in thinking, “awww, isn’t he sweet?” And every man is thinking, “he’s going to cry, hang in there buddy.”

Sometimes the idea of this moment stresses out the bride and groom so much that emotions get lost and their faces show complete panic. There are no smiles from the bride and the groom can hardly  breathe.

A creative way to get the nerves out is to prepare for a ‘First Look’. What is a first look you ask? It’s a moment before the wedding where the groom is taken somewhere alone, away from the groomsman, family and guests to meet his bride, privately, for the first time. In most situations, the groom will have his back turned toward the photographer, as the    photographer escorts the bride toward the groom. The photographer gets the camera ready and then has the groom turn around. It’s an intimate moment with the bride and groom and is very emotional and absolutely beautiful! You will have chills watching both of their faces seeing each other for the first time. The first hug, the first kiss and the first embrace. But this beautiful moment will take the edge off both the bride and groom.

There are a few reasons why the First Look is a Good Idea. Like I mentioned before, it takes the stress off of the bride and groom. But here are some ideas to think about:

• Time. Weddings are full of timelines and to-do lists. Photography takes a big part of the night. You want to capture all the big moments like the first dance, the father-daughter dance and of course the famous cake cutting! But family and wedding photos are so important. As soon as the ‘I Do’ happens, the bride and groom are so anxious to eat and have fun with their guests, that they tend to get impatient with photographers after the wedding. By doing the first look, you have already eliminated bride and groom photos which can take up a bit of time!   That’s about 30 minutes to an hour  you have gained!
• Controlled and Sought Out Area. You never know how the weather will be the day of your wedding. A good photographer will visit the venue ahead of time to find a private location with good lighting. You have the ability to capture amazing photos before the elements (heat, rain, snow) hits you or the dress gets a smudge on it from walking down the isle at your outdoor venue. Also, guests have a hard time staying away for the ‘photo hour’. They want to hug you both, they want selfies and to talk as soon as they see you. The first look allows a safe area where there are no guests or family for the bride and groom to get amazing photos!
• Providing comfort. It’s a known fact that our significant other is the one that has the ability to calm each other down in time of worry or in the time of freak out. The bride and groom can provide a sense of comfort for each other before all eyes are on them. There has been months, and for some years, leading up to this moment. All the planning and discussing has come down to these few hours. Its stressful and it’s typical for a freak out to happen. Because the first look is a private moment and intimate, nerves tend to ease and smiles reappear.

Whatever it is you decide, don’t over think it! Do what feel bests to you! If you are a very traditional soul, the first-look may not be for you. But, if the reception is very important to you and you want more time dancing with your friends, a first-look could save you time!

 

Meet The Vendors

In a world of technology, it is so easy to hire a vendor for your wedding based on an advertisement you see on the internet. I see time and time again, vendors and clients (and when I say vendors, I am speaking of your photographers, videographers, caterers, DJ etc…) not getting along by the end of the night of the night and the bride and groom are left feeling like they should have gone a different direction with their vendors.

As a coordinator, I encourage a face-to-face meeting before making any decisions. Don’t accept an email with price package or sign a contract without a meeting. When the engagement happens, its normal to start planning right away. But, take a deep breath and relax. There is plenty of time to review your options. Before making a final decision, ask questions! While pricing is a huge starting point, how well you communicate with the vendors plays a huge role. Here are some basic tips when meeting with potential  vendors:

• Have a budget set. By doing this, you have control of the meeting. For example, when you meet with the florist, start by saying you only can spend $2,000.00 on flowers. This way as you describe the look you want, the florist can help you pick flowers and looks that fit your budget. Remember: A good vendor is listening to your needs and is willing to give you the best product for the budget you have.
• Know what you want and what you don’t want. Are you a modern bride and groom or are you a open field at sunset type of couple? Finding vendors that fit your vision is so important.
• Have an idea of the number of people you are inviting. This helps when walking through different venues and talking with potential caterers.
• Know who you need to hire compared to what you want to hire. Is having a video really important or are photographs enough. Start with the must-haves and work toward the ‘extras’. In doing this, your budget stays on track from the get-go and again, you are in control of the planning.

Lastly, find a good coordinator! Coordinators are usually the last to hire but one of the most important people to hire. Coordinators not only help in the planning, but most are day of coordinators. This simply means that the coordinator will be the liaison between you, the bride and groom, and the vendors. They bring to life the vision planned and take all the stress off the bride and groom, and hopefully the family!