Wedding Planning 101
Wedding Planning 101 -
What type of planner is right for you?
Fact: planning a wedding is expensive. Hiring a planner seems like just one more expense, so why bother, right? I've heard some version of the following from brides-to-be for years:
"My best friend got married last year and did so much herself, and it was beautiful! So she's going to help plan mine, while handling all of her maid of honor duties too, of course!"
"My church has a coordinator, so I don't need to hire a planner. She'll take care of everything."
"My venue has an on-site manager, so a planner will just be unnecessary, right?"
"I helped do everything for my brother and his wife last year and it went great! So I know how to handle it all on my own!"
What I've also heard, though, usually right after the wedding, is a version of this:
"If I could do it over again, I would have gotten help."
"I had no idea how stressed I would be on the actual day. I wish I could have relaxed and let someone else handle the details."
"Our venue manager didn't help with any of my personal needs, or coordinate with the other vendors. I wish I'd have known she was only responsible for the venue itself."
Planning a wedding is expensive. I know. But if you are unfamiliar with the process, it can also be stressful and time consuming. While hiring a full service planner can come with a larger price tag, it can also be a lifesaver. A stress saver. And sometimes even a money saver! Most of us cultivate relationships with vendors that allow us to negotiate better prices than a one-time customer, and you can benefit from those savings. Read on to learn about the different types of site managers, coordinators, and planners, so you can understand your options and choose the best fit for you.
Church Wedding Coordinator
It can sometimes actually be helpful on my end when the ceremony is in a church with experienced coordinators, so me and my team can focus 100% of our energy on getting the reception venue in tip top shape for your and your guests' arrival. Opposingly, we have also been called in when the church coordinator is less experienced - having your planner on site sets everyone's minds at ease. Either way, we will certainly coordinate all of the day’s details with the church coordinator to make sure that every moment of your day is covered.
If you plan to marry in a church that commonly hosts wedding ceremonies, chances are they have a coordinator on site. This person will be your guide when it comes to the ceremony portion of your event. They will help you understand all of the options the church has to offer - getting ready rooms for the wedding party if you plan to get ready at the church; decor items such as flower stands, extra seating, candelabras, aisle runners, etc. They might ask for certain vendors' information - such as your photographer and florist - to relay any church rules to them prior to the big day. They will not be able to help with anything beyond that, though. They are often unpaid, and do this work because they love their church and assisting with wedding celebrations, but they aren't contracted to do anything beyond the church's list of duties, or any work outside of the church. Your reception is certainly out of their jurisdiction.
On Site Venue Coordinator
Whether or not you host your wedding ceremony in a church, you will likely find yourself renting an event venue - either for the entire day, or just for the reception. Every good event venue has an on site manager who is solely in charge of the venue itself. Different site managers have different lists of duties, but commonly they will: walk you through all of the items the venue has available (such as tables and chairs), they may help with the layout and setup of said items, help you understand where important outlets are for the DJ for example, or make recommendations for food and bar setup areas based on the flow of the space. On wedding day they may have a team of helpers who check on things like toilet paper stock in the bathrooms and trash removal. They will not, however, organize your wedding party or send you down the aisle for your ceremony. They won't create a timeline for all of your vendors to know what is expected on wedding day, or alert your DJ or photographer of important moments throughout the event. And they won’t gather your guests for the perfect send off, or make sure all your gifts and personal items are packed up safely into family members’ cars.
While my team and I have worked with some of the most helpful venue coordinators around, each list of duties is different. You want to be certain that you and your vendors know what responsibilities belong to whom, and I will need to know where their duties end so I can prepare my best team to execute your big day.
Ceremony Coordinator
A ceremony coordinator will do exactly that - coordinate your ceremony only. If you are marrying outside of a church, or at a small church that does not provide an on site coordinator, this person will be the one who makes sure the ceremony goes off without a hitch. They will help you create your ceremony timeline in advance, and be the one who runs through everything with you on rehearsal day as well as on wedding day. This is the person who will make sure your ushers are greeting everyone and helping those who need, getting your family members in the right seats, and getting your wedding party down the aisle in the right order and at the right time. Once you are off to your reception, cocktail hour, or family photos, your ceremony coordinator's job is done.
It is not often I am asked to deliver this service, but I am happy to! I must say, though, I will always ask what your plans are for the rest of the day. I want to make sure all of my couples have as little stress as possible. While ahead of time it may feel less stressful - and expensive - to leave Aunt Mary and Uncle Joe in charge of the reception, you may pay the price for that choice later if they don’t know what’s to be expected, or how to troubleshoot in the moment.
Day Of Coordinator
Needing assistance on your wedding day doesn’t necessarily mean needing a full service planner. If you want someone to help manage the day of, and assist with final details in the month leading up to wedding day, a coordinator is the perfect option. A coordinator’s job is to relieve the major stress off the couple and handle the logistics for wedding day. They will communicate with all of your vendors ahead of time, create a comprehensive timeline for the entire day (or weekend), walk you through your ceremony entrance and exit, help with setup and tear down, and direct all the moving pieces throughout the event. It is not their job to find, book, or manage contracts for each of the individual vendors, though.
As your day-of coordinator, my goal is to relieve your stress wherever possible, and help in the areas you feel you need the most assistance. For some that means walking you through a venue layout, or helping with your rentals order. For others that means recommending vendors and helping with the tiny details. But it always means making sure that everything is attended to leading up to and on wedding day - for you and your guests, as well as all of your vendors. I will be available for phone calls and email correspondence to make sure you are confident in all of your planning decisions throughout the entire process so that on wedding day you can focus all of your attention on the most important detail - marrying the person you love.
Full Service Planner
With you every step of the way, a full service planner will do it all - from the first vendor booking to the final send off. Sometimes the couple is present at vendor introductions, tastings, and major decision making meetings to help choose the perfect pieces of the puzzle. And sometimes a couple will give full control over to the planner, who is then armed with the budget, mood boards, and a wedding day must-have list. This service is definitely the most hands on of any wedding service package, with the goal of removing 100% of the stress from the couple, and their families.
My full service package is the most personal, and the most customizable. Modern brides, and a lot of grooms, find themselves wanting to be more hands on than they were years ago. Between pinterest and instagram, it’s likely you have wedding inspiration saved somewhere before you even have a ring on your finger! Because of this, I want all of my couples to be as involved as possible, without feeling like they have to make any decisions they are unsure of or uncomfortable being in charge of. The full service package is essentially giving my brides and grooms the smoothest planning experience they can receive, which of course may look different for every couple.
Every couple is different. And every wedding is different. Your wedding day is an expression of your unique love story, and my only goal is to give you a flawless day to share that love story with your family and closest friends. Whatever package you choose, we’d love to make your wedding dreams a reality.