Wedding Planner 911 - How A Professional Puts Out Wedding Fires, Small and Large
Monday, June 6, 2011
Yes, we're on this subject again. No, we can't stress enough how much a difference (and a good one at that) a wedding planner makes. Not only is there someone there to discuss ideas without bias unlike, say, your mom or girlfriends, but on the day itself when you're busy trying to get yourself into a dress that cost more than your venue deposit and your girlfriends are wondering what they're to do next, you want someone there to be able to take charge and make sure everything goes right so you can enjoy yourself. But don't take my word for it, today we are fortunate to have Kristin Kaplan of Simply Stunning Events as a guest blogger to fill us in on how she, as an experienced, professional wedding planner, has managed to put out proverbial wedding fires for her brides.
Wedding Planner 911 - Guest Blogger, Simply Stunning Events
In the last few years I’ve been planning and coordinating weddings, I’ve truly seen everything on a wedding day; joyful tears, emotional vow readings, lovely brides dancing with their fathers, fantastic music, amazing dance moves, and families and friends all coming together with pure happiness to celebrate the joining of two people in love. But most often it’s the not–so-beautiful side that I get asked about, as in what happens behind the scenes of a wedding? Do things ever go completely awry? What’s the craziest disaster you’ve seen occur?
And my honest answer is always: Yes, things do go wrong, but at the weddings we plan and coordinate, it never leads to a disaster scenario. Why not? Because the couples we work with had the foresight to hire an experienced wedding coordinator to keep the day running smoothly and to handle any unexpected situation that may arise. What sort of situations can wedding planners assist with? What exactly can a coordinator do for you?
{Picture by Krystal Mann}
Knowledge + Experience = Skill
First, experienced coordinators have seen and dealt with a lot, and they know what to expect and how to put additional plans in place to protect you. They know how to create a solid rain plan, find a great vendor at the last minute, and create an effective and useful wedding day timeline. I’ve had couples hire me a few weeks prior to their wedding and often we’ve had to play some serious planning catch up or fix issues they were having. One couple had a venue fall through less than two weeks prior to the wedding date and we were able to make calls and secure them a new reception location immediately. We’ve had couples come to us with no rentals or linens ordered only several weeks prior to the wedding date and we were able to create a room layout, and get them everything they needed for their party.
ABG Notes: Consider all the logistics involved in this reception set-up and how much a planner can help piece it all together for you! {Picture by Image Trick}
When Things Go Wrong (and They Almost Always Do)
Second, wedding coordinators can deal with all those unexpected problems on a wedding day and the best part is, they can do so without you even knowing about it. A planner will know who to call if your cake collapses and how to get you a replacement before you even arrive at your reception or what to do if the wrong sized linens arrive. We once received news at a wedding that the catering truck had been in an accident (they were not at fault) while bringing all the entrees to the reception. We were able to work effectively with the catering staff to tweak the timing of the reception activities while they worked quickly to replace the food that was lost. The couple and their guests never knew a thing. If there is no wedding planner on site during these types of situations and decisions need to be made, who do you think will get the phone call? Most often it’s the bride or groom, and that is not the type of stress that anyone needs on their wedding day.
ABG Notes: When there's no stress, the smiles and laughs are easier to come by. (Picture by The Collection)
Bearing the Brunt
Lastly, it is the wedding planner’s job to manage the entire team of vendors and to make sure everyone works together smoothly so that you get exactly the type of service that you paid for from everyone involved. We make sure to give every vendor more than enough information before the wedding day (full timelines, important names and phone numbers, room layouts, and more) so that they know exactly what the plan is. We are also there to answer their questions, keep them on schedule, and occasionally intervene if someone isn’t doing the their job or providing the services the couple has paid for. In the past we’ve had to step in when vendors didn’t return phone calls or emails to the bride, promised one thing and delivered another of lesser quality, and even when vendors have trouble getting along and working together on a wedding day. It happens, and as the bride, you don’t want to be the one handling such things.
Above: A picture from Kristin's own big day. I asked if she hired a planner, to which she replied, "Oh yes, I knew I didn't want to be stressed out on my wedding day. So I
speak from true experience that having at least a day/month-of coordinator
is worth it." {Picture by McLellan Style}
Let’s face it, weddings are expensive, and a great way to protect such a large investment made into one day is to hire someone that can pull your vision together, help you plan for the unexpected, handle any issues that may arise, and most importantly give you peace of mind so that you can truly relax and enjoy every minute celebrating with those you love most.
Big thanks to Kristin Kaplan and Simply Stunning Events. Ladies (and gents) I hope this post helps you make up your mind on whether or not a planner is something you want. We understand that it's not always built into your budget but being able to enjoy your wedding completely stress free, well, you can't put a price on it.
About the Author:
Tabitha
Blogging is something I’ve enjoyed doing for years. My interests lie mostly in lifestyle related topics like fashion, style, design, food and weddings. When I heard Ashley was looking to bring on new members to the ABG team, I jumped at the opportunity - I can’t think of a better way to stay involved in weddings than to write about them and to stay in touch with the trends and new ideas. Lucky for me, Ashley likes my blog and trusts my experience to bring me on and so far, it’s been a blast.
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Posted on June 6, 2011 |
Filed under: Advice & Planning, Wedding Planners & Coordinators,
