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Day-Of Coordinator

The Issue: “My mom [aunt, sister] spent the whole morning setting up my tables then had to rush to get ready, then spent the end of the night cleaning and missed my exit.”

Our Advice: OBVIOUSLY we are going to tell you that, at the very least, having a day of planner/coordinator is in your best interest because we believe in what we do!  In all seriousness though, after polling some recent brides, the overwhelming consensus was that having a Day-Of Coordinator is a must. Some choose to forego the expense and regret that their loved ones, or even themselves, had to work on their wedding day. Others that were required by their venue to book someone, ended up being so thankful for their planner/coordinator’s expertise. Couples who choose a Wedding Planner from the very beginning often reflect that their presence was more valuable than they could have ever anticipated. 

Vendor Research

The Issue: “I wasn’t happy with my choice of vendors and wished I had solicited more information before hiring them.” “The caterer didn’t deliver what they sold us on and didn’t have enough food for all of my guests.”

Our Advice: Research, research, research and confirm, confirm, confirm!  You wouldn’t buy a house or car without doing research on the type you want, reading reviews, the average price, safety features, etc., so why would you hire your wedding vendors without researching them ahead of time. Utilizing websites like WeddingWire, Google+ and Yelp can be a great way to learn about the vendors you are trying to hire because these reviews are written by past clients.  Talk to your Venue Coordinator/Sales Manager and see if they can provide you insight on their experiences with certain vendors.  Many of them have a list of reputable vendors they prefer to work with.  Additionally, hiring a planner is usually a fail-safe way to have a good vendor team.  They can give input on the vendor, as well as coordinate with the vendors in advance to make sure everyone is on the same page.  It is in the planner and venue’s best interest that you have a solid vendor team, as it helps to make their job easier in the long run.  Just remember, it is ok to ask questions of your potential vendors, as you are interviewing them for a very big, important job.  If something doesn’t seem right or you don’t have a good connection, then our best advice is to look elsewhere.

Rentals

The Issue: “The tent was too small…it was so crowded!” “The dance floor was too big, causing my photos to look like no one was there.” 

Our Advice: Be sure to know your crowd. Will there be a bunch of dancers or will your guests be more likely to sit and chat as the music plays in the background? Although your number of guests may dictate a certain size, it doesn’t mean that this is right for you. Make the choice based on who you have coming. Maybe a smaller dance floor and some lounge areas would be more appropriate for you.

Bridesmaids Dresses

The Issue: “My maids felt uncomfortable in their dresses, and even though they didn’t say anything about it, I could tell in the photos.”

Our Advice: It’s ok here to “not sweat the small stuff.” Many brides are choosing to let their bridesmaids pick their own dresses these days and are just asking for it to be in a certain pattern or color palette. Others choose a dress that has several styles and let the girls pick between those five or six as to which fits their body best. Whichever way you choose to dress your girls, be sure that they are comfortable in what they are wearing, as it will be evident in photos (and video) if they are not for years to come.

Dress Alteration Budget

The Issue: “I chose a dress that was right in my budget, but the alterations put me over!”

Our Advice: Wedding dress alterations can carry quite the sticker shock. Be sure that you are asking about this as you are trying on dresses and making your decision. Some salons charge a percentage where others will charge based on the services they are preforming. You will want to be able to keep this in your budget, especially if you are trying to keep the dress to a certain range.  Each nip, tuck, change and trim costs money, so be sure you ask. 

Don’t Bite Off More Than You Can Chew

The Issue: “I spent so much time on Pinterest, and had so many DIYs that I was worrying myself silly trying to get it all done.”

Our Advice: Pinterest can be a black-hole as we have previously discussed. We advise that you not take on too many projects and to have realistic expectations of what your DIY (Do-It-Yourself) will turn out to look like vs what you see from some photographer’s styled session.  Remember, DIY is not for everyone and can be time consuming and budget busting if overdone.

Include Your Fiancé

The Issue: “We fought more than ever during wedding planning, I had no idea he would have such an opinion!”

Our Advice: Many couples experience a lot of their biggest fights during the wedding planning process. You can avoid some of this by not just assuming that your groom doesn’t have an opinion, or that wedding planning is “just a girl thing.” Remember, this is just as big of a life changing event for him as for you and because of that, he is bound to have an opinion on some things.  Keeping this in mind, be sure that you are running things past him. He may not care or may leave it up to you but you may be surprised at the things that he is really passionate about. Have a conversation about the things are most important to him and allow him to take the lead on those items, or at the very least, have a considerable amount of input. Use planning as a learning opportunity and realize that maybe he really cares about the quality of food or the type of suit he wears. Let him have input…t’s his day too!

~Kelly & Leslie