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After reading this blog post, I hope you understand why professional wedding planners are a *thing*.
Paty Araujo Photography at Ember Ranch
Emotions are at an all time high. Expectations are heavy. Personalities are strong. So many things happen during wedding planning and on wedding day. Here's just a few juicy stories and tidbits of actual weddings I have saved up just for this blog post.
Bridesmaid Dress Unhinged - It was 5 minutes to ceremony. A super sweet bridesmaid (who was also the florist!) ran up to me almost in tears. She spun around, held the end of her bridesmaid dress up and said, "I just realized that the seamstress forgot to hem the slip inside my dress!!!" The entire bridal party and room got quiet. I examined the dress and realized that yes, the dress slip was way too long and it was just pinned together with needles. I am not going to lie, I had never had that happen before. It was terrifying! But my job is to think fast. We swiftly went into another room where the Bride was not in. I did not want to stress her out more, unnecessarily.
Next, I calmly asked this bridesmaid to take a couple of photos on her phone. This was so that we could then report back to the seamstress and she could receive her money back. By then, it was ceremony time, so we had to think fast. The outer layer was hemmed but the inner lining was still in pins. What I did was: I used industrial glue to quickly remove the pins and bring it up so that we can walk down the aisle. It was fixed in no time and we were off without a hitch. It lasted all night and the bride never knew until after the ceremony!
Shiney New Venue - At times, I find a venue that seems to make everything happen. I match the couple and venue together and everything fits like a puzzle. It's hard to see it any other way. Until it doesn't work because of said venue.
I loved working with established venues, and I am weary of venues less than a year old. This mean we're dealing with newcomers, new situations, and big hopeful ideas. What I am scared of the most are the double bookings, treating every wedding the same, unprofessional mannerisms, and becoming combative in front of guests. Be weary of new venues, check the contract, and verify the dates.
Officiant No-Show! - Yup. That happened, and now I am ordained. How in the world did we solve this problem? We had a member of the bridal party get ordained on the spot and read from the officiant's script. In the end it meant more to the bride and groom than any minister would.
DJ Fumbles The Bag - Here's why I always always suggest going with a local DJ group or person: They care more. When you hire a national company to send you a DJ - I get worried. This DJ has probably not done their job in determining what to do/when/where/and how. They are most likely showing up "winging" it and that always makes me nervous. Do yourself a favor and hire a reputable local company/business that will be there to show up professionally.
One time I contacted a DJ company and they were so nice. They accepted my timeline, took the time to chat with the couple, and my client had sent over a mash-up song. 2 songs off of YouTube and it was simple enough to mash up for their ceremony. But did they do that? Nope. This DJ had the wrong music and the venue manager had to fix their mistakes and try to make it happen using their own speaker system. It was a mess times ten and the music was disappointing. I was just their coordinator, so I didn't plan the wedding but the only thing I would change is the DJ
New Caterers In Town - Oh I have no idea how people plan a wedding without a planner. I save so many mistakes, I just know this is what I am meant to do. As a planner, I attend the catering tasting and here's why:
One time at a wedding, the new venue in-house caterer called me 2 weeks before wedding day as they were ordering the food. "I lost my notes for the tasting! What did they finalize at the tasting?" I was able to whip out my binder and tell her exactly what we ordered. Down to the exact CAPERS and fire roasted tomatoes. It was a recipe I actually loved and went home to recreate that week of the tasting. I knew the recipe and finalized menu to the T and saved the bride and groom plus the vendor from unnecessary stress. I am so glad this couple hired a wedding planner to make it happen for them, as they don't know it, but I would do anything to help them prevent stress.
To wrap up this blog, hire a wedding planner! It can be the difference between a stressful day and a seamless one.
XoXo!
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