Thursday, June 5, 2008
As brides plan for their big day, I thought it would be nice to share experiences from other brides. So I asked some of my brides (now wives) from last year to give me their perspective of their wedding day. Below are the answers from Laurie who married Mike on July 14, 2007. Click here to see the original blog post from their wedding.
What was the best part of your wedding day?
Marrying my best friend!
What are your fondest memories of your wedding day?
Small intimate setting with my closest friends and family and most of all my children!
What was unexpected that you loved?
Mike singing!!!
(The groom played a guitar and serenaded her during the ceremony. It was completely unexpected yet wonderful surprise)
What do you feel was totally unnecessary?
Nothing!
What would you change, if anything?
NOTHING!
Is there anything you wish you had spent more time or money on?
Yes, I wish I would have found LaKendra sooner and put a decoration/ ambiance together much sooner to make the yard a complete package!
(These are Laurie’s comments not mine but it made me feel so good to hear this. I’m sure her comments stem from the fact that Laurie hired me just 2 weeks before her wedding)
Is there anything you wish you had spent less time or money on?
Not really, tents but I wasn’t sure it would be beautiful!
(It was suppose to rain on their wedding day but the weather ended up being gorgeous)
Were there any unexpected surprises or issues?
No
What’s your number #1 tip for future brides?
Simplicity! Spend your money on your future!!! Not that one day that passes in the blink of an eye! Elegant but simple!
How did you feel after the wedding?
Wonderful/ Calm/ Whole!
Thanks for your perspective Laurie!
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
I meet other planners from all across the country. We become friends, share ideas, successes, etc. We also share horror stories. Recently one of my wedding planning friends/colleagues shared a story with me of an initial consultation she had with a couple. They’d originally hired another planner as a day-of coordinator for their 400 guest wedding which also included a very large bridal party. The planner told them she’d been in business almost 10 years. She agreed to do elaborate set-up, provide vendor referrals, attend vendor meetings, provide décor design and the list goes on and on…as a Day-Of Coordinator…red flag# 1. She agreed to do all of this for $1,500…red flag#2. She also showed them very few pictures of her work…red flag# 3. She doesn’t have a professional website but instead has a MySpace page…red flag# 4.
2 months before their wedding they realized that not much had been done so they started their search for a wedding planner all over again. Enter my friend. After only 10 minutes into the meeting, it becomes very clear to them that their previous planner (and I use that term loosely) had no idea what she was doing. They hired my friend and her role for the next 2 months was not only that of a Wedding Planner but Clean-up Woman and Damage Control Expert too.
I know I’ve said before that “you get what you pay for” but this goes beyond that. Planners (or should I say so called planners), this is not a game!! I cannot stress this more. You are playing with a couples’ wedding day! A day that they cannot do over. A day that they have dreamed of for months, sometimes years. A day that they have spent thousands of dollars on. This is someone’s life and it is not to be taken lightly.
Couples, please, please, please realize that there are some professional planners out there AND there are some inexperienced planners out there who are not forthcoming about their lack of experience. So do your homework. Ask for references and actually call or email them. No website, no portfolio, promises the world for a very low price…these are all red flags. This is different from those planners who let you know upfront that they are just starting out (everyone starts somewhere). It is then your choice to take a chance with them. But this post is regarding planners that don’t tell their clients that they are guinea pigs.
Okay, I just stepped down from my soap box.
