What’s one piece of wedding advice that you wish your current wedding planner self knew when you were planning your own wedding?
I asked a group of amazing wedding planners and they told me some very interesting things:
“Athena, I know you are super crafty, your mom is a designer and your Grandmother is a seamstress. But even with all your skills combined you still need to be a Bride, Mother of the Bride and Special Guest Grandmother of the bride on your wedding day. You need someone to overlook all the communications between the two families coming together so that there are no misunderstandings. Most importantly you need to feel the love on your journey to “I Do” not the frustrations of feeling overworked and overwhelmed with all the details. Trust me … if I were you … I would hire a Wedding Planner. Use your family skills on your wedding dress, then that will be very special” – Athena, Coalesce Creations
“Great question! I wish that I knew then that “people moving” takes longer than you think! Post-ceremony, my wedding planner had us take a breather in an adjacent room while 175 guests moved from ceremony to cocktails. It took 20 minutes! We thought it would take 5 minutes, tops! How young and naive we were!” – Renee Dalo, Moxie Bright Events
“I wish I would have known just how important hiring a DJ really is. I had a friend of mine MC the reception and he did a great job but we had some struggles with the music. My husband and I had created a playlist and had put songs in a VERY specific order. Without us realizing it, someone put the playlist on shuffle and songs were playing that had already been played. We had to change the songs a few times before we got it right.
Also, I wish I would have printed out my shot list instead of just emailing it to the photographer. I figured they would have printed the shot list off but they didn’t. I didn’t get half the family shots I was hoping for” – Becca, Events With Becca, Inc.
“Don’t get such a big cake smile emoticon and do not pick the first venue you fall in love with! Go check out a few others just to have more to compare it too!!” – Kayla, CK Event Design
“Reserve tables for family. I didn’t do assign seating, because I was hoping for more of a party/cocktail type seating and my younger friends ended up taking all the tables and my family got pushed to the back and my cater had to add tables because no one embraced my party/cocktail style I was trying to go for…” – Chelsea, CK Event Design
“If you can rearrange anything in your budget to be able to get videography then do it! I kick myself that I don’t have video footage of the day. The photos are nice, but I cry every time I watch anyone’s wedding highlight reel!” – Alicia, Harvest Event Company
“Reconsider your favors. Maybe give a donation to a charity of your choice on behalf of you and your guests.” Maureen, Maureen C. Weddings & Events
“I’ve learned not to get so caught up in the details and the “look” of the wedding. Pinterest, while lovely, can drive you insane if you aren’t careful. Once you’ve decided on your overall colors and design style, it’s best to step away so you don’t give in to temptation to keep adding “things” to your day. Also, make your partner part of the planning process. Let them handle the things that are super important to them, and realize that you aren’t always going to agree, which is perfectly okay. Your partner likely doesn’t want or need to talk about the wedding every day. Again, this is normal. Take breaks and allow yourself to think of other things not related to the wedding. At the end of the day I’m so excited to marry my fiance & start the next chapter of our lives that all the details are simply icing on the cake. -Jessica McDaniel, Pocket Full of Sunshine Events
“If you invest in florals, consider donating left over flowers & center pieces to a nursing/retirement homes. A flower is more than just a flower sometimes” – Ashley Brophy, B Bride Events
“Oh, Jamie. Hire a professional florist! I don’t care if you’re creative and clever. A florist doesn’t just put flowers together, they create an atmosphere with a cohesive look using flowers, candles, and other decor. And they’ll save you and your bridesmaids…and family…and family friends LOTS of time that should be spent together celebrating. It’s not worth the little bit of money you might save by doing your own flowers.” – Jamie, Tres Chic Events
“Hire a videographer. It will be the best investment, next to a professional photographer, you will make on your day. They’re the only two tangible form of memory you have left at the end, other then your new spouse of course” – Amanda, Amanda Douglas Events
We can all get a little intense sometimes: “30 minutes prior to the wedding is probably a good time to stop swearing at your bridal party to get a move on, fyi your officiant/pastor for your ceremony is probably nearby and can hear you. Hire a coordinator and let them be the ones to put a push on things so you can appear to be the perfect angel at the altar” – Shaun, A DIY Affair Weddings & Events
“Don’t feel as if you have to “DIY” everything. There are so many talented people that can help for reasonable prices. That way the entire process is enjoyable for the bride and groom and they are not stressed out trying to finish all of the tiny details. Also, just because a service or good is less expensive does not mean it is “better” in any way. Often, you get what quality you pay for. And most importantly ” trust your gut”! If something isn’t working out right or you don’t get the warm-and-fuzzies it’s okay to walk away and move onto something different” – Denise, Low Country Event Design
“Sidra: Bring the marriage license to the venue.” – Sid, Ruby Refined Events
Feature Image Source – Sunny S-H Photography
