Wedding Planner's "Best Kept" Big Day Secrets

Good morning All!!!  I hope your Thursday is off to great start.  Mine started super early as I had to carpool with Justin due to our recent car situation....oh the joys of being a adult.  We’re going to pick up the rental this afternoon, so life should be back to normal soon.  This does allow me to get an extra early start on blogging today.... here we go!

So.....I recently came across this article and thought I’d share my own personal thoughts and insight on these “secrets”.  In an effort not to write a novel, I will touch on 3 of these today.

1.     I have to stop guests from ruining the day.

Umm.... yes this is very much true and probably one of the most delicate of duties.  Often times family and friends get so excited about your wedding day that they forget the about “the big picture”.

Few Examples:

Bridemaids~ They want everything to be perfect for YOU (the bride)!  But in doing so... they worry and they ask the bride TONS of unnecessary questions completely overwhelming her on the day of her wedding.  In my opinion on that day, the Bride’s planning is DONE.  So any questions that the Bridesmaids may have ~should ask the Wedding Planner, Catering Manager, or other Bridesmaids...let the bride relish in feeling beautiful. 

Groomsmen~ Not all, but some can get CRAZY! Yes, it’s all about having fun...that’s for sure, but I’ve had to remind them before..... the bride and groom have spent a lot of time and money for this day and it’s still important to keep things classy... at least until the dinner is over.  I’ve also caught a few groomsmen peeing outside while the reception is going on, instead of using the bathroom.  This is always a nice and awkward conversation to have....but all I typically have to say to them is Do you want me to tell the bride???  That typically ends most bad behavior with groomsmen, real quick.

Eager Guests~ You know that lady that you haven’t seen in ten years, but just HAS TO SEE THE BRIDE BEFORE SHE WALKS DOWN THE AISLE... this happens at every wedding.  I always have a conversation with the bride ahead of time asking her how she feels about this.  If the bride says she only wants her bridal party and mother in her suite before the wedding.....we put out a sign that says something like The bride is busy getting ready, she will greet you after she becomes “Mrs. Starr”.  We also let the staff know ahead of time of the bride’s request. 

2.     I’m not your personal assistant.

Wow, that is such a snotty comment; I don’t even like typing those words out.  Here’s the deal... if your Wedding Planner is experienced she will lay out from the very beginning what her/his duties in your initial meeting.  This is definitely something I struggled with in the beginning, I wanted to be everything to the bride and take care of her every need...but in doing so I learned quickly I was setting myself up for failure.  It’s all about communication and written descriptions so that the bride is clear of what her Wedding Planner will do and what her close friend can help her with.  As much as I would love to do everything...it’s just not always possible.  If time permits day of and things are going smoothly with the venue, photographer, dj, caterer, etc...I’m happy to jump in where I'm needed and (for example) help you go to the bathroom ~not an easy task in a wedding dress!!

3.     Your vendor messed up.

If at all humanly possible.... I will never tell you something went wrong on your wedding day... I will wait and tell you several weeks later after you return from your honeymoon...so we can laugh about it together.   Mistakes do happen.  Vendors do “mess up”... after all , we are humans….  but if it’s not going to impact your day in a direct huge way... I’m not going to tell you.  I’ve had many situations where things have gone wrong the day of.

Examples: the venue didn’t order enough linens, the wrong cake was delivered, the minister is lost and late, the best man forgot the rings, the list goes on and on.... but THAT’S WHY YOU HIRE A WEDDING COORDINATOR (among several other reasons) to be a problem solver...so you, your groom, your mom, your maid of honor can ENJOY THE DAY!!!