Let’s face it, there are several roles that need to be filled in order to have a successful wedding day, Right? But is it absolutely necessary to have all these individuals being paid to be there for your big day? To be completely honest with you, when we first stepped foot into the wedding industry, we didn’t really understand the role of what a wedding planner was and quite frankly I told my sister that I felt that in the near future they may become obsolete. I could not for the life of me understand why someone needed to tell a bride how much money they needed to spend on their wedding, who they needed to hire and why, how to read clauses in contracts, just basically somebody holding their hand through the entire wedding planning process. The misconception of not needing a wedding planner came in when we were watching the wrong people plan weddings for people! Literally it was like watching the blind leading the blind.
It wasn’t until we had a complete wedding season of 2018-2019 as Wedding Designers, when we realized planners and coordinators are truly needed at all events! They are mandatory. We wouldn’t recommend executing your day without one. Truly, there are some wedding planners and coordinators that really can do it all. We’ve gained a completely different perspective and respect for this role in the wedding industry when we started to watch planners/coordinators take on just as much workload as a Wedding Designer.
Planner/Coordinators:
Wedding planners and coordinators are pretty much the glue that holds your wedding day together, it’s just that simple. They are the liaison between all vendors and they completely organize your wedding day from months out all the way up to the day of your wedding. We would highly recommend that you hire a professional, notice I said professional wedding planner or coordinator, not your church member or your Aunt who is head of the Usher Board to run your day. The reason we are saying this is not to be funny, but because a professional wedding planner or coordinator has done this multiple times on multiple weekends, during multiple seasons and has had trial and error multiple times. They know how to head off issues before they arise. So don’t think for one minute that cutting out this particular role is going to save you money. If you do…please be prepared to have a fiasco of a wedding, just saying it just will not flow correctly. To read all of the tasks that a wedding planner coordinator does check out this article in full detail of all the tasks they are responsible for handling during your planning process. Trust me you’ll thank us later they’re pretty much superheroes!
Wedding Designers/Decorator:
He has popped the big question and your Pinterest board is finally about to come to life! Finally getting to pick the perfect ambiance, colors, flowers and setting for your wedding day seems to be the most exciting part aside from finding the perfect dress. Of course, brides are fascinated with decor nowadays, But it can become overwhelming very fast. DIY projects can become a nightmare, so why not just hire the right professional to design your wedding for you. Notice I said the right professional, “Decorating” weddings and events has become quite popular and you definitely want to be able to tell the difference between someone who is decorating as a hobby for quick cash, and someone who is completely passionate about all of the elements of event design and does it for a living. It’s quite simple to do actually, all you have to do is completely dissect the pictures they are advertising to you as their work. Check out the of the execution/crispness of the designs that you see in front of you. Ask yourself while browsing “Would you be satisfied with this if this was your wedding design?” Designers have a way of paying attention to all the details while developing your decor and you want to make sure you are paying attention to all the details when picking your wedding designer as well. No one wants sloppy table linens, or poorly executed proportions on a tablescape. Your designer should be solely focused on aesthetics and making sure your vision comes to life.
They construct layouts, focus on lighting designs, and florals, and making sure you have that “Wow” factor. Just a tidbit, be completely honest about your decor/floral budget when communicating with your designer. Sometimes having a certain expectation of how something is going to look and how it really turns out can be two different things and you have to be confident in the professional you choose to execute this task. Be realistic and don’t expect them to do a magic trick if you don’t give them a proper budget. If someone tells you yes to everything, and it seems too good to be true 9 times out of 10 it probably is! The tried and true way to pick the right designer is to simply speak with them and review their work and decide if their work is comparable to your style and vision.
DJ/Entertainment:
Everyone loves to party and can’t wait to enjoy their wedding night. But DJs can be more than just the source for music. In this day and time several DJs offer lighting, photo booths, dancing on the clouds, special effects and can also be the emcee/host for the day. Now there is a difference between an amateur DJ and a professional DJ. Most DJs are obsessed with their equipment and the quality of the sound experience at most weddings and events. You want to find a DJ who takes pride in not only the sound, but also the presentation of their services at your event and also the entertainment experience. I cannot tell you how many times we have seen DJs show up to weddings with no tablecloths or scrims to mask cords, show up late with no microphones, or if they do have a microphone it magically stops working during the ceremony during the vows because they didn’t do a sound check properly. Or how about the DJ who screws up the music list that you’ve planned out for months now to be played when you and your bridal squad are about to make that big entrance you’ve been practicing. A professional DJ will have a proper timeline for the entire ceremony and be able to run your reception without noticeable awkward moments. Be vocal about what you expect for your entertainment experience, if you have specific music you want played, voice it. Don’t skip over your budget for entertainment, a cheap DJ is not always the best route. So do your research thoroughly.
We hope this helps you avoid having the “Worst Wedding EVER” and that these tips help you have the best experience during your wedding planning and on your wedding day. Sometimes honesty is the best policy, and sometimes hearing previous horror stories can head off problems before they occur. Take your time and have the right professionals to help execute your event. Do the research and reap the benefits!
Signed,
“The Concerned Designers”
