Do I need a Wedding Planner!

Yes, the same question we hear all the time. But you know what? Is great to hear this question over and over so I can tell you what needs to be done during the day of your wedding. Remember is your day, you need to relax, you don’t have to be running around on your wedding day, leave everything to us "the experts" and enjoyed your wedding.

Here is a list of things we do for you on your wedding day:

We start with the ceremony preparation:

· Pinned corsages on the mothers, godmothers, special aunts, and readers

· Pinned boutonnieres on the fathers, groomsmen, and groom

· Distributed bouquets to the bridesmaids, flower girl, and bride

· Tied reserved signs to chairs for the ceremony

· Poured sand in vases in preparation for the sand ceremony

· Determined the color of the table linen for the ceremony (a last-minute addition)

· Found an out-of-the-way place for the string quartet to leave their instrument cases

· Discussed cues and the ceremony with the quartet

· Gave the reader her copy of the reading

The Ceremony:

· Cued the ceremony musicians

· Lined up the parents and bridal party before the ceremony

· Passed the marriage license to the officiant so he could fill in the form

· Held the wedding rings before the ceremony began

· Helped the flower girl down the steps to the ceremony so she didn’t trip over her long dress

· Held the bride with her dress and fixed her veil before she headed down the aisle

Reception preparation:

· Asked the caterer to get linens off the truck so the cake baker and DJ could begin setting up

· Made sure all the family members were in place for the formal photographs

· Worked with the florist when there was one table arrangement missing

· Asked the venue contact about where the DJ’s power supply was located

· Held up the bride’s train while the bridesmaids bustled underneath (often we’ll do the bustle on our own)

Reception:

· Politely invited guests to their seats so we could begin

· Lined up the bridal party before the introductions were made

· Worked with the DJ and caterer to ensure the timeline was upheld

· Brought the bride and groom drinks from the bar to their sweetheart table

· Updated the bride and groom before each major event of the reception

· Found the site manager when the one and only light bulb in the restroom was burned out

· Ensured the photographers and DJ ate their vendor meals when they wouldn’t miss a moment of the action

· Quickly showed the bride and groom how to cut their wedding cake

· Had a chair ready for the bride to sit on during the garter toss

· Boxed up two slices of cake for the flower girl and her father who had to leave early

· Boxed up two slices of cake for the bride and groom to eat in the limousine

· Passed out sparklers to the bridal party for the send-off

· Lit the sparklers once everyone was in place

· Had the driver move the limousine to the correct position in front of the house to allow guests to make a pathway from the front door for the send-off

· Made sure the caterer swept/mopped the floor at the end of the night (a venue requirement)

· Carried wedding gifts & leftover liquor to the family’s cars

Alright we’re keeping things moving:
· Directed guests to the right location for the ceremony, cocktail hour, and reception

· Offset the timeline so the photographer could get all the portraits done

· Showed the photographer the venue and several location options for formal photographs

· Did a final sweep of the building to ensure nobody left personal belongings

· Served as an incognito test lighting subject for the photographer

· Distributed vendor tips on behalf of the bride and groom

If you’re not planning on hiring a wedding day coordinator, think of who will do all these tasks when they arise on the wedding day. Also consider if that person will stick around through the end of the reception or if they’ll take advantage of the open bar and be worthless by midnight. Most of these things don’t fall under the caterer’s or venue’s responsibilities so don’t assume they’ll be handled by the professionals you’ve hired.