From “Heck Yes!” to “No Thanks!” and “Maybe Not Again!”
What’s a Wedding Planner?
What Do They Do?
What Don’t They Do?
You shouldn’t have to choose between enjoying your wedding day and having the well planned out wedding that you’ve been thinking about for months.
This is where a wedding planner comes in!
There are many misconceptions about having a wedding planner. Let’s take a minute to dive into what a wedding planner is, what we do, what we do not do, and what we have done in a pinch for a client.
Read to the end to hear funny stories and see crazy photos!
* I want to give you a disclaimer that each wedding planning and coordination company offers different services based on packages. The more money spent, the more inclusive the package. When researching planning companies, visit their websites and read what they offer with their packages. Just because one company is willing to set up all your centerpieces does not mean another company will. *
What is a Wedding Planner?
If you’ve been researching wedding vendors for your big day or helping out a friend who’s getting married in a few months, you’ve probably read or heard about a vendor called a wedding planner. Similar to a wedding planner, there’s a wedding coordinator. Let’s talk about the differences!
Wedding Planner
Maybe you’re planning a 300 guest tent wedding or a 50 guest mini wedding, and find that you’re overwhelmed with where to start or who to book. Enter a wedding planner!
A wedding planner is generally responsible for helping the couple bring their wedding vision to life by assisting with the design and vendor selection process.
A wedding planner is for anxious couples where consistent, scheduled communication with a wedding planner will ease fears and keep planning on track. Couples drowning in Pinterest ideas and visions seek help and clarity to bring their wedding ideas to reality. Couples who can not “picture” their wedding day need a creative expert to figure out the personal, beautiful wedding details they didn’t even know they needed.
Day of Coordinator
Maybe you’re nervous about the wedding day and wondering if all of the details you’ve planned will actually come to life in the way you wanted. Insert a wedding coordinator!
Some couples might know what they want for their wedding and have the time to pour into a wedding. For these couples, a wedding coordinator would work best. A wedding coordinator is similar to a wedding planner but less involved in the planning process.
A day of coordinator is for the couple that has a plan and vision. They might need a few recommendations but have the capacity to plan a wedding. This couple has confidently planned their wedding but wants a trusted hand to bring it all together.
Wedding coordinators typically get more involved two months before the wedding date. THIS DOES NOT MEAN THAT YOU SHOULD WAIT 2 MONTHS BEFORE TO BOOK A COORDINATOR! You can and should book a coordinator about 8-6 months before your wedding. The earlier, the better!
The main difference between a wedding planner and a wedding coordinator is the level and timing of involvement.
Now let’s get into what a wedding planner does!
Heck Yes!:
Help you identify your top priorities
Do you want stunning floral? Amazing dance music? Fantastic food? We’ll help you learn what vendors are a top priority for your wedding day.
Recommend vendors
We work with a number of wedding vendors on a weekly basis. After a while, we get to know how certain vendors work and are able to give you quality and reliable recommendations based on our experiences working with them.
Hone your wedding vision
If you are looking at a Pinterest board with 200 pins, an album full of screenshots, it can be overwhelming to decide where to start. We go through your photos and pick out similarities, ask questions to pull out what it is you like and if it would fit the rest of your vision.
Read and go over contracts
Reconciliation is a process that planners do when they look through all contracts with your vendors to find any differences. If I hadn’t read over my client’s contract I wouldn’t have known that the floral was two centerpieces off.
Confirm vendor arrival and departure time
Create a timeline
Our timelines are what I call “master timelines”. It has not only what you and your wedding party will be doing throughout the day, but also when your vendors are arriving, when pictures start and end, when your memorable moments are going to happen (first dances, speeches, cake cutting, sunset photos) and so much more
Create a layout
Create and execute a rain plan if necessary
Offer advice and expertise
One piece of advice that I offer all my clients is to bring all of your things on the wedding day in a storage tote. Get a big Rubbermaid tote and put all of your shoes, hair tools, clothes, purse, charger, emergency kit, extra makeup, garment bag, etc. in this one place. What you don’t want to happen is to end your wedding night and have to carry two bags, a shoe box, a garment bag, and a charging cord.
Run your rehearsal
Practice walking down the aisle including: timing, order, spacing, etc.
Give you tips and tricks (anyone who has a bouquet should hold it lower than you think, don’t walk to fast and make your partner trip, remember to look at the bride and groom during the ceremony, etc.)
Clearly direct when people walk and when music changes are happening
Oversee vendors and lend a hand when necessary
Problem solve
Things happen on a wedding day and it’s important to keep as positive of a mindset as you can. Allow us to handle the random hiccups and focus on spending time with your partner, family and friends!
Read about some interesting hiccups at the bot
Manage wedding day logistics
Make sure you have the marriage license and that it gets signed
Confirm with DJ/Entertainment your song choices
Cue ceremony music and changes during processional
Cue when family, friends, and you walk down the aisle
Hand our your tip envelopes on the day of your wedding (because no one likes to be shaken down in their wedding dress)
Talk to the Best Man or whoever is holding onto the rings that they are NOT going to pretend to have lost them
Set up personal items such as guestbook, card box, memory table, place cards, and signage
No Thanks!:
Manage your guest list or create a seating chart
We can happily provide tools, helpful tips, and answer your questions! We do not send out Save the Dates, RSVPs or Thank you cards to your guests.
Break vendor rules or contracts
While we are your champions and are there to support you in anyway that you need, we will not break vendor’s rules for you. For example, most venues don’t allow people in their kitchen other than their staff due to liability issues. Therefore, we will not go back into the kitchen area out of respect for the venue’s rules.
Serve/transport food or dessert
Make a budget
What you are able to spend on your wedding is a conversation between your partner and you. I can tell you that the average Minnesotan couple spends about $30,000 in total on their wedding. We are here to answer your questions, help you pick out your top priorities, and make your vision come to life within budget.
Replace a Vendor:
Tables and chairs, floral installations, centerpieces, photography, set up speakers and microphones, are a little out of our comfort zone. We are more than happy to lend a hand, but we cannot replace one of your vendors. Each one: decorator, florist, DJ, etc. are all important for a reason.
Get a marriage license
Maybe Not Again:
Cleaned dog poop off a dance floor
This was a necessary evil
Walk into the road to stop traffic for you to cross
Dressed up as Michael Meyers to scare your soon-to-be wife during your first look
This one we will HAPPILY do again
Call 40 guests in 45 minutes to let them know the ceremony site has changed
Redo a whole seating chart because we realized there wasn’t a seating chart sign
Give your dress some quick alterations
Picture below is before my scissors and me got to work
Scare off people so they don’t interrupt your ceremony
Start a fire for your to roast smores (and deface a state park because there were no skewers)
I whittled the sticks too
Buy you a garter/razor/Benadryl that you don’t use
Put together a fountain cake stand that spits water
This was used at every families wedding and wanted to keep the tradition alive
Slice a hundred pieces of pie and serve it
FYI, tell pie companies they need to preslice pies
Drive you and your partner back to your hotel (they were both intoxicated and couldn’t get an uber)
I would rather see a couple safe for the night than walking on the side of the road
Drive part of your wedding party back to their hotel (they were intoxicated and couldn’t get an uber)
Same goes for the wedding party
Set up a Christmas tree in September
This was a guest book and actually quite fun to put up!
Set up champagne bongs
Pet a skunk
This was a highlight of my season
Find a floor to eat dinner on
Sitting on the floor, a little bit away from the party, was very very nice at this point in the day. I have mandatory floor time at every wedding!
Set up 175 spray painted gold animals for a seating chart
Each wedding brings it’s own stories and fun memories, not only for the couple, but for us too! Every season we recount our favorite couples, the crazy stories, and what we’re looking forward to next season.
I hope this helps you in your wedding planning journey!
Talk to you soon!
