I'm excited to share Part 2 in "10 Things Your Photographer Wants You to Know" today! You can read Part One here. This post is actually a guest post by my friend Amy Perdue with Plume Events. Amy is an amazing wedding planner and I highly recommend you consider her for your upcoming wedding! I asked Amy to answer the question, "Why should couples hire a wedding coordinator?" Here are her thoughts:
Couples are willing to spend tens of thousands of dollars on their weddings, and many spare no expense to have the wedding day of their dreams. But so often, couples are willing to spare the one expense that will go the furthest toward ensuring their wedding is everything they ever wanted—a wedding coordinator. Why do so many couples choose not to have one? People believe it is an unnecessary expense. They see the need for flowers to make the space beautiful, and they are happy to spend money on a DJ and alcohol to make sure their guests have a good time, but they don’t see why they need a coordinator—they can do everything a wedding coordinator can, can’t they? Well, they can’t. And here’s why:
You Are an Expert at Your Job, but You Can’t Also Be an Expert at Wedding Coordination.
Planning a wedding can become a second full-time job, and a difficult one at that. What questions do you ask the bakery to ensure your cake looks exactly how you want and will feed all of your guests? What time do you need to start hair and makeup the day of? What size tent do you need for 225 guests, if you want the dance floor and buffet tables to fit under it? Trying to figure all of this out on your own can be very stressful. Wedding coordination, like any other job, requires experience and skill. A coordinator can use her expertise and experience to answer all your questions and to plan for every detail of your special day, including the ones you might not even know need to be planned. She can also recommend vendors that will best suit your needs and budget and will be reliable and easy to work with, instead of your having to do a random internet search and hoping for the best.
You Can’t Work with a Budget the Way a Coordinator Can.
Many couples think they can’t afford a coordinator, but coordinators often offset the cost of hiring them by finding you vendors who can offer you the best prices or even discounts because they were recommended by your coordinator. It is also easy to get wrapped up in the excitement of wedding planning and start spending more than you should. Wedding coordinators know all kinds of “tips and tricks” to save you money, like what kinds of flowers are similar to peonies but half the cost and how to cut your catering bill down by several dollars a person. A coordinator can also help you stick to your budget, which can save you a lot in the long run.
You Can’t Be Your Own “Go-To” Person.
A wedding coordinator can be there when you need advice or an opinion on anything. Your coordinator will have a strong understanding of your theme and vision and will be there for you to text when you are out shopping for décor or to send the proof of your invitations to in order to make sure everything is spelled correctly and the RSVP date was included. And when all 20 of your vendors have questions about the venue or the shade of blue you want, your coordinator can serve as their contact person and keep your inbox from filling up with wedding questions. Most importantly for your sanity, a coordinator can help you with your family and their opinions on your wedding. It is very difficult to please everyone in your family, when they often have differing ideas of what your wedding should be like and demands they expect to be fulfilled. You may have a hard time saying no to your sister when she insists your niece’s flower girl dress be pink instead of white or to your future mother-in-law when she suggests you order favors from her best friend who crochets, but your wedding coordinator won’t. She will stand up for you and make sure what you want comes first.
You Can’t Orchestrate Your Wedding Day and Still Have the Best Day of Your Life.
You shouldn’t have to worry on your wedding day…and neither should your mom or your bridesmaids. Picture the morning of your wedding…what do you imagine? You probably imagine yourself surrounded by your best friends and closest family, getting pampered, eating brunch, and just being happy. It is really hard to do all of that when you are setting up chairs, calling to find out where the florist is with all your bouquets, and re-organizing the place cards that your bridesmaid dropped while she was trying to help you put them all out. And the last thing you want is people coming up to you right before your ceremony or during your reception with last-minute problems. Your wedding coordinator will take care of all the set-up the morning of and make sure that any issues that arise are handled—quietly and without drama. In fact, you should never even know about the things that could have or did go wrong on your wedding day, and you can be sure there will be a few!
If you are getting married, consider the benefits of hiring a coordinator and enjoy your engagement, the wedding planning, and your wedding day. Happy planning!
