Hiring a Wedding Coordinator and What That Means For Your Wedding Day

"Getting Ready"

BLOG SERIES | PART 1

I'm going to bounce around a bit in the next few blogs about why hiring a wedding coordinator or planner is a benefit for you. It'd make sense to start with discussing planning, vendor negotiations, logistics etc, but we're going to jump in first with chatting about your wedding day, in particular, the getting ready part.

As your Wedding Coordinator and Designer I want nothing more than to know that my Bride and Groom are free of stress, relaxed, being pampered and know that everything is handled so that they can enjoy their time with their closest friends and family as they prepare to walk down the isle. I adore this image of our Bride, Megan, as she and her bridesmaids look out the estate windows overlooking the property and watch as our team hustles around the property setting up. We are submitting Megan and Kaleo's wedding for publication, but I realized that some of these behind the scenes pics don't make publication galleries, but they are also such a HUGE part of what we do. These images are awesome in telling the benefits of having a coordinator. Here is our bride with her best friends relaxed and enjoying seeing it'll all come to life.

When I sit down with couples, and often those consultations include the Mother of the Bride, when we start talking about what are their hopes, how they envision their day I always hear about what the bride and mother want for what happens BEFORE the ceremony. I want you to think about that as well. For my own wedding, I didn't budget for a wedding coordinator and that is with major regret... instead my sisters, mom, aunts and even grandmother were not with me in my hotel room helping me prepare for the happiest day of my life. They were out in hot summer temps running around trying to set up our wedding. They were dealing with stress and vendor frustrations and trying to figure out how to set up the wedding decor to fit my dream I had worked hard planning... They then had to rush into the bridal suite moments before the wedding to day they loved me and to quick change into their dresses for their part of walking down the isle... REGRETS.... When we first started many of my couples didn't hire a coordinator, instead they just hired us to set up the wedding and leave. Ohhhh.... how many times did I see the repeat mistakes that I had made... frustrated, exhausted, irritated, hurt moms, friends and family members who, yes, had volunteered to set up and were happy to volunteer... but, they had no idea what amount of work and stress they had signed up for AND what they would miss out on come the wedding. It is VERY rare for it to go otherwise.

A MOMENT THAT LASTS A LIFETIME

Instead, what I had wished happen and what all of my clients share they desire is a different experience. Instead, you, the bride, are surrounded by your closest girlfriends and women in your life that are there with you in a peaceful and joyous state. Refreshments and small bites are available to keep each of you comfortable and relaxed. It's a quite time to give gifts to your bridesmaids if you wish. You can share quiet time reflecting on your vows and relationship and what this day means to you and your family. Your best friend and mom can help you into your gown. If you have a summer or winter wedding, you can all be indoors in a temperature controlled environment. You're not just feeling your best as you have your hair and makeup done, but so are these incredible women you cherish. Megan gave each of her bridesmaids a special clutch. They laughed, they enjoyed watching the set up, they helped one another dress. It was peaceful and perfect. Megan's mom then helped her into her gown. A moment that we talked at the very beginning about being a priority.

Creating time for the bride and groom allows flexibility. Here, we were able to have the officiant take some one on one time with Megan and Kaleo beforehand to review any ceremony details. This also alleviates any last minute stress about the ceremony flow and specifics. This reassurance can calm nerves and allow the bride and groom to enter into a headspace that is more relaxed and able to take in the moment better.

And we're not JUST talking about the girls. The guys too, should be hang'n out, relaxed and enjoying some guy time and not stressed about anything else. Kaleo and his best friends played air hockey, ping pong, watched some football, enjoyed snacks and refreshments. This also allowed our photographers to have time to shoot getting ready pics for both the gals and guys without issues.

Think about how you want to feel on your wedding day, especially in the moments leading up to the ceremony. Who do you want with you? What kind of environment do you imagine? A Wedding Coordinator makes this happen. We work hundreds of hours leading up to this moment to bring that vision to reality and maybe even better! Stay tuned for more of this blog series!

FROM THE BRIDE...

"I want to start off by saying that I was always the girl who NEVER needed a wedding coordinator. I knew “exactly” what I wanted my wedding to look like, and I’ve always been a natural planner, so why would I need someone’s help? Once upon a time I even dreamed of being a wedding planner myself, so I felt like planning my own wedding would be a piece of cake. A few weeks in to the planning stage and my head was spinning while trying to find 300 of the perfect chairs, a task that I thought would be so simple. Turns out, planning your own wedding isn’t easy. Pinning gorgeous photos to your “Fairytale” pinterest board may be a dreamy no-brainer, but it doesn’t work that way in real life. It’s a lot harder than one might think to pull together a luxurious seating lounge or take 50 of your carefully thrifted bowls and vases and turn them into collaborative centerpieces. And lets not even get started on the not so obvious details- linens for breadbaskets, reserved seating signs, extension cords??? There is more that goes into planning a wedding than I ever could have imagined. 

I first contacted Heidi because my mom wanted to hire someone who could take the stress off of the wedding day set-up and tear-down. But after hearing about what she could offer in the coordination department and after seeing the beautiful work on her site, I could not help myself but get lost in the idea of having someone rescue me from my never ending planningchallenges. Right from the moment that I met Heidi and her assistant Molly, I felt like 300 pounds were lifted from my shoulders. They knew exactly what needed to be done to make my dream day come true and they were just as excited about it as I was. They gave me a strict to-do list and a firm deadline to make decisions while they got busy calling vendors and pulling together the seriously impossible. They put together a vision board that was absolutely perfect for me and finally I was able to start enjoying the whole process. It wasn’t long after that when I told my mom the best thing I had spent my money on so far was my wedding planners. They worked like crazy making sure that I could have everything that I envisioned for my day. Not only did they make the planning process so much easier- they made it so that I could spend my wedding day focusing on all of the important parts. The night before my wedding I was able to go home and relax and get my rest. The morning of my wedding I was able to spend the day with my bridesmaids and my mom at the salon getting our hair, makeup, and nails done. I didn’t have to worry about a thing but just showing up and looking pretty. I knew without a doubt that their team would have everything under control and that everything would get done just how I wanted it and in plenty of time for my walk down the aisle. I didn’t stress. My family didn’t stress. Everyone was able to enjoy the day just as they should have. 

I look back at my dream of becoming a wedding planner and I can’t imagine ever thinking that it was something that I could do. It takes a special kind of person to not only be able to work that hard, but to want it so much for someone else. Heidi is that person. That is what her team stands for and I couldn’t be more grateful that I chose them to help me with my wedding." - Megan
 

Nate Perkes Photography
Ira + Lucy Wedding Design + Coordination
Open Table Catering
Blooms Flower Studio
VCI Audio
Tates Tents and Events

Guest Post - Wedding Welcome Gifts

I am so happy to introduce you to Jamie, the gifted gal of custom gift packaging! I found Jamie on Instagram and immediately reached out to her! As a wedding and special event planner and designer it's important to me to offer our client's new and fresh designs and concepts. When it comes to those of our clients planning destination weddings, wedding welcome gifts are even more of a must-have. Jamie has some awesome tips to share with you today!

How to Create Wedding Welcome Gifts on a Budget
Marigold + Grey

I work with a lot of clients who have large budgets that allow for them to do custom welcome booklets to go inside the welcome gifts. However, I also work with clients on a tighter budget where we have to get creative. In these situations, a small insert card with a simple welcome message does the trick.Sure, we all wish budget didn’t play a role in planning a wedding. But of course, that isn’t reality. Today’s post is all about how to create wedding welcome gifts on a budget. It can be done! And yes, they’ll still be well-balanced, thoughtful, and will undoubtedly set the tone for an amazing wedding weekend.

Packaging

Opting for a custom tote bag or high-quality box or basket is a way to quickly use up your entire budget without even taking into consideration the contents that go inside. Instead, opt for simple packaging so you can allocate the majority of your budget to the gift contents. Sturdy kraft gift bags with handles, gable boxes, two-piece gifts boxes, and even small-sized jute totes are great budget-friendly options!

Image via  The Knot

Color Scheme

You may not have a huge budget but the gift can still look well put-together. Consider adding a splash of color, especially one from your wedding color palette. Guests will appreciate a little sneak peek of what color your bridesmaids are likely walking down the aisle in or a hint about what your bouquet may look like!

Mainstream Snacks

Instead of opting for ALL locally-sourced, artisan, small batch goodies for the gifts, go a little more mainstream with your choices and you’ll save some money. Sure, it isn’t QUITE as personal as choosing items that are made locally but in the end, your guests will still get their “something sweet” and “something salty” and will love you for it.

Personalized Items

Typically when I’m designing custom welcome gifts for my clients, they always want personalized items. This can still be done on a budget. They key here is not to go overboard. Rather than high-priced personalized totes, buy inexpensive water bottles and pay for a batch of customizable labels to wrap around the water bottles. Or, print your names and wedding date on the gift tag. Either way, stick to one portion of the gift rather than personalizing everything.

Hydrate

No matter what, there’s nothing worse than checking into your hotel as a guest and finding that bottled water isn’t included. This is why it’s crucial to provide your guests with water upon check-in. Standard bottled water is fine but if you want to up your game, consider sparkling water. Sure, the glass Pellegrino bottles can be pricey but Perrier now makes sparkling water in a smaller-sized can and the pricing is very reasonable.

Image via Style Me Pretty

At the end of the day, it’s the thought that counts. Decide on your budget and figure out a way to work within your budget. Don’t let the budget cause you to procrastinate. Or worse, cause you to cut the welcome gifts altogether. Treat the gifts like any other portion of the wedding planning. Decide what you want to spend and then get creative within those parameters. When your guests thank you for taking good care of them, you’ll be so glad you did!

Jamie Kutchman

Founder, Marigold & Grey

Web: http://www.marigoldgrey.com

Blog: http://www.marigoldgrey.com/blog

Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/marigoldgrey

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/marigoldandgrey

Hot Topic! DJ vs. iPod

Guest Post Feature Hot TopicDJ vs. iPod

"Who Needs a DJ? I Have My Own Sound System!" Guest Post by Sound Wave Music + Lighting Design

When it comes to planning a wedding we know there are MANY options, choices to make, and the possibilities are endless.  We also know that your budget is not endless (if only, right?!).  We have heard time and again that there are many ways to “DJ” your own wedding and why not, if you can save $800-$1200 in your wedding budget?  Now, we aren’t saying this is wrong in every case, as every wedding is different. But, we do know that DJ'ing your own wedding can come at a price - and maybe a price you don’t want to pay.  Here are some things to consider as you make this big decision for your special day:

1. A DJ is Not an Ipod.  If you just need a quiet playlist playing for the duration of your wedding, an ipod playlist may be a great choice.  If you are looking for a customized playlist, someone who can read the crowd, interact with your guests, change the tone at a moment’s notice, and make a great celebration for you and your guests, a DJ will be worth looking into…and worth the investment.  A professional and talented DJ can set the mood for your whole wedding and give you the type of experience you will cherish for years to come. These are things an ipod can never do for you.
2. Your Mom Isn’t An MC…Neither is Your Coordinator.  One of the important jobs of your DJ is to make the announcements and MC your wedding.  Not a big deal, right?  Anyone can do it?  Not the case.  Our DJs are trained MCs.  They have mastered the art of voice, tone, inflection, volume, and more.  On the day of your wedding, someone WILL need to make announcements so your guests will feel at ease knowing what to expect throughout the evening.  More often than not your mother or coordinator will be the one who ends up on the mic if you don’t have a DJ, and trust me, this is not what they want to be doing on your wedding day!
3. A DJ Is More Than a “DJ”.  A DJ will never replace a day of coordinator (a discussion for another day), but a professional DJ will make sure the flow of your reception events goes smoothly. He will work closely with your coordinator to ensure that everyone is in the right place at the right time before he makes an announcement of what is coming next.  This will go a long way in putting you at ease during your wedding - knowing you can enjoy your wedding and not stress about the little details behind the scenes.
4. Renting Equipment Can Be More Headache Than It’s Worth. There are plenty of places in Boise and the surrounding area where you can rent sound equipment.  Again, this could be a feasible option if you just intend to have a quiet playlist in the background with no dancing, no announcements.  Then again, do you know how to operate the equipment?  What if something goes wrong? How do you troubleshoot it?  Is there back up?  What is an amplifier?  A Subwoofer? Mic Input? AHHHHH!  These are all questions we would rather you not have to answer as you are in the middle of walking down the aisle and the music cuts out for what seems like an eternity.  Can we go for a round 2?  Unfortunately there are no retakes for your wedding day.  Having a professional DJ means these potential problems are not your problems.  The professionals are there who know how to operate, troubleshoot and optimize the equipment.  And with Sound Wave, backups are always available.

So, is hiring a professional DJ the right fit for your wedding? We would recommend exploring your options. Feel free to take a look at our website, where you can watch videos about our services and about our fun, experienced DJs and also learn more about how having a professional DJ can make your day the one you are envisioning.

Let us know if we can help by answering questions or brainstorming ideas for your wedding!  Happy planning!

Kristin Cole Sound Wave Music & Lighting Design, LLC 208-891-0094 www.boise-dj.com

Photos courtesy of Let It Shine Photography