Behind the scenes at a wedding is hectic, chaotic, and stressful — and all great!! Wedding planners are pros at handling this type of scenario, and I like to think we do it with grace and gumption. One of the hardest parts of my job as a wedding planner is convincing my client they need me before they need me. You’ve probably heard many couples mention that their aunt or their mom or their friend, etc. will help them on their wedding day, so they don’t need to hire a wedding planner. When I hear this, I really get stressed FOR the couple – though it probably seems self-serving at the time. Today I’d like to discuss some of what goes on behind the scenes and why you may just change your mind on hiring someone to wrangle all the crazy into place – so that you and your family and friends don’t have to!
There are so many moving parts to a wedding — which is one thing I really love!! Think about what is happening while your wedding guests arrive. Think about what is happening while you prepare to walk down the aisle. The back end of the wedding staff is scrambling and organizing, getting ready to cater to your guests. Sometimes that means 20 people and sometimes it means 400! Either way, I enjoy working with your wedding professionals (many of whom I have an established relationship with already) behind the scenes knowing that we all need to make a wonderful
impression on each guest and deliver exceptional service! Managing and overseeing all of the parts of the wedding planning and wedding day can be stressful, but I love it! I’m such a list maker, making sure everything on that list gets taken care of!
While you prepare for the big day, you will find more and more things to add to your to-do list for the day at hand. If you plan on having florals, those will need to be set up to decorate the space prior to your guest’s arrival. If you are walking down an outside aisle, you’ll need chairs set up for the ceremony. What about those adorable engraved napkins you paid extra for? Who will put those on the table while you are getting your hair and makeup done? As the laundry list of to-dos grows, you may be starting to worry about getting it all done! As a wedding coordinator/planner, I truly enjoy the flurry of activity before the wedding as I help get everything ready and watch your vision come to fruition!
There are many things that can happen behind the scenes that might ruin your day if you knew about them to begin with! I can name multiple examples. Because it’s not fun when something goes wrong on your wedding, I make sure I collaborate with your wedding-day team prior to the wedding day to make sure all goes well (and establish a really good working relationship!). However, things happen — I had a transportation company call me to say one of the busses bringing guests to the wedding had broken down! (We worked together to remedy that issue and those guests arrived just a few minutes before ceremony start time; and the bride didn’t even know about it until weeks later!!) I had a caterer arrive almost an hour late and they had the linens, so decorating the tables was delayed! These situations are something the wedding industry and planners as a whole take on on your day so that you do not have to. Knowing that what I’m doing to prepare for your wedding ceremony and reception allows you the opportunity to really see how fabulous you look, or how in love you are with your partner, or how you are looking forward to saying your vows to each other — makes all of the chaos and hectic-ness seem not so bad!
This is why I do what I do! I love to make your day as flawless as possible, and I love to take on the stress of the day for you – so that you don’t have to. While wedding and event planners are rated number 5 on the most stressful jobs list – I LOVE the excitement of wedding days!
There are more topics I can get into depth on with what happens behind the scenes, so stay tuned for more! I just hope this article gives you a glimpse of why hiring professional pros is a must, and hope that you contact me to discuss your wedding details. I’ll be ready and waiting to manage the stress!
Blog photos by Eric Stocklin Photography and Darcy Troutman Photography
Featured photo by Sir Hazelton Photography
