Commandments for all Wedding Planners to Live by

Over the past 14 years of being in the event industry I've run into a number of prospective clients and vendors who cringe at the thought of an event planner or wedding planner. Based on past experience with a "planner" who didn't have a clue. The idea of being an 'event planner' seems fun and glamorous - but it's so much more than picking out pretty linens and centerpieces. 

Here's a great article from the National Conference Center blog  that every client looking for a great event professional should read. I couldn't agree more.

Heather Walrath, recent newlywed and featured blogger for Get Married, Weddzilla, WedAlert and The DC Ladies, as well as through her own blog, Bicoastal Bride describes what the ideal planner is for most brides.
She explains that choosing an ideal wedding planner will vary depending upon a bride’s vision for her day and what types of services she seeks. For example, does she seek a full-service designer to craft a specific look and feel for her event? Does she seek a day-of coordinator to manage the organizational and logistical aspects of her day? Here are the five commandments of an ideal planner from Heather’s perspective:

• Problem-Solver – Thou shall be a logical and practical thinker. The ideal wedding planner is a creative problem-solver, able to think and act quickly and rationally in the face of mishaps. She should assess risks and potential pitfalls well ahead of the big day, preparing backup plans and being well-prepared to confidently step in should anything go wrong, from weather snafus to snarky relatives.

• Firm Understanding – Thou shall get to know the client and handle the small details. The ideal wedding planner is detail-oriented yet also aware of the big picture. In addition to having a clear understanding of a couple’s theme and vibe for the day, she must be able to seamlessly track both large and small details, including vendor arrival times and setup needs, the placement of wedding items, seating arrangements, food allergies, VIP relatives, and so much more.

• Selfless Visions – Thou shall still allow the client to make their own decisions. The ideal wedding planner is patient and calm. She should listen and offer honest advice, while remembering that she is bringing the couple’s vision to life, rather than her own. Some brides come out of planning their weddings thinking they will also love planning weddings for others, often finding out after the fact that this is not the case. Advising another bride is very different than implementing your own desires.

• Are You “Connected?” – Thou shall already be active in the industry and community. The ideal wedding planner is well-connected and involved with the wedding community. She knows how to find the best resources and vendors, and is up to speed about the latest industry news and trends.
• Give It Your All – Thou shall remember to handle an event as you would want others to handle your own. The ideal wedding planner is positive and enthusiastic. A wedding day, and the months leading up it, often comprise the most exciting time of a couple’s life. A planner should share in their joy and truly go above and beyond, ensuring their day will be incredible from start to finish. 

 The Events Company team lives by all of these commandments.

Here Vendor Vendor!!

Getting the Most out of your Vendors

Choosing your vendors is a daunting task. How do you know they will fit your wedding vision? Consulting with your wedding planner first is the best way to find out which vendors will fit your personality and needs. Local wedding planners have access to endless providers and can recommend the best in the wedding biz. Vendors can make a wedding come alive- and we’ve got some tips for figuring out a way to get the most out of your selected vendors.

Build a relationship with your vendor:

The greatest thing about vendors is most of them have been in the business a long time, and have built their own professional relationships. If you have already worked with your wedding planner to select an incredible caterer, ask them for referrals to a florist. The wedding business is a small, small world- and the pros can tell you who to rely on- and who to avoid.

Determine their scope of services:

Some people are surprised to know that The Events Company does Fun Photo services as well as full service wedding planning. Make sure to ask your vendor exactly what their scope of services are, so that you don’t miss out on any awesome perks. Wedding planners are able to tell you which venues will even help set up place cards for you- or do a variety of miscellaneous tasks.

Figure out where your money is going:

Remember that you are hiring the best because they know how to spend your budget correctly to execute your dream wedding. One place brides try to save money is on their DJ – some services consist of hiring the company, not a specific individual. If you saw a DJ you liked at a friend wedding, get their company name and individual name and be request that specific person. Be sure to know EXACTLY who and WHAT is going on at your wedding.

Your wedding planner should provide you with a list of the day’s events and expectations. If you notice something is not to your liking, approach your wedding planner first to diffuse the situation. Be strong in what you want – there are vendors out there who will give you exactly what you envisioned!

Some of the best vendors in the industry book 2 years out, so be sure to contact them as soon as you think you might be interested. Your wedding planner should set up a meet and greet and if you like them, go for it! It will be a sense of relief to know you have crossed off something on your “Wedding To Do!”

Look for a future post for an entire “Wedding To Do!” list.

Happy Holidays!

Shannon

How to Avoid Wedding Stress

Avoiding Day-Of Snafus

With any brilliant plan, there are some things that happen the day of at your wedding that are unavoidable – bridesmaids dress tears a seam, you get make up on your gloves; someone cuts their finger on a pin, headaches! But never fear, we are here to give you some tricks of the trade to avoid those little disasters on your wedding day:

-Bride Survive Kit – any great wedding planner should have one automatically onsite, but to calm your fears, be sure to bring one yourself so you can add items you might like, such as Excedrin vs. Advil, specific feminine products or a favorite lotion! A few must haves: Mints, Pain Reliever, Nail Polish Remover, Facial Tissues, Deodorant, Tampons, Adhesive Bandages, Sewing Kit, Bobby Pins, Scissors, Safety Pins, Stain Remover, Double-Sided Hem Tape and Earring Backs.

-Having a wedding planner will deter any stress you might have that you will forget an important item, but to ease your stress make a personal checklist of everything you need and want to have on the big day. Be sure to share this list with your wedding planner who should in-turn present to anyone it affects, such as photographer, dj or caterer. An important item to remember: have your signed marriage license at your rehearsal!

-Let go of unrealistic expectations. Just like with your future husband, you have to decide to accept the good with the bad on your wedding day. A perfect wedding is exactly what you are going to get, no matter if it is executed in the EXACT way you had planned. The most important point is that you enjoy yourself, and be sure your guests are entertained! Practice prior to your wedding dealing with situations that do not completely go your way, or as you planned. Learn how to manage your stress and really take on the attitude if something goes wrong, “well there is nothing we can do about it now, no need to stress.”

-Unmet expectations from vendors. Always have a list of your vendors on hand. Your florist promises you red roses and delivers you white roses. This is where the wedding planner has expertise and an understanding of how to communicate directly with that vendor to trouble shoot every issue as it arises day of. Do not try to handle this situation yourself. Designate a bridesmaid to contact the vendor and express your disappointment as soon as you recognize it. Insist that vendor make every effort to right the wrong before the beginning of the event – and that is what you are expecting. Now is the hard part: If a problem cannot be solved immediately, forget about it. Well at least until the next business day after your wedding. So do not stress the day of your wedding or let the first words out of your mouth to guests be “the florist messed up”. Don’t even mention it. Enjoy your day.

Remember you are beautiful and everyone in that single room has gathered with their loved ones to see the joining of someone they care about and the person they love.

Shout out in the Newspaper!

STAPLES/KINSELLA

Published in Syracuse Post Standard on 12/12/2010

Bride Timeline: How much do I do?

Managing your time as a bride

Planning your own wedding can seem like the most glamorous job in the world: Picking out linens, browsing websites and building ideas. But before you jump off the deep end and into a sea of never-ending DIY Projects and phone calls with answering services, we have some key questions you should ask yourself before you start:

1. Can I set a definite deadline for completing this project?

There will be so much going on in the months leading up to your wedding, trust me. You might assign yourself a project, and then realize your schedule is completely booked up until the day of the wedding. So on top of the other commitments you have before the wedding- does this project make sense in your schedule?

2. What percent of my workday will go towards planning my wedding?

If you take on planning your own wedding, you must acknowledge you will sacrifice work time for planning time. Some vendors will only be open during your 9-5 job, and I’m sure you would much rather be planning a wedding than working on quarterly reports. Cut yourself a percentage of time during your work day- and stick to it. If you feel yourself spending way too much of your workday on bridal sites, it might be time to consider other options.

3. How will this project affect my stress level?

Let’s not forget that on top of your impending wedding, you are also supposed to be a happy and beautiful fiancée. A very important aspect to consider is your happiness level. If a project becomes so stressful that you aren’t having fun anymore, it is not worth it.

4. Will I be able to spend time with my loved ones?

The worst outcome of the pressures of planning is the effect it can have on your loved ones- especially your soon-to-be husband. If you find that your stress level, time commitments or anything else is causing you to neglect your mate or spew molten lava at him with your mouth- then it is time to reconsider. This wedding is for both of you- and when planning takes over your relationship- it cannot end well.

5. All in all: be smart, and make good choices.

Especially when it comes to centerpieces- because no one wants to see a Paper Mache centerpiece ;)

Planning Panic!

The Planning Panic

All brides have had one. It can hit you at any moment- in a million ways. You feel panicked, stressed and you can almost feel yourself morphing into …Bridezilla! It’s in these moments, before you destruct anything in your path where one point becomes painfully obvious: You need an Event Planner.

We are a wedding planning/décor company and we believe in what our business can do to bring a vision of a perfect wedding to life! We also want what is best for our brides, regardless; So whether you are a potential new client or just perusing the website for fun, we want to offer you up some helpful hints from our wedding pros.

What to look forward to this week:

-Some valuable lessons in time management as a bride

-A quick rundown of what may go wrong on the big day- and how to avoid it!

-A list of hassle-free services that your vendors will provide

-And as always, some fabulous pictures of our past events

We look forward to hearing your feedback, and more importantly your wedding day stories! Brides and their weddings will be featured each week on our blog, so please submit wedding day pictures to marrymeNY@gmail.com if you feel your wedding day was the perfect vision brought to life!

Happy reading!

Shannon Lach

Wedding Director/Decor Designer

The Events Company

We do it all for the brides!

Hi Shannon

The last of the wedding company left on the train this morning....so, now I can finally get to some of the after wedding duties...like thanking you and your staff.  We were so happy with everything that we ordered and got to finally see come all together.  The cocktail and reception room looked beautiful and the bride was so in aww of the lovely view from her sweetheart table...if we had to do it all over again, we would not change one thing. You and your staff kept the day running to smooth. We loved, loved, loved the first floor dance party...the tables and chairs looked great, the candy table  looked fantastic and thanks for moving the flowers downstairs...they added a nice touch, loved the lighting also.   We have had so many family and friends call to tell us that this was the best wedding that they have ever been to...it was beautiful and sooo much fun. So, Thank you soo much Shannon for all that you did, on that day and for the many many meetings  you had with us prior to the wedding...I will spread the word on what a great job you and your staff would provide for an event and I would call you again in a minute.  I am so glad that we went with less decorations on the stage and listened to you and kept the ambient lighting...beautiful...just beautiful.  Knowing that you and your girls were only a shout away the whole weekend made me feel at ease...All I can say is Thank You...THANK YOU!!!!  We had such a great Wedding Day!!

Mother of the Bride