What's Your Dream?
Remember that from Pretty Woman? Occasionally that phrase pops into my head, "What's Your Dream?" I thought I'd start this post with that title, because that's what I want to know from the brides I help. It's truly about what THEY want. No one should limit, restrict, minimize or step on that dream. I strive to fulfill it.
I think weddings - pretty much all day. I'm excited when Martha Stewart Weddings shows up at my door, surf the web for the newest favors, get a weekly email listing pre-owned wedding dresses for sale, drool over Preston Bailey's designs, love looking at people's wedding pictures, talking to wedding professionals about their jobs and what they're doing now, hearing about a newlywed's wedding, running a rehearsal and telling the bride it's time to go down the aisle...but most of all I love planning weddings. I'm really good at it. I must walk through the wedding a hundred times in my head trying to determine if I've really thought of everything. Do I have spare vases for the bouquets in case the florist forgets? Do I have plenty of bottle water for the photographer and other professionals that will be running around and putting out their best. Do I have a note ready for the minister to remind people to silence their cell phones (can you believe we have to do this?!). Is my emergency kit fully stocked? Do I have all the bases covered, all the mitigation plans in place? As prepared as I am, I still learn something new and add another tip to the list each wedding I coordinate. I wanted to start this blog so that I would always have someone to talk to about weddings...and most importantly, all those engaged couples have a place where they can pick up some advice gems of their own! Free advice if you read close enough...and I'm not that subtle!
Sure, everyone (well, let me refine that), most women, love weddings - thinking about them, talking about them, planning them and even going to them - given they have a date and the right shoes of course. I can't tell you how often I get inquiries for employment or women wanting to know how to get into the business - because they love weddings. The IDEA of weddings is gorgeous. I make sure it stays that way for the bride. My goal is to have the bride want to get married over and over again because it was so easy and the most fun they've ever had. Sadly, this is rarely the reality. The fun is in the planning - but so is the stress. But that's nothing compared to the wedding day. My soapbox is that everyone should have, at the very least, a day-of coordinator. Not your mother or your best friend, or your cousin that's good at directing. The first two, and maybe even the third should be at your side, tending to your needs as the princess of the day. Not out making sure the florist arrived or tracking down Aunt Sally for the pictures.
Everyone knows how important the wedding day is to a woman, but for some reason, they all forget on YOUR wedding day - tending to their own dramas and cares first. Ask a couple married friends how many received calls on their cell phones the day of the wedding (when they have nothing else to worry about, right?) from friends, family or acquaintances asking for directions, telling them they're running late, etc. A remarkable number of brides were left alone by their bridesmaids. It's obscene how inconsiderate family and friends can be on your wedding day. I'm not making this up - I see it ALL THE TIME.
So back to Aunt Sally, my point is that whomever you ask to help you with this or that on your wedding day is doing you a favor. Funny thing with favors...by their definition, someone is helping you out, for free, without strings. Yet, there are very obvious strings. You can't quite get angry with them if they didn't do it just perfectly, because hey, they were doing you a favor! They may not quite understand why it's so important how many panseys are situated just so on each napkin, because, hey, it looks good enough. When you HIRE someone, perfect and better than good enough are what you're paying for.
Bottom line, a wedding is expensive. No matter how elaborate or simple it is, they cost money and you deserve to enjoy every bit of it and I can promise you the chances of you enjoying every bit of your wedding day is drastically improved when YOU don't worry what needs to happen next, if things are going as they should, how to resolve the problems that inevitably occur, etc. A day-of Wedding Coordinator is your insurance policy. As one of my clients said,
So, I'm off the soapbox and will start with daily entries to The Wedding Notebook...more to come!
Melissa
http://www.MoonriverWeddings.com
I think weddings - pretty much all day. I'm excited when Martha Stewart Weddings shows up at my door, surf the web for the newest favors, get a weekly email listing pre-owned wedding dresses for sale, drool over Preston Bailey's designs, love looking at people's wedding pictures, talking to wedding professionals about their jobs and what they're doing now, hearing about a newlywed's wedding, running a rehearsal and telling the bride it's time to go down the aisle...but most of all I love planning weddings. I'm really good at it. I must walk through the wedding a hundred times in my head trying to determine if I've really thought of everything. Do I have spare vases for the bouquets in case the florist forgets? Do I have plenty of bottle water for the photographer and other professionals that will be running around and putting out their best. Do I have a note ready for the minister to remind people to silence their cell phones (can you believe we have to do this?!). Is my emergency kit fully stocked? Do I have all the bases covered, all the mitigation plans in place? As prepared as I am, I still learn something new and add another tip to the list each wedding I coordinate. I wanted to start this blog so that I would always have someone to talk to about weddings...and most importantly, all those engaged couples have a place where they can pick up some advice gems of their own! Free advice if you read close enough...and I'm not that subtle!
Sure, everyone (well, let me refine that), most women, love weddings - thinking about them, talking about them, planning them and even going to them - given they have a date and the right shoes of course. I can't tell you how often I get inquiries for employment or women wanting to know how to get into the business - because they love weddings. The IDEA of weddings is gorgeous. I make sure it stays that way for the bride. My goal is to have the bride want to get married over and over again because it was so easy and the most fun they've ever had. Sadly, this is rarely the reality. The fun is in the planning - but so is the stress. But that's nothing compared to the wedding day. My soapbox is that everyone should have, at the very least, a day-of coordinator. Not your mother or your best friend, or your cousin that's good at directing. The first two, and maybe even the third should be at your side, tending to your needs as the princess of the day. Not out making sure the florist arrived or tracking down Aunt Sally for the pictures.
Everyone knows how important the wedding day is to a woman, but for some reason, they all forget on YOUR wedding day - tending to their own dramas and cares first. Ask a couple married friends how many received calls on their cell phones the day of the wedding (when they have nothing else to worry about, right?) from friends, family or acquaintances asking for directions, telling them they're running late, etc. A remarkable number of brides were left alone by their bridesmaids. It's obscene how inconsiderate family and friends can be on your wedding day. I'm not making this up - I see it ALL THE TIME.
So back to Aunt Sally, my point is that whomever you ask to help you with this or that on your wedding day is doing you a favor. Funny thing with favors...by their definition, someone is helping you out, for free, without strings. Yet, there are very obvious strings. You can't quite get angry with them if they didn't do it just perfectly, because hey, they were doing you a favor! They may not quite understand why it's so important how many panseys are situated just so on each napkin, because, hey, it looks good enough. When you HIRE someone, perfect and better than good enough are what you're paying for.
Bottom line, a wedding is expensive. No matter how elaborate or simple it is, they cost money and you deserve to enjoy every bit of it and I can promise you the chances of you enjoying every bit of your wedding day is drastically improved when YOU don't worry what needs to happen next, if things are going as they should, how to resolve the problems that inevitably occur, etc. A day-of Wedding Coordinator is your insurance policy. As one of my clients said,
"Why on earth would I spend thousands of dollars for a day that I was working too hard at to enjoy?"Well said.
So, I'm off the soapbox and will start with daily entries to The Wedding Notebook...more to come!
Melissa
http://www.MoonriverWeddings.com
posted by Melissa | 4:55 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home