WHY DAY OF COORDINATION IS A SCAM

Planning a wedding can seem daunting, intimidating and downright confusing. It’s also as equally hard to gauge if you need help and when you think this help should begin. In the age of Pinterest, Instagram and blogs- it’s easy to think that you CAN plan your own wedding and it WILL look like all your inspiration pictures you’ve posted on your boards. Social media has a sneaky way of showing you the nice shiny end product, but not the technicalities, logistics and the people behind the scenes you require to get you there. So I’d like to shed some light on one of the biggest misconceptions brides have and why I feel the notion of having just a “day of coordinator” is pretty much in my eyes- a scam. A term that puts a veil over your eyes leading you to believe- I’ve booked all my vendors so I’m basically done my wedding planning because the “Day of Coordinator”will do the rest.

Back 10 - 15 years ago clients either had a wedding planner for the duration of their planning or a day of coordinator, there wasn’t really an inbetween. This was also the time of match your table linens to the color of your bridesmaids dresses… Now, to help you visualize this period of time, this was back in the day when Facebook just started having business pages, Instagram wasn’t really a thing and Pinterest was just launched. Basically, weddings were very simple back then. So naturally a day of coordinator could be reasonably all you needed. But nowadays, perceptions and expectations of brides have completely changed. Now most weddings have complicated logistics, intricate tailored designs, jam packed schedules and twice the amount of vendors to manage than back in 2007. (the year I started planning weddings ;)

I should preface this by saying you DO need a wedding planner on your wedding day. What you DON’T need is someone flying in a week before your wedding to try and organize your details which they can’t completely grasp since they weren’t part of your planning process from the beginning. Here within, lays the problem, and the problem has real repercussions.

Imagine that……. you believe you’ve planned your wedding in full, have finally tied up all those loose ends and are ready to meet with your Day of Coordinator just 7 days shy of your wedding. What you’re not prepared for is your seasoned planner to audit your wedding and provide you a long list of things you need to correct or change before the wedding day- because you forgot this, didn’t consider that and was never told “x”. Now you have a long “to do” list that you can’t quite grasp, can’t understand nor have the time for. Or Even worse- a newbie planner smiles and says nothing and figures “It is what it is, whatever happens- happens, because, hey-I’m not really truly responsible anyways.” It’s sad, but this is a real thing and it can happen to you.

Now let’s keep imagining, because the narrative isn’t over yet……

It’s still the week before your wedding and you start getting messages from those vendors who have been ghosting your emails asking questions you’ve already confirmed, don’t know how to answer, can’t answer or questions regarding logistics you know nothing about. But how could you possibly know you needed to be informed of these things if you’ve never planned a wedding before? So to you, it almost feels like you’re re-planning your wedding all over again. Your vendors have forgotten your details and/or have confused you with another wedding. The anxiety is slowly creeping in because the wedding you worked so hard to plan seems like it’s fracturing. There are so many balls in the air that you don’t know where to start…… But wait, you have relatives flying in, appointments, a dress to pick up, a pending ceremony rehearsal…. and your brain literally stops working. Wait, was there something I was supposed to remember? ….. Where’s that to do list?……… Slowly when anyone asks you about your wedding, you dread the conversation because you just want the day to come and be over with.

Unfortunately what I am telling you is reality. Simply having a day of coordinator is not going to ensure your not stressed during your wedding planning or closer to the day, it does just the opposite- adds a layer of anxiety. A day of coordinator simply makes sure vendors show up and you’re running on time. There is no pre-organization with day of coordinators. I should also note that most planners that feature this service and not a Month Of or Partial Planning service in lieu is probably within their first year or two of business and is limited in their knowledge and aren’t fully equipped to plan a wedding from start to finish.

At the very least you should hire a planner to step in a month or so before your wedding to ensure they are properly briefed on your details while auditing your prior arrangements and take over management of all those final details before your wedding day. I always say- think of your brain like a chalkboard with all sorts of scrambled wedding scribbles. Now after your sit down with your planner a month before your wedding, you can wipe that chalkboard clean and NEVER have to scribble on it again!

Hiring a planner in advance is peace of mind. Priceless. And I can tell you, you’ll only completely understand the full benefits after your wedding day is complete.

Always here for you,

Eliza

xo

Photography by Joel & Justyna

THE ONE THING THAT WILL MAKE YOU LATE ON YOUR WEDDING DAY

Timelines Are In-Place For A Reason!

Let's talk about them for a second.... and imma give you some advice!

These are tricky waters here....because in my eyes-timelines are a loose guideline to keep the day running smoothly. Yes you'll be 10 mis ahead or behind, and it's our job as a planner to gently guide you along without being excessively late.

It's like a science, I know how long certain tasks take and plan for our brides accordingly. By the time your wedding comes, we'll know if @britd (as seen in the photo above) is super organized and on time or not. - B, we love you for being so punctual!

So I'm going to tell you EXACTLY where you will always loose time followed by great advice to make sure you don't let that happen on your wedding day.

It starts with BEAUTY.

 Bellow I'm giving you explicit instructions on what to do and what NOT to do on your wedding day! 

GIRLS! This is so-so very important!!!

1. What's the number one thing that will mess up your whole day from the get-go?.....your bridal party arriving late for hair & makeup. This is so unacceptable ladies- get it together! xox Pack your bags the night before, make a list and check it twice because when the morning alarm hits- you gotta be up, present and ON TIME!! And no! You can not pick up a Starbucks on the way- why? Reason number two.

2. The morning should be relaxing and literally want for nothing. When your beauty team is onsite- it's go time. That means no leaving to pick up something you forgot at home or decide you need that Starbucks after all. To all the Maid of Honours reading this blog. This is your cue! It's your job to set the scene. That includes organizing snacks, making coffee, assembling the brides little curated emergencies kit, curating that itunes play list, helping the beauty team set-up, making sure the place is always neat and tidy etc. The morning is your time to shine. The wedding planner isn't there to micro manage everything- so that's your job now :) and for a limited time. You need to keep all the girls in-check with no extra chit-chatting while makeup is being done- this always slows down the process, because once you move your mouth- your artist has to stop. 

Next.....

3. Someone randomly decided after having their hair done, that they would rather have an up-do than that gorgeous blow-out the stylist just spent 1.2hrs on. For brides, once you make a decision at your trial- stick with it!! There is simply no time for two beauty looks. Same with your bridal party. To avoid this from happening, ask all your bridesmaids to send you a picture of what they would like their hair and makeup style to be in advance. MOH- your job again- make sure those pictures are printed and available for all your artists the morning of. CLICK HERE for my very own Beauty Prep document that I use for all my clients.

And there you have it. My achilles heel for loosing time on your wedding day.

Lastly, I'm going to throw some mathematic at yah! 

Add 5 mins for each bridesmaid and that will equal how late you'll be even if you follow all my advice ;) 

Keep in mind, this is just the tip of the iceberg and there's so much more I could chat about for days!!!

But until then my pretties, stay tuned and visit our blog often for more amazing advice, tips and tricks to help you get through your wedding planning. 

xo

Eliza

DON'T FORGET THESE THINGS ON YOUR WEDDING DAY

There are so many things you need to remember on your wedding day. And even though you might have a planner taking care of things on the flip side- there is still a whole host of things you still need to remember for yourself. 

EAT

Don't chuckle at this comment, because I have fed more than my fair share of brides granola bars. I totally get it though, I'm not a big eater either, but on your wedding day eating is the number one thing you need to do since you won't have an appetite. It's not that you'll be nervous all day and not want to eat, instead it's like your adrenaline kicks in for 24hrs and you "feel" like - "Nahhhh I'm good, i'll eat later." WRONG! If you're my client you will be getting that 10 am call asking if you've eaten. 

 

DETAILS

Don't forget to grab the sweet little things you'd like photographed on your wedding day. Your invitation suite, jewelry,veil, shoes etc. Now you might think- who cares what shoes I'm wearing..". But fast-forward 30 years when you're flipping through those photos- .... you'll want to be able to remember those details. I personally wish my parents took more then just portraits on their wedding day...I would have loved to see what her style was like back then.

SUNSET PHOTOS

Have your wedding planner time your golden hour- 30 mins before the sun officially sets. It's the perfect opportunity to take advantage of that warm light, sneak away from dinner and take a few moments to yourselves for some impromptu portraits. With the butterflies gone from the ceremony and the reception kicked-off without a hitch, the golden hour is where I see some of the most relaxed and beautiful photos. 

PAUSE 

During the busy day- consciously take a moment here and there to really soak it all in. It goes so fast, so if you can slow down and really appreciate a few moments throughout the day- do it. 

And there you have it. The most important things you should remember on your wedding day. The rest as we wedding planners- is history!

xoxo

Elise

REAL TOAST BRIDE Christine:                PHOTO CRED: Joel & Justyna Photography

5 THINGS TO CONSIDER WHEN HIRING A WEDDING PLANNER

“Time is the new definition of luxury”

— Elise

Choosing your wedding planner will be your most important decision. An investment that can pay of two-fold in saving time, keeping it stress free, and convenience- industry short-cuts. But disclaimer- only if you research and choose the right planner for you. 

So where do you begin? Well the fact that you know you need a planner means your a million miles ahead the rest. You're already saving yourself hours of research and anxiety. What I can tell you is that the basic questionnaires provided online to interview a planner are, well- garbage. A good planner will most likely have an FAQ page that answers all those questions. But what's most important can't be obtained through blasé questions. So here are 5 things you need to consider.

VIBE 

Does she get you? I always love it when a client does their research about my company prior to contacting to obtain our services. By doing this, it's already been established that they already have a good feeling for who the planner is and what their company stands for. So ask yourself- are you looking for a planner who is more design oriented or one who focuses only on planning and organizational and administrational details? Or do you require a planner that specializes in Day Of Coordination only?

Discovering what type of partnership your looking for first and foremost important. This will help you narrow down your choices. Ultimately you want your planner to vibe on your level. When speaking to them you should automatically feel a genuine connection and be able to establish a good level of trust. 

REFLECTION

Does this planner mirror the style of wedding that your looking to create? Does she inspire you? And most importantly is their marketing and advertising genuine. Are they showcasing they're own clients or just inspirational images that aren't they're actual work? With social media these days, it's sometimes hard to tell. What I can say is "buyer beware". Some companies talk the talk but when push comes to shove- the experience is less than enthusiastic. I'll be writing about this exact subject in the coming weeks so be sure to check back! 

EXPERIENCE

It's not enough to only gauge a planner on how many weddings she's planned or how many years she's been in business or if she's "certified". If you really want to know her standing, ask whom her recommended vendors are, whom she's affiliated with, if she's on any preferred vendors lists, if she's been published and where, lastly, how many employees does she employ. This can provide you huge insight into how she operats her business and the success it's provided her. 

CERTIFICATION

I cringe at this all the time. Some of us dinosaurs have been around before wedding planning was considered a profession. So to now spend money to take a weekend course just to have an acronym behind their name - doesn't make sense. What they teach you in class is a quick crash course and theory. It doesn't prepare you for real-life situations, teach you how to make on the spot decisions etc etc. Because all of that is learn't on the job. The amount of experiences I've accumulated over the years can't be taught in a class, it's impossible. And to answer your question, I do have a degree in Event Management as well as Hotel & Restaurant Management. BUT I am not WPIC certified, and never will be. I personally refuse to take the course for said reasons above. HOWEVER! If you are looking for a wedding planner that's new in the game with less experience then she should at least have a course or two under her belt. Because if not- know that she's learning as she goes ;)

CLIENT ROSTER 

This is a big one for me. How many clients do they take on per year. If your looking for a more attentive planner, their client roster will most likely not exceed 10-16 weddings per year. If their boasting 20+ clients, you can count on delayed emails, details missed and a tinge of stress. If your a chill bride- then perfect. 

All the insight provided in this post is purely so that you're "in the know". A bit of insider insight so that you can make an informed decision. And if I can give you any advice- don't rush, if your going to do any research at all, make sure it's on your potential planner. Because with a good planner the rest should be history! Literally.

xoxo

Till next time lovelies! 

 

WEDDING DETAILS YOUR GUESTS WILL NOTICE

I always say it's all in the details, but there are those who decorate like a fabric bomb literally exploded in the reception room. Don't shake your head like you don't know what I'm talking about. It's almost like they have a mathematical equation that goes something like this:

Chair covers + Chair Bands + Crystal Broach + Satin linen + Sheer Lace Overlay + Satin Table Runner. And that's just the basic foundation. Then they add.... Gold Charger Plate, Bow-tie Napkin with a Crystal Napkin Ring +  Personal Table Menue + Place Card + Bonbonierre + a bedazzled mirror with a cylinder vase with glue gunned crystals........ and in that vase there are water beads and a tinny little florescent light glowing from within............ Then the ceiling swag fairy came and went to town.....

Layers upon layers of decor which will overwhelm your guest into a blur. The biggest and most costly mistake you can make is definitely within your decor budget, because it can start to look tacky reeeaaallllll fast.

My number one piece of advice, "Don't waste your money on trying to have everything while cheaping out along the way. Sacrifice, re-evaluate your priorities and shift the dollars you would have spent on mediocrity towards a larger element that will leave your guests with a lasting impression." 

I'll give you a few examples, and if your a client reading this, you might have already heard this story. Back in the day when ghost chairs were only coming out of Toronto with a  price tag of $20 per chair, I had a client who just simply had to have them, but couldn't make it work within her budget. So I said "No problem, we'll trick them!". We ordered 1/3 ghost chairs and 2/3 white flip chairs. We used the ghost chairs at square tables and the flips at round tables and strategically laid out our floor plan accordingly. A few months later I heard back from my newlyweds and they said every single guest thought that they were sitting on ghost chairs... they raved about it endlessly. Keep in mind we're talking 2010 when the thought of mixing table types weren't even a design thought in anyone's mind. - I'm actually pretty proud that I hit that before the curve :) 

That's just one example of how I design to be budget conscious with intention. In case your curious, here is where we think you should spend your money.

OUR 5 PICKS

Linen-less tables and chairs

Personal dinner menus 

Over-sized organic bouquets

Embellished wedding dresses

Handwritten calligraphy invites