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When planning a wedding, it is so easy to get swept away: the beautiful pictures, the divine cakes, the enchanting gowns. In our quest to spot the hottest new ideas in bridal couture, reception entertainment, and dream destinations, we admit we love the trends too.
When it comes down to it, your wedding is not just about the trends-—it is about two unique people building a life together. The celebration you put together should ultimately reflect your lives, your story and your future.
One of the best ways to craft that type of personal celebration is to enlist the help of an event planner. While many people imagine a planner following a checklist and keeping the day moving smoothly (and that’s true), one of the most significant benefits of hiring a consultant is to take advantage of this person’s ability to help you shape your wedding to be representative of the two people who are getting married.
Event Producer Scott Corridan of Corridan & Co. is one of the most sought-after event professionals in the West, and a firm believer in starting this process by getting to know his clients.
“What it does for me is it gives me an idea of who they really are. When you start to talk about the things that interest the couple, such as their families . . . their favorite vacations . . . favorite restaurants, and the type of service they are accustomed to, it takes the process away from (wanting) page 142 in a magazine.”
Inquiring about a bride’s favorite season, for example, will yield valuable clues to what will ultimately make her happy on her wedding day. Aside from building an intimate relationship with his clients, Corridan finds that drawing out the stories gives him a unique ability to “build celebrations around those stories.”
Whether it’s a wedding for privacy-seeking celebrities, a project for Extreme Makeover: Wedding Edition, or an upscale charity gala, Corridan’s fabulous parties have one thing in common: they are a personalized reflection of the host or hostess. “No matter who you are, everyone has a story.”
“Part of my job is to make sure that people are communicating during the planning and the actual event”
- Victoria Canada
Weaving those stories into the celebration is the hallmark of local event planners as well. “It’s important that a couple not feel boxed in by somebody else’s vision,” agrees wedding planner Amy Mancuso, who brings in couples’ hobbies, professions and vacation memories as potential elements of style.
Scottsdale event planners Victoria Canada and Charlee Geisler have observed over the years that incorporating a couple’s history and lifestyle is what distinguishes one wedding from another. The right professional will go the extra mile for his or her clients in an effort to bring their dreams to fruition. In consultation with her clients, Canada is often able to identify a “signature visual element or a certain style that... can help a couple stay on track and achieve a look they love.” Through thoughtfully planned décor, catering, entertainment, floral design, and printed materials, a couple can work to make the wedding unique and meaningful. Heading up the vendor team with a professional bridal consultant takes much of the legwork out of this process, allowing the guests of honor to enjoy their own party.
Heather Crabtree of Outstanding Occasions recommends, “The best piece of advice that I can give to a couple about how to maintain good vendor relationships is to communicate openly to them.” Facilitating that communication is a big part of what a consultant does for his or her client. “Too many times the bride and groom do not express their honest feelings about the service or the product that the vendor is providing, and the wedding vendor assumes that the client desires one thing, when in reality the client wants something completely different. As long as the client is respectful, the old saying is true, ‘Honesty is the best policy’.”
“It’s important that a couple not feel boxed in by somebody else’s vision”
- Amy Mancuso
For many consultants, managing a couple’s needs can also include a “crisis management” role. Every planner we spoke with had a story of averting a wedding crisis through quick thinking and flexibility. From picking up the bride when her limo gets a flat tire, to replacing a torn veil minutes before the ceremony, to bringing in generators when the power goes out, handling the behind-the-scenes drama is within the purview of the experienced planner.
Having a consultant as the head of your vendor team often makes the difference between truly enjoying the celebration and having it blow by in a blur of details. reflects Geisler, “It is important to be involved in every part of the planning process. This in turn gives the bride and groom a feeling of confidence and eases their stress level.” After all, you are the guests of honor—not just the host and hostess.
All of this stress-relief and bargaining power must surely come at a steep price. Or does it? Many consultants offer different levels of service, ranging from day-of coordination to full-service management. Event planners work within your budget and are not always an added line item. In fact, with the consultant’s expertise, negotiating skills and relationships in the industry, your wedding under the direction of a consultant may actually come in with a lower bottom line.
The more honest the client is with the wedding vendors throughout the planning process, the more likely they are to receive the services and products that they desire.
- Heather Crabtree
Budget management is key when planning any event, particularly one as emotionally charged as a wedding. regardlessof budgets, savvy consultants are known for finding a way to let couples have their cake and eat it too. As the planning progresses, you just might decide that a rockin’ DJ is more important than your original idea of flying in 1,000 orchids from Hawaii. As adjustments occur, event planners coordinate the changes among the many vendors involved. “What I am interested in is pulling in as much style into your event as your budget will allow,” says Corridan.
Among the many benefits of hiring an event planner is garnering preferred vendors and the ability to negotiate the most appropriate pricing for each facet of the event. For example, most couples don’t know exactly how many hours of photography will be needed on the day of their wedding. An experienced coordinator will not only accurately calculate how much “coverage” will be needed, but will also point clients to photographers who specialize in the style that the couple desires most. This process saves time as well as money. “It’s critical to assemble a team that you know and trust (when planning a wedding),” adds Mancuso.
Capturing a couple’s vision, managing the budget and coordinating vendors are all significant responsibilities, but some of their toughest work involves navigating the sometimes treacherous waters of family relationships. “Part of my job is to make sure that people are communicating during the planning and the actual event,” explains Canada. “Because you (the consultant) aren’t a family member, you can diffuse situations, offer pep talks when needed, and smooth relationships among family members.”
Says Mancuso, “If we do our job right, the guests hardly know we’re there and the bride gets all of the kudos for a wonderful wedding.”
Photography courtesy of:
Milena Sefferovich Photographer &
Darby Elizabeth Photography
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