PLANNING MADE EASY
GUEST WRITTEN BY LIBBY STULTS | OWNER | EM+ELLE EVENTS
Photographs by Adair Weddings
Let's be honest - you've probably never planned a wedding before! Time and time again we've heard couples say "we have no idea what we're doing!" (If you're feeling that way you are definitely not alone!)
A wedding professional who has planned countless weddings and worked with numerous vendors can provide invaluable recommendations, resources, and insight that you may not even think of. Even if you are organized and love planning, something that may take you 2 hours to research and book may only take 10 minutes with the help of a planner.
When do I send invitations? How many custom cocktail napkins should I plan for? What will we do if it rains? These are just a few examples of the planning questions we help our couples with. You don't have to figure it out alone!
YOU DESERVE PEACE OF MIND
If I could give you one bit of planning advice it would be this - give yourself the peace of mind to TRULY enjoy your special day by hiring professional help to manage the timeline and details. (Am I a little biased? Maybe. But hear me out!) I want you to ask yourself these questions:
Who will make sure I walk down the aisle at the right part of the song?
Who will make a boutonniere for my officiant when I realize I didn’t order enough?
Who will call the caterer if they don’t show up on time (and rework the timeline on the fly to accommodate the change?)
Who will sew my MOH back into her dress when a strap breaks before the reception?
Who will creatively bustle the back of my dress when a guest spills red wine on it during cocktail hour?
Who will escort the wedding crashers off of my dance floor? (yes, this does happen.)
We could go on and on. You have invested so much time and money in your wedding day. Make the investment in professional help to ensure that your vision is executed and the day flows seamlessly.
BUT MY MOM CAN DO IT
Sweet mama. She means well. And so does your bridesmaid who offered to be your day-of coordinator. The reality is that your mom and bridesmaid should be enjoying the day with you, and they are needed for photos - not setting up your escort cards. On that same note, your photographer is not your coordinator. Let me say that again. Your photographer is not your coordinator. Photographers are literal angels because they love you and will jump in to save the day if needed. But it is not their job. Creating and managing your timeline is not their job. They are artists, and their job is to capture the fleeting moments of your wedding day for you to look back on and cherish forever. If your photographer is safety pinning your dress or running back to the shuttle for a forgotten change of shoes, they are not taking the candid shots of your guests at cocktail hour, sneak peeks of your reception space, or grandma gettin' down on the dance floor. Please trust me on this. You hired your photographer to take beautiful photos. Let them do their job and hire a planner to do the rest.
"We could not have pulled it off without Libby's attention to detail and willingness to work with all the personalities and cultural expectations involved. Anything I threw at her, she never, ever wavered" - Michelle Phelan, 3.26.2022