Mar 19, 2012 | Day-of Coordinating, wedding planning, Weddings
You can greet your guests with cocktails before the ceremony as they did here. Photo by Paul Grigonis, pplusgphoto.com.
A couple of recent client weddings have skipped the usual cocktail hour between the ceremony and the reception. There have been various reasons for this choice, but I think one of the most important reasons is the five-hour time slot imposed by so many venues.
If you are venue shopping now, their time restrictions are an important thing to know before you sign a contract. Some venues will give you the whole day until their closing time. At least one I know of divides the day into two slots so they can do four weddings every weekend. Most, however, seem to like to give you any five hours you want, plus set-up and clean-up time.
You can definitely have a wonderful wedding and reception in five hours. If it seems a little short, one of the things you can jettison is the cocktail hour. If you were planning to take photos during the cocktail hour, that means finding another time for them. Doing them before the ceremony might not be an option if you and your fiance are not seeing each other before the ceremony, so if that is the case, your options are more limited. If not, consider doing photos before the ceremony and going straight from the ceremony to the reception.
Talk to your planner or coordinator about how to make the day’s schedule work best for you. She or he should be able to tell you what your best options are.
Feb 13, 2012 | Day-of Coordinating, Eco-Friendly Events, wedding planning, Weddings
I told you about Committed: An Avant-Garde Wedding Event a couple of weeks ago. Here are some more fun facts about the event.
Not only is this a wedding show presented by Chicago’s greenest wedding professionals, it is going to be a model green event. It’s at a location that is LEED certified. And the goal is to make it a zero waste event. Collective Resource will be composting everything that isn’t recyclable.
And did I mention the swag bags? Green Bride Guide is donating swag bags for the first 100 people to show up that day. That’s incentive to show up early!
If you haven’t bought your tickets yet, they are still available. Don’t wait until they sell out! Buy yours now.
Jan 23, 2012 | Day-of Coordinating, Weddings
I have more photos for you, this time from the very fun literary wedding I coordinated in the fall. These photos are by Paul Grigonis, p+g photography. Click on the photo to go the full photo page.
A Literary Wedding. Photo by Paul Grigonis, pplusgphoto.com.
Oct 13, 2011 | Day-of Coordinating, Weddings
I coordinated a wedding on Saturday night for a most original couple. They were able to plan this wedding in about four months because they knew exactly what they wanted, and it wasn’t like what anyone else wanted.
Everything in place for the ceremony.
They wrote their own vows, which were both humorous and sincere. The flower girls strewed heart-shaped confetti cut from the pages of books. They skipped the cocktail hour entirely and went straight to the reception, which meant they had plenty of time for a great party.
Tardis card box and dictionary guest book.
Being “Doctor Who” fans, they had a Tardis card box. (I understand that fans of the good Doctor are doing this all over.) Their guest book was an unabridged dictionary. The guests were invited to circle a word and write something next to it.
Literary centerpiece.
And, because they are literary sorts, they had centerpieces that were Gerber daisies, votive candles, more of the heart-shaped confetti, and some of their favorite books. There was the Kurt Vonnegut table; the poetry table; the Shakespeare table; the books-we’ve-never-finished table; etc.
The Vonnegut table, my personal favorite.
The best thing was that they managed to put their own stamp on the festivities while keeping everything in very good taste. Beautiful and unique was the watchword of the day.
Jan 3, 2011 | Budget Planning, Day-of Coordinating, wedding planning, Weddings
Let me sweat the details so you don't have to. Courtesy of sprungphoto.com.
Happy New Year! I’ve run this one before, but I updated it a little and I hope it is still helpful!
If you have plans to get married this year, you are probably thinking–right about now–about hiring a wedding planner or a day-of wedding coordinator. If you’re getting married this year and are not thinking about any such thing, may I recommend that you do so before the best planners get booked up for the summer and fall seasons?
It’s not too difficult to hire a day-of coordinator. You will actually come up with more choices if you do an internet search for “wedding planner,” rather than “day-of wedding coordinator.” Any wedding planner worth her pay is also a day-of coordinator.
Once you have found a handful of prospects, it’s time to interview them. You can start with an e-mail, of course, but I don’t recommend that you hire anyone until you have met them in person. Sometimes this is impractical, of course, especially if you live in a different city from the one you are planning to marry in. In that case, be sure to have a detailed telephone conversation before signing a contract. Some of the things you may want to consider are: the planner’s experience and expertise; the planner’s personality and how it fits with yours; the kinds of ideas she or he can bring to the table; the fee charged and what you will get for what you pay.
Don’t necessarily think that the lowest price is the best deal. As with any vendor, you get what you pay for. Sometimes the person with the lowest price is the best one for the job, but other times someone with a very low price may not offer as many important services as someone who charges a little more. Get enough information on the services included in the fee so that you can tell the difference. Find out what the price range is by asking several coordinators. You don’t have to hire the most expensive one, but you will probably find one in the middle of the price range who has all the characteristics you want.
Before you hire, get references. Don’t just get names and phone numbers or e-mail addresses. Call those people or e-mail them and ask them questions about their experience with the coordinator. Ask them if they would recommend the person. Ask them if they think they got value for their money. Ask if there were any unresolved problems.
Finally, don’t pay anything until you have a signed contract with the coordinator. (This is actually good advice for hiring any vendor.) The coordinator will probably send you a contract, but don’t assume that this is a “take it or leave it” proposition. All contracts are negotiable. If there is a clause you think needs to be in the contract, ask to have it added. If you don’t like something, ask if it can be removed. You may have to give something in return, but it is always worth a try. Don’t be intimidated by legalese. If there’s anything you don’t understand, ask to have it clarified. And only sign the contract once you are sure you understand everything and agree with it. It takes some work, but it is always worth while to have a good contract in place. It protects both parties.
And once you have hired a wedding coordinator, keep them informed of your decisions. If they ask for information, get it to them as soon as possible. They are looking out for your best interests and need to know what you want and what you are doing so they can take care of all the details while you are busy getting married and enjoying yourself.
Dec 26, 2010 | Budget Planning, Day-of Coordinating, Eco-Friendly Events, Family Parties, Other Events, Parties and Special Events, wedding planning, Weddings
In this season of many blessings, I would like to take note of a few things I am grateful for.
I am grateful to be able to make my living helping people and doing things that I love.
I am grateful for the other event and wedding professionals I am lucky enough to work with. There are some terrific people in this business!
And, most of all, I am grateful for all my wonderful clients who share their special occasions with me and trust me to make sure their weddings and family parties are as wonderful as they expect them to be.
Thank you to all of you! All the best in 2011.
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