I’ve heard the answer all too often – “I’m having my mom/sister/uncle/best friend take care of that.” The words make me cringe.
This is your wedding. You have dreamed about this day since the first time you made a veil from paper towels and had your neighbor friend walk you down the hallway to the “altar” in front of the TV in the living room. Every perfect detail has been thought out and choreographed in your head like a beautiful ballet…suddenly, the CD skips and the dancers are thrown off and the performance suffers.
Why do wedding professionals hate to hear these words so much? It’s not because we are greedy and want to take money – I would gladly lose business to a well-trained competitor than to know a bride didn’t care enough about her wedding photographs to make sure they were done right. It isn’t about the money. It’s about peace of mind.
Amateur: Shows up 25 minutes after the ceremony starts, slips in to set up cake minutes before the guests are let in for dinner. Botches gorgeous cake while setting up in a hurry. Cake is still frozen in middle.
Professional: Has an appointment with reception site for specific delivery time. Baker arrives, sets cake up with plenty of time to spare. Guests enjoy delicious, frost-free cake.
Amateur: We’ll just plug the i-pod into the speaker system and set in on random. I can make a great mix from my giant CD collection so we have a little something for everyone. Guests mingle for a little bit, but are all gone by 10.
Professional: Works with you and your fiancée to discover songs that are important to you and songs you absolutely don’t want to hear – like the one that reminds you of your ex-boyfriend that can’t take a hint and is still calling after 5 years. He gets the crowd up and moving and having so much fun they don’t notice that you slipped out for a breather.
Amateur: Has the nice camera, can take shots of the ceremony and important stuff, the rest will be snapshots the guests take with the throw-away cameras on the tables. Will burn CD’s for anyone that wants one. Parties with the gang Friday night, hangover keeps him in bed, doesn’t even call to say he’s not coming until 30 minutes before the ceremony.
Professional: Will take photographs of your entire day, so they tell a story, not just a collection of snapshots. All prints are done on high-quality professional paper, so they not only look better, but also last longer. Contract in place requires them to find you a comparable photographer if for some reason they can’t make it on your wedding day.
Amateur: Goes to grocery store, buys variety of flowers, arranges flowers in a vase. Many are wilted by dinner. Guests talk about the centerpieces (and not in a good way).
Professional: Has better quality flowers and a knack for creating stunning arrangements that people are wowed by. The simplest arrangement can make a room look 100 times more beautiful and inviting. Even if the florist gets her flowers from the grocery store, your guests will never know it.
These are all “horror” stories that I saw first-hand in my days as an event manager. What bride wants to spend her day worrying about what could go wrong?
Not everyone can afford to hire the best-of-the-best in every detail of her wedding, but there are ways to afford to have all professionals taking care of you on your wedding day. Rank all of your desires in order of importance and splurge on those things that matter most to you. Ask the vendors that you have hired for referrals and let them know what you are looking for. They may know of someone who fills a need and fits your budget and you can rest easy.
By hiring a professional and building a relationship with him or her as you plan your wedding, you allow yourself to do what a bride is supposed to do on her wedding day: relax, have fun, and bask at your glorious moment in the spotlight.
This is your wedding. You have dreamed about this day since the first time you made a veil from paper towels and had your neighbor friend walk you down the hallway to the “altar” in front of the TV in the living room. Every perfect detail has been thought out and choreographed in your head like a beautiful ballet…suddenly, the CD skips and the dancers are thrown off and the performance suffers.
Why do wedding professionals hate to hear these words so much? It’s not because we are greedy and want to take money – I would gladly lose business to a well-trained competitor than to know a bride didn’t care enough about her wedding photographs to make sure they were done right. It isn’t about the money. It’s about peace of mind.
Amateur: Shows up 25 minutes after the ceremony starts, slips in to set up cake minutes before the guests are let in for dinner. Botches gorgeous cake while setting up in a hurry. Cake is still frozen in middle.
Professional: Has an appointment with reception site for specific delivery time. Baker arrives, sets cake up with plenty of time to spare. Guests enjoy delicious, frost-free cake.
Amateur: We’ll just plug the i-pod into the speaker system and set in on random. I can make a great mix from my giant CD collection so we have a little something for everyone. Guests mingle for a little bit, but are all gone by 10.
Professional: Works with you and your fiancée to discover songs that are important to you and songs you absolutely don’t want to hear – like the one that reminds you of your ex-boyfriend that can’t take a hint and is still calling after 5 years. He gets the crowd up and moving and having so much fun they don’t notice that you slipped out for a breather.
Amateur: Has the nice camera, can take shots of the ceremony and important stuff, the rest will be snapshots the guests take with the throw-away cameras on the tables. Will burn CD’s for anyone that wants one. Parties with the gang Friday night, hangover keeps him in bed, doesn’t even call to say he’s not coming until 30 minutes before the ceremony.
Professional: Will take photographs of your entire day, so they tell a story, not just a collection of snapshots. All prints are done on high-quality professional paper, so they not only look better, but also last longer. Contract in place requires them to find you a comparable photographer if for some reason they can’t make it on your wedding day.
Amateur: Goes to grocery store, buys variety of flowers, arranges flowers in a vase. Many are wilted by dinner. Guests talk about the centerpieces (and not in a good way).
Professional: Has better quality flowers and a knack for creating stunning arrangements that people are wowed by. The simplest arrangement can make a room look 100 times more beautiful and inviting. Even if the florist gets her flowers from the grocery store, your guests will never know it.
These are all “horror” stories that I saw first-hand in my days as an event manager. What bride wants to spend her day worrying about what could go wrong?
Not everyone can afford to hire the best-of-the-best in every detail of her wedding, but there are ways to afford to have all professionals taking care of you on your wedding day. Rank all of your desires in order of importance and splurge on those things that matter most to you. Ask the vendors that you have hired for referrals and let them know what you are looking for. They may know of someone who fills a need and fits your budget and you can rest easy.
By hiring a professional and building a relationship with him or her as you plan your wedding, you allow yourself to do what a bride is supposed to do on her wedding day: relax, have fun, and bask at your glorious moment in the spotlight.
