I was a little hesitant to blog about this subject because I didn't want to offend any future or past clients. Being a DJ at many weddings, you do see trends emerge and I thought it was time to share some of my observations. After all, weddings are generally a new experience for the bride and groom and they are probably hearing conflicting advice from everyone; including friends, family, co-workers, neighbors, etc. Some of this advice may be good, but some of it could be harmful as well.
Personally, I've never performed at a wedding where the planning was disastrous, but some of them could've ran a lot smoother. You see, when a wedding runs smoothly, it means the wedding party can relax, enjoy the day and build a lifetime of memories. However, it seems a lot of couples are doing away with planners or coordinators and having friends, family members or themselves plan their wedding. No knock against anyone's friend or family member, and they may have your best interest at heart - but unless they do it professionally, they usually wind up causing more stress for everyone involved.
I get it. Planning a wedding is not cheap and everyone wants to save money these days. However, couples need to keep in mind that this is one of the biggest days of their lives. It's not like having a birthday where you know you will have (God willing) another birthday next year. Yes, you can have a DJ plan your wedding and in some cases I have worked with caterers as the coordinators. But a DJ is there as your entertainment and to keep you and your wedding guests dancing. And a caterer is there to make sure your food is perfect and everything is served in a timely manner.
I strongly suggest you either hire a Wedding Planner or Wedding Coordinator. And while some people use the terms interchangeably, there is a difference between the two:
A day-of wedding coordinator helps you get everything done on your actual wedding day, but isn’t really involved before the big day. You will meet them beforehand to fill them in on who’s who and what’s what and exactly how you’d like the day to play out. They will then be in charge of handling all of your vendors and set up on the day of your wedding. They will also handle any type of clean-up or post-wedding duties needed so that you and your family members can just relax and enjoy the day. A bride who plans to be very hands-on in her planning process will love the idea of a day-of coordinator. It allows her to enjoy all the ups and downs of the planning, without having to worry about seeing it all through till the very end.
A wedding coordinator is a lot like a wedding planner, in that they help you organize and pull together your wedding details, but they may not handle quite as much as the traditional planner would. For example, your wedding planner may sit down with you from day one to help you dream up the wedding colors, style and decor theme, as well as help you negotiate contracts and book vendors - whereas the wedding coordinator may just stick to finalizing all your vendor business after you’ve made the major decisions. They will most likely handle contracted work primarily, but are not always limited to this. Be sure you’re clear on the extent of the services they’re willing to provide when you interview them to make sure you’re going to receive all the support you’re expecting.
Your wedding day should not be spent worrying about flowers, decorations or if the wedding vendors are going to show up. The day should be all about you enjoying the moment with your loved ones and basking in the realization that your new life has just begun.
A wedding planner or a wedding coordinators will be your best friend when it comes to planning every detail of your day. You want the best, and you deserve the best on your wedding day. Save yourself a lot of heartache and grief by hiring a professional. It will be well worth every penny.
Thank you for reading this blog. I hope this information helps. And if you are reading this because you are getting married soon, I offer you my congratulations. No matter what you ultimately decide, I want the very best for your upcoming wedding and wish the both of you many years of happiness.
