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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 what’s lovely and interesting in the world (which is subject to interpretation)— 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.
More than just assembling a long list of things that make a pretty picture—your chosen consultant should bring your life and your future, into focus.
Event Producer Scott Corridan of Corridan and 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.”
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 Phoenix Wedding Planner Amy Mancuso, who brings in couples’ hobbies, professions and vacation memories as potential elements of style.
“It’s extremely important to be able to work with the couple together and separately,” reflects Tucson Event Planner Anne Bryan of Creative Events. “It’s so important to find a consultant that really listens and is interested in making sure the event is yours in every way.”
Incorporating a couple’s history and lifestyle is what distinguishes one wedding from another, and the right professionals will go the extra mile for his or her clients in an effort to bring their dreams to fruition.
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.
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. After all, you are the guests of honor—not just the host and hostess. “A consultant is the one who can go to bat for you and get you the best prices and negotiate the small details. We become the point person for the event so everyone gets treated as a guest,” says Bryan. “This enables the couple to focus on what’s really important on that day and it’s something they will remember and cherish forever.”
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.
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.
Regardless of 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 their experience with 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.
Capturing a couple’s vision, managing the budget and coordinating vendors are all significant responsibilities, but some of their toughest work involves calling in to navigate the sometimes treacherous waters of family relationships as well.
“Part of my job is to make sure that people are communicating during the planning and the actual event,” explains Scottsdale Event Planner Victoria 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.”
If you are worried about feuding parents or guests that might have too many cocktails at the reception, perhaps its time to bring in the pros. Gently redirecting adults (or children) who get carried away is one of the many benefits of having a consultant on your team. They are masters in the fine art of human interaction, and a seasoned professional can typically spot an issue before it comes to the couple’s attention. That’s not saying you’ll have insurance that nothing will go wrong, but the peace of mind that comes with hiring a professional is invaluable.
“Producing a wedding is a service based on emotion,” reflects Corridan, and it’s important to keep the emotions from getting out of hand. Overall, the pros agree that a smooth event, representative of a couple’s lives, is the ultimate goal.
Bryan, of Creative Events, sums up a consultant’s job like this: if they do their job properly, the bride gets all the credit for a beautiful wedding. |
