Ok… Today’s advice is for all of the brides out there (or even for wedding photographers to pass on to their brides).

Remember this post? We talked about how things don’t always go as planned on a wedding day.

Well, today I am going to expand even more. I want to talk about why you NEED someone to help you on the day of the wedding.

There are soooo many details that make up a wedding. Especially in the last few days leading up to the day… there is a lot to do. It makes me sad when I see my brides cutting out their own table numbers or setting up the reception hall the morning of their wedding. That should be a time they are relaxing, primping themselves, and having fun with their girlfriends before they head to the ceremony.

So, how can you fix this problem? Where can you get the help?

Here are three ideas….

First of all, you could hire a wedding planner. I personally think that anyone who can, NEEDS to hire a wedding planner to help them through a lot of the wedding process (not just the day of). My friend Lauren wrote some pretty great advice on why you should have a wedding planner here.  A lot of planning companies offer different kinds of planning packages. You could go as far as someone helping you from the moment you say I will to when you say I do or some planners just offer coverage for the last month leading up to the wedding. When it comes to hiring a planner, it is also important you feel comfortable with the person/company! You will be spending lots of time together and ultimately it will be their responsibility in the end to have things happen just the way you wanted them to. Be sure your personalities don’t clash!

Ok, second option, if you can’t afford a full-out wedding planner. At least hire a day of coordinator. They will do just that- coordinate your wedding day. They will help you have a schedule set and help everyone (vendors, wedding party, family, etc) stick to that schedule. It also gives your vendors or guests a point person the day of to ask questions or talk to about details. It gives you, the bride, freedom to just enjoy your day.

If you can, I would first try and hire a professional coordinator. Their advice will be priceless, because this is what they do for a living. If you can’t, this brings me to option three.

I was one of those brides who couldn’t afford it. We did my entire wedding (yes, clothes and all) for under $6000. Needless to say, I had to do a lot of the work myself BUT, I also had an entourage of help. My family and friends really stepped in (especially that week of) and helped decorate, prepare food, and set up! And I had a friend who specifically coordinated the day of.

Now, you really need to find the right person to do this. I would advise that the person should NOT be a part of the wedding party. They should also be super organized, good at directing others, and sociable. I would spend time with them before the wedding week and be sure they know what your vision/timeline is for the wedding. My bride last weekend, Cara, had a cousin help her in this area. She was awesome and fit each of those requirements. It made things a lot easier on Cara, her wedding party, and her family.

Hope that advice helped you if you are planning a wedding!

If you ever want names of wedding planners we love, just send us a note 🙂 We will be happy to refer them!