Wedding Day Regrets . . . Your Planner Shouldn't Be One Of Them

I was compelled to write this post after hearing one too many accounts of how having the wrong Wedding Planner or Day of Coordinator has made someone’s wedding day less than enjoyable. A re-mix of Jay-Z’s lyrics yields my response to this unfortunate occurrence, “I got 99 problems but a [Planner shouldn’t be] one.”

I know that COVID-19 has impacted all of our plans and caused us to re-calibrate finances and pivot so many times that we are dizzy from all the moves. Please hear me when I say that my heart hurts for the couples who came to realize on their wedding day, that they should have invested in a Planner or chose the wrong Planner. By then, it is unfortunately too late for them to do anything about it.
 
But to all my couples with wedding dates to come in 2020, 2021 and beyond (because #loveisnotcancelled), I want you to repeat these 3 affirmations after me:

Affirmation #1 . . .

1. “I WILL INVEST IN RETAINING A PLANNER OR DAY OF COORDINATOR BECAUSE I NEED ONE AND I DESERVE ONE ON MY WEDDING DAY.”  
No matter how organized you are (and we know that you are very organized), the number of firsthand experiences under a Planner's belt, can't compare in many cases. We can see things coming before they happen because we have superpowers (only partly joking) and we’ve been down this road many, many times before. We also major in the minor details, so our perspectives are on another level. What we do drives others insane. Even our industry colleagues tell us all the time that they do not want our jobs. Never. Ever. Period. It takes a special kind of person to do what we do and LOVE it. So, invest in a great Planner or Coordinator.

 Affirmation #2 . . . 

2. "I WILL NOT BE SOLELY DRIVEN BY PRICE BECAUSE WHILE MY BUDGET IS IMPORTANT, A WELL EXECUTED WEDDING EXPERIENCE IS PRICELESS TO ME."  
Having a Planner or Coordinator that has thoroughly prepped everyone and everything before your wedding day, is such a great asset to you because it affords you the freedom of going through your wedding day without a care in the world. It doesn’t mean that problems may not occur, it just means that you won’t know about them. Your wedding vendor team will troubleshoot them behind the scenes, so guests won’t declare your wedding day a "hot mess" or “clearly unorganized.”

Affirmation #3 . . . 
 
3. "PEACE OF MIND IS EVERYTHING TO ME, ESPECIALLY ON MY WEDDING DAY."  
So, for your own peace of mind, retain a Planner with experience, a good reputation among industry professionals and one that treats everyone with courtesy and respect. Your Planner’s experience, reputation and relationships impact you. If those things are in a good place, you will reap the benefits of them, more than you know. Your wedding day vibe should be a good one among your entire wedding team. Choose your Planner with that in mind.

Listen, wedding planning is very stressful on its own. Add COVID-19 to the mix and the stress increases exponentially. Your resources may be tight, but you don't want to have that sinking feeling of regret on one of the most important days of your life. That awful feeling doesn't go away when your day has come to an end. The memories associated with your wedding day linger and remain with you. I know because I've got some racks in this married life.

Investing in an amazing Planner or Coordinator may cost more than you expected, but you will receive a great ROI (return on investment) when you invest wisely. Free or almost free service is not always the BEST service.  My investors, aka my clients, always get more than what they've invested because I value them choosing me and they value me for all that I bring to the relationship.  Our relationship is reciprocal and it's a love thing.​