When it comes to planning the perfect wedding, there’s nothing like the advice of a seasoned wedding planner who has been in the trenches, handling everything from personalized decor to unexpected wedding day emergencies. We spoke with a wedding planner to gather her expert insights on making your special day unforgettable. Here are our top four takeaways:
1. Top Advice for Brides: Stay Organized
Staying organized throughout your wedding planning journey will greatly affect how smoothly the big day will run.
These specific organization tips will help the wedding planner make sure everything is lined up during the wedding day.
- Set a plan for who should be informed in case something goes wrong. If you’d prefer not to know about minor hiccups on the big day, tell your planner ahead of time so they can handle issues without involving you.
- Create a list of your vendors, contact names and phone numbers as well as any family members that may be in charge of certain areas of the wedding.
- Create your wedding day timeline so your planner can help keep everyone on schedule.
Bridget Nice, owner at Nice Wedding & Event Planning, advises brides to address how they would like her to handle wedding day issues.
“Handling an issue during the big day is something that happens often,” Bridget said. “It’s important to be very clear on your expectations to your wedding planner and what you want to happen if anything goes wrong. Staying calm and figuring out the best solution before the bride even stresses is my biggest goal!”
2. Budget: Consider Alternative Options
Budgeting is one of the most important but challenging aspects of wedding planning, but wedding planners like Bridget have helpful budget-conscious tips.
“Saving money is so common right now,” she said. “Obviously less guests, less expense all the way around.”
Bridget also identified other specific budget-cutting tips:
- Snacks or charcuterie versus a whole meal
- Desserts instead of traditional wedding cake
- Digital save-the-dates and invitations rather than printed
- Off-season or weekday wedding date selection when venue and vendor prices are lower
3. Wedding Planner Search: Choose Wisely
Bridget suggests doing your research online for wedding planners by looking at their experience, reviews and their social media.
Additional things to watch for:
- Potential scams (look for misspellings, requests for full payment up front, etc.)
- Reliability/Communication (make sure they respond promptly to your communications)
“Also, make sure they are going to deliver the experience and atmosphere you are wanting,” she said.
Check out this article for more details on how to choose a wedding planner.
4. Be Open: Disclose Your Concerns
While it’s important to share your big dreams and goals for your wedding day, you should also share your big concerns with your wedding planner. From dealing with potential family drama, to making sure everything and everyone stays on schedule according to the wedding day timeline, your wedding planner can be more prepared to help ensure your day goes as smoothly as possible if they are aware of these specifics.
“I always meet with the couple in person or over the phone to get to know them as a couple and I always figure out what worries they have for the big day,” Bridget said. “A lot of brides want their family to enjoy the day with them, not be so stressed, or they just want the day to run smoothly without having to worry about the logistics of the day.”
Revealing the specific details of cause for potential stress is like giving your wedding planner the answer key for working through and avoiding wedding day obstacles.
About Nice Wedding & Event Planning
Nice Wedding & Event Planning is owned and operated by Bridget Nice out of Rogers, Arkansas, and is committed to helping brides make their wedding day unique by incorporating “your thoughts, your ideas.” With packages to fit every bride's needs, Nice Wedding & Event Planning offers virtual or in-person wedding planning and day-of coordination, no matter where your wedding is taking place!
