Why Hire a Wedding Coordinator Reason #3!

Hello Friends!

I hope you’re having a wonderful start of the week! After an awesome seating planning meeting with these two, followed by getting to know some lovely new BK vendors at Wedding Crashers yesterday, I'm energized and invigorated for the next few weeks of wedding planning!

Photo courtesy of Milestone Images

This week, I give to you a fairly obvious but often overlooked REASON #3 to hire a wedding coordinator:

EXPERIENCE!

Most people are planning their wedding with no knowledge of how to throw a large-scale event. Of course there are books and plenty of tips from well-meaning friends and family, but I have planned many events, and am here to give you access to all those years of accumulated wisdom! I know how to troubleshoot nearly any impossibility on a moment’s notice, often before you ever even realize a problem has occurred! I know what questions to ask your vendors and how to schedule the day so that you can get your photos taken, your guests fed, your speeches completed, and everyone out on the dance floor.

CASE IN POINT: Being able to throw a party does not necessarily mean you've got a knack for wedding planning. Your instincts could be dead-on and your creative ideas perfectly suited for your big day, but if you're not working in the industry day-in and day-out, you may not know which questions to ask.

• When are the best times to schedule parent dances or toasts in the reception?

• If you're sourcing your rentals directly, what are the correct sizes of linen to order?

• Who should we tip and how much?

These are just a few of the pro-questions I get asked from almost every client, and because of my years of experience and genuine passion for the job, it's my pleasure to answer them!

My time-tested method for handling seating assignments - put a post-it on it! This level of organization and planning are what you get when you hire a pro coordinator to take care of business for you!

I'll be back next week with another reason why a booking good coordinator can be the best wedding decision you ever make!

xoxo,

Why Hire a Wedding Coordinator Reason #2!

Hello Friends!

I hope you’re having a wonderful week! I’ve been absent from my blog - which I’ve been super sad about - because I succumbed to a nasty upper respiratory infection that laid waste to my body and soul for the better part of this past week. It’s no fun to wake up to a 102.3 fever, accompanied by aches, pains, and night sweats. No. Fun. At. All.

My husband likes to tell me that his father always told him, as a child, that it was okay to miss school or work if you were sick for one of two reasons: either you were vomiting, or you had a severe fever. Fortunately for me, it was only the latter, and the remedy was good old-fashioned REST.

I’m back this week with a quick, but important REASON #2 to hire a wedding coordinator, and it’s a simple one:

AFFORDABILITY!

A lot of people choose not to hire a wedding coordinator because they worry it will be an additional cost on their part. What many don’t know is that I can actually SAVE you money. With a wide array of contacts across New York City and the Hudson Valley (and I’m expanding my vendor connections into the Philadelphia area as well, coordinating weddings in June and September), I can suggest to you the most reliable and reasonably priced people in the business. From caterers to photographers to makeup artists, I’ve got you covered!

CASE IN POINT: Current clients Alexis and Joe contracted me as their month-of coordinator. They also opted for an add-on to my coordination package - Vendor Services. I’m in the process of working with them to identify their vendor needs and preferences, then making careful recommendations to them for each category. I’ve already edited out vendors who aren’t available for their wedding date, so they know that my recommendations will be free on the date in question.

In building my vendor contacts, I’ve negotiated certain discounts with select vendors who are happy to extend a discount to my clients. I was pleased to recommend BAM Wedding Photography to Alexis and Joe for their needs, and thrilled to learn they selected them to capture all of the moments of their big day. It’s a win-win for everyone: I get to work with vendors I have a relationship with (making for a smooth wedding day timeline), and my clients get to receive a discount they would not normally have been given, all because of my relationship with the photographer!

Check out the photos below for just some of the vendor connections I can provide to you, and I'll be back next week with another reason why a booking good coordinator can be the best wedding decision you ever make!

xoxo,

---

Why Hire a Wedding Coordinator? I'll Give You TEN Good Reasons!

Hello Friends!

This is the question I get asked most often - “Do we really need a coordinator? But the venue already comes with someone, can’t we just use them?”

I am here to tell you that no one needs a coordinator, but if you choose to hire one, believe me, that decision will pay for itself many times over! With all of that in mind, I thought it fitting to give you, my potential clients, my TOP TEN reasons for hiring someone like me to work your wedding!

REASON #1: A Venue Coordinator is NOT a Wedding Coordinator. 

Back in the day, fancy hotels used to have catering captains and banquet managers to assist couples throughout their whole wedding day, but this is an easy cost-cutting measure for venues. They get to cut their staff and have them go home, but I will be the one to stay until the end of your wedding and make sure everything gets wrapped up – rentals collected, gifts and personal items delivered to your room, vendors loaded out of the space. Coordinators offered up by the venues often represent the venue, not the couple. They will help you, certainly, and in most cases will be just lovely at their jobs (my venue coordinator certainly was!). But they will not advocate for you as I would, and there are always small, imperceptible lines that they and their staff will not cross.

CASE IN POINT: At my own wedding, the venue team was happy to set up our tables, chairs, and even the basics of our centerpieces, but they would not place card our seating assignments for us. Instead, I asked my trusted day-of coordinator to handle this key organizational detail on our behalf.

As your coordinator, I will be your advocate, and always place your priorities and goals above all else.

I'll be back each week with another reason why a booking good coordinator can be the best bridal decision you ever make!

xoxo,

View fullsize

Those beautiful bunches of baby's breath with lemon vases AND the place cards? The venue wouldn't touch them. But, thankfully, the wedding coordinator was happy to step up and take care of these very important details! (photo courtesy of Jennifer Seay Photography)

View fullsize

See those favors? Hung and displayed with love by yours truly, NOT the venue coordinator! (photo courtesy of Milestone Images)

Vendor Spotlight: AOK Style + Planning

Hello friends!

Earlier this month, I introduced the first installment of an ongoing series on the blog - my trusted vendor spotlights. We started by featuring one of my favorite musicians, ready to work your wedding ceremony or cocktail hour.

This week, I’m highlighting a kick-ass friend and colleague, ALLIE KOEHLER of AOK Style + Planning. Allie really connects with her clients, tells it like it is, and cuts through any wedding industry b.s. to fully realize her clients’ vision. The final product of partnering with her to realize your style is, quite simply, stunning.

Full disclosure: Allie and I have been neighbors (and mutual dog walkers for each other’s pups) since 2010. Back in 2014 when I was deep in the weeds with my own wedding planning, Allie was my #1 choice to hire as a day-of coordinator - someone I could hand off all of my meticulous plans to, knowing they would be executed with ease. Since then, Allie has evolved her own business to incorporate both styling and coordination, and while I’m focusing on her top-notch skills as a stylist (seriously, hit her up if you haven't taken your engagement photos yet!), she’s also a terrific coordinator. In fact, she’s become my go-to referral for inquiries that I’m unable to accept because I’m already booked - she’s the best! And without further ado, I give you the lady herself, Allison Koehler.

View fullsize

photo courtesy of Julia Elizabeth Photography

Q: What led you to weddings, specifically, and how long have you been in the industry?
A: I’ve been in the industry on and off for 10 years now (more if you count my high school days as a cater waiter!). I began working as an event planner for a restaurant group in NYC in 2010, where some of my events, but not all, were wedding related. Eventually, I became the Wedding Coordinator at Magnolia Bakery, where all of my work was wedding related. Around that same time, I began styling couples for their engagement shoots, and within six months, I was assisting photographers during weddings. I guess you could say it was meant to be!

Q: Tell me a bit about the person behind the job and how you became a personal stylist?
A: I think I’ve always gravitated towards customer-facing careers because I love people. I consider my clients friends and I think getting to know them is just as important as the work we do together. Working with couples who are engaged is so thrilling. The drama of it all is so magical, and it’s kind of addicting.

Q: Tell me about your most memorable and fun wedding.
A: They’re all great for different reasons. I do love hopping onto the dance floor for a second with the couple, however. That’s always a fun moment.

Q: What does a typical wedding day look like for you?
A: Just a blur as I’m running by. :)

Q: What is your favorite part of a wedding day?
A: For weddings with a bride, I love being in the bridal suite, steaming dresses, and helping the bridal party get ready.

Q: What’s the best piece of advice you can give your potential clients?
A: My biggest piece of advice is to love your vendors! Every vendor you hire should be someone you genuinely like and someone you genuinely trust.

Q: Where do you draw your wedding inspiration from?
A: I try to execute the vision of my clients, and typically we create a Pinterest board together where we swap ideas and inspiration.

Q: Tell me one thing we might not otherwise know about you.
A: I sang A Capella in college! Pitch Perfect isn’t that far off from my experience.

Q: Do you have any special discounts or offers for AOK Style + Planning at this time that my readers should know about?
A: Yes! If you got engaged between Thanksgiving 2016 and Valentine’s Day 2017, I’m offering a discount on my engagement shoot styling! Email me for details.

Q: Any last piece of advice for newly-engaged couples?
A: Enjoy, and don’t wish it away! Being engaged is almost as exciting as being married!

Now, enjoy these gorgeous photos of Allie's beautiful eye for style!

xoxo,

first to last pic credit - L'Amour Fou Wedding; Parenthesis Photography; Ashley Caroline Photography; Ashley Caroline Photography

Wedding Planner Pro-Tip of the Week: Interviewing Vendors

Hello friends!

Wedding Planner Pro-Tip of the Week: It's important to meet face-to-face with vendors, and if that isn't possible, then set up a Skype chat. Reading a potential vendor's facial and body cues will give you a better sense of their demeanor.

photo courtesy of Michael Jung/iStock

Here's what I mean by this: I'll gladly hop on a phone call with potential clients, whenever and wherever they are in this great big world. But trust me, I MUCH prefer to see your pretty faces as we're getting to know one another! For coordinators, so much of the client booking process is about making a genuine connection between people (at least, for me it is).

Now, do you necessarily need to meet face-to-face with your photobooth operator or your transportation/bus shuttle rep? Not necessarily. But hell, I wouldn't say no to it, either. If they're in town and you're in town, then pick your favorite coffee house or lunch spot for a quick one-on-one.

Having a destination wedding or hiring out-of-town vendors (Hey, it's February 6 and this NYC planner has already booked FOUR non-NYC weddings!)? Then technology is your best friend. Skype, FaceTime, Google Hangout - use your preferred platform and get to know those vendors!

xoxo,

A Wedding that Warms my Heart

Hello friends!

Earlier this morning, I read an article in the NY Times about a wonderful, theatrical wedding that completely warmed my heart. The bride, serving as an understudy for a production at The Roundabout, learned the day of her wedding that she had to, in fact, go on in place of Zoe Kazan the evening of her wedding. What the what?!?

What follows is a wonderful story about the marriage (forgive the pun) of wedding planning, flexibility, and above all, love, love, love. I want to give a shout out to fellow wedding coordinator, Lauren Schaefer, for what undoubtedly was grace under pressure in executing all of the last-minute changes! Having recently pulled off a similar wedding (see the backup to the backup rain plan pulled together with less than 24-hours' notice for my fabulous theatrical designer October wedding), I can attest to how much care and planning (and time!) goes into making these changes possible!

xoxo,