10 Ways to Avoid Major Wedding Planning Disasters

Imagine you are all dressed up in your gorgeous gown that took you months to select. Your hair is neatly styled and make up applied ever so perfectly. There is a reception hall filled with your friends, family and colleagues patiently awaiting your arrival. As you prepare to make your entrance, you soon discover a disaster has occurred that throws off the day that you visioned. 

As the decor provider, my staff and I are typically behind the scenes of many weddings and events. Because of that, we get to see it all- from beautiful events that flow seamlessly to events that seem to result in one disaster after another. We decided to share with you some of the reasons why major disasters occur and 10 tips to help you avoid some of those pitfalls.

1. Hire Professional Vendors- We recently set up an event in which the caterer (a non licensed family friend whom was hired because he was a great cook) arrived 15 minutes prior to the start of the reception to set up a four course meal. You can imagine how this ended. When hiring a professional, you will enter into a legal binding contract that specifies the items ordered and set up and delivery times that you and the vendor must adhere. In addition, a professional understands the importance of timeliness, preparation and has specialized skills and experience that they are able to apply so that you can receive quality service.  


2. Get Feedback on Your Decor- Ever walk into a venue and see several different color schemes going on or see decor that does not match or make sense? Remember that your decor will typically be the first thing your guests will notice when they walk into your venue. It will show in your pictures and video. Make sure that it is something that represents you and your fiances tastes and personality. If you are unsure, make sure you consult a professional decorator for ideas or input so that you can have an elegant wedding that all of your guests will rave about and that you will be proud to show in your pictures. 


3. Hire A Professional Planner for the Day- I can not preach this enough! I have seen many events where the guests are wandering around trying to find out where to go and when to be seated. Many brides are comfortable with planning the details of their wedding. Yet the biggest piece of the planning is managing the execution on the day of the event. While you are getting dressed for the event, who will assure that your venue is set up at the appropriate time? Who will be your vendor's point of contact for questions about directions, set up etc.? A professional planner can handle all of those details for you while you relax and prepare for your day. 

4. Read Everything that you Sign- With each vendor, you will enter a contract. It is important to become as familiar with each contract as possible assuring that you adhere to the rules, policies and stipulations of each.  
*If you purchase items from the internet, find out about delivery guarantees and the return policy. Make sure you order items in enough time to receive them and more importantly inspect them. You may also want to find out if the products arrive ironed or require additional set up etc.

5. The Truth About Deep Discounts- There is a large misconception that one can negotiate their way to receiving a glamorous wedding at next to nothing by requesting discounts from vendors. Remember that your vendors are business owners that have a goal of earning a profit.... and they will even if they have to provide you with the "illusion" that you are receiving the requested discount to get your business. Often, vendors recoup the costs from deep discounts in other ways i.e reducing services, providing lower quality products, increasing costs in other areas etc. Make sure that you create a realistic budget and stick to it.  Be prepared to pay for what you want so that you can receive the products and services that you want. As the saying goes, you get what you pay for.


*The best way to reduce your costs is to reduce your headcount. There is a huge difference in price for 200-250 guests than 100-150 guests.

6.   6. Obtain a Floor Plan- A floor plan is  similar to a blue print which allows you to plan the layout of your venue. With a floor plan, you can designate where the cake table, head table etc will be placed. Many venues provide you with a floor plan or you can create one yourself. This is something that you will need to distribute to your vendors so they will know where to set up on the day of. 

7. Communicate- I have arrived at many venues prepared to set up to discover that the headcount increased or that an additional table was added, unbeknownst to me. Make sure that you continuously communicate details and changes to your vendors  throughout the process, especially regarding your headcount.  This assures that you will have everything that you need and your vendors are not caught off guard. 

8. Allocate your Budget Appropriately-  Assure that you start with a budget and stick to it. Keep your budget in mind as you are planning and speaking with your vendors. Do the research so that your budget is realistic. As a vendor, there is nothing more challenging than sitting across from a couple that wants a grand event with all of the works on an unrealistic budget. 

9. Pay Bills On Time- I recall one of the first weddings that I decorated. As we were setting up, the caterer mentioned that she had not been paid the remaining balance. She spoke with the groom after the ceremony. Apparently the groom did not pay the remainder of the balance. Within minutes of their conversation, the caterer removed her table cloths and packed up her food as she and her staff headed out of the door right before the start of the reception. While this is an extreme example, it is still important to make sure that you meet  the payment deadlines for your event. If you are having an issue with making payments, please communicate to the vendor as early as possible to avoid any delays in receiving services. 

10. Let's Be Honest- After being apart of the wedding industry for almost ten years, I have come to realize that there is no such thing as a "perfect wedding". The truth is small incidents will occur. The goal is to prepare for the incidents and keep them from ruining your day.  
"I can't promise you a perfect wedding, because there is no such thing, things will go wrong, but I can promise you you'll have an amazing time." Mindy Weiss

Happy Planning!

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Comments or questions about this blog? askus@lefabuleux.com

Planning an Event Without a Planner

Lately, I have designed several events in which a professional event planner was not present. I am sure that many people make the decision to nix the planner based on several factors, saving money being a primary motivator. While this is not a bad idea, there are some things that one should know about planning a major event without the assistance of a professional planner. I have compiled a list of things to consider regarding planning an event without a planner based on my experiences. So before you fire your planner, read on...

Who will Answer Vendor Questions on the Day of your Event?

I recently designed and decorated two events that did not have a planner. The events were a wedding and a quinceanera. As soon as I walked through the door of the venue of each event, I knew immediately that there was not a planner present to provide assistance. How did I know you ask? Well for one, when I, along with the other vendors, arrived there was no one present to provide instructions or answer questions. The musician did not have a current program or schedule of events and the cake baker did not know which table was being used for the cake table. The DJ was still trying to determine how to pronounce the names of some of the bridal party members with no assistance. These things may seem small but can make a major difference if your aim is to plan a seamless event.

Who will be your Representative on the Day of the Event?

Whether you are the bride or groom, or the host of a major party, or a parent throwing your child's right of passage celebration, you will most likely want to enjoy the event that you have put a lot of time and energy into organizing. If you are planning to transition from being the planner to being a guest at the event and want enjoy the festivities, then you may want to consider who will represent you during the event. Someone will be needed to communicate your wants and desires during the event to the vendors and venue staff. Your guests and vendors may have questions during the event, who should they speak with on your behalf? The person delegated to be your representative will make decisions for you while you enjoy the event. They will pick up the ball if something goes wrong. They will also assure that the event follows the pre planned timeline and goes according to schedule. Delegating a representative to act on your behalf will not only relieve a lot of stress but also allow you to mix and mingle with your guests with no worries.

Who will Handle the Details?

There are so many minute details involved in planning a major event. There are so many bases that you want to assure are covered. For the quinceanera that I designed, the parents called me, the decorator, to ask questions about everything from how will the guests know when to sit down for dinner to how should the cake cutting be handled. They even called me as my staff and I were setting up to tell me that the photographer had a flat tire on the way to the event and asked me what should they do. These are questions that are typically handled by a planner not a decorator/designer and unfortunately for these particular events I was hired to simply design. However the planner in me felt compelled to assist as each client seemed to be in a lurch.

You may want to do as much research as you can on event planning to find out what it entails before taking on such a task. Also think ahead about all the things involved to assure that all bases are covered.

Planning without a planner is not impossible but there is a lot to consider. I hope this article helps you to think about the details so that regardless of the direction you choose to take in planning, your event will be well organized and all that you imagined.

Check Lists to Help you Organize Your Wedding Day

So you are getting married and you have all of these things that you need to do and purchase for your wedding. Your biggest fear? Leaving the favors that you have paid so much money for at home or providing the limo service with the wrong times for pick up. Well, worry no more! We have created several check lists to help you organize the items needed for the event and keep you on schedule. You may also use these as templates as you create your own. You can share these with your photographer, coordinator and other vendors so you are all on track. I hope these are helpful at minimizing the stress as they keep you on task.

Reception Items Checklist
http://app4.websitetonight.com/projects/6/6/8/5/668530/uploads/Reception_Items_Checklist.pdf

Ceremony Items Checklist

http://app4.websitetonight.com/projects/6/6/8/5/668530/uploads/Ceremony_Items_Checklist.pdf

Day of Timeline:
http://app4.websitetonight.com/projects/6/6/8/5/668530/uploads/Sample_Day_of_Timeline.pdf




Comments or Questions? Email us:askus@lefabuleux.com