1. I keep secrets. At one wedding I planned, the cake went missing after the bride and groom cut it. The bride soon asked where the cake was. Turns out the servers had taken it upon themselves to eat it! We cut the pieces smaller and the bride never knew. Keeping things quiet is the secret behind making the bride think the wedding was flawless.
2. I hate feeling devalued. When a potential client begins to nickel and dime me, I know they do not understand what it is I will be doing for them.
3. The biggest mistake you can make is choosing the cheapest vendors in the hopes of saving money. You truly get what you pay for.
4. Don’t forget the tax and service charge. Many couples overlook the “plus plus” when planning a menu. Everything has a tax and service charge, and it really adds up—trust me!
5. Just because you planned your own destination wedding doesn’t mean you can do my job better than I can. Yes, you may have found lower rates on Orbitz, but you don’t have access to the contract and package perks that I’m able to offer to my brides.
6. I do manual labor and other dreadful tasks. I cannot even tell you how many times I’ve been on my hands and knees, sweating. I sometimes have to count the napkins and linens before they go back to the rental company. I’m talking dirty, smelly napkins, with food, lipstick, and whatever else is on them. Talk about gross!
7. Reuse flowers from ceremony to reception if at all possible. Be sure to tell your florist so your flowers aren’t arranged to look good from only one side.
8. You can always elope! It’s never too late to run away and have a relaxing wedding. You’ll have great memories to share with your friends and family once you’re home.
9. This is a full-time job, and on the big day we are steaming the bridal gown, pinning boutonnieres, making sure that the timelines are being met, making sure there are no spots on the glasses or silverware, allowing gum to be spit out in our hands before the ceremony, dealing with any situations that arise, and the list goes on!
TOP SECRET! If you’ve been engaged for a week and your wedding planning organizer is thicker than mine (which usually contains paperwork for the five or six weddings I’m currently planning,) then I automatically tell you that I’m booked on your date . . . and your backup date.
10. Make sure the things you spend money on can be reused. Don’t have “bride” and “groom” etched on your flutes and toasting glasses. The same rule applies to serving pieces. If you must get something engraved, make it your initials, and then you have an heirloom.
11. Some things will not go perfectly. We’ll do our best to fix mistakes without you knowing and bill you later at our discretion. I’ll go to great lengths to make sure your wedding is perfect. Your wedding is my job, and I’ll do everything I can to make it memorable, including walking miles to a florist in Jamaica to correct the $700 bouquet that arrived spray-painted purple.
12. I’ll make sure everything you’re offered is in the contract. If the first manager you work with offers you a complimentary toast, get it in writing. If that manager leaves for whatever reason, you won’t be forced to argue about these details with his or her replacement.
13. Stay focused on the big picture. It’s easy to micromanage all of the details at the expense of the big picture. As long as people marry for the right reasons, the details of wedding planning are really secondary. Don’t make decisions to please or impress others.
SOURCES: Candice “Candy” Cain, Candy Cain Travel; Karen Clark, SomethingBorrowedSomethingBlue.com; Denise Georgiou-Newell, WPICC, DWC, CSP, TICO, WeDDings Jubilee Planning Services; Wayne Gurnick, AIFD, MomentsByWayne.com; Jill Higgins, Jill Higgins Photography; Lynn Jawitz, Florisanllc.com; Bryant Keller, bryantkeller.com; Gregorio Palomino, CEP, CWP; Tanya W. Porter, Weddings, Etc., LLC; Jules Rupae, Jules Rupae Events; Holly Schoenke, Simply Sweet Weddings.