5 Reasons Why Hiring a Wedding Planner Is a Need, Not a Want
Let’s start with the premise that you want to enjoy your wedding day and aren’t looking to worry and stress over all the things that need to go smoothly and happen on time. If that’s the case, here are just a few of the zillion things a planner or coordinator can and will do for you on your wedding day so that you, your family, that friend that’s really good at planing DIY parties for her office, and your fiancé can do your job : look amazing and enjoy the most elaborate party you’ve ever thrown.
5 Reasons Why Hiring a Wedding Planner Is a Need, Not a Want
Photo: sallyodonnellphoto
Let’s start with the premise that you want to enjoy your wedding day and aren’t looking to worry and stress over all the things that need to go smoothly and happen on time. If that’s the case, here are just a few of the zillion things a planner or coordinator can and will do for you on your wedding day so that you, your family, that friend that’s really good at planing DIY parties for her office, and your fiancé can do your job : look amazing and enjoy the most elaborate party you’ve ever thrown.
Photo: carascophoto linens and styling : BBJ Linens
1. Setting expectations: Whether our clients hire us to plan and design their whole event and spend 9 months to a year with us, for 6 months of partial planning, or month-of coordination, we set them up with a planning timeline that will map out their planning process and ensure they are staying on track throughout the whole process. Like every excited newly engaged couple, you probably start off with a to do list and have great intentions of knocking things off as you start planning, but things get overwhelming, life needs to be lived, and things fall through the cracks, which eventually ens up costing you more time, money and avoidable drama.
2. Avoiding pit-falls: Speaking of drama, we often play the role of therapist, mediator, and even bad guy when it comes to our clients. We negotiate on your behalf, help flag potential problems with logistics, contracts, family dynamics, and help come up with a plan A, B and C for each potential issue.
3. Wrangling all the loose ends and small details: Because we handle both the design and logistics for our planning clients, we are able to seamlessly merge together the beautiful design elements, and the logistics. This is our expertise, and our clients’ favorite part of the process. With our clients, we put together a timeline, a.k.a wedding planning bible, and plan all the moving parts in a well organized, well thought out forever-tweaked guide that beautifully ties together the whole planning process, and is wonderfully padded for all the “just in case” scenarios.
4. It’s all about the money honey: In an ideal world there would be no wedding budgets, but in real life, even a high budget is a budget, and we pride ourselves in helping our clients navigate them. We help find vendors, services and make decisions that fit your style, budget and timing — this is no small feat and sometimes we have to break the bad news that something is not doable, but our goal is to get to know you ( and your needs) early in the process and avoid presenting you ideas that you can’t have.
Photo: mikaelahamilton
5. Peace of Mind: Your day, and really the few weeks leading up to your wedding should be all fun and no worries, and we do everything we can to ensure that’s the case for our clients. If we’ve all done our homework and checked things off the planning list throughout the process, the goal is to kick back, have fun, have ALL THE COCKTAILS AND BRUNCHES, and to leave all the what ifs to us. Throughout the process, we build trust and you will know that even if things go wrong (and they do), someone other than you in your gorgeous-way-too -expensive-gown, or your uber emotional mom, is taking care of things. Consider us your Olivia Pope (minus the murder and White House intrigue), and trust that we have the tools and that “it’s handled”!
photo: ericfloberg
Cover Photo: angelagarbot
Krysta and Garrett's Effortless, Romantic Wedding at Artifact Events
We loved using the bounty of spring flowers like peonies, garden roses, and anemones in soft colors, with lush greens, paired with an industrial space with a vast courtyard, to bring Krysta’s vision to life.
Sometimes it’s easy to forget that the preparation, design, planning, though VERY important, are just details that surround a commitment that’s being publicly professed and celebrated. This was not the case with Garrett and Krysta’s spring wedding! Getting to work with the bride, her parents, and the groom’s mother on the design of this event made us feel like we were part of an intimate gathering, a tribe that was all working together to support this new young couple. Their wedding centered around two families truly uniting to support and celebrate the beginning of their life together and blending together as one large family, spanning a few generations, that gathered from different parts of the country.
We loved using the bounty of spring flowers like peonies, garden roses, and anemones in soft colors, with lush greens, paired with an industrial space with a vast courtyard, to bring Krysta’s vision to life.
Krysta and Garrett’s wedding day video captured by Eric Floberg https://vimeo.com/292857634
VENDOR LIST
Venue: Artifact events // Photo & Video Eric Floberg // Floral Design and Coordination : Elena's Garden Events // Music: Toast & Jam // Catering: Big Star // Rentals: Tablescapes
Classic Spring Wedding at W Chicago City Center
Classic Spring Wedding at W Chicago City Center with Chicago as it's backdrop celebrating, love, family and traditions new and old
Love in the air in the heart of the city
Lacey and Sean's spring wedding had the city as it's backdrop at W City Center Chicago, and was a celebration of their love. With their family and friends by their side, the day blended their fun personalities, love of music, and traditions new and old. We used a bold color scheme that stood out in the warm elegant venue, and created a classic backdrop for dancing the night away.
Vendor List
Venue: W Chicago City Center // Photo & Video Jolie Images // Floral Design and Coordination : Elena's Garden Events // Hair: Korena Robinson // Makeup: Joey Claeyssen // Music: Howl 2 Go Dueling Pianos // Wedding Cake: Alliance Bakery
Andreea and Benjamin's Romantic Summer Wedding at Chevy Chase Country Club
On a perfect breezy June day, Andreea and Benjamin tied the knot in Northbrook and celebrated with lots of friends and family at the beautiful Chevy Chase Country Club.
Andreea and Benjamin's Romantic Summer Wedding at Chevy Chase Country Club
Their is a love story my husband and I would get monthly updates on over dinner, and as we saw Benjamin's heart and life fill with love, we knew we'd love Andreea even before we met her. On a perfect breezy June day, Andreea and Benjamin tied the knot in Northbrook and celebrated with lots of friends and family at the beautiful Chevy Chase Country Club.
It's not often that I find myself straddling the line between wedding designer and guest (and for good reason), but this time around I am glad I got to experience this beautiful day fully by adding decor and celebrating with two amazing friends. It also helps when the bride has beautiful taste, tying together romantic elements and a classic design.
Photo Credit: Codrean Photography
Pinterest Overload?
Full disclosure: I’m a fan of Pinterest. I like how accessible it is, how I’m able to neurotically organize all my pins and boards, how I get to see what my creative spirit animals post and pin, I love that I can have a mood board at my fingertips in minutes, and that I’m even
Pinterest Overload?
Full disclosure: I'm a fan of Pinterest. I like how accessible it is, how I'm able to neurotically organize all my pins and boards, how I get to see what my creative spirit animals post and pin, I love that I can have a mood board at my fingertips in minutes, and that I'm even able to create secret boards that I'm not yet ready to share with the world. I most like using it when talking to brides to be to get an idea of their aesthetic, and theirs of mine, and to see what level of detail they've already decided on or are still working through.
I see many brides falling into the trap of over-pinning or not editing their boards. Like all amazing things, think chocolate or expensive stationery, Pinterest is most useful when enjoyed in moderation and should not be replaced by hands-on research, or else it can actually become a compulsion that slows you down and overwhelms you more than helps you. So before you fall down the rabbit hole of spending a week's worth of work hours pinning ideas you'll never revisit, I've come up with a fun little list that I hope will help you in your planning and scavenging endeavors. Again, these are just guidelines that are meant to make you think while you're planing your wedding, or party, and even beyond (master suite remodel? amazing pantry organization project? oh and what is the best chocolate fudge brownie recipe?!)
- Organize your thoughts: to avoid a jumbled mess while you're trying to come up with color schemes and party favors, start off with an old-fashioned pen and paper check-list. Rather than having one massive board for all things wedding ( or whichever event you are planning) make a list of all the different categories you'll need inspiration or ideas for. The more detailed your initial list, the easier it will be to navigate when you need to pull up specific pins on the fly. After creating your master list make a board for each category and pin away!
- Be a follower: During this journey (that can be as much daunting as it is fun) you'll find yourself on many websites for vendors, designers, or bloggers, and instead of committing to pinning ideas before you get to investigate what they're really about, it sometimes helps to first follow them on Instagram or Pinterest to get a better sense of who they are and what they would bring to your party planning table. They'll show up in your feeds and if they're not up to snuff, or your design direction has shifted, you don't have to go back and get rid of old pins.
- Be realistic: It's easy to forget that many pins that go viral are often a product of elaborate photo-shoots that have been styled and often feature many custom designs that come with an equally high-end price-tag. Your wedding, or fancy affair should be as elaborate and special as you have always dreamed, but pinning beyond your means can sometimes lead to disappointment or a chase for that unicorn of an element that doesn't really exist. Instead, I suggest always having a plan B and C in case that gown you adore ends up being a one of a kind Marchesa. Also, you may not be able to fully duplicate a theme featured in your favorite pin, but there are always elements you can be inspired by and tweak to make your own. Often, tweaking and combining different ideas leads to a more unique and fresh result that you can then call your own!
- Descriptions are key: The more detailed you are in your descriptions, the more you'll thank yourself, and me, later. I may pin a centerpiece that has colors completely different from what you're looking for, but it may have the type of flowers and textures you love. WRITE THAT DOWN! When you're later looking through 100 pins with your florist, you'll want to be able to remember why you pinned certain things and what stood out to you at first glance. Also, Pinterest is only as good as its content, so the more people pin without descriptions or tags, the more generic the content is.
- Trust the experts: Think of Pinterest as the webmd of social media, you'd trust yourself to self diagnose some simple non-life threatening symptoms, but you wouldn't expect an online resource to interpret an Xray for you or prescribe antibiotics. Why then would you be willing to take a chance with one of the most important days of your life? It's easy to believe that everything you see on Pinterest can be diyed, and to envision yourself to be the do-it-all-bride that puts together the wedding of the century on a next to nothing budget. The closer you'll get to your wedding, the more you'll realize how exhausting and naive that assumption is. There are tons of wedding details you can take care of if you give yourself time and in return you will save a ton of money and come up with unique ideas that give your event a personal touch. And I strongly encourage doing as many of those as you can! However, remember that your friends and family are not your little wedding elves that will pull allnighters to finish your never-ending list of projects, and that your main job is to be the bride, not to coordinate your own wedding on the day of ... or deliver your own flowers or be your own DJ for that matter. A good wedding planner, a florist, photographer and caterer will be investments worth making if you want your special day to be the stress free bliss you've been pinning for months.
Kristen & Jeff's Winter Wonderland Wedding
What better way to close out the year than with a beautiful wedding at Pazzo’s 311? Kristen and Jeff lit up this beautiful atrium space with their constant smiles and the vibrant energy of their bridal party. We hoped to further brighten the space with tons of candles, flowers and gold branches for the reception.
Kristen & Jeff's Winter Wonderland Wedding
What better way to close out the year than with a beautiful wedding at Pazzo's? Kristen and Jeff lit up this beautiful atrium space with their constant smiles and the vibrant energy of their bridal party. We hoped to further brighten the space with tons of candles, flowers and gold branches for the reception. The bride wanted a warm atmosphere that would make guests forget the bitter-cold Chicago day. We used pink blooms, submerged orchids and tons of candles to achieve this goal; and the beautiful backdrop at Pazzo's only enhanced the elegant atmosphere. Some of the images used in the gallery are my own and the rest are the wonderful work of Matt Mason. Kristen and Jeff thanks for allowing us to be part of your special day!
Christa and Dave's Fun Family Affair at Carnivale Chicago
We had the pleasure of doing the decor for Christa and Dave’s big day this past September. The weather was gloomy but that didn’t put a damper on this fun intimate event. The bride is one of the most chill people you’ll ever meet and wanted a ceremony and reception to match her laid
Christa and Dave's Fun Family Affair at Carnivale Chicago
We had the pleasure of creating the decor for Christa and Dave's big day this past September. The weather was gloomy but that didn't put a damper on this fun intimate event. The bride is one of the most chill people you'll ever meet and wanted a ceremony and reception to match her laid back disposition ... we achieved this with lots of warm glow candles, beautiful rich purple tones and subdued white centerpieces that would not clash with the vibrant atmosphere of the reception venue. The happy ( and gorgeous) couple got to enjoy their big day with an intimate group, in an intimate setting with a big city as their backdrop! Photo credit goes to Jamie Vester Photography and Design
Coral and Pink Bliss Wedding at Winnetka Community House
What do you do on a cold November day to stay warm? You remember the beautiful days of summer. Happy dreaming with this post that’s WAY overdue. I can’t think of a better color scheme to capture a perfect summer wedding than coral, pink and peach. The background was a Winnetka garden, a gathering of
Coral and Pink Bliss Wedding at Winnetka Community House
What do you do on a cold November day to stay warm? You remember the beautiful days of summer. Happy dreaming with this post that's WAY overdue. I can't think of a better color scheme to capture a perfect summer wedding than coral, pink and peach. The background was a Winnetka garden, a gathering of friends and family, a stunning bride and dapper groom, flowers galore, all weaving together into a perfect event. Among other personal touches, the bride wanted to honor her grandmother with her favorite flowers, peonies, and we were happy to oblige. We caught the perfect seasonal window for coral peonies, mixed with rich pink peopnies, vendela roses, spray roses in all shades, deep pink ranunculus, baby succulents, dhalias and coral berries. Words can't really capture the beauty of these colors, but the great photos captured by http://www.njeribishota.com/ can ... We enjoyed putting together these blooms, and can't stop swooning over these gorgeous pics!
