Jenny and I sat down earlier this year to talk about where we wanted to take our blog this year. In the past it has been to showcase all of our favorite images, and to give people a glimpse into our lives, i.e. our wonderful children (and now lovable basset), and that’s about it. We’re going to continue to do that, but we came up with a few different things we wanted to share with our readers as well. You’ve seen a few of them already and there will be more to come soon! I started the What I’m Loving posts to share what’s inspiring me from time to time. We also started the In Their Own Words posts to let our past couples share their most memorable images from their wedding. This post marks our first guest blogger. We’re going to have some of the awesome wedding vendors we’ve worked with over the years contribute to our blog community with their expertise in the wedding industry.
Selecting the “Right” Vendors
by Kim Ho, Owner/Event Planner, You’re Invited Weddings and Events
As a Wedding Planner and Day of Coordinator since 2003, I have had so many wonderful experiences with my couples. And, I’ve learned quite a bit along the way. When Josh asked me to write an article for their blog, I really had to think about what to write. So, I thought that maybe I should just pass along some wisdom that I pass along to all of my couples as they begin the planning process. With that said, there are only a few things which I feel strongly about regarding the planning process. These come from both my personal and professional views and I hope they are helpful.
- Go into the wedding planning process with a mindset that planning your wedding is supposed to be fun, NOT stressful-Make or find a wedding planning checklist (via a good wedding planning book or there are plenty online) and start going down the list. Determine what is the most important thing (or two or three) for you, your fiance and your families then prioritize. Know from the start that things may not always be as smooth as you’d like them to be, but all will work out in the end and you will walk away the happiest person in the world when all is said and done. And most of all, enjoy the process and share it with those you love. It’s one of the most wonderful times of your life!
- Set a budget and know your guest list before you start any form of planning-See one of my recent posts at www.yiweddings.blogspot.com for a full explanation on this piece.
- Every bride/mother of the bride deserves a day of coordinator-All I have to say that if I would have thought about having a day of coordinator when I got married 10 years ago, I personally would have found the money to pay for one not only for myself, but my mother. Personally and professionally, I believe that every bride and her mom should thoroughly enjoy the wedding day. It is 100% worth having an experienced person oversee every single detail you have planned for the last year to ensure that these plans fall in place and if they don’t (it happens) then it gets fixed and you have no idea about it, nor do you need to worry about it. My mother worked the entire day of my wedding, when really it would have been wonderful to see her enjoy it a bit more from the Mother of the Bride perspective.
- And, last but not least, select the “right” vendors for your wedding-In particular, I feel very strongly that every couple should have a GREAT connection/feel with three vendors they select during the planning process: The Planner/Coordinator, the DJ and the Photographer.
To explain, the Planner/Coordinator (for those of you who choose to have one) will be with you for several months during the planning process (whether the full time or the last couple of months). Of course, it’s important that this person is selected based on merit, but also because they understand you and your ideas. This will make you feel comfortable with this person handling your big weekend. Each vendor you select will work with that person the entire day, so you need to feel like this person can not only carry out the details, but carry out those details with your views in mind.
The DJ/Emcee is the vendor who will make or break your reception. If you aren’t a fan of their voice, their personality or their style, it doesn’t matter that they may be the only one within your budget or that a friend recommended them to you. You or your guests may not enjoy the wedding reception for those reasons alone. So, select a DJ who wants to work with you regarding your style of reception and they make you feel comfortable, because they will be the person running your reception.
And of course, the Photographer. This is an area that I feel very strongly about in two areas: Spend money on good photography and LOVE your photographer, not just the photos. Other than your own personal memories, the photos are what you will walk away with at the end of the day. If your personalities and styles do not fit, there is potential for disappointment in those photos. The very last thing you want is to let your feelings for the photographer (or their process) show through in your emotions that day. With that said, I’ve never had anyone not LOVE the Solars
At the very least, wedding planning is a fun process. It’s blissful and such a wonderful experience!! Congrats to anyone getting engaged and/or married in 2010!
by Josh
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