Happy Wednesday everyone! I do have a Manic Monday post but it’s not completely ready so it will have to wait. Especially because today is Wedding Wednesday, and we can’t miss out on that!

Today’s Wedding Wednesday is about Wedding Coordinators. They go by so many names – Coordinators, Event Planners, Planners, Party Planners, and more!

I have heard SO many brides tell me that they don’t need a coordinator. They’re perfectly capable of doing it themselves. Tom and I definitely went back and forth on this one for awhile. We decided on a day-of coordinator, because I enjoy the planning process and wanted to do it myself! And yes, I’m capable of running the day myself. Tom even volunteered his best friends (sorry fellas!) to decorate and set everything up. However, I’m completely realistic when it comes to the actual wedding day! I will be busy, Tom will be busy, and I don’t want to have to deal with things that might go awry. I want to enjoy myself and my family and friends! I don’t want to be super stressed because something happened. Plus, because my mother is the florist, I don’t want everything to fall on her! I know that our family and friends are more than willing to help, but I want everyone to enjoy themselves. And the cost of a day-of coordinator will really pay for itself!

So brides, please take some of these suggestions to heart! You want to ENJOY your day, not make it more difficult. You want to look back on your pictures and remember the fun that you had, the love that you felt from everyone around you… not the bad luck stuff that happened.

Because let’s face it, S*** happens right? It’s just the way of the world! The cake can fall, a table can be knocked over, a centerpiece can fall apart. Things happen! If you hire a good coordinator, chances are you won’t even know what happened until after your day is over because she will handle it! That right there is worth it completely!

Here are some reasons to hire a coordinator, from two of my favorite coordinators – Julie with Bliss Elevated, and Jessica with Pink Champagne.

Julie just did a series on reasons to hire a coordinator, and there were five awesome reasons! My favorite though is “A Blissful Bride is a Beautiful Bride!” Oh man ladies… this is so true! I can tell you from experience that if you are stressed or upset it will definitely show in your demeanor, and also your photos! You can read Julie’s full post here, on the Bliss Elevated blog: Reason #5: A Blissful Bride is a Beautiful Bride!

Jessica recently did a post on her blog about negotiation. She brings up a REALLY great point, that I was dealing with a few months ago – most brides may know a lot about what they want in THEIR wedding, but they don’t really know much about the industry! Having a professional on your side to help you – whether it’s beforehand or day-of – can be so valuable! Jessica’s advice:

Most vendors have their most popular packages on their website, in their marketing materials, and so forth. Typically they offer more than what is seen, it just has to be asked for. And in most cases, as bad as the client wants the vendor, the vendor wants to help the client. And this is where a planner’s knowledge and experience in negotiation is key.

You can read the full post on the Latest Bubbly blog from Pink Champagne here: Art of Negotiation.

I hope these tips are helpful! If you have any questions, as ALWAYS – feel free to contact me! Photographers work VERY closely with the coordinators, and sometimes we have to step in and act as a coordinator too! When you hire amazing vendors, ultimately their goal is the same, regardless of what they do: They want the couple to be happy, have fun, and enjoy their wedding day. It is a pretty awesome feeling to know that you have such high-level professionals on your side, taking care of everything. :)

I will leave you with a photo that I love, from the super talented Mrs. Katelyn of http://www.katelynjames.com/. I love love LOVE the teal in these photos! Or aqua, or turquoise, or whatever you want to call it. My name for it changes hourly, so hey, whatever works!

Happy Wedding Wednesday everyone!