Why you need to hire a PROFESSIONAL Wedding Coordinator, Part 2

In continuation to last night's post, here are reasons 4-7 on why you need to hire a PROFESSIONAL Wedding Coordinator.

7. Wedding Day Management

I know we all have family who volunteer to help us pull off our special day but when it comes down to it, your mother is going to be getting her hair and makeup done right along with you plus she is going to be trying to keep you calm. She isn’t going to have time to set out your centerpieces, tie perfect bows on your chairs or set up your ceremony, neither are most venues. Hotel Planners usually don’t get to the hotel until a few hours before the ceremony/reception and that is if they even help to set up at all. A lot can go wrong in those few hours if you don’t have anyone monitoring your room set and your vendors. Will you know if your photographer is late? If your makeup artist is lost? Your officiant double booked? Your cake was dropped? I have honestly had all of these things happen. Would you know what to do if that happened? More importantly, would your venue? Do you want to chance it?

6. Vacation all I ever wanted

Point blank, you sign a contract with a Professional Wedding Coordinator for your wedding, you have your Wedding Coordinator. Do it with a hotel, you may not. I will be in Italy for my birthday, I am sorry your wedding happens to be that day, I however, don’t have any obligation to be there for it because the Hotel approved my time off. Sounds bad but it is true. Have fun with the person who knows nothing about your day, your style or your wishes to how things should be run.

5. Networking and Industry Pull

Networking is key to all of our success as Professional Wedding Coordinators. We are always selling our services, but more importantly, we are always searching for new talent to promote to our brides. We make it our business to be up on industry standards, new trends and to have a large network of Photographers, DJ’s, Florists, Makeup Artists, Limo Companies, Bridal Shops and more to fit our brides with the best vendor for their budget, personal style and personality. We tell our brides that our vendor list, which we take great care in building, is the best of the best. That they should take contacting these vendors as a job interview. If the vendor doesn’t get back to them within 48 hours, they don’t get the job. Apparently they have so much business coming through the door that they don’t need to take phone calls. If they are rude, unprofessional or your personalities just don’t click, you don’t use them. I also want to know, I need the good, the bad and the ugly of all feedback. Things happen, but I monitor that list and trust me it’s easier to get off it than on it. Sometimes venues pick vendors based on kickbacks for referrals. A great example was a Hotel I worked for got a 20% kickback from a Photography company. The problem is, you never met your photographer. You were sent a “certified photographer” from their company. You didn’t know if your personalities matched, if they were a traditional or photojournalistic photographer and you will not have seen their portfolio before your wedding. I would never put my name on this. My reputation means too much to me and I don’t care how much money you want to offer me to refer you, I won’t risk my bride being disappointed. Will your Hotel Coordinator? Remember, you don’t get a re-do.

4. Professional Wedding Coordinators can SAVE you MONEY!

That’s right! We CAN save you money. Unheard of I know but it can be done! I recently saved a bride of mine over 2500.00. How? I know my industry and what can, and can’t, be done. You tell me what you want the majority of your budget to go to and what we can play with and we can work miracles. Do you know there are ways around that room rental? That you can chose different menu options that are in season to save you. That plated dinners are almost always cheaper than a buffet because you account for more than one serving and more than one entrée per person where as plated you have a set amount without the variables. That you can do a lot of the stunning things you see on all those wedding shows that you don’t think you have the budget for but you really do? You just need someone who knows how to guide you through the process. A Hotel Coordinator’s job is to make you spend money. They are in the sales industry, more than half the time they get bonused off of the money you spend in addition to what you originally contracted for. That chocolate fountain, the upgraded champagne, the duet plate…CHA-CHING! It is business, you can’t be upset. It is just nice to know you have someone in your corner to make sure it is reasonable and that you are being treated fairly.