As wedding planners we are often asked about our favorite moments of a wedding day, how etiquette has evolved into modern times, and how to help create a memorable and unique event for the happy couple. The team at LK Events will be tackling some of those questions in a monthly series right here on our blog. Stop by often for our ideas, thoughts, and a little about us behind the scenes! This week, we’re pulling the curtain and sharing some of our thoughts on our career as wedding planners.
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#1 – What is the question that you most often get asked by couples or their parents?
Lauren:
A very common question I get asked is, “How do I go about making my son or daughter’s planning experience unique?” I have such gracious clients and the parents often ask me for guidance to make the planning experience for their children fun and stress free. (That’s why you hired us!) We love to work with the entire family and get to know them as well as we can, to provide the most comfortable, worry-free planning experience.
Jennifer:
“I didn’t have a planner when I got married, why does my son/daughter need one?” I explain how there are now more logistics and challenges during weddings. For better or for worse, weddings are more of a production now. In order to allow my couples and their families to be guests at their own event, they need to hire a professional planner. A planner also brings all of the other event professionals together as a team.
Allison:
One question I have been hearing a lot lately, especially since we are in the middle of wedding season, is if welcome bags and favors are required. They are absolutely not required! You are most likely already throwing an amazing party, so I always say do not break the budget for these items unless it is important to you. If you do decide to provide favors, something edible and local is always a hit and same goes for the welcome bags. Or, why not welcome out of town guests to Chicago with a local map or a guide of your favorite parts of the city. There is no set formula for welcome bags or favors, but it is a great way to add some personality or flair into your wedding weekend.
Nicole:
A question that I hear a lot is “Who do I need to invite to the Rehearsal Dinner?” We are definitely seeing a new trend around rehearsal dinners and many couples are looking at traditional etiquette. They are only inviting those people involved in the ceremony to the rehearsal dinner. To help solve the issue of many out of town guests, they have a welcome reception at a bar/restaurant private space so that they can see family and friends that have traveled to be a part of their special day.
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#2 – What stereotype of a wedding planner do you find is true and what one is false?
Jennifer:
A stereotype that is false is that your planner has to work your venue. You actually want a planner who can think on their feet and do their research to understand nuances of a venue, even if they haven’t worked there before. A stereotype that is true is that every wedding should have a planner. The only way you’re allowed to be a guest at your event is to have someone managing all the details for you.
Allison:
Oh my, there are so many stereotypes for wedding planners (Thanks, JLo!). One stereotype I would love to debunk is that being a wedding planner also means you do design and styling. While there are some planners who are also amazing at event design, it is not always the case. I love planning so much because I love organization, being partners with amazing vendors who are experts at their crafts, and the personal bond that I develop while working with my couples. While I have an appreciation for design, I leave that work to the incredible floral talent that Chicago has to offer. Now, there are a few stereotypes that probably started for good reason. It is true – we love a checklist! With so many details involved with the wedding, I love giving my clients straightforward and easy to tackle check-lists so there are no last minute surprises the week of the wedding. That time should be spent celebrating!
Nicole:
One stereotype that I find to be true about most Wedding Planners is that we are addicted to wedding blogs (Style Me Pretty, Carats & Cake, etc), Pinterest, and Instagram. We are. We like pretty things, find inspiration from these sources, and we can also celebrate the success of our colleagues when they are featured. As with any profession, there are many stereotypes that are false about wedding planners. While we are surrounded by pretty things, there is a lot of labor that goes into putting together a wedding. We are not afraid to get into the set-up and can be found carrying and setting up chairs, tables and linens – whatever needs to be done, we are there to chip in!
Lauren:
“We are Type A” – Yes, that is true. “We wear heels and headsets like Jennifer Lopez” – No, that is not always true. We wear flats on site and headsets are only used for larger events or when cell service is unreliable.
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#3 – What is one thing about wedding planning that the media should talk about more?
Allison:
One thing I wish the media would talk about more is that there is really no such thing as a great “Day of Coordinator”. The term “Day of Coordination” is talked about so much on wedding blogs and resources, however I wish they would change their tune and talk about Month Of Coordination instead. An on-site coordinator for a wedding is good at what they do because they take the time to understand the vendor contracts, client expectations, family and guest dynamics, among countless other details. Understanding that vision takes time, which is one of the main reasons we feel most comfortable getting involved 6-8 weeks prior to a wedding or event.
Nicole:
I would love for the media to stop using the term negotiate for our industry and focus on the value of the services and products that we bring to an event. We are all professionals running small businesses and if we negotiated the price of our service and products all of the time, we would be out of business. We do provide a lot of value and the media could help us showcase that to clients.
Lauren:
The media should talk more about how important it is to hire a wedding planner.
Jennifer:
The media should talk more about event and wedding budgets. Right now, there is no focus on city weddings vs suburb weddings and there is a drastic budget difference between the two. Not talking about real budgets sets expectations that are not realistic and couples are disappointed when they cannot afford the city wedding they wanted.
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#4 – What is your love language? (Words of Affirmation, Quality Time, Receiving Gifts, Acts of Service, Physical Touch)
Nicole:
My love language is Acts of Service. I feel loved when I have a partner to share the load of having a home together.
Lauren:
Quality Time is my love language.
Jennifer:
Quality Time, there just isn’t enough time in everyone’s schedule right now and having the one-on-one time with family or friends makes me feel loved.
Allison:
While I identify with every love language to a certain extent, the one that stands out the most for me is Quality Time. I find that with both my husband and my friends we are so often absorbed into emails and phones and social media that we spend less real quality time together. Thinking back to some of my favorite memories from the past year include honest quality time (sans technology) with some of my nearest and dearest.
