What’s a Wedding Planner?
Fact: you’ve probably never planned a wedding before. It’s surprisingly hard work! There is no other event in your life quite as complex, emotionally-charged, and logistically-challenging as a wedding. The reason why wedding planners have a career at all is because planning a wedding takes a lot of time, knowledge, and skill.
Even a more “chill,” relaxed, casual event (like the ones we so often attend in laid-back Eugene, Oregon!) require organization to pull off. In fact the more effortless you’d like your event to feel for yourself and your guests, the more effort you’ll need to put in during the planning process.
As our title suggests, wedding planners help couples plan their wedding day and we ensure that your event runs smoothly. We take as many tasks off your plate as we can, in order to lessen the workload on you, your family, and your friends.
Planners can save you hours of searching the internet for a DJ, an officiant, or a photo booth. As industry pros, we’re well-connected with local vendors and can recommend amazing people who we’ve personally worked with before.
photo: In the Now Photography
Do you need a freelance bartender who can help you build a drink menu, a makeup artist who specializes in cruelty free makeup, or a vegan cake baker? We know them all.
We are experts in our field, which means we can spot problems a mile away and find solutions for them quickly. Think: ordering enough pies to feed 150 people, renting a shuttle to transport guests since parking is limited at the venue, showing the florist where they can park onsite, communicating a delay to the catering staff so your food won’t get cold while the ceremony runs long, checking in with your toast-givers prior to announcing toasts to ensure they won’t be in the bathroom when their name is called…
Wedding planners and day-of coordinators do so much, and if we do it well - you won’t even hear about it. We’re like wedding day ninjas, moving gracefully through the shadows, solving problems so you can keep rockin’ on the dancefloor.
Can you do all the wedding planning by yourself? Sort of. Here’s the thing: “by yourself” on your actual wedding day is impossible. When you are at the altar, you can’t also be receiving the cake delivery at the backdoor of the venue, or quietly seating the guests who showed up 20 minutes late. When you’re gazing into your spouse’s eyes during your First Dance, you can’t also be telling the DJ that two more people would like to give toasts, or that you’d like to switch up cake-cutting and bouquet toss. The truth is, someone will fill the role of planner/coordinator on your wedding day. It’s often a parent or a member of the wedding party (Maid of Honor to the rescue!), and because they are so busy working behind the scenes to ensure your event is smooth, these lovely people won’t get to spend as much time celebrating with you.
Hiring a wedding planner is not just a gift to yourself, it’s a gift to your loved ones. When you show up to your wedding day feeling confident and excited, it helps everyone else enjoy themselves, too.
Photo: In the Now Photography
A stressed and overwhelmed bride who’s frantically rushing around trying to find the dessert plates she bought? Not what anyone wants to see on your wedding day. We want to see you glowing, laughing, posing for photos and hugging your family members who flew in from out of town. We want to see you sitting at your sweetheart table, dabbing tears from your eyes as your best friend gives a toast. And we want to see you busting moves on the dancefloor (if that’s your thing) and all-in-all: we want to see you having a great time.
If you value your peace of mind, your time, and the precious moments with your family, friends, and partner… then consider hiring a professional for wedding planning or coordination. It’s a gift to yourself and to every one of your guests: you’ll be more relaxed, more at ease, and have more energy to enjoy your big day if you have a pro guiding you through the process and running things behind the scenes.
