You may have a wedding venue that already has a Wedding Co-ordinator or Event Manager but there are huge differences between what they do and what a Wedding Planner does on your wedding day.
I have gone into the comparison in much more detail on my blog; What is the difference between a Wedding Planner and a Wedding Co-ordinator? Therefore it is always worth considering hiring a Wedding Planner to allow you to relax and enjoy every moment of your day.
Authors Bio: Vivienne May Weddings was founded and created by Kerrie May. With over 8 years of experience in the luxury wedding & event industry, Kerrie has worked at some of the UK’s most iconic venues alongside a selection of renowned industry professionals and worked with a selection of high-net worth couples.
Kerrie is a UK Wedding Planner and has a distinctive reputation amongst her fellow luxury wedding professionals. Her wealth of experience, industry knowledge and unrivalled passion for bringing her clients vision to life is what drives her to plan impeccably designed, style-led and perfectly co-ordinated weddings, with romance at it’s heart.
First Things First
On your wedding day I am usually the first to be on-site at your wedding venue (or Church if you are having a religious ceremony). If you are staying at your venue the night prior, I will pop up to see you to check in on your personal preparations (I.e. hair/makeup), calm any last minute nerves and see if there are any last-minute updates I need to be aware of (for example, a guest has dropped out last minute and their table needs rearranging).
Set Up
Once I have checked in on you, I will head to your ceremony and or reception space/Often your wedding venue’s team would have pre-set your hired space(s) with tables, chairs, linen, cutlery and crockery. In hotels or big event spaces, this can sometimes be set up the day before if the space is free – this is great if you want to be able to see your rooms partially set up before the actual day.
However if you are hiring in all or some of these items, I will be there to manage and organise the suppliers upon their arrival and assist with placing everything in the correct place. As we would have discussed your design brief in much detail and created a comprehensive floorplan before your wedding day, I will know where everything needs to be positioned and will be there to bring your design to life.
Photo Credit: Sarah Vivienne Photography
Design & Styling
Once the furniture is in place it is then time to focus on the design and styling! All of the delicate details (such as place cards, favours and table numbers) are the start of the design coming to life and I’m on hand to set these up for you and any additional special touches that you have planned to add to the day.
At this point your Florist has usually arrived and would begin preparing their show-stopping displays. If you are onsite getting ready, myself or your Florist (or sometimes both) will pop up to your room to deliver your beautiful bouquets and buttonholes so that you are all ready to go.
Around this time, your delicious cake will be set, ready to be admired by you and your guests and I will manage anything that needs signing or passing onto your caterers.
Alongside co-ordinating and managing the suppliers set up, I am also on-hand for any last minute amendments (I'm basically your right-hand woman for the day!) And if you need a sneak-peek of your Wedding rooms before your guests arrive, I can send you a video of the setup or organise for you to have a quick look in person (ensuring that your guests and fiancé doesn’t see you before the big reveal!)
It’s Time for your Guests Arrival
Just before your guests arrive I will do a final walk around your venue/Church to ensure that everything is in place, candles are lit, suppliers vans are moved and carpets are spotless! It’s all these little things on my Wedding Checklist that lead to your perfect wedding day.
I will then be on-hand greeting and directing your guests to the arrival space and ceremony. If you are having a Civil Ceremony the Registrars will need to see you prior to your ceremony. Most couples choose to meet separately to keep the big reveal for when you walk down the aisle therefore I will find each of you one at a time and escort you to the room where your Registrar Interviews will take place.
After your Registrar Interviews (if having a Civil Ceremony) or upon your arrival at your Church, it’s then time for me to organise your procession and direct everyone down the aisle.
If you are having a ceremony at the same site as your reception, this is the perfect time for me to check that your drinks reception is ready to go as soon as your Ceremony concludes. If you are having a Church wedding then I will remain with you throughout the service and upon the conclusion of the ceremony, I will liaise with your wedding photographer to organise your Church photographs.
Photo Credit: Pinterest
Your Reception Starts Here
During your drinks reception and wedding breakfast you will then find me liaising with any remaining suppliers yet to setup (i.e. DJ, Bands, Photobooths), whilst keeping a watchful eye on the days timings and checking in a couple of times with you both to see if there’s anything else you need at this point in the day.
Ready to Dance the Night Away
Once your Evening Reception is underway, I am mainly there behind-the-scenes to ensure your remaining celebrations are in full swing and the timings are followed for your cake cutting, first dance and evening food.
And finally, on every wedding day I am fully prepared for the unexpected, whether that be an additional guest turning up, a dress malfunction, the guest book going astray… the list goes on but after over 8 years of working in the UK Weddings & Events Industry, there’s not many challenges that I haven’t come across!
This is simply a snippet of all of the jobs that I would do on your wedding day to ensure it runs as smoothly as possible. All of my services include On-the-Day Management however if you’ve already planned your perfect day but need a professional, reassuring Wedding Planner to work behind-the-scenes on your Wedding Day then call me, send me a quick email or fill in the form here and I will be on-hand to ensure you can fully enjoy the day without the worry or stress!