A lot of brides are finding it necessary to hire a Day of Coordinator (DOC) for their wedding day. And rightfully so. I get a ton of last-minute inquiries, requests, and downright begging from brides every month. It's due to the fact that most ladies don't realize how much goes into setting up for that day and once they are in the throws of putting together their timelines and To-Do lists they wonder who in the world is going to do all of this and do it on time and do it well. Mom can't do it...she'll be too busy. A bridesmaid or two?...no, they'll be getting hair done and hanging out with the bride. An aunt or cousin?...maybe, but will they really do it how you envision? That's where the frantic email or phone call comes in to me.
But there are also tips in hiring someone like me to do this for you. I am your go-to gal that day for your set-up of both ceremony and reception sites. And more than likely your go-to gal for YOU that day as well. But I'm a one-woman show in most cases and sometimes brides forget that I can't be in two places at once. I can't be sitting in a room with them helping her dress, take care of any mending or re-pinning of hair-do's, or removing stains at the same time I'm supposed to be downstairs scattering rose petals, tieing chair ties, lighting candles, etc.
For those of you that still have time before your wedding, here are some real things to take into consideration when you have a DOC:
1. DO have a timeline of the day for your DOC
2. DON'T call your DOC at 7am the day of the wedding to ask if she knows where your shoes are. She doesn't know. She's more than likely never seen your shoes and certainly has no idea where they would be.
3. DO inform all your vendors that you have a DOC that day that will be following up on set-up, etc.
4. DON'T tell all your vendors that you have a WEDDING PLANNER that took care of everything. They are two different things and unless you hired a WEDDING PLANNER to plan your event, odds are your DOC is going to know only the details you shared with her. And as many questions as DOC's ask of you prior to the day, there are still likely things we don't know. But if you tell your vendors that we know EVERYTHING, we look like asses when we don't. Please share.
5. DO give your DOC a detailed To-Do list for setup of each venue. Your DOC didn't plan your wedding, you did. We need as much detail as possible to make it what you envisioned for months. Simply telling your DOC that everything is in the boxes is probably not enough.
6. DON'T assume your DOC is going to make financial decisions for you. It is not your DOC's responsibility to pay vendors their final payment, tell the caterer it's ok to make 20 more meals b/c extra people showed up, etc. When we ask for a day-of contact for financial purposes, this is why.
7. DO make sure you like your DOC, trust your DOC, get along with your DOC. If you don't it's not an ideal match for your perfect day.
8. DON'T question your DOC time and time again. If you ask us a question we are going to give you an honest answer based on our experience. We're not kidding. You hired your DOC for a reason, let her do her job.
9. DO let yourself relax and have fun. Again, you hired a DOC for a reason. If you can't relax and let it go, you shouldn't have hired one. You're just making unnecessary work for yourself.
10. DON'T tell your friends & family that your DOC is a "friend" or "cousin of a friend" that is just helping you out...unless you've informed your DOC of this first. We'll put on a show if we know about it, but if we don't and someone asks who we are, we're probably going to tell them that we are your DOC for the day.
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Rain? Who Cares!
Yes, I realize it's easy for me to say who cares about rain on their wedding day, but really....it doesn't matter. I promise you. And if you need any justification on that you can ask Sarah, my bride from yesterday.
A lot of time, detail, sweat, and even some tears went into the planning of their perfect wedding day. Perfect meaning outside. Without rain. Well, Mother Nature doesn't check with brides before making the plan for the day. She certainly didn't check with Sarah yesterday. But it was still a beautiful day.
The couple was married at the gorgeous Villa Terrace. Inside. Which is still beautiful and quaint and rich in history. The room lined with white chairs, the aisle flanked by brown chair ties with gorgeous cabbage roses in the bows thanks to my partner in crime, florist Carrie of Petals, made the room gorgeous. It didn't need much, it's the perfect setting for an indoor ceremony.
Bishop Craig Bergland performed the ceremony and working with him is always a treat. My time was way too short with him yesterday though so we promised to catch up over coffee after the summer wedding madness calms down (Is there such a thing?!?). He is the type of person that you just instantly feel connected to and every couple that meets him always sends me a special "thank you" for referring them to Craig. He's really just that cool.
Unfortunately, I had to rush back to the reception venue, Joey Buona's, to finish setting up as soon as Sarah and her Dad were down the aisle. And by rush, I mean, I'm still thankful I didn't end up with a ticket from the Milwaukee PD. But there was SO much left to do. The venue had said vendors could arrive anytime after 9am to begin setting up. That wasn't true the day of. It was more like Noon. Which meant I had less than 2 hours before the ceremony began and then another 90 minutes once I got back there and before guests started arriving. Luckily, it was done in time and it was so pretty. Carrie's (and her amazing staff!) work was breathtaking; half of the centerpieces were tall trumpet vases filled with even taller branches and then the heads of several roses were attached to the branches, as if suspended. The other centerpieces were cylinder glass vases wrapped in metal branches with a large pillar candle inside on top of a bed of pink roses. The staff at Joey's commented it was one of the prettiest set-ups they had seen.
But there was a lot of work to be done. It was assigned seating, and not just by table. By actual seat. So, each seat had to be adorned with a small picture frame with the guest's name on it. Guests viewed a large seating chart upon arrival to find out which table they were sitting at and then once at the table found their seat by the identifying frame. That is a lot of frames to set out when you're talking about 19 tables! And it took a long time. Then there were menu cards....at each place setting....to be slipped into the pocket of the napkin. Guess what? Joey's doesn't do fancy napkin holds. They do the standard tented napkin. After letting them know that I had specific instructions that these menu cards be placed in the pocket of the napkin and that the bride had discussed this with the event coordinator at the venue, they bent over backwards to learn how to fold those napkins. Almost 200 of them. In less than an hour. I can't say enough about Joey Buona's staff. They are first class and always have been. They never complain. And seriously...I know they didn't want to be doing that yesterday. I've been in their shoes. But they did it. Graciously. I am sending them a very nice thank you note tomorrow. I know a lot of venues that would have told me to screw off. And that's saying it lightly.
Another highlight of the day was I got to see my favorite DJ's, Craig & Amber of All-Star Music! They are some of my most favorite people and they had a baby boy a few months ago who I got to oooh and ahhh over in pictures. I can't say enough good about these two. They have built this company to be one of the most reputable DJ systems in the Milwaukee area. They listen to their clients, do what they ask, and have fun doing it.
Once the wedding party arrived they gathered downstairs to be lined up for the grand entrance and up the stairs they went dancing to music, taking their places at the head table, and a room full of standing ovation as the new Mr. & Mrs. was announced and proceeded to the dance floor for their First Dance. I watched their dance and then made my own exit. It was a very long day, but it was also a rewarding day once I stood there and looked at how awesome that room glowed in candlelight. I'm sure everyone had a blast that night and I know they ate well with Joey's food!
I know I'm behind on pictures. Apparently uploading pictures is a huge task for me, so I promise to have a post just for wedding pictures soon.
A lot of time, detail, sweat, and even some tears went into the planning of their perfect wedding day. Perfect meaning outside. Without rain. Well, Mother Nature doesn't check with brides before making the plan for the day. She certainly didn't check with Sarah yesterday. But it was still a beautiful day.
The couple was married at the gorgeous Villa Terrace. Inside. Which is still beautiful and quaint and rich in history. The room lined with white chairs, the aisle flanked by brown chair ties with gorgeous cabbage roses in the bows thanks to my partner in crime, florist Carrie of Petals, made the room gorgeous. It didn't need much, it's the perfect setting for an indoor ceremony.
Bishop Craig Bergland performed the ceremony and working with him is always a treat. My time was way too short with him yesterday though so we promised to catch up over coffee after the summer wedding madness calms down (Is there such a thing?!?). He is the type of person that you just instantly feel connected to and every couple that meets him always sends me a special "thank you" for referring them to Craig. He's really just that cool.
Unfortunately, I had to rush back to the reception venue, Joey Buona's, to finish setting up as soon as Sarah and her Dad were down the aisle. And by rush, I mean, I'm still thankful I didn't end up with a ticket from the Milwaukee PD. But there was SO much left to do. The venue had said vendors could arrive anytime after 9am to begin setting up. That wasn't true the day of. It was more like Noon. Which meant I had less than 2 hours before the ceremony began and then another 90 minutes once I got back there and before guests started arriving. Luckily, it was done in time and it was so pretty. Carrie's (and her amazing staff!) work was breathtaking; half of the centerpieces were tall trumpet vases filled with even taller branches and then the heads of several roses were attached to the branches, as if suspended. The other centerpieces were cylinder glass vases wrapped in metal branches with a large pillar candle inside on top of a bed of pink roses. The staff at Joey's commented it was one of the prettiest set-ups they had seen.
But there was a lot of work to be done. It was assigned seating, and not just by table. By actual seat. So, each seat had to be adorned with a small picture frame with the guest's name on it. Guests viewed a large seating chart upon arrival to find out which table they were sitting at and then once at the table found their seat by the identifying frame. That is a lot of frames to set out when you're talking about 19 tables! And it took a long time. Then there were menu cards....at each place setting....to be slipped into the pocket of the napkin. Guess what? Joey's doesn't do fancy napkin holds. They do the standard tented napkin. After letting them know that I had specific instructions that these menu cards be placed in the pocket of the napkin and that the bride had discussed this with the event coordinator at the venue, they bent over backwards to learn how to fold those napkins. Almost 200 of them. In less than an hour. I can't say enough about Joey Buona's staff. They are first class and always have been. They never complain. And seriously...I know they didn't want to be doing that yesterday. I've been in their shoes. But they did it. Graciously. I am sending them a very nice thank you note tomorrow. I know a lot of venues that would have told me to screw off. And that's saying it lightly.
Another highlight of the day was I got to see my favorite DJ's, Craig & Amber of All-Star Music! They are some of my most favorite people and they had a baby boy a few months ago who I got to oooh and ahhh over in pictures. I can't say enough good about these two. They have built this company to be one of the most reputable DJ systems in the Milwaukee area. They listen to their clients, do what they ask, and have fun doing it.
Once the wedding party arrived they gathered downstairs to be lined up for the grand entrance and up the stairs they went dancing to music, taking their places at the head table, and a room full of standing ovation as the new Mr. & Mrs. was announced and proceeded to the dance floor for their First Dance. I watched their dance and then made my own exit. It was a very long day, but it was also a rewarding day once I stood there and looked at how awesome that room glowed in candlelight. I'm sure everyone had a blast that night and I know they ate well with Joey's food!
I know I'm behind on pictures. Apparently uploading pictures is a huge task for me, so I promise to have a post just for wedding pictures soon.
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
A Day of Love
That's exactly what Saturday was. Filled with love. Between everyone involved. I know, it sounds sappy beyond belief, but it really was just this joyous day. Now don't get me wrong, that's what most wedding days are supposed to be, but this one? This one was different.
Maggie & Piero have been my email companions for months and months now. That's how they booked me, that's how I helped them with some of their details, that's how we finalized details of their day. I got to meet them about a month before the wedding and it was just awesome. They are one of the coolest, most laid back, most genuine couples I have ever met.
Both are from Wisconsin, but they live in upstate New York these days. And Piero's family is Italian. And I don't mean Italian like a lot of people claim to be. I mean, they are the real deal! Trust me, I heard the language being spoke and everything and it literally gave me goose bumps. And Maggie's family? A dream. Really. That is the only way to describe her parents, her sisters, her brother, her adorable nephew. They were just good, good people. The type of people that you want to surround yourself with on a continuous basis.
Maggie & Piero were married at the beautiful and well appointed Gesu Parish on the Marquette University campus. Gesu may be a bit strict on their wedding policies, but it's all for good reason. The outcome is always a gorgeous venue with an even more gorgeous wedding commitment. Maggie & Piero's was no different.
The minute I saw Maggie pull up to Gesu that afternoon, I got tears in my eyes. She wasn't even dressed yet! I nearly lost it when I opened the dressing room door and there she was...a vision of herself in golden ivory tones. Certainly a sight to be seen. But she threatened me with bodily harm if I cried, so I held it in and moved forward with letting them all know that it was almost wedding time!
Frogman Productions captured everything on video that day and you can view a clip of it on their blog. It is perfection and captures the personalities of Piero & Maggie to a 't'. Heather Cook Elliott was the photographer on the scene and as always she was so great to work with. She runs around like it's nobody's business and gets the best shots. I can't wait to see their pictures! With a half-naked ring-bearer toddler running around at the reception there is sure to be some fun blackmail pictures for the future for this little one. :)
Mike & Scott at the Renaissance Place made everything so easy for me. They took care of nearly all the set up and since they are the masters of pulling off flawless events, I knew we were all in capable hands. It was gorgeous. The centerpieces were varying sizes, heights, arrangements...proving yet again people that NOTHING HAS TO BE MATCHY MATCHY! It was by far one of my most favorite table displays. Linens draped in chocolate brown with gold napkins hanging over the place settings, elegant menu cards delicately placed on top, votives scattered about. It oozed romance.
Piero & Maggie took dance lessons and choreographed a dance for their first dance as husband and wife. It was spectacular. If you are familiar with Bob Marley it was his song "Mellow Moods," one of my favorites of his. Imagine just the coolest dance filled with smiles, emotions, and just pure love. They pulled it off so well!
Magge Speaks (the band, not Maggie the bride) was the entertainment and those guys were easy to work with, nicer than nice, and did a phenomenal job from the little I saw. They were already on my vendor list as a band that I recommend, but they are now getting stars or something placed next to them!
Oh, and no cake. Another tradition bucked! You go guys! They instead opted for a dessert station. Yum! I highly doubt any of the guests missed a cake after that.
One of my last duties that evening was to take care of putting out their favors. These were not just any favors. These were homemade tall bottles of Piero's family recipe of dipping oil. Each guest was going to take home a fancy bottle with a personalized label and a green mesh bag to put it in. Genius! And I must say, the table display creation ended up looking pretty darn good. How could you not take one?!? :)
I'll post pictures later!
Maggie & Piero...I know you are enjoying Barbados (because they emailed to say thank you cuz that's just the kind of couple they are) this week, but I have no doubt in my mind that you will continue to enjoy every single day of your lives together. Thank you for being the sweetest couple and THANK YOU for realizing that your goal that day was to marry your best friend. You had the perfect wedding day because you had perfect focus through the entire planning process and most importantly on that day. I think you should start a class on how to be the perfect bride & groom. Love you!
Maggie & Piero have been my email companions for months and months now. That's how they booked me, that's how I helped them with some of their details, that's how we finalized details of their day. I got to meet them about a month before the wedding and it was just awesome. They are one of the coolest, most laid back, most genuine couples I have ever met.
Both are from Wisconsin, but they live in upstate New York these days. And Piero's family is Italian. And I don't mean Italian like a lot of people claim to be. I mean, they are the real deal! Trust me, I heard the language being spoke and everything and it literally gave me goose bumps. And Maggie's family? A dream. Really. That is the only way to describe her parents, her sisters, her brother, her adorable nephew. They were just good, good people. The type of people that you want to surround yourself with on a continuous basis.
Maggie & Piero were married at the beautiful and well appointed Gesu Parish on the Marquette University campus. Gesu may be a bit strict on their wedding policies, but it's all for good reason. The outcome is always a gorgeous venue with an even more gorgeous wedding commitment. Maggie & Piero's was no different.
The minute I saw Maggie pull up to Gesu that afternoon, I got tears in my eyes. She wasn't even dressed yet! I nearly lost it when I opened the dressing room door and there she was...a vision of herself in golden ivory tones. Certainly a sight to be seen. But she threatened me with bodily harm if I cried, so I held it in and moved forward with letting them all know that it was almost wedding time!
Frogman Productions captured everything on video that day and you can view a clip of it on their blog. It is perfection and captures the personalities of Piero & Maggie to a 't'. Heather Cook Elliott was the photographer on the scene and as always she was so great to work with. She runs around like it's nobody's business and gets the best shots. I can't wait to see their pictures! With a half-naked ring-bearer toddler running around at the reception there is sure to be some fun blackmail pictures for the future for this little one. :)
Mike & Scott at the Renaissance Place made everything so easy for me. They took care of nearly all the set up and since they are the masters of pulling off flawless events, I knew we were all in capable hands. It was gorgeous. The centerpieces were varying sizes, heights, arrangements...proving yet again people that NOTHING HAS TO BE MATCHY MATCHY! It was by far one of my most favorite table displays. Linens draped in chocolate brown with gold napkins hanging over the place settings, elegant menu cards delicately placed on top, votives scattered about. It oozed romance.
Piero & Maggie took dance lessons and choreographed a dance for their first dance as husband and wife. It was spectacular. If you are familiar with Bob Marley it was his song "Mellow Moods," one of my favorites of his. Imagine just the coolest dance filled with smiles, emotions, and just pure love. They pulled it off so well!
Magge Speaks (the band, not Maggie the bride) was the entertainment and those guys were easy to work with, nicer than nice, and did a phenomenal job from the little I saw. They were already on my vendor list as a band that I recommend, but they are now getting stars or something placed next to them!
Oh, and no cake. Another tradition bucked! You go guys! They instead opted for a dessert station. Yum! I highly doubt any of the guests missed a cake after that.
One of my last duties that evening was to take care of putting out their favors. These were not just any favors. These were homemade tall bottles of Piero's family recipe of dipping oil. Each guest was going to take home a fancy bottle with a personalized label and a green mesh bag to put it in. Genius! And I must say, the table display creation ended up looking pretty darn good. How could you not take one?!? :)
I'll post pictures later!
Maggie & Piero...I know you are enjoying Barbados (because they emailed to say thank you cuz that's just the kind of couple they are) this week, but I have no doubt in my mind that you will continue to enjoy every single day of your lives together. Thank you for being the sweetest couple and THANK YOU for realizing that your goal that day was to marry your best friend. You had the perfect wedding day because you had perfect focus through the entire planning process and most importantly on that day. I think you should start a class on how to be the perfect bride & groom. Love you!
Friday, July 11, 2008
New Booking
Cool Bride Booked! Cool Bride Booked!
I had a blast with this couple the other night. They are just fun and laid back and while they swear they don't know what they are doing with wedding planning, I assured them they really know more than they think they do.
Their engagement story is too cute also! It may have been the only sappy part of the evening. Mandy had just recently purchased a brand new car that she was still ooohing and awwwing over. She pulled into their driveway one day after work and out comes Charley with a dog leash from what she could see. She sighed, thinking 'who's dog are we watching this time!?!' As she's bending down to pet the dog there is a sign that says My Name Is (this is where I forget the puppy's name) and goes on to say that he would love to be part of the family, but simply can't do so until he has a mommy and a daddy in a stable home. Then Charley is down on one knee with ring in hand. The most gorgeous sapphire nad diamond ring I have ever seen! Mandy now has a new car, new puppy, and new bling bling to look at all at once. The couple obviously told the story much more eloquently (and correctly!) than I did, but you get the idea. Poor pup needed a home with both a mommy & a daddy! How precious is that?
Fast forward and they are now planning a Fall 2009 home-on-the-lake-wedding. The same home where Charley's parents were married. How cool is that?
I'm looking forward to working with this fun couple! Their ideas are unique, fresh, and will certainly capture the attention of their guests as the best wedding ever. I'm convinced of that already.
A lot of work goes into home weddings though. Everything needs to be rented, including restrooms. And the cost goes up considerably due to all the rentals so much of the time you end up cutting corners elsewhere. I'm sending them a budget tool tonight that they may or may not use, but most people find it helpful. It's a bit anal (this is me we're talking about...Miss Organization), but it keeps me on track when I'm the one responsible for handling a couple's budget. Which I'm not for this one, but I'll be ready to give plenty of guidance.
Two more weddings for the month and then a weekend off! August only has two weddings total, however, every weekend is already booked with concerts, concerts, and more concerts! Anyone who knows me well knows that my summers revolve around work, weddings, and music. And I couldn't be happier. :)
I had a blast with this couple the other night. They are just fun and laid back and while they swear they don't know what they are doing with wedding planning, I assured them they really know more than they think they do.
Their engagement story is too cute also! It may have been the only sappy part of the evening. Mandy had just recently purchased a brand new car that she was still ooohing and awwwing over. She pulled into their driveway one day after work and out comes Charley with a dog leash from what she could see. She sighed, thinking 'who's dog are we watching this time!?!' As she's bending down to pet the dog there is a sign that says My Name Is (this is where I forget the puppy's name) and goes on to say that he would love to be part of the family, but simply can't do so until he has a mommy and a daddy in a stable home. Then Charley is down on one knee with ring in hand. The most gorgeous sapphire nad diamond ring I have ever seen! Mandy now has a new car, new puppy, and new bling bling to look at all at once. The couple obviously told the story much more eloquently (and correctly!) than I did, but you get the idea. Poor pup needed a home with both a mommy & a daddy! How precious is that?
Fast forward and they are now planning a Fall 2009 home-on-the-lake-wedding. The same home where Charley's parents were married. How cool is that?
I'm looking forward to working with this fun couple! Their ideas are unique, fresh, and will certainly capture the attention of their guests as the best wedding ever. I'm convinced of that already.
A lot of work goes into home weddings though. Everything needs to be rented, including restrooms. And the cost goes up considerably due to all the rentals so much of the time you end up cutting corners elsewhere. I'm sending them a budget tool tonight that they may or may not use, but most people find it helpful. It's a bit anal (this is me we're talking about...Miss Organization), but it keeps me on track when I'm the one responsible for handling a couple's budget. Which I'm not for this one, but I'll be ready to give plenty of guidance.
Two more weddings for the month and then a weekend off! August only has two weddings total, however, every weekend is already booked with concerts, concerts, and more concerts! Anyone who knows me well knows that my summers revolve around work, weddings, and music. And I couldn't be happier. :)
Monday, July 7, 2008
Cool Brides, Please Apply
I'm meeting with the coolest bride tomorrow night. And her equally cool fiance.
Ok, I really don't know that they're the coolest couple ever. But so far through cyber-space and multiple email exchanges...they are. When you're exchanging 'Whoo Hoo's' and giddy chats over email, let me tell ya, it's bound to be true love between a bride and her planner.
I mean, the girl wants to meet over drinks for our first consultation. Cool? I need not say more.
They are getting married next Fall and from the sounds of it, they need help with full planning. Which I loooooove to do and don't have one lined up for Fall anymore so it's perfect timing. It also sounds like a very unique intimate wedding with it taking place at his parent's home on the Lake, I believe.
More details to come of course. For now, I am just counting down the hours until I meet A & C!
Ok, I really don't know that they're the coolest couple ever. But so far through cyber-space and multiple email exchanges...they are. When you're exchanging 'Whoo Hoo's' and giddy chats over email, let me tell ya, it's bound to be true love between a bride and her planner.
I mean, the girl wants to meet over drinks for our first consultation. Cool? I need not say more.
They are getting married next Fall and from the sounds of it, they need help with full planning. Which I loooooove to do and don't have one lined up for Fall anymore so it's perfect timing. It also sounds like a very unique intimate wedding with it taking place at his parent's home on the Lake, I believe.
More details to come of course. For now, I am just counting down the hours until I meet A & C!
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Back from Hawaii
I am dead tired and have way too much to do.
All I have to say is Hawaii was amazing, beautiful, gorgeous, RELAXING, not as expensive as everyone said it would be, and just an all-around perfect vacation with one of my best friends.
All I have to say is Hawaii was amazing, beautiful, gorgeous, RELAXING, not as expensive as everyone said it would be, and just an all-around perfect vacation with one of my best friends.
Life didn't get better last week.
Now it's back to reality. And weddings.
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