If you're jumping into this series now you can brush up on what constitutes a handmade wedding (and why you would want to have one. and how a planner could assist you with your plans. But what if you already have the plans (or are confident you can make them) and just need help on the day-of? Enter your Handmade Wedding Coordinator.
I would say that 75% of the handmade weddings we work on are Month-of Coordinations. Many of our couples have planned elements for beautiful and unique handmade weddings and then it hits them: "I have planned this but now I actually need to make sure it happens". The individual pieces may be manageable, but the overall picture may be daunting.
How is the day of a handmade wedding different than a traditional wedding?
Unlike a wedding that comes together using professional florists, caterers and designers; a handmade wedding typically does not have a professional staff to ensure all the details, which you worked so tirelessly on, are executed to your exact specifications. You may plan on setting everything up yourself, possibly with the assistance of generous friends and family, however it can become an extra burden and stressor on a day when you are already bound to feel stress (and joy!) like no other. Consider these scenarios and ask yourself what you would prefer:
Scenario 1: You wake up on the morning of your wedding (Oh my gosh you’re getting married today!!!) but you have to wake up three hours earlier than you normally would to rush to the venue and set up all the décor before you have to be at the salon to have your hair and makeup done. Your generous friends and family have offered to pitch in, but while they are helping you decorate it seems like they have their own ideas on how everything should look. The decorations that you worked so hard on are being set up differently than how you imagined. Not wanting to be a “bridezilla” you don’t say anything and let them do what they want, but you’re a little deflated because this wasn’t what you planned. Or perhaps you do tell them that you want them done differently and everything is redone to your standards. Either way, that’s a lot of added stress on the morning of your wedding!
Scenario 2: You wake up on the morning of your wedding (Oh my gosh you’re getting married today!!!) and you have a leisurely breakfast with your bridesmaids (mimosas anyone?) before heading over to the salon to get your hair and makeup styled with your girlfriends. You don’t have to worry about the decorations because you and your wedding coordinator discussed them in minute detail and you know that she understands your vision and will do everything as you requested.
Which scenario do you prefer? And this is just the décor. What if your photographer doesn’t show up on time or the cake arrives damaged? Hopefully none of this will happen at your wedding, but it is best to prepared and have a professional wedding coordinator, who has experience with all eventualities, in your court ready to make your day as stress-free and perfect as possible. You won’t have to worry about a thing when you know there is somebody else to be your first line of defense and handle it all for you.
Choosing a coordinator...
A handmade wedding takes a lot of time and energy to create. You’ve spent hours handwriting invitations, cutting tissue paper pom-poms, and collecting candies that perfectly match your wedding colors; turning all of your hard work over to somebody else to take care of and bring to life can be a difficult thing to do. It is important that you hire a wedding coordinator that you feel comfortable with, both in her personality and her experience. On the day-of, you don’t want to worry about hanging those tissue pom-poms, or that the candy bar is displayed in apothecary jars exactly as you envisioned. You want to think about putting on your wedding dress, marrying that most amazing person in your life, and then celebrating all night with people you love and who love you. Take this night off. You’ve worked so hard to build your dream wedding, let someone else take control of the reins for one night so you, your friends and your family can enjoy every minute of it.
We'd love to hear about your handmade wedding plans and see how we can assist you coordinate the final details so reach out to us today!
