What If...

Perfectly Styled Sweetheart Table

Part of a planner’s job is to manage emergencies so the couple never has to.  It could be a simple glitch on the day of, or the total derailment of a wedding in the weeks before.  Being a planner requires thinking on your feet, having a creative and “outside the box” mindset and keeping any unforeseen disaster from ever getting as far as the couple.  This is what I do.

Over the years, I've learned that the difference between a stressful wedding and a beautiful wedding is often what happens behind the scenes.  At one Philadelphia landmark venue, I arrived before the couple to find the ballroom in chaos. The florist was still setting up, flowers were scattered across the floor, tables were not arranged according to the bride's instructions, and the live painter couldn't even set up because there was no room.  The couple never saw any of it.  Everything was corrected before they entered the room.

As The Bride Requested

At another wedding in a luxury Philadelphia hotel, guests were unable to reach the rooftop cocktail hour because a professional football team had effectively taken over the elevators. The entire timeline was pushed back nearly an hour.Instead of panicking, I negotiated with the hotel, secured an additional hour of coverage for the photographer and DJ at the hotel's expense, arranged a complimentary suite for the couple, and worked with the kitchen to provide late-night snacks for guests.  The couple enjoyed their wedding.  They never had to negotiate a thing.

Wedding Cake

And then there was the wedding where the buses never arrived.  At the end of the evening, guests stood outside in chilly weather with tired children while the transportation company stopped answering calls.  Eventually we learned the bus had a flat tire.  By then, I had already arranged alternate transportation and coordinated rides for families with children so everyone arrived safely at their hotel.  The guests remember a wonderful wedding 

I remember solving problems.  The best wedding planning isn't about when everything goes perfectly.  It's about knowing exactly what to do when it doesn't.  Because your wedding day should belong to you—not the emergencies.

Happily Ever After