Thursday, May 29, 2008

Your relationship with the wedding coordinator

Not only do I enjoy the process of planning a wedding together with the couple, but I also really appreciate and love getting to know them throughout the process. If I were to narrow down two types of brides, they would be: an opinionated bride, who knows what she wants and is very specific with her needs; and a clueless bride who is totally lost in the planning and is indecisive in decision making. (Well, there are some who are clueless at first, but get pretty demanding later on in the process, and there are others who are opinionated at first but later end up not caring as the day approaches.) Anyways, it's always fun to get to know them, and some of them literally end up being my close friends even after the wedding.

So, which type do I prefer to work with? ha ha...well.. sort of in between the two.. but more than their personality, there needs to be a definite connection with the coordinator and the bride. And most importantly, they both need to be on the same page in terms of their expectations. If you hire a DOC(day of coordinator), then the bride can't expect a full service package and the coordinator cannot be solely responsible for the unexpected things from the vendors. 'You get what you paid for'. This applies to all the vendors, even the coordinator. As for the coordinator, you NEVER want to promise too much as if you're THE person who can make their weddings happen. You can never take all the credit after the wedding is over. It's teamwork between the couple, vendors, family & friends and the coordinator.

There also needs to be a complete trust between the coordinator and the bride, to be sure that the coordinator will take care of any sticky issue that may arise during the planning process. This will also mean that she will have to be quick, discerning, frank, and somewhat courageous to step up, even when her reputation is on the line. However, she also needs to be wise as to what to say and how to say when they hear all sorts of complaints about their in-laws, future husband to-be, parents, friends, MOH, and not to mention, some of their vendors. For this reason, you want to find someone not only resourceful but someone who knows how to deal with real life issues. As you can see, being a coordinator is more than making things pretty or being organized; she needs to handle real life crisis with poise and professionalism.
Bottom line is, whoever you choose as your coordinator, ask yourself, "Does she know my taste? Is she on the same page or ahead of me to guide me through the process?"

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