Guest Post: The inside scoop from a master of wedding chaos

Meet Priscilla.
Can you believe that she's even cuter in person?

I am so excited to share my first guest post with you today! I can't think of a better person to be posting, and it is none other than my fabulous wedding planner, Priscilla! 

Priscilla is the beauty (and brains) behind Orangerie Events. I met Priscilla through my original wedding venue...and even though things didn't work out with the venue, I took Priscilla along with me. :) She came highly recommended by both my photographer and college friend, Sara...as well as by the many people I met and spoke to during my extensive venue search!

One look at her website, and you will see that Orangerie Events infuses a hint of southern charm and whimsy, delivering some of the most memorable, personable, and chic weddings I've ever seen. Priscilla has been so wonderful in this planning process, and I am so glad that I can count on her to be there for me on the big day! So here is some valuable advice from one of the best in the business! (And some photos of her beautiful creations too!) Enjoy.

Luv,
the Bride

The Inside Scoop from a Master of Wedding Chaos

People often ask me, “What do you love most about being a wedding planner?” My answer is quick and honest. I love my clients. I sometimes think back to a time when I worked the corporate world, suited in a collared Express shirt and pleated pants, bored out of my mind, with the numbers of maybe five girlfriends in my phone. Being a wedding planner has given me the opportunity to meet such fabulous couples and as an outcome of being so involved during such a pivotal time in their lives, I walk away with another gal pal and another number in my phone. I’ve never been in a position that facilitates the growth of bonding relationships and it’s the most rewarding part of what I do.

A prime example is Miss Dorothy. I feel privileged to be working with such a creative and inspiring woman. I am so thankful she decided to allow me to take part in her wedding planning process. I’m also extremely grateful that she’s invited me to guest blog to fill you in on my thoughts about hiring a wedding coordinator for your wedding day.

There have been multiple times at a wedding when I’ve looked at my assistant and posed the question, “What would they have done if we weren’t here handling this?” The realistic answer is the bride or the mother of the bride would be facilitating the questions and solving the problems when their butts should be planted in the makeup chair being pampered. The list of life events in which you’ll spend thousands of dollars for a one-day affair is quite short which means a wedding must be something really important. It’s crazy to me that couples will fork over a hefty savings to host a wedding and yet will just trust that everything will go exactly how they imagined on the wedding day without a coordinator or with a “family friend” managing the chaos. Here’s an inside tip, and this might sting a little. Something will go wrong on your wedding day. It’s not a matter of if but rather a matter of when. And if you’re smart and really invested in relaxing and enjoying the wedding day to the fullest, those mishaps will be handled by a professional and you’ll have zero knowledge of their existence. 

A lot of brides have the misconception that a “day-of coordinator” is just that and is only involved in the wedding on the day-of. While that may be the case for some planners, that’s not the practice of Orangerie Events. I want each of my clients, even the day-of brides, to know and feel that they always have someone to turn to and ask questions. On the flip side, some brides are weary of hiring a full-service wedding planner in fear that the planner will take over the wedding. I recently met a guy in line at the post office, struck up a conversation and got an ear full about his daughter’s experience working with a wedding planner. He said she was so disappointed because the planner had a specific way of doing things and insisted on forcing those methods and ideas onto the bride.

My philosophy on helping a couple to plan their wedding is quite simple. We’re partners. I’m here to lead the crusade, clear the obstacles and make the journey as exciting and as easy as possible. I take the bride’s vision, not mine, and bring it to fruition on the wedding day. I’m the voice of reason and the numbers cruncher working behind the scenes to stay on course and on budget. I had my wedding and I did it my way. I’m now working on my bride’s wedding to make it everything she dreamed about and a little more.

I encourage all of my brides to use my expertise and experience for guidance as they navigate through planning their dream wedding from start to finish and regardless of the level of service they’ve secured. Friends and fiancés may grow tired of hearing about in-season wedding flowers and coordinating color palettes but my ears love listening to those details. The bottom line is that a good planner, a really good planner, will be a detail-driven ball of creativity and in the long run, will save you money, hook you up with the most awesome vendors and will allow you to enjoy the wedding day from the beginning to the very end.