First of all- CONGRATULATIONS!
You and your love have finally decided to take the next step in your relationship, but more importantly the next step into a new chapter of your lives… Trust me, this chapter is amazing! Finding love is such a rewarding experience and being able to spend the rest of your life with that person is even more rewarding.
So now that you are all “ringed-up,” you have made your calls to the parents, alerted the besties AND your announcement post on Instagram is rapidly growing likes and comments. Everything is falling right into place- but now what?! Don’t worry- we are here to help! However, we decided we shouldn’t tackle this one alone so we reached out for some extra reinforcement from some of the top wedding and event planners in the Richmond, Virginia area in order to get a better understanding as to what exactly goes into planning a wedding, why it’s important to have help during the planning process as well as some of their best tips for a seamless wedding!
Let’s be honest, we all have thought about what our dream wedding will look like one day; more than likely down to the napkins people will be wiping food off their faces with. This is completely normal and you are in no way alone. But suddenly you find yourself scrolling through hundreds of re-sale wedding ads on Facebook Marketplace seemingly to find NOTHING that you had envisioned. You continue plummeting into the black-hole of Pinterest boards, Instagram posts, etc. trying to piece together your “dream wedding” only to realize that there is a chance that you might just be in over your head. This feeling often times creates A LOT of unnecessary tension during what is supposed to be the best days of your life! Stacy Burleson of Burleson’s Big Day Events states “They [the couple] let the stress of the planning affect themselves and therefore their relationships. Wedding Planners have checks and balances in place to ensure that over the course of planning, nothing is forgotten and the real good ones will insist on you both taking breaks from the planning, to keep the spark alive.”
We say- Yassss!!! Keep that spark alive, baby!
So what exactly does a wedding planner/coordinator do besides keep everyone in their right mind, you ask?! Karla Crisp of Petals and Lace Events said “Our job is to manage everything, no matter how big or small.” One of the biggest things from a photographers stand point is having a timeline. This is one of the most valuable tools to planning a wedding, in our opinion. Creating a timeline keeps everyone, including the vendors, on schedule. It’s like herding cats without one! “[creating a timeline] becomes the photographer or DJ’s responsibility and things get forgotten.” Karla added. We, as photographers, are not wedding planners. Here at Carbone Photo Co. LLC we do everything in our power to put together a seamless timeline for our couples who have opted out of hiring a professional coordinator, but we are in no way professional wedding planners. Our goal is to devote 100% of our time documenting your wedding and capturing those intimate moments that will allow you to relive your wedding day again and again for years to come!
So what exactly are the roles of a wedding planner, you ask? The real question would be what isn’t?! When we asked Johanna Milby of JLM Designs and Events what some of her biggest obligations were as a planner she stated “To make sure you’re only working with truly reputable professionals.” Milby then added, “From seating chart tips to wedding stationary wording to awkward plus-one invites, a wedding planner is a couples go-to resource for all things proper etiquette (well really all things wedding)!” Angela Lea Bowles of XOXO Wedding Co. stated (for example) “If the officiant doesn’t show up, we have a back up plan already in our rolodex of friends. We usually have it taken care of before we even tell the couple about it!” This is SO vital to having a seamless wedding! Angela (XOXO Wedding Co.) then says “Always hire licensed and insured professionals…and don’t always pick price over quality because you get what you pay for in many instances.”
You need a solid team of professionals guiding you through the process as well as taking control over the not so great situations that may arise throughout the planning process as well as on your actual wedding day! The resources and networks wedding planners have are priceless. They tend to know everyone in the industry and have a solution to nearly every situation that could occur. Stacy (Burleson’s Big Day Events) says “Well seasoned professionals can literally laugh at an emergency. With a simple press of a button or a grabbing from their emergency bag you will be taken care of. Your cake falls, we have you. Your zipper beaks. We have that as well. We have a large range of resources at our fingertips, so with a little quick thinking and creativity, we have you and your needs.”
Still on the fence about reaching out for professional guidance?! We get it! A wedding is a huge investment! For many of us, we get this one day where you and your closest friends and family members get to celebrate the love that you and your significant other have for each other. Why shouldn’t it be perfect and exactly what you dreamed?!? We are here to tell you that IT ABSOLUTELY SHOULD BE! That’s why we asked our team of wedding planners for some extra tips and advice for those who are unable to hire a professional planner for whatever reason- and they did not disappoint!
Stacy (Burlesons Big Day Events) adds “Remember that you are planning a wedding and while that may be important at the time, it is the marriage that is everything…as long as you both have each other’s backs, your desire to commit yourselves fully to one another will keep you deep rooted in your life goals. There isn't anything that you can not solve together as a couple.” Karla (Petals and Lace Events) adds to this by saying “Remember to enjoy each other and soak up every moment you can.” THIS IS SO TRUE! Ever hear the saying “time flies when you are having fun,” well, try adding an overwhelmingly amount of love to that and it will seem like a blink of the eye. The months of planning for this one day will all amount to these lasting moments that you should cherish for a lifetime.
If a wedding planner just isn’t in the budget, Johanna (JLM Design and Events) suggest to try and “designate a day of point person, someone (not you), needs to make sure the wedding day itself runs smoothly and that everything you've planned is executed properly, and the timeline is kept.”
At the end of the day, this day is about you and your fiancé. No amount of material items will change the commitment and love you have for one another. Remember this is supposed to be a fun experience! Do not let the planning overwhelm you to a point (or at all) that you lose sight of the meaning of marriage. THAT is key. We, as your photographers, will be there every step of the way! Whether we are working directly with you or your professional wedding planner, our main goal is and always will be to have your day go exactly as you envisioned! Happy wedding planning!
We would like to give a HUGE shoutout and thank you to the ladies that helped us with this blog. Your insight and experience is so valuable- not only for us, but for couples who are deciding on the help they need to nail the perfect wedding! Thank you!
Stacy Burleson with Burleson’s Big Day Events
Angela Lea Bowles with XOXO Wedding Co.
Karla Crisp with Petals and Lace Events
Johanna Milby with JLM Design and Events
Author/Photography: Carbone Photo Co. LLC
Carbone Photo Co. LLC is a Wedding Photography company based out of Richmond, Virginia who travels the entire east coast for weddings. Carbone Photo Co. LLC offers photography for weddings, bridal portraits, engagement sessions, events, senior portraits as well as family portraits. This Virginia wedding photographer specializes in capturing the most sentimental moments using a photojournalistic approach to document raw candid moments of you and your loved ones.