Month of Miracle

Lawd knows we've been slacking on the blogging. We'd like to go ahead and blame Mr. Corona (we've been blaming it for just about everything else #amiright?!), but honestly we've just been busy with life. Not an excuse, we know!

A thing we've talked about before, that we want to mention again, is how we like to write things down when they come up often. You know when you get asked the same question over and over, or the same thing just keeps popping up and it's seems like a sign? Well, we're taking it!

For any of you babes reading this and planning your wedding, we're sure you've heard of "day-of coordination". Everyone and their sista is mentioning to you that you "At least need a day-of coordinator". They ain't wrong, but ask yourself; is that enough?! Here's the thing we want to talk to you about: Why we (along with an insane amount of very celeb status wedding planners!) opted to offer month of wedding planning almost exclusively and what it really entails.

We've been diving deeply into the backend of our business this year, finding the right price points to propel our business forward, be more cognizant of attracting our ideal clients and through this we've been more strict on the level of customization we allow inside our packages for the sake of the client and us! After hundreds - can we stress that? HUNDREDS of weddings, we know what works and what doesn't, and what is going to ensure a five star planning experience for the client. We've recently taken an educational course taught by a Vogue/Harper's Bazaar/Martha's Stewart/Bride's rated top planner, reached out to extremely high end venues, and you know what?! THEY DO NOT OFFER DAY OF COORDINATION. Some of these venues who require their clients to hire an outside wedding planner will not even allow a day of coordinator in - the package must be at least partial planning in some form. Can we just say something here? We have been spitting this out for almost 3 years now before we even knew this! We thought it was just us! We are constantly trying to overcome the day of battle, the: "We see you offer month of, but do you offer day of only services?" and honestly, we're still on the learning curve of how to best overcome it.

Our month of package (as well as these other fancy planners!) is for clients who are comfortable planning their own wedding, but want us to hop on and take over before the I Do's. Ours includes services such as: Correspondence beginning 30 days from your event date, us sending over a final event details questionnaire to gather all the deets, gathering all of your contracts and checking orders, us taking over full vendor communication, creating your full detailed wedding day timeline, coordinating your ceremony rehearsal, and full wedding day coordination and management. Here's the thing - day of coordination would be more like what it sounds like - you handing over everything to us maybe 7 days before and us showing up and running the show. That is because you would be asking for the complete lowest package possible that doesn't involve ANY planning services. We repeat, it is day of coordination = coordinator shows up on the day and coordinates. But here's the problem we have ran into in the past. Let's think about the what if's. What if you've never been married before and you're not exactly sure all the things that go into planning a wedding? What if you forget to add enough glassware for the bar? Or, what if you forgot table numbers on your floral order? What if you forget tent siding and it's calling for 40 MPH winds? What if you forget your DJ does not bring his own table and you too forgot to get that added? Spoiler alert, it's unlikely you've planned a wedding before (and if you have do you even remember it 20 years ago?!) and that is why you bring on a profesional. We've learned through lots of trial and error that it takes us 30 days to make sure we (us and you!) are set up for success. So, when you get to the Outer Banks the week of your wedding you can lay on an engagement ring shaped pool float and drink endless White Claws instead of answering hundreds of emails confirming if your Aunt Becky is actually ordained in the state of NC and why you have toasts scheduled during sunset.

Jokes aside, if a coordinator is offering you day of coordination with a lot more correspondence than about a week out, that is not technically day of coordination and they should be compensated for their time and efforts accordingly, because it is a lot of work. If a coordinator is offering you anything at all, we hope the services are very detailed and you understand exactly what they will be doing for you during the process. Do not just assume a planner/coordinator is going to do something, make sure it is outlined clearly and don't be afraid to ask questions! And when you're thinking "I don't really want to pay for a month of coordinator, I'll save $1k and get a day-of" just do us a favor and take a minute to really think. First, remember that this person you choose to hire is the person making it all happen. They are bringing every single piece of the puzzle together that you have worked so hard on for a year and they're doing it during one of the most stressful months of wedding planning - the last one. They are managing 10+ vendors, hiding any and all issues from you, being your sounding board, your time clock, your seamstress, your everything in those crucial moments. They will be onsite at your wedding interacting directly with your guests longer than any other vendor. Also, you're going to pay your DJ $200 an hour for 6 hours right? So maybe it's okay for your coordinator to cost more...let's do the math...30 days of unlimited correspondence plus 12-14 hours onsite for the big day. Hmmm, maybe you're actually getting a deal!?

If you know us, you know we're not hatin' by any means. Do you boo, but do it stress free and organized and find someone who can help! Oh, and let us know if you're in need of a month of coordinator!