Let’s talk about the “should I” questions you may be asking yourself. Should I do a first look? Should I have a DJ or just play music off my phone? Should I pay the extra for a second photographer? Should I have the rehearsal before or day of? Should I have a day of coordinator? These are all great questions. Although most of these will cost extra, it can sometimes be worth the money to have less stress.
Let’s start off with the question, “Should I do a first look?”. The answer depends on how much time you have to get ready for the ceremony, as well as how much time you want to spend away from your reception. If you do a first look, that takes care of the bridal party pictures as well. With a first look, all you have to do after the ceremony is your family pictures which allows you to get to your reception in no time. While you’re taking your family pictures, your guests can be enjoying a cocktail, coffee bar, etc.
I seem to hear more and more people wanting to move away from booking a DJ and building a playlist on their personal device. Here’s the thing, you will still need someone to be in charge of operating it. They will need to know your itinerary so they can play the correct songs during the ceremony and know when to stop music for toasts and such. They would not be able to enjoy your day because they would be too concerned with making sure your music is perfect. You would also need to make sure your venue has a system you can tap into to broadcast your music. Then you need to determine the mic situation. Having a DJ takes the hassle out of all of this!
Having a second photographer is nice, but it’s one of those things that, if needed, you can do without. Trust me when I say you will end up with all kinds of candid images from your guests. After your wedding, scan your guest’s social accounts and save any images of your wedding that you come across. You’d be surprised at the number of amazing shots you’ll end up with… shots that came at no extra cost to you.
So what to do about the rehearsal? It doesn’t have to be a production in and of itself. People spend hundreds of dollars on a rehearsal dinner when it could be as easy as having coffee and donuts the morning of. Not to mention if you have anyone in your bridal party that’s from out of town, it saves them from an extra nights hotel stay or getting off work earlier than they would have if the rehearsal was in the morning. A morning of rehearsal saves so much time for everyone. We’re talking 30 minutes, 45 minutes tops, and then everyone can go get ready. Or if you’re the groomsmen then off to golf you go.
This last “should I or shouldn’t I” is my favorite. “Should I have a day of coordinator?”. Well of course you should and call me when you decide. Haha! But in all seriousness, having a day of coordinator makes everything so much easier on everyone involved. Day of coordinators are ideal for anyone planning an event for themselves. A coordinator allows the DIY planner to enjoy every aspect of their event. The person planning provides the coordinator with all of the details and lets the coordinator bring the plan to life. They set up, tear down and everything in between. They run your rehearsal if it’s a wedding, are the contact person for vendors, make day of final payments, provide tips, and so much more. They will even make judgment calls on discrepancies if needed.
There are lots of “should I” questions during event planning and most are dependent on budget and timing. Just take it one thing at a time and you will determine what works best for you!
(Photo by Red Dirt Photo + Video)
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