Wedding Day Coordinator, Vancouver, Langley, Surrey

Is your ceremony and wedding reception coordinated?

According to BC Vital Statistics, there are over 22,000 weddings in BC each year. Most of those weddings are planned and coordinated by the bride and her support system. Less than 5% actually enlist the help of a professional wedding planner. What many often overlook, is that as a ‘do it yourself’ (DIY) wedding planner, usually the bride or bride’s mom, you will still need to enlist the help of a wedding coordinator. You may ask, what is the difference? As a planner you spend hours and hours pouring over ideas and details to make sure your day is perfect. What the coordinator does is make those plans happen during your event. They direct the participants much like a conductor directs a symphony, only there’s a lot more running involved. You can’t be the coordinator because you will be busy getting married. As the centre of attention, you won’t be able to coordinate activities and make last minute decisions when they come up. Your mother shouldn’t either. You have spent all this money and effort to have all the people you care about most, join you as you make a commitment to each other. It would be a shame to not enjoy it because you were worried about whether the cake had arrived on time or if everything is set up the way you’d planned it. Some mothers will find if difficult to sit down and enjoy the moment, but it is just a moment, and they really shouldn’t miss it because they were in the kitchen washing dishes.

Some couples are lucky because the venue they chose includes the services of an on-site coordinator. Hotels, golf courses, and really busy venues often have many services available to reduce the amount of vendors you have to hire. Many couples however, opt for less expensive venues that don’t provide these conveniences so you need to provide them yourself.

Find someone you trust that can make decisions under pressure and can direct people discreetly and diplomatically. This person should not be part of the wedding party and should be is able to commit a significant amount of time going over your plans with you. They may miss some of your festivities because they will be taking care of details all through the day, so make sure they are OK with that before they commit. You don’t want to be bothered with problems during your wedding. It’s far better to have one person that all wedding participants and vendors can turn to for decisions as they are required that is completely in tune with your vision of your day. That way you can relax and enjoy the fruits of your labours. So just like a coordinated body, if you have someone to coordinate your wedding, the day will flow smoothly and gracefully without a hitch.

Article by Magna Goerke

Wedding Dress Decisions

According to surveys in wedding magazines, 70% of brides say their dress is the most important decision of their planning process. The dress will set the style of the day and likely your mood. If it is a formal full-length gown, you’ll probably have a more formal event. Pick a dress that fits your little girl dream.

Before you go shopping rip pages out of wedding magazines of the dresses you like and put them in a binder. You will probably combine many features from different dresses to be your dream dress. Set a limit before you go to any stores. It can be easy to get whisked away in romantic fantasy when you put on that $2,000 dress, but can you afford it? The price tag is probably not the final cost either. Ask about additional charges like shipping, size issues (petite, tall, plus), alterations, storage, etc. To save money, ask about sample sales or discounts if you get the bridesmaid dresses at the same store.

There are several options to purchase your dress. You can try on dresses at Bridal shops, have it custom made or even find them online. There’s a high concentration of bridal shops in New Westminster and on East Hastings at the Vancouver Burnaby border. Here in Abbotsford, you can benefit from Carolyn’s experience and many other services at an all in one stop location like “The Bride’s Room”. Give yourself enough time because ordered dresses take approximately three months from order date to arrival. Allow time for alterations too. If you’re looking for more immediate gratification you can go to “Bryan’s Bride” in Burnaby and select from over 1,000 dresses and take your dress the same day provided you don’t need alterations. Custom design is an option that can save a lot of money especially if you have some unique requests. You can use less expensive man-made fabrics and embellishments, plus you don’t have any alteration costs. If you’re willing to accept the risks involved, you can buy online through sources like craigslist.com or ebay.ca.

Make an appointment when you go to a bridal shop, especially if it’s a Saturday. If you go during the week you’ll likely get more attention and guidance as they are less busy. Bring clean shoes the height you expect to be and something to put your hair up if you think you’ll want an updo. Don’t shop with a lot of people. It’s best to go with a close friend that will be honest with you. Try dresses on and take photos if they’ll let you. See how you feel in each dress and check if the fabric wrinkles. The dress fits if you can raise your arms above your head, do a little dance, sit on a cushy couch as well as a straight back chair, cross your legs, bend at the waist and walk easily around the store. You’ll know it’s your dress when you don’t want to take it off.

Once you have your dress you will feel a huge amount of relief that as the central focus of the wedding, you’ll look your absolute best. It’s the one day it finally is all about you and that starts with the dress.

Article by Magna Goerke