When you are planning a wedding, all elements of the wedding are important. Since I’ve participated in many weddings, I would like to share my opinion. Here are the top 5 most important elements of a wedding and why. You should be comfortable and get a good feel for each vendor.
- The Dress
- The Venue
- Wedding Planner
- Photographer
- DJ
The Dress: The dress is important because as the bride, this is your day. This is the most important dress you will ever purchase. This is the day you’ve dreamed of since you were a child. The entire wedding is centered around you as it should. You want to look your best. My recommendation is for you to visit at least 4-5 bridal shops to get a good feel for the different styles and which bridal shop will be the most helpful. Be reasonable with your requirements but you are the customer, the bridal shop should cater to you.
The Venue: The venue is incredibly important because this is where the guests will spend most of their time and there will be lots of pictures taken here. Things to consider when picking an event are: location, parking, size, operating hours, ambience, ability to choose your caterer, cleanliness, friendliness of the staff, entrance and exit, and the dance floor. Are there any unique attributes of the venue that will make for some great photo opportunities?
When you close your eyes and imagine the most important event of your life, do you see yourself and your guests at this venue? If you are having part of the event outside (like the ceremony) make sure there is a plan B if the weather doesn’t cooperate.
Wedding Planner: Whether you choose to have a “Day of Planner” or someone to help with the entire event this person steers the ship the day of the event. This person is the conductor of your wedding and they make sure that everything takes place in the right place and at the right time. In many cases, this person can be the last minute problem solver and if any of the vendors get out of line or are delaying the event, the event planner should “Crack the Whip” per say. Make sure your wedding planner can handle the pressure, has a plan B, can think on their feet, and can solve last minute problems. If you have a tight budget, consider having a “Day of Planner” that can at least be there the day of the event to coordinate activities and all of the other vendors. Trust me, having a “Day of the event planner” is worth the investment or should we call it insurance. For example, if something were to unexpectedly happen to your cake, the planner may have already experienced this in the past. They may have a relationship with another cake vendor or at a minimum know exactly what to do to ensure that last minute problems can be resolved.
Photographer: In 5 years, 10 years or for your 25th year anniversary you will look back at this event. To help remember everything throughout the wedding, the photographer is there to capture the most important moments that will live forever. In the future, the one thing that you should always have is the photographer to capture all of the memorable parts of your most important day. It is important that your personality aligns with the photographer. Ask the photographer if they have backup equipment and an assistant. Ask if their assistant will be taking pictures during the wedding and when you walk down the aisle. It is very nice to capture walking down the aisle from different angles and also, if for some reason their camera or lighting fails, you will have a backup. Walking down the aisle a second time if the photographer misses the shot or doesn’t get the shot is NOT an option.
The DJ: When the wedding is over, you and your relatives will reflect on the evening. All elements of the wedding are very important and like an orchestra you want all parts to be flawless. Your guests will spend 2-3 or more hours at the wedding when the music takes over and everyone mingles on the dance floor. In the future, when everyone forgets if they ate chicken or salmon at your wedding, they will remember that Aunt Jenny and Uncle Mike spent all night on the dance floor. You will remember that you and your girls were having a great time dancing and having fun with “The Wobble”. The DJ for your event is the backbone that binds everything together and starts during the introduction with the bride and groom’s entrance until the last dance. It is imperative that your DJ listens to you and that your personality gels with them. Make sure your DJ coordinates specific songs during all of the critical moments like the intro, 1st dance, parents dances, cocktail hour, dinner, garter/bouquet toss, and the main dance floor. Ask the DJ how they will include everyone from the youngest guests to the oldest. It is very important that the DJ plays various genres and incorporates both older music and current music to ensure that everyone can participate on the dance floor. Some of your guests traveled a long way and are investing time in your important day. It is important that the DJ plays a few songs in various music genres so everyone can feel comfortable. While working with your DJ it is important to have a must play list, a list of things you would like them to play, and definitely a DO NOT PLAY list. One last thing, make sure your DJ has backup equipment onsite. Equipment failures don’t happen often but it is good to know if your DJ has a backup computer, backup hard drive and backup speakers. Ask them “What is your plan if a piece of equipment fails?”.
Good luck with the wedding planning process. Planning for the wedding is part of the process, make sure you have fun while you are putting the event together.