Your wedding day is a vision turned into reality
Please introduce yourself to our readers.
If there is one thing that I want my couples to know about me it is that I truly want to make your Big Day the best starting point for the rest of your lives.
Hello! My name is Tiffany and I am a local Colorado Wedding Planner! Usually, when people ask me what I do, I tell them that I get to plan celebrations – because I do! I work with couples to make their Big Day a true celebration of their lives together and the love they have for one another. I’ve been in the wedding industry for the past year and decided to switch from event coordination because this allows me to create moments that couples and families carry with them the rest of their lives. If there is one thing that I want my couples to know about me it is that I truly want to make your Big Day the best starting point for the rest of your lives. Through wedding planning, a lot of couples can become overwhelmed with the whole process and it is my job to step in to make sure that they are more focused on having fun and enjoying the journey!
How did you become a wedding planner?
By far my favorite moment when working is when I get to pull my couples back and show them what we have created with their vision!
I became a wedding planner after working as an event coordinator for just over five years. I loved what I did as an event coordinator but after helping a few close friends with their weddings it just felt like I could mesh my professional career with something that really brought me a lot of joy. By far my favorite moment when working is when I get to pull my couples back and show them what we have created with their vision! It is truly such a sweet moment to be a part of and I think a lot of couples can get caught up in the stress of a wedding and don’t always get a chance to appreciate those moments. Those moments really remind me that my job is important and can have an everlasting effect on the couple. I absolutely adore having that opportunity!
What are the most common questions that couples ask you at the first introductory appointment?
On my first consultations, I typically get asked a few things without fail:
- What exactly do you do on the wedding day?
- How do you handle last minute problems?
- Do you set up and tear down?
These questions will often tell them a lot about what they can expect from me and it gives them a chance to put me on the spot – which I recommend! One of the biggest concerns for couples is how their wedding planner will navigate last-minute snafus and when you have the opportunity to put them a little outside your comfort zone I always recommend it. Generally, most couples prioritize my responsibilities and want to know how much they can ask of me either months in advance all the way to the day of. Knowing the boundaries with their planner either puts their minds at ease or helps them decide to go with someone else who can cover everything that they’re asking for.
What are the typical services/packages offered by wedding planners?
Typically, not always, wedding planners offer three general tiers:
- Full package
- Partial package
- Day of coordination
The reason for this is so that couples can still utilize a planner even if they enjoy doing parts of the wedding themselves. It allows the couple to have the freedom to do as little or as much as they please! As for the pricing, you really are paying for the experience. You’ll see planners on the high end of pricing and wonder what the difference is between them and a more cost-effective planner, the difference is usually in how they present themselves and the sense of security they give their couples.
For instance, if you attend two weddings: one with a high-end planner and one with a more cost-effective planner you’ll notice a few things. One, for the more high-end planner typically you’ll see the most intricate details that otherwise wouldn’t be there. Two, you’ll typically notice that the couple seem very relaxed and almost unaware of the stress that most couples carry around with them at their weddings. Compared with a more cost-effective planner sometimes you’ll sacrifice the experience that comes with a higher end planner and those details might not be as recognizable.
So, there isn’t really a price or ballpark I’d say couples should have for a planner, but I would recommend meeting them before going any further. You want to make sure that their price fits your budget first and then make sure that you actually enjoy being around them! I always tell my couples that second to their photographer, I’m the face you’ll see the most that day so you really want to take time to make sure I bring you joy before booking!
Why is planning a wedding so stressful?
Having a wedding planner takes out the juggling and puts it into someone else’s hands – someone else who has done it before feels comfortable working with your vision and will remind you to focus on what is actually important – celebrating you and your significant other!
Planning a wedding has been made into a very stressful event, but I really don’t believe that it has to be. When we look at the bigger picture my couples and I are planning a huge celebration and when I tell it to them in this way often times you’ll see them relax a bit and smile! The stress comes from dealing with so many details and not having the experience to navigate them, along with the self-imposed expectations. Even for couples in the industry, it can be overwhelming because you’re juggling so many different details and often times it feels like you *have* to do something a certain way for someone else. Having a wedding planner takes out the juggling and puts it into someone else’s hands – someone else who has done it before feels comfortable working with your vision and will remind you to focus on what is actually important – celebrating you and your significant other!
What is the procedure for planning a wedding?
The answer to this question for me is that there isn’t one! Each couple has a very specific idea and vision of what they want and so while many still follow a traditional set up there are just too many quirks for each wedding to really come up with a cookie cutter procedure! That really is one of the more fun aspects of my job too! From creating a timeline with my couples to deciding on the ceremony script, to picking out what traditions to keep and what traditions to make there are just too many opportunities to make it special. So while it may scare some couples I don’t offer a typical procedure – instead, I offer to sit down with them and create exactly what they want!
What was the hardest part of planning a wedding?
Often times the most difficult part of planning a wedding can be navigating the conversations between family members. Depending on the family or wedding party, there is usually at least one very passionate member who has a very different view of the wedding than the couple does. Making sure you aren’t hurting the relationship with that person while also sticking to your guns can be difficult. Thankfully, for couples choosing to book with Peak Wedding Planning, I take it very seriously and try to work with both the couple and person(s) on either compromising (without hurting your vision) or helping the person(s) to understand exactly why we’re doing what we’re doing. As a little tip on this one, generally, the person(s) that are the most passionate and opinionated about the wedding are the ones who want to be a part of it most. Meaning, if you are able to find something for them to help with then a lot of the stress goes away!
What are your best expert wedding planning tips?
One of my responsibilities is to make sure that we identify what really means the most to you and find a way to highlight it!
I tell all of my couples this at one point or another: stick to your guns! If you have a vision of riding an elephant in on your wedding day it probably isn’t the most realistic option for most brides, but there is always an alternative to get as close as possible! I think in the chaos and stress couples tend to give up certain aspects that really mean a lot to them all because one person wasn’t quite sure if it was possible. One of my responsibilities is to make sure that we identify what really means the most to you and find a way to highlight it!
Which portion of the process keeps you busy the most, and what takes the most energy?
Wowza, this question is a big one. The beauty and chaos of planning are that my days very rarely resemble one another. On the weekdays my time is usually spent driving to meet couples for consultations, vendor meetings, dress fittings and everything in between! If I’m not on the road that day then I usually spend my day answering emails and reaching out to new vendors. I love being able to find my brides the perfect vendors and it takes a lot of time to find those businesses! As for the Big Day, it kind of feels like I’m everywhere all at the same time! Kidding aside, I typically spend the majority of the day split into 3 portions:
- Starting at the beginning, I usually pop in to check on the bride and her bridesmaids to keep them moving forward so we avoid any last minute disasters and then work with the venue as early as possible to get everything looking just right, followed by checking in with both bride and groom to make sure they’re still on schedule to be done without any stress!
- The second phase is directing the ceremony, this generally is where the nerves come out so my job is to make sure everyone knows their role to avoid any meltdowns!
- And lastly, the reception! This one is a big one because I’m usually working on it from the start of the day by checking in with all vendors and after everything is said and done I do a walk through with the venue coordinator or designated person to make sure that we’re avoiding any post-wedding cleaning fees.
While this is definitely not my full run through of the day, it is generally speaking pretty close!
If you could ask one thing of the grooms and brides that would make your job at their wedding easier, what would it be?
The answer for couples on how to make my job easier is always a little scary but very simple – its trust! When I work with my couples we go over their visions and ideas and sometimes what they are looking for can be presented in a different way but will make more sense in the long run – both in style as well as for their budget. When you hire a wedding planner you are hiring someone that has a mind for how to make what you want really work for you.
Between the timeline details and the venue all the way down to the table centerpieces – I want my couples to trust that I’ll provide them with everything that they’ve envisioned. This isn’t all on my couples though! On the flip side of things, it is my job as a planner to ensure that you go into all of our discussions and meetings with trust at the forefront. I take on this responsibility through listening and communicating with my couples from the very start, and I find that if I can build that trust with a couple then I know we’re in for a beautiful and fun Big Day!