As a wedding planner, you would think that this question is simple to answer. I do styling, design, and coordination. I handle many of the front end and back end activities around weddings. – But what does that really mean? I would do whatever you need help with! Also not a descriptive answer. After some time, I realized that producing a play is a great analogy for planning a wedding.
There are 3 different roles a wedding planner plays:
Set Designer (Event Design/Styling)
The set designer is basically the architect, designing the scene to bring the vision, script, and characters to life. A planner sets the overall scene from the big picture to the tiny details. We plan the ceremony and reception layout as well as dream up the details that bring cohesiveness to the wedding – flowers, stationery, rentals, etc.
Director (Coordination)
Directors are perhaps the most influential part of any production. Directors make the casting choices and guide the cast to express and execute the performance according to their specific vision. Directors are the decision makers and are the bridge between ideas and reality.
For weddings, the cast is everyone – the couple, the vendors, the wedding party, even the guests. We organize everything from bridal party hair and makeup to keeping track of where everyone sits. Planners keep in line with the couple’s vision as well as hire the pros, keep track of the budget, and keep everyone and everything organized and on schedule. We plan to perfection as best as we can but while actual directors can somewhat relax during their shows, planners transition into the next role –
Stage Manager (Styling/Coordination)
The stage manager is close to the action, making sure everything goes to plan, putting the final touches on the scene, fixing immediate issues, keeping everyone on task and stepping in when necessary. If you hardly see your planner on your wedding day, chances are, it’s not because they are swiping some appetizers in the kitchen.
Inserting a technical analogy here because it is so fitting and because I like it so much – A good computer security administrator is invisible. The fact that there are no problems is awesome! If no one is stealing your identity or messing with your internet and you are not currently receiving the Blue Screen of Death, consider that a win, especially because computers can seemingly go awry for no reason. If the problems are resolved by the administrator, the job is quite invisible because you never really experience positive effects, you only avoid negative ones. Keep this in mind because if you have an uneventful (read: no drama) wedding day, that does not necessarily mean that your planner had a seamless day, too.
A Planner’s Role
Weddings are sort of an organized chaos – hopefully more organized, than chaos. So many different things and people have to come together for a wedding that it can be overwhelming to coordinate, no matter how much time you have to plan. A planner adds organization, structure, and calm to the planning process.
Planners have a very multifaceted job and it is technical, analytical, and creative all at the same time. There are so many things that I love about planning weddings but the fact that it takes an analytical, organized person foremost as well as a creator and creative problem solver AND you have the honor of being a part of a couple’s journey through life together makes it truly a dream job.
Seeing all of the roles a planner has, it is hard to say what the planner doesn’t do! 🙂
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