June 20th, 2017

I never imagined I'd start a blog, but  with things going on and I've been asked so many questions about being a wedding planner I though'd I start one.  
Firstly, I often attend weddings in another aspect. Not as the wedding director, but as a DJ or videographer. I had my own videography company for 10 years, but more and more brides wanted me to direct, rather than get videography. Of course they regretted not having a video afterwards.

Secondly, I see that so many brides don't have a wedding planner and their wedding is disorganized. I plan with the guests and Photographer/ Videographer in mind. I am very respectful of the guests who want to see what is going on and who have  traveled so far to be a part of the day. I also direct so that the photographer gets great shots and the videographer has a line of site to get the whole ceremony.
During the past 2 years, as I go out with our teams to weddings {we do videography and music (DJ) also at our company} and we were not hired to be the wedding planner, I sometimes have to bite my lip and not look, when watching a wedding rehearsal.  So much goes wrong. So much could look more elegant. Look more polished and *smart*. You know that extra little something that makes the guests go "wow."

​What's the key to a dream wedding? A perfect rehearsal? Well the actual key and secret to this is... Pre-planning.  I see so much planning still going on at rehearsals. I see so many people not knowing what to do.  Sometimes, there is really no one in charge as the bride was the planner and she put someone out there with her notes that isn't familiar with how to direct a wedding.  They start the rehearsal at the beginning of the ceremony. -- Uhm, nope. Always start a rehearsal at the part where the minister welcomes the bride at the front. Her father (someone) has just walked her up to the groom. Start there. Let the minister do the rehearsal twice, then he/ she can go.  Then do the beginning and just the end. Twice. You are Done.  But what else can you do to make it look more elegant. People traveled far to get to your wedding. Are you going to be able to wow them?  Do you want to? How do you make it better?   

(January 2021)
Well I suspect to make your wedding picture perfect is to have vendors that know what they are doing. I once went to a wedding reception (as the videographer) and got the shock of our lives! {We get permission from the DJ, to plug into an output from his sound board to get great sound on the video, especially the speeches, announcements and special music for highlight events}. When we arrived the music was so loud that we could not talk without shouting. Seriously!  We were shouting to ask the DJ if we could plug into a 1/4" plug, the head phone out, etc.  But we could hardly hear his reply. He barely heard and understood us!  -- The guests were arriving and the DJ was playing Pop Music from that year (early 2000's) and the sound level (between a 1 and 10) and should be a 3 when guests are first arriving   [and the music slowly gets louder over the course of the evening. (When it's time to dance)].  The music was at 9 1/2.  All through Dinner we were shouting at anyone we needed to talk to. I suggested politely to the DJ that they bring the music down a little so guests could talk during dinner. The DJ replied "No, the groom said to keep the music really loud."   The DJ kept the music at this ear deafening level until the grandfather of the bride, went up and took a hold of every one of the mixing pots and turned them down to 1. Then he shouted at the DJ "I told you we are old, not deaf! I can't talk to my wife and my friends can't talk to each other.  Keep the levels down!!!!" -- Of course everyone was taken aback, but then some laughter started and more guests were laughing. Then the applause started.  The DJ was from Richmond. I don't think he was a family friend. (Back in 2001 - 2012 there were only 7  Professional DJs that worked weddings in this area), so I think they hired out of the local area when they couldn't find someone. This guy was most likely a great, wonderful club DJ, but he took part in ruining the wedding reception. 
So part of making your own wedding Perfect (not just picture perfect, but SOUND perfect too)  is by hiring the right vendor, who knows what he is doing.    Who actually can do what you are hiring them for.  I plan to start a thread about good weddings that went bad because of vendors who really didn't know what they were doing. (I have some of it on video! However I will  not show it and embarrass anyone.)