One of the biggest blessings Heartwood Hall couples receive from us is their wedding coordinator. Often times, hiring a wedding coordinator is an overlooked detail in the planning process for DIY brides. At Heartwood Hall, we know the importance of a great coordinator and make sure our couples have this necessity taken care of. Below I've detailed 9 reasons why an amazing wedding coordinator is essential to a stress-free wedding day.
1. Planning.
Your Heartwood Hall wedding coordinator is a professional. She does this every weekend so she knows a thing or two about weddings. This is most likely your first wedding to plan! You may have never given a thought to ceremony etiquette. You may have never thought about a million little things that your coordinator knows like the back of her hand. At Heartwood Hall, your wedding coordinator will contact you before your wedding to find out how you want things done and she'll be able to offer direction and advice on all the things you aren't sure of. She'll help you plan your ceremony and reception. She knows about how long everything will actually take so you don't have to guess and hope for the best. Your Heartwood Hall wedding coordinator can help you get a timeline together with ease and peace of mind.
2. Rehearsal.
Imagine showing up to your wedding rehearsal as a blushing bride. You've got your hair in just the right place, your make up is perfect and you have the most adorable white dress on with heels to match. You've arrived at your rehearsal and so have all of your bridesmaids, groomsmen, officiant and family members. They're all looking for direction and without a coordinator, they're looking at YOU. Maybe you know exactly where you want everyone to be and you're a take-charge kind of gal but your best friend and maid of honor is chatting you up about her most recent love affair. Your trusty groom is laughing with his groomsmen without a thought towards rehearsing. Your grandma has arrived and needs a place to sit down. Your mom is asking you where she can find a chair for grandma. Your flower girl needs to use the restroom right now and her mom is asking you where it's located. The ring bearer's mom is lost and calling you for directions. You can't concentrate on one person before the next needs you. You try to begin rehearsing but are continually interrupted by such issues. Your groomsmen and bridesmaids are flirting and playing while you're trying to organize them. You begin to sweat. That pretty makeup is starting to run and your hair is going flat. You don't want to raise your voice and be a "bridezilla" but you know you've got to be rehearsed and off the premises in a timely manner as well as get to your rehearsal dinner on time.
With a coordinator, you can relax. You can smile and talk with your bridesmaid about her newest boyfriend while the groom chats with his groomsmen. Your coordinator knows exactly where the restroom is. She knows exactly where a chair is for grandma, in fact, your coordinator got here early and set up a few chairs for your family members to have a place to sit. Your coordinator will tell your bridal party where to stand, how to line up and when to walk down the aisle. Your coordinator will make sure everyone is on task and on time. She'll keep a watch on, so you don't have to. Your hair will stay perfect, and your make up in place. You don't have to boss anyone around, you can smile, look pretty and enjoy the moment with your groom.
3. Ceremony.
Your Heartwood Hall wedding coordinator will arrive before your ceremony and make sure everything is in it's correct place. For one example; if you're doing a unity candle, she'll check that the candles are displayed well, the lighter works and is on the stand and that the table is in a good location for pictures and the flow of the ceremony. She'll chat with your DJ to make sure they're on the same page. Since she knows this venue like the back of her hand, she'll be able to assist him if he needs a chair, an outlet, some water, etc. She'll chat with your officiant to be sure he's ready and help with anything he may need. Most importantly, she'll check on the bride, groom and parents to help with anything they may need. During the ceremony, she'll make sure everyone is on-time, lined up and ready to walk the aisle. Since the bride, bridesmaids and parents are obviously busy, she can take care of all of this. The bride is free to concentrate on enjoying the occasion.
4. Cocktail Hour.
Your Heartwood Hall wedding coordinator works with our catering staff. She is able to communicate to them during the ceremony, about how far along the ceremony is and when to be ready to serve the guests at cocktail hour. This way your guests have a seamless transition from ceremony to cocktail hour. They're served right away.
5. Entrance, first dance, garter toss and bouquet toss.
Your wedding coordinator has helped you plan everything out and she knows exactly how you want things. She will coordinate with the DJ or band on when the right time to announce. She will keep a watch on the timing of everything to be sure everything happens at the appropriate time.
6. Cake Cutting
Your Heartwood Hall wedding coordinator will help with your cake cutting to make sure your photographers are ready to capture the moment. She will make sure your utensils and toasting glasses are in place and ready to be used. Our staff will be ready with dessert plates, napkins and utensils for the serving of the cake upon her direction. She will have the band or DJ announce at the right time, once she knows everything is in place.
7. Exit.
I have seen some exit horror stories as a guest at weddings throughout my life. I have seen sparklers catch things on fire. Intoxicated guests finding, getting ahold of and lighting all of the sparklers before time. Bridesmaid/coordinators yelling at guests moments before the bride and groom walk out. These horror stories will not happen to a Heartwood Hall bride because your wedding coordinator will have everything organized for you and ensure that there will be no chaos. Your wedding coordinator will have our staff ready to pass out sparklers or bubbles and assist with the lighting. Your coordinator will have the band or DJ announce at just the right time with the perfect instructions for your guests so there's no confusion. Your coordinator will be "the one in charge" so no guest or bridesmaid feels the need to take control. She is amazing at kindly organizing guests so that their, and your, exit experience is flawless.
8. The overall comfort of your guests.
Your Heartwood Hall wedding coordinator also knows all the little things about our venue like where the thermostats are located in case there needs to be adjustments, where extra chairs, restrooms, extra napkins or utensils, highchairs, etc. are located so she can help keep your guests comfortable and happy throughout the night.
9. Most importantly, the mother of the bride.
I can speak from experience, my mother and so many other mothers I know, would have appreciated the chance to get to relax and enjoy their daughter's wedding day but instead, they were rushed, driving all over town, sweating, stressed and too busy to enjoy their daughter because they didn't have a wedding coordinator to take care of things. When you don't have a wedding coordinator, most often, the responsibility falls on the mother of the bride. She spends her pre-ceremony making sure everything is set up, speaking with the vendors and running all over town because things were forgotten. She doesn't have the time to shower or do her hair or make up just right. She doesn't have the time to spend the day watching and enjoying her daughter. She spends her time at the reception watching her clock, checking in with the caterer, DJ, and other vendors. She doesn't have time to chat with guests, get a drink, dance and enjoy. With a coordinator, the mother of the bride can spend her day, knowing that everything will be taken care of. She can watch her daughter get her hair and make up done, help her slip into her dress and make sure her veil is just right. She can feel beautiful when she walks down the aisle because she actually had time to perfect her hair and make up. At the reception, she can grab a drink, eat some food, and converse with friends and family. Someone else is watching the clock. Someone else is organizing and taking care of guests. Mom can have a good time and know that everything is going to run smoothly. Assurance, relaxation and enjoyment is one of the biggest gifts to a mother that a bride and a venue can give.
At Heartwood Hall, we want our couples, our guests and our mothers to feel "taken care of". Let us handle everything for you. We want you to feel stress-free and enjoy your day! Our coordinators are highly recommended. They truly care about you and your big day! And they know exactly how to make it successful and stress-free for you.
Photos by: Kelly Ginn Photography | Venue: Heartwood Hall | Congratulations to our happy couple, Sachi & Logan| xoxo: Stacie DeWitt
