There are two things that I have learned through all of the stages of wedding preparation- the first is that everything will always work itself out- so calm down. The second is to recognize you have to allow others to step in to assist or occasionally take over tasks. You gotta learn to just let some stuff go.

The thing is there are a million little things you have to think about when planning your event. The stress and confusion that comes along with them can be overwhelming. In previous posts, I have mentioned selecting your venue, picking your vendors, budgeting, coming up with a theme, and choosing your colors- but, this isn’t even a quarter of what you will need to check off your list. There is an extensive amount of time (not to mention energy) that will go into all of these choices. Some people have friends, or family that help in the planning process- others hire professionals to help bring all of the pieces together. It’s up to you on who you decide to involve in the planning stages- for me it was my fiancé and my Mom.

Wedding planning is stressful. Unfortunately, there isn't anyway around it with the exception of having someone else take over planning your wedding completely... even then the HEAT IS ON. I am a planner, I am organized, or at least I thought I was, but wedding planning is really overwhelming.

When I booked at Vista West Ranch I knew that a day-of-coordinator with Coordinate This was included in my package. This was a huge relief as I was sure that towards the end I would be desperate for someone to come in and take over. I knew that this individual would meet with us a few weeks prior to our wedding and we would go over all the little details. I knew that this person would be there to walk us through the rehearsal. I knew that she would be there at our wedding to insure that everything went smoothly and we stayed on schedule. Knowing that there is someone who knows what they are doing come in and assist with execution is priceless and very comforting. For me the day-of-coordinator worked out great- my Fiancé and I were both able to make time to plan ourselves (with much needed assistance from Mom), but for those who don't have the time or just don't want to deal with all of the decisions I highly recommend hiring an event planner to help you along the way (whether it's for part of it or all of it). What is so important in this whole process is to enjoy yourself as well as the little moments and the big.

If I could do it over I would definitly hire our Day-Of Coordinator to play a more active role in our wedding planning. I am not a professional, nor is anyone I know. I knew nothing of traditions or how this who wedding thing worked besides from weddings I had attended or movies I had seen. Lost would be an understatement. I think things would have gone much smoother- I would have gotten more sleep and been a much nicer person to deal with during my 16 month planning process.

The Benefits:

Remember that the Coordinators do the legwork. Their job is not only to make sure your wedding is awesome, but also to do the work needed behind the scenes to get it there. They are the backbone of your event dealing with the smallest and biggest of details. They have connections with vendors, knowledge in the industry, and about a zillion creative ideas to toss your way for inspiration. Which means Less Stress + More Sleep for you.