The question I get asked most, without a doubt, is “why do I need a wedding planner?” There are actually a lot of ways to answer that question, but they all come down to one thing. My job is to make sure that the bride and groom and their families are able to enjoy one of the most important occasions in their lives. The most well-organized wedding has unexpected things happen and a good wedding planner has to make quick changes or to improvise to keep the day running smoothly.
(Note: I don’t have any photographs of me coping with small crises – thank goodness – so I am sharing some photos from recent weddings I have organized. These are not necessarily from the weddings that I mention here, but they are really pretty. Enjoy them!)
image courtesy of Alfred Gordon Photography
This weekend was pretty typical. I had two weddings on the schedule so my highly trained event planner I work with went to the one that seemed less complicated. And everything was going smoothly until one of the usher’s realized that his pants were not hemmed and that he didn’t even have the necessary suspender buttons. She grabbed the tiny sewing kit from the “emergency bag” I sent with her and basted a hem in the pants, pinned on the suspenders and the usher looked great. She also spent some time as a baby wrangler, keeping the year-old ring bearer amused so that his mother could be in wedding pictures and did some impromptu cake decorating using several flowers from the reception decorations.
image courtesy of j photography
Meanwhile, I became the planner-slash-hairstylist at the wedding I was coordinating. The bride had her hair done professionally but it would not stay up. I pinned and sprayed, sprayed and pinned her hair several times throughout the evening. I even drafted the photographer and the graphic designer to give it a try and nothing seemed to be working. I’m not sure what we did (although it may have had something to do with all that hairspray) but her hair finally stayed in place. She looked beautiful!
image courtesy of Cat Pennenga Photography
Over the years, I’ve been the emcee at a wedding because the DJ got a bad case of stage fright when he saw the crowd He totally froze…and almost cried. He was normally a night club DJ, but I really think he needed to consider a career change. My own tailoring jobs have included super gluing a groom’s tuxedo buttons and duct taping a wedding dress when the zipper broke just before the first dance. Once, I led the University of South Florida marching band through the Ringling Museum Courtyard because they did not know where to go.
image courtesy of Audrey Snow Photography
I have frequently had to run get forgotten supplies. As I said, I have an emergency kit that I bring. It contains the expected items like the invaluable sewing kit, a glue gun and hot glue sticks, duct tape, scissors, and tape. I also bring a spare cake knife and server set, a small pillow that can be used by the ring bearer and an extra garter for the bride. But, no matter how much I prepare, something gets lost or forgotten. I recently coordinated a wedding at a private rental home and had to go out buy extra toilet paper. That is a necessity that no one can be without! I’ve had to get ice and lemons and limes for bartenders who didn’t bring enough. One nervous couple, who also happened to be new parents, forgot to bring baby formula to the reception. Thank goodness a 24 hour pharmacy was around the corner! And, I’ve gone back to hotels to get the marriage license and copies of vows. Sorry guys – it is usually the groom who leaves these things behind.
image courtesy of Enna/Anne Design, Photography and Makeup
One of the craziest stories was when a bride unexpectedly handed me a fish bowl with two goldfish. She had decided to use the fish instead of a unity candle or sand ceremony. The idea was to have each fish in a separate bowl and then pour them into one bowl. I stopped by her mother’s house to pick up things to put out at the wedding and that’s when they gave me the fish. I had a full day of meetings and was worried about leaving the fish in my hot car all day, so I called a friend who agreed to “fish sit” for the day. About 15 minutes after I left, she texted me with a “man down” message – one of the fish had passed. I went to the pet store to get a replacement. The shop owner advised getting several back up fish so that I would be sure to have live ones for the ceremony. Of course, no more died which left me with a small school of goldfish. One of the servers took them home as a present for his granddaughter’s birthday happening the very next day. She owned a fish tank already, so it was perfect!
image courtesy of Kristen Manick Photography
I’ve jumpstarted cars, dug sand for luminaries, fixed countless bustles, and cleaned shrimp cocktail sauce off of the dress of the mother of the bride. I’ve found replacement DJ’s, officiants, musicians and photographers at the last minute when someone got sick or just didn’t show up. (These have been vendors that were booked before I was involved. Another reason to have a wedding coordinator is that I know the reliable vendors to work with.)
image coutesy of Photography by Larson
I’ve been a shoulder to cry on, a person to vent to, and I have had the pleasure to hear funny family stories and, at times, inappropriate jokes, all in the process of helping a bride and groom, their family and friends on the most special of days. It’s so much fun!
Anna Pohl is the certified and award-winning owner of the wedding and event company, Day Planners, specializing in destination wedding planning on Florida’s Gulf Coast. With an MBA and BFA in Fine Arts, Anna’s unique combination of creativity and solid business smarts allows her to flawlessly assist her clients with their soirees. Currently, Anna teaches event planning at the State College of Florida and is a regular contributor to Nuovo Bride.
in 1887 and has been completely restored. It seats 150 people so it is a wonderful size for a wedding and is a good option for a religious ceremony. Currently, the park is fundraising for a “Help Save the Old Meeting House Steeple at Manatee Historical Village” campaign. For a twist on the traditional favor idea, couples can make a donation in honor of your guests toward this worthy endeavor if you get married on the grounds. Then you can print and frame the donation notice and place it at the guest book table so that everyone know what you have done so generously in their names. 
Weddings are usually held in this pretty gazebo that overlooks a koi pond.
This bride mounted the poster on foam core and placed it on a pretty easel for her wedding at the 
