Wedding Planner or Not to Plan

Complete Chaos

Most Indian Weddings are multi-day affairs involving a multitude of family members.  Long story short, it’s chaotic even if it’s simple.  There are just so many things to remember and do.  From puja supplies, goodie bags, the ring, jewelry, gifts, meddling relatives, garlic and onion free, vegans, booster seats, high chairs, gift box, baraat car decor, first look, his and her drinks, grand intros, cake knife, napkin folds, gratuity, parking validation, vendor meals, rain call, photo-op, photo booth props, first dance song, champagne toast, first look, grand entrance flash mob, slide shows, grand entrance movie, sign-in table props, pictures of the deceased and many more items that can make your wedding chaos.

Experience

Experience is a must!  This is not on the job training day.  Anyone without verifiable Indian weddings under their belt should not be considered.  Anyone offering to do it free, is also a red flag.    There is too much at stake for your wedding to be a part of someone’s learning curve.  The more experience, the more it will cost, hence the better the outcome.  We have all heard the saying, it’s not what you know but who you know.  It’s not who you know, it’s what you know when it comes to wedding planning.

People vs Person

One person generally can’t do a proper job of event coordinating on the day of the event.  Many times the planner and their assistant(s) have to be in two or three different places to direct traffic and execute their game plan effectively.  This is especially true when the events are scattered throughout the hotel.  In every wedding, a planner is usually directing the baraat in the correct path and giving cues to the DJ to either keep playing or turn it down to get everyone through the doors, while the assistant is waiting and keeping a close eye in the ceremonial room.

Indian or Non-Indian

It doesn’t matter in regards of executing the wedding timeline.  Some people are more comfortable with certain ethnicities which is perfectly fine; everyone has preferences.  We recommend that your talk to a few planners, and ask questions and seek thoughtful responses.

Hotel Event Director

Some of our previous clients ingenuously believe their hotel salesperson will run the show.  That’s a big mistake.  They are there to make sure the hotel executes its part of the deal.  They will not call the food caterer when the delivery guy is not at the venue when they should be.  The hotel does not care.

Friends and Family

We have seen friends and family (F&F) take on the role of the coordinator.  Yes they can do it only to a point of directing their side of the family.  We have seen some Gujarati, specifically Leuva Patidar Samaj (Patels)  where the local friends help out with the food, and seemingly deliver a flawless performance.  It’s not rocket science, but you do need many hands, one or two cooks in the kitchen and experience.

In most cases, F&F have been unsuccessful handling the other side i.e. groom’s side.  The reason this is true is because they represent  the bride’s side and that becomes a conflict of interest or a bias.  When there’s a neutral coordinator in the middle, and when given the adequate decision making power, then and only then will things go smoothly.

Absolute No – No

Please do not hire a coordinator and have them setup chair covers and linens you rented from the internet and those centerpieces you bought off a cheap China import site.  That’s mean and it’s tacky.  That’s like having a server bring your doggie bag to your car, just because they are still waiting to be tipped.  It’s mean and tacky.  We suggest if you do rent chair covers, linens and DIY centerpieces, hire some labor to do those or have family and friends to that, since there’s no conflict of interest.

It Won’t Happen to Me Syndrome

Even after reading this, many of you will not advocate the tips listed nor will you follow them.  Many of you will think, these kinds of bridezilla things won’t happen at my wedding.  That’s perfectly fine and you may need a bit of chaos to make things interesting.  The goal of this article is to to convince a handful of brides.  Contact us today for recommendations on the best planners in Florida.