Part 4 -What Does A Wedding Planner Really Do?

So the bride has safely made it down the aisle, the wedding is progressing nicely and I’m exhausted, but there is no time to rest. While the wedding finishes up the Willrich team is still hard at work. Half my team is busily gathering all of the bride’s items to be packed in the getaway car, grabbing the sign in book and heading over to the reception site. Those of us left, including myself get in place to open the doors as the new Mr. and Mrs. return down the aisle. As the new couple and their bridal party come out of the church we send them back to an area out of sight of the guests to wait for pictures to start. We stop groomsmen that have to go back down the aisle to escort out family members, put them in the correct order and send them back down the aisle to bring out Mom and Grandmom.

Once the recessional ends and guests start to move out of the sanctuary, we are stationed at the doors to hand out directions to the reception site and answer questions. As soon as all the guests have left, we move the bridal party back into the sanctuary for pictures. As the pictures begin, we start packing up anything in the sanctuary that needs to be moved to the reception, left over programs, coloring books for the kids, and pew markers. We are also the ones bending over picking up all those beautiful rose petals that the flower girl just dropped, under the watchful eye of the priest. Yeah that’s right; someone has to pick up all those petals. Bet you hadn’t even though about that (another thing the florist does not do.)

As soon as the pictures are underway, church cleaned and we’re sure the limo is in the parking lot, the rest of the team, (except the one assigned to stay with the bridal party during pictures, to keep them on the 30 minute time schedule) leave and head to the reception.

When I arrive at the reception, I am pleased to see my team that arrived earlier has lit all the candles, put out the sign in book, and has started taking gifts from arriving guests and placing them on the gift table. Another member of the team is patiently helping guests find their escort cards and places at the tables. Of course friends of the bride have been assigned these duties, but as usual they are no where to be seen. Guests don’t enjoy doing these things when the bar is open and there are friends to talk to and I don’t blame them.

More tomorrow….