Wedding Day Stress
Wedding planning takes a lot of patience, skill and knowledge about the ebb and flow of a wedding day. Managing many weddings yearly, they have the experience and understanding of what can go right as they plan and what could go wrong. They know how to anticipate what could go wrong so that the day runs as smoothly as possible. They are the professionals who take the stress and burden off of you on your wedding day, and work behind the scenes in an organized manner to facilitate your vision. “But Joy,” you say, “I am a really organized and creative person and I can absolutely do it all myself,” or “my sister is really good at putting events together so she is going to do the wedding planning and coordinating.” I have no doubt that those things are true. And please understand that I do not judge brides who go this route. It is your wedding, and I know that everyone has different circumstances and experience levels. I am here to serve you well and provide a wonderful photography experience for you on your wedding day. Here me out, though. I have photographed a lot of different weddings and I have seen a lot of brides who were relaxed and enjoying their time pre-ceremony with their bridesmaids and family there and I have seen brides who were trying to get ready and enjoy the pre-ceremony time, but were really stressed because of things that weren’t done yet or vendors that were delayed in arriving. This results in someone coming to them while they are getting ready and telling them or one of the bridesmaids or family members. Then the bridesmaid or family member has to leave the bridal suite to go deal with the issue. They end up being present intermittently, which causes frustration and even delays to the ceremony start time as well. Most of the time when a bride is in tears pre-ceremony due to stress, it is because they did not hire a wedding planner. Is this the case 100% of the time? No. There is always an exception to the rule, so to speak. However it can and does happen when a planner or coordinator is not involved to shoulder the issues that do pop up on a wedding day. Let me introduce you to someone who can shed more light to this.
A Wedding Planner’s Perspective
A while ago, I interviewed Kari Scruggs of Two River Events, LLC. She is a wedding and event planner located in Southeastern Virginia who serves Virginia, Maryland, Washington, D.C. and surrounding areas. Kari established Two River Events in 2013 because of her own wedding. She and her mother planned her wedding, which made a lot of sense because her mother was a veteran wedding planner. While it was a successful and beautiful wedding, it was also pretty stressful. She recalls wishing that she would have had a coordinator on her wedding day as her phone was ringing nonstop while she was getting ready. Her mother ended up having her hair done twice because she was working so hard after the stylist did her hair the first time that she was literally sweating as she got all of the details set up. Ultimately, Kari missed out on time with her mom because of all of the work it took to make her wedding day a success. Because of this experience, Kari understands first hand the stress of a wedding and how it can impact a couple and their families without help. She is passionate about making sure her clients are so well taken care of that they can enjoy their wedding day free from stress. She truly desires for her couples to be free to enjoy time with family and friends, knowing that their wedding planner is handling all the details.
Advice for Couples
As we were chatting, I asked her this question: What is some advice that you would give to potential clients? Kari suggests that as you plan your wedding, make sure you have a good understanding of your wedding budget, knowing that your guest count will dictate everything. She also recommends being flexible. Sometimes unexpected things, such as weather, illness, missing wedding rings, and so on happen. Things will probably happen that are out of your control. Being flexible and having a plan B will save everyone a lot of stress.
Two River Events, LLC
Two River Events, LLC has several options to help you plan your wedding with the understanding that each couple and wedding is unique. Therefore, the experience will be customized to fit your needs.
- Event Management: This option allows the bride and groom to design their own day. Kari will help with the timeline and the execution of the details of your day.
- Partial Event Planning: This option incorporates some designing, conversations about the design, 1-2 vendor meetings with you, and the timeline and execution of the details of your ceremony rehearsal and your wedding day.
- Full Event Planning: This option includes full design, all meetings with you and your vendors, and the timeline and execution of the details of your ceremony rehearsal and your wedding day.
Hair stylist: Lauren Barefoot