Thursday, February 24, 2022

Glynn and Wes-Eisenhower House

 I had met Glynn very early in her engagement and was so excited to work with her to create her dream wedding.  Her simple but elegant style was perfect for under the tent at Eisenhower House. She had great food provided by Fine Catering by Russell Morin, a great band, Clique, and other great vendors such as Artistic Wedding Video, Luke's ENT for the photobooth. and PEAK event services provided all the rentals. A gorgeous day for a beautiful couple!  Congratulations Glynn and Wes!






Saturday, February 19, 2022

Jaclyn and Jason-Quidnessett Country Club

      Jaclyn and Jason had so many gorgeous details for their wedding at Quidnessett Country Club.  The florals by Michelle Jeanne Floral Design, were absolutely stunning. The food was plentiful, including an Awful Awful truck provided by Newport Creamery.  When you have M Studios, as your photographer, it is always a good time as they provide a fun, relaxed environment for any couple.  Congratulations to Jaclyn and Jason!

Photo by M Studios







Tuesday, February 15, 2022

Sarah and Drew-The Towers

     Sarah and Drew had the wettest wedding, I think I have ever been a part of but their colors were so vibrant, it brightened everything up!  They had a ceremony at South Ferry Church with the bride's uncle officiating.  I am pretty sure that he did not leave a dry eye!! Off to The Towers, with the evening catered by Blackstone Caterers, flowers by Studio 539, and music by DJ Corey Young.  The rain ended sometime during the reception, and it didn't matter to their guests, who had a blast dancing! Congratulations Sarah and Drew!!






Jenna and Dave-Regatta Place

      2021 was so busy, I barely had a chance to breathe. But now, as I sit a few weeks away from the 2022 season, I need to share all the wonderful weddings that Planned to Perfection got to be a part of!  We started off our season with Jenna and Dave at Regatta Place. This was such a fun couple! The groom's grandfather was the officiant and made the ceremony so special for them.  They had a fun photo booth, that their guests had a blast with and their DJ kept everyone the floor the entire evening. Congratulations Jenna and Dave!!! 













Saturday, April 17, 2021

Wedding Planner vs Venue Coordinator

 I found this article helpful in explaining the difference between the two roles.

The Difference Between A Wedding Planner And Venue Coordinator

"Unless you’re in the wedding industry, the differences between the two aren’t commonly known."

By 

Summer McLane, Contributor

 


Alright ladies, let’s talk about the differences between venue coordinators and wedding planners. As a wedding planner, one of my biggest pet peeves is when a venue sells their in-house coordinator as an actual wedding planner. I’ve learned that unless you’re in the wedding industry, the differences between the two aren’t commonly known.

About 4 years ago, I received a frantic call from a bride who desperately needed help with her wedding which was 36 hours away. Yes…36 HOURS AWAY! When booking her venue, she said that the biggest selling point was that the venue came with a coordinator. She was told that hiring an outside planner would be a waste of money since she was already paying for one with her venue. Filling out a last-minute questionnaire from the venue, she thought it was odd that they asked who her coordinator for the day would be. She answered “you” with a smiley face. The next day, she received an email stating that the person who she had been working with for months wasn’t even going to be at her wedding. She was confused as to why the bride would think she’d be there…maybe because that’s what she was told? Luckily, I was able to step in and make magic happen.

Here are some of the key differences between a venue coordinator and a wedding planner:

1. Venue:

Venue Coordinator- They are responsible for everything that specifically deals with the venue. Tables, chairs, linens, food, etc. If the venue provides catering, their focus is to make sure that the kitchen and wait staff are scheduled according to their needs.

Wedding Planner- They are responsible for everything that comes with your venue AND making sure that your vendors know where and when they’re supposed to be. If the venue provides linens, it is the job of the wedding planner to choose the color based on the design of the wedding and to keep the quantities correct.

2. Vendors:

Venue Coordinator- The venue coordinator will most-likely provide a list of preferred vendors and that’s the extent of their involvement when it comes to interacting with the vendors.

Wedding Planner - Your wedding planner will schedule and attend your meetings with your vendors. They are the main point of contact between you and your vendors. If a vendor is lost or running late or is having an emergency, they’ll contact your wedding planner who will then put out the fire. Your wedding planner gives recommendations based on vendors they’ve worked with previously. They also review contracts; set up hotel room blocks, etc.

3. Timeline:

Venue Coordinator- Hotels that provide catering will have a timeline solely for their catering staff. Their timeline will center around when the food will be prepared and served. That’s it.

Wedding Planner - The wedding planner’s timeline details all aspects of the day from the time that the bride wakes up to the moment that the doors close. As a wedding planner, I have to know every single that is happening with every single person involved in the day. I schedule arrival times for all vendors, when the photos will be taken, what songs will be played for each dance, when the cake will be cut and when and where the sparkler send-off will be. We do it ALL.

4. Accessibility:

Venue Coordinator - You’re most likely sharing your venue coordinator with at least 100 other brides. This means delayed responses to phone calls and emails. This also means that you have to try to catch them during business hours.

Wedding Planner – Fortunately (and unfortunately), wedding planners are available almost 24/7. Of course there are exceptions but if you’re having an emergency, you can pick up the phone and send a quick text message. Your venue coordinator isn’t giving you their personal cell phone number.

5. Design.

Venue Coordinator – They’re not designing your wedding. Period.

Wedding Planner – They’ll design your ceremony and reception. They’ll choose your colors, linens, flowers, table set-up and design and so on and so on.

Brides, do not make the mistake of not hiring a wedding planner because your venue has a “wedding coordinator”. Planners do drastically different things and they’re more hands-on. Believe me, spend the money on a planner at the beginning so that you don’t have to find out in the middle of planning that you don’t actually have a planner, but a venue coordinator.

 


Monday, February 8, 2021

Michelle and Donald-Eisenhower House

      Michelle was getting married to Donald, with or without COVID! She wrote a letter to the Governor, she was focused on everything she needed to do to make her wedding go on safely and follow the state guidelines. We had Plan B and Plan C, and when it was time for Michelle's wedding, Rhode Island was in such a good spot, she got to have the guest count she had hoped for and the wedding she dreamed of. Michelle and I started planning her wedding before anyone knew what COVID was. She had picked Eisenhower House, but was unsure of all the extra's she needed to pull her ideas together. She chose Blackstone Caterers, New England Tent, Ryan Designs for tent décor, Le Isle Rose as a florist, Melody Piling Photography and PEAK Events. Together this team created a beautiful event, outstanding food and a happy couple at the end of the night.   Congratulations to Michelle and Donald.













Wednesday, December 23, 2020

Giving Back 2020

 Last Sunday, I received an email from an organization that grants wishes. They had an 11 year old boy, who is terminal with bone cancer who wanted to live a life of the rich and famous. They had a house rented for him for this weekend and that is it. I went into crazy planning mode. With the help of awesome vendors, we planned a great weekend! He rode in style with transpiration provided by @rockstar_limo, ate like a king with food from @gloriousaffairs, went to @audrainautomuseum and the breakers for private tours and photos taken by @jennifernevesphotography. He had his own ice cream provided by @benandjerrys, desserts from @scrumptions_inc and my parents provided a candy bar. Please pray for Lou and his family during this extremely difficult time, as they really need our prayers.