By Brianna Bowman, Associate Planner + Coordinator
Like most people, I was used to being a wedding guest, but never knew what went on behind the scenes to turn the magical day that family and close friends get to experience into what it was. As the newest member of A & L, I got full exposure to what exactly goes into working a wedding. So, I want to share my insights with other newbies and professionals in the wedding industry on what it’s really like to work a wedding day...
Your feet are going to hurt. I learned this lesson the hard way at my first wedding. While wedding days for most people start at ceremony time, wedding days for a wedding coordinator start bright early. While our wedding day start time varies per wedding I can usually expect a solid 12+ hour day on my feet. A & L dawns a classic all black, professional look on wedding days and I thought no better way to add a pop to my all black attire than with a pair of cute animal print ballet flats. BAD IDEA. After running up and down flights of stairs, including moving a chuppa from the second to first floor, my cute shoes with barely any support showed me that investing in a great pair of comfortable shoes is key to making it all day without complaints.
While we are on the topic of fashion, I thought I would also mention how important it is to find some wedding outfits that you don’t mind getting dirty and can potentially lift a chuppah in. Wedding days consist of everything from crawling under tables (and dresses) to cutting greenery for a nice place setting accent. I added a few jumpsuits to my closet before my first wedding which I quickly found out was a great idea.
One of the very first things I learned from A & L about weddings is that a great timeline is key to a successful wedding day. This one piece of paper dictates the day and ensures that everyone stays on schedule. It is quite literally the event’s lifeline.
While we're on the topic of timelines, I also wanted to mention that sometimes things don’t go as planned and the timeline gets a little derailed due to unpredictable or unforeseen circumstances. We had one wedding where the shuttle for guests from the hotel to the venue was running quite a bit late. A large number of guests, including the ring bearer, were waiting for the shuttle and were afraid they were going to miss the ceremony. I learned that day how important it is to be able to adjust the schedule on the fly, work with the vendor team to ensure we are all on the same page, and still make the day magical for the B + G.
Now, while we like to think we’re the ones running the show, the DJ or band are the ones that truly run the show. They are the entertainment for the night and are key components to making sure we stay on time. Sometimes DJs and entertainers get so amped up by the crowd that they may miss a step in the timeline but that is wear tip #5 comes into play! Be sure to have open communication with the DJ about the timeline and your expectations for the evening, because nothing is worse than when a DJ starts parent dance music and the father of the bride is nowhere to be found!
Now onto my favorite part, the sweets! Cookies are a crowd favorite and a pertinent part to a Pittsburgh wedding day. Whether we’re traying cookies, building cookie boxes or setting up a cookie table, working weddings in Pittsburgh always involves at least one cookie or maybe 240 dozen. That is no exaggeration, we trayed close to 240 dozen, or 35 feet worth of cookies, at a wedding and that truly showed me what a real cookie table is. (This is another instance that wearing an outfit you don’t mind getting dirty comes into play.) But at the end of the day traying cookies and refilling the cookie table isn’t so bad, because while everyone else is getting their dance on I get to try one (or 12) cookies here and there. Shhh!
Also, I always eat a piece of wedding cake if it is available to me. It’s my little reward for all my hard work that day. We have couples get wedding cakes from some of the best bakeries in the city, so of course, as Rihanna would say - cake cake cake cake cake.
While most people would think that the bar closing and the lights turning back is a sign that everyone gets to go home, that isn't the case for the wedding coordinator. We are typically the first ones at the venue and the last ones to leave. Tear down typically involves stripping linens, collecting the couple’s personal items and consolidating floral. While we usually like to start before the party is completely over at A & L I can usually expect for another hour of work to clean and load up any personal items. To make sure I can make it all night I like to utilize the time while the B + G and their guests are dancing to have a seat and get a drink of water, because once the dancing ends the real fun begins.
Weddings are hard work but nothing is more rewarding than seeing the beautiful smiles on the B + G’s faces when they see their dream day come to life that they created to celebrate their love. While some people love the summer for the sunshine and vacations, I love it for another reason… because it means that wedding season is at its peak, and I get to do what I truly love every weekend!
Xo,