I actually made a joke of it at first, being able to say my name with letters of distinction following. Who knew that a certificate could actually make me stand a bit taller? The truth is that it didn't change my desire to provide excellent service, or stand out as a quality provider, but what it did do is show that I am serious about the importance of my role, enough to invest time and money into an organization that also takes this very serious and holds me to a higher standard of service.
So, if I could re-do my daughters weddings I would only change one thing….well maybe more than one thing but at the top of my list I would say that I would have hired myself, Kim Friesen WPICC. Had I hired a co-ordinator I would have actually been present in their days. Yes, I was there, in fact I was flitting around everywhere, overseeing everything. I had great help from friends and family but it was the little moments that I wasn’t able to fully take in, that break my heart a bit as a momma.
So what is a wedding planner anyway? There are a lot of vendors that describe themselves as planners and the line gets a little bit blurred. Yes, they plan for their specific skill, be it photography, florals, or décor, but in terms of the “nitty, gritty” of your day their involvement is minimal. Don’t get me wrong, they are essential and often times very gifted and helpful but they aren’t at your beck and call for your day.
A “wedding planner” or the term I prefer, a “Coordinator”, handles every aspect of your day so that you are able to “be a guest at your own event”. A coordinator does everything from helping you design the day to reflect who you are as a couple, choosing vendors, managing contracts, developing a day of timeline, running your rehearsal, fluffing your dress before you walk down the aisle, to helping grandma carry her plate of food. And don’t forget all the last minute emergencies, a co-ordinator will take on the stress of those moments and deal with them for you.
Unfortunately, it is after the event that the necessity of a co-ordinator is felt. This is an excerpt from a letter that one of my “Mother’s of the bride” sent after the wedding and it sums up why I chose to enter the profession of “Wedding Coordinator”,
“Kim, I meant to send this out right after the wedding but the past few days have been filled with sorting and organizing the mess that became my house over the past month. I can't thank you enough for all your hard work. You took my daughters vision of her day and brought it to reality. WOW is all I can say. The day was all we could have asked for and more!!! I hope you know how special you are. Thank you for taking care of everything and everyone. I was truly able to enjoy the day...”
So as you invest $1000’s of dollars into your special day consider the value of hiring a coordinator so that you are actually able to fully enjoy and take in your day! And, if you don't know, WPICC stands for Wedding Planners Institute of Canada Certified.