KICK-BUTT SELF-DEFENSE: Lori Hartman Gervasi, author

etter living | weddings
P l a n w e l l,
then enjoy
By CHRISTINA M. GAUDY
On a day that’s so important and
so full of details, every bride needs
help — and lots of it. The entire
day’s schedule should be planned well in
advance to make sure everyone is on the
same page.
One way to be sure that everything goes
smoothly is to hire a professional wedding
coordinator.
“Every part of the day — including prep
time, ceremony and reception — must be
completely coordinated, so that no detail is
overlooked,” says Susan Higgins-d’amico
of Starstruck Events in Upland.
“you can hire an event planner to help with parts of the wedding
preparation and ceremony at an hourly rate, or retain them to handle
the whole affair for a percentage of your entire budget,” she adds. “Most
coordinators have flexible price structures, so it is an option every bride
should at least consider. Hiring a professional is by far the easiest way
to ensure a successful event.”
Experienced coordinators can refer clients to the most reputable
wedding vendors, arrange special pricing with companies they regularly
use, and may even give the couple an advantage when it comes to
securing the most popular venues. But if a coordinator is simply not in
the budget, not to worry.
“a bride can still have an amazing wedding without the help of
a wedding coordinator — especially if she has a supportive team along
with her,” says Cherish Wicker of Cherished Events of Rancho
Cucamonga. “While a bride may find it difficult to delegate tasks
to others, she really should do this. Being overly stressed is not a good
recipe for a happy bride.”
Getting the “support team” in place is key and should be done right
away. Rely on those who are willing to help and be sure to utilize their
talents with the jobs you give them, Wicker says.
“Besides bridal party members, the bride should be sure to enlist the
help of non-bridal party members as well to handle some of the
wedding day details,” Higgins-d’amico adds. “That way, those involved
in the ceremony can really enjoy the day.”
Some good starting points:
• Give everyone a printed schedule for the day, so that everyone can
keep track of each other. Excitement will build as each item is checked