Any wedding or event comes with lots of planning and even more so with a DIY wedding such as those in a barn, marquee or a blank canvas venue. Whilst that’s part of the fun, designing your dream day just how you’d like it, it can sometimes become a little overwhelming, and that’s when we recommend a wedding co-ordinator.
A wedding co-ordinator will help line up your suppliers, ask all the questions you hadn’t even thought of (such as how many sockets does your band need!??) and do all the behind the scenes work. They can be involved as little or as much as you like, with options of wedding planning from day one moodboards, to on the day co-ordination.
We at The Unique Tent Company have worked with some fantastic wedding co-ordinators over the last year and want to give them a shout out for their incredible work.
Finding the right co-ordinator for you and your day is incredibly important, you want to feel like they have everything in hand and also that you get along! It's a little like an interview process and when you know you know!
Our first blog post is dedicated to Stephanie of SB Events! Stephanie is fantastic, we’ve worked with Stephanie several times and she’s has of course been booked with a some of our wedding couples this year too!
Stephanie Baragwanath is an award winning wedding planner, who created SB Events in 2012. Stephanie combines her passion for creating and designing beautiful events along with her meticulous planning ability - giving her the perfect skills for a wedding planner.
What we love about working with Stephanie, is that she is always on hand to offer honest advice in a calm and attentive manner. Provides all the choices and suggestions you could possibly need, and then she is able to execute your instructions down to the last detail.
Stephanie can be involved from initial planning and help source all the parts of your day (wedding planner side of the job) or you can have her involved just on the run up to your day getting all your suppliers lined up and be on hand behind the scenes. (Wedding co-ordinator side of the job) OR BOTH!
We're going to focus on Stephanie's On the day Co-ordination Service - Tipi and Marquee weddings
This service is aimed for couples who may require a little assistance during the lead-up to their wedding particularly if they are having a DIY, marquee/tipi, barn or wedding at a venue that doesn't have an on-site wedding co-ordinator on and therefore need someone to oversee the main event so that the day runs effortlessly.
How it works:
Stephanie will first meet with you both around 6 weeks before your wedding date and go through all the little details, run through timings of the day, find out who the wedding party are and what expectations you have for your big day.
Next arranging a site visit to your chosen venue with yourselves to take a look at the space available and where the marquee/tipi will be placed. Explaing exactly how you envisage your day to look and how the day will flow from day to night. Stephanie will work with you to plan out where any furniture and decorative items will be placed and how to best utilise each space, PLUS look at back-up bad weather plans. (UK weather and all that..)
Stephanie will contact all the suppliers and liaise with them (including us at The Unique Tent Company through the lead-up to the wedding day on your behalf. Stephanie is amazing and will provide a detailed schedule of the day’s events of timings, who’s who and where everyone needs to be and when. Design floor plans and seating plans, showing the key areas of the marquee/tipi which will help with the catering suppliers/Photographer band/entertainment. All this information will be presented in a detailed Event Plan which you and each supplier will receive before the big day so they have all the information at hand.
The day(s) before the wedding, Stephanie is on-site assisting with the set-up with your suppliers, setting up the tables and chairs, decorating with props. If you are holding a rehearsal at the church or venue, she can also be there on-hand to assist and run through any questions with the wedding party.
On the day itself, Stephanie will usually meet with you during the morning and calm any last-minute nerves before heading off to the venue. Whilst you're getting married Stephanie will focus mainly on the venue the marquee/tipi and make sure the timings run to order and that each suppliers know where they need to be and when. She is there to make sure that all the little details are correct, such as drinks are chilled, making sure candles are lit, background music is on and that it is all ready to welcome you and your guests. If you have floral arrangements and props that need to be moved around during the day she will move them for you too! Stephanie will also move furniture such as tables/chairs to make space for a dancefloor area if required. If there are any outstanding monies that need to be paid to suppliers I can manage that too.
Most importantly she will also come equipped with her special box of tricks which may come in handy (plasters for sore feet, tape, tissues, sewing kits etc) - We love this!
Stephanie will be there all day, to assist you both and stay in the background overseeing the day’s events so that you both and your guests can enjoy the day hassle-free. 'As a wedding planner, I am only there to guide you. You still have full control and make the final decisions; I just deal with all the admin, logistics and organisation on your behalf.'
Isn't she fab! I feel organised just writing the blog! (Of which she of course lined up the 'about SB Events' for me)
But for real, Stephanie is fantastic, which I've said several times throughout, she will think of all the things you've not thought about and ensure everything is in order so you can just ENJOY your day! You've planned so long having a co-ordinator can help everything run smoothy.
Love The Unique Tent Company
Lorna x o x o
To get in touch Stephanie
Stephanie Baragwanath
www.sbeventsplanning.com/about/