.:going to the chapel and we are stressed!:.

Brian and I love all of our clients. Seriously. But, we can honestly say that the wedding days in St. Louis and Kansas City are almost always a better experience for everyone involved. Why, you ask? Are we biased against some of us smaller town folks? Nope. In our experience, the biggest difference between the St. Louis/K.C. weddings and the Columbia/Jefferson City areas comes simply in the form of wedding planners.

I know, I know, you have a small budget and you can't afford one. But seriously, if we could have a side-by-side comparison of the stress levels of the families who have a wedding planner/coordinator on the day of their wedding with the stress levels of the families that don't, I think you'd seriously consider hiring one! What we often find is that in St. Louis and Kansas City, wedding planners are a must. They are built in to every budget and our couples are all super laidback and SO relaxed on their day. Why? Because they and their families can enjoy their awesome day just as they had hoped! Couples without planners have a tendency to be much more emotionally and physically drained and overwhelmed on their big day than those that have planners. And they have every right to be exhausted! With the constant phone ringing, the set up, the multiple trips home to get things, the worrying about accomodating friends/relatives, the multiple "to do" lists, the last minute googling to figure out who should go where when, the trying to figure out what vendors get paid when--it's enough to give anyone a nervsous breakdown!

But don't take our word for it. We just take pictures. But to give you a clearer picture, we asked one of our favorite planners, Ashley Rath from Dishy Event Planning in St. Louis to write us a blog post on why hiring a wedding planner can be one of the best decisions you make for your wedding day and your sanity!

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Why Hire a Wedding Planner?

Actually, I have a better question for you--why NOT hire a wedding planner? I know, I know, you're on top of the planning process and you have all of the big things worked out. All of us planners totally get it, not everyone needs the full blown deal. But what you don't know is that hiring a planner for just your wedding day coordination can make such a huge difference in not only your stress level but your overall satisfaction on your wedding day.

Given those statements, I have a few questions for you:

• Do you want to set up the linens, flowers, place cards, menu cards and favors on the morning of your wedding day instead of enjoying a morning of pampering?
• Do you want to have your phone ringing off the hook for every little decision that needs to be made or issue to address durin gthe day instead of savoring moments with your bridesmaids?
• Do you want your mom (or sister or cousin or friend) lining you up to go down the aisle or coordinating your first dance timing instead of watching it happen?
• Do you want to worry about how long you have to take pictures, where you need to be after the ceremony or when you need to be seated for toasts?
• Do you want your parents to deal with lugging wedding gifts up to a hotel room or out to a car instead of boogying down on the dance floor?

My guess is that your answer to each one of these questions is NO, absolutely not, no way, no how, not even close! And these are just some of the things a wedding planner or coordinator can help you with on your wedding day, but there is so much more!

• A typical offering from a planner/coordinator for day-of services might include:
• 1-3 meetings to discuss planning and timing details, and anything else on your mind.
• Confirmation and follow up with all of your fabulous wedding vendors.
• An obnoxiously detailed schedule that you can share with family and friends.
• 1-2 hours of availability to coordinate and run your rehearsal.
• Full day of services, including set-up of decor, all logistical coordination (i.e. timing for walking down the aisle, announcements, toasts, first dances and tosses) and clean up services.
• On, and on, and on...

This is just the tip of the iceberg here, people! If you're feeling a little overwhelmed with the planning process or really just want you and your family to relax on your wedding day, I highly recommend giving a planner a chance. Nine times out of ten, I can guarantee that you won't regret it! Besides, who wouldn't want to have someone at their beck and call for just a day?!? You might actually enjoy it! Cheers!


This post was written for Avia Photography by Ashley Rath. Ashley is the owner and event planner of Dishy Events Planning, specializing in wedding and event planning for the St. Louis, Missouri area.

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You can see Ashley in the background helping the mother of the bride lace up Beth's dress. Ashley showed up bright and early and was ready to do whatever she needed to make the day run smoothly. As you can see, Beth is all smiles because have no fear, Ashley is here!

While we were taking photos of Beth, Stephen, and their bridal party, Ashley and her assistant were finishing up the final touches with the vendors over at the zoo:








Again, while Ashley and her assistant were busy making sure the cake was in place, the florists had the flowers in the centerpieces, and the guests were being entertained by the walking petting zoos, Stephen, Beth, and their bridal party had plenty of time to play with photos and fun on the bus!


You'll notice there's no tension on Beth's face! Because she didn't have to worry! All of Beth and Stephen's family made it onto the bus with us, too and when they arrived at the reception they were ready to eat, drink, and enjoy the night, exactly as they should!

Needless to say, now you know why we get so excited when our couples tell us they have hired a wedding planner/coordinator! Happy couples on the day of the wedding make for happy pictures!

You'd be surprised how much sanity and peace of mind can be worth. = )

Until next time!

-Mallory (& Brian)