Real Bride Diary: Why I Hired A Wedding Planner

In todays diary Nicky talks about why she decided to hire me as a wedding planner, and indeed why she needed a planner at all!

NICKY & TOM

In 1991 my 11 year old self had this marriage malarky all figured out.  Inspired by ‘Father of the Bride’ I knew, without a shadow of a doubt I was going to get married when I was 22. My husband would be tall dark and handsome, obviously, but whom, well…that was really a secondary concern. I was going to get married at home, there were going to be swans, big frilly dresses, lacy trainers and a basket ball court for Dad and I to play on in the early hours of the wedding day.  It was going to be spectacular, but best of all Frahhhnk Egglehoffer was going to organise it all.

Well…I may have been slightly ambitious thinking I would be married by 22, I’m only 12 years late, but my 11 year old Wedding Bucket List was looking fairly promising (yes, I was writing lists from the ripe old age of 11, what can I say, I was a very bright child…LOOK WHAT ALCOHOL DOES TO YOU!).

WEDDING LIST

1) Tall dark and Handsome – Check!  Tom is certainly tall, dark and handsome (you can pay me later).

2) Getting married at home – Check!

3) Swans at the venue – Check! Well we have resident ducks on the pond so surely that must count.  Just as elegant and graceful right…?

4) Big frilly dresses – Well… this one is a work in progress so watch this space!

5) Lacy trainers – These have been deleted…Claire has informed me that whilst these bad boys may be “bang on trend” they should not be, and never should have been, a coveted wedding accessory…WHAT? Oh, and she politely pointed out… “you’re short enough as it is, you don’t want to look like an extra from the Hobbit!” No, no I do not!

6) Basket ball court – Does a putting green count?  They’re both ball sports, and lets face it, Mum would kill Dad if he tried to put a big hoop up on the side of the house.  Basketball, Netball, golf they’re all similar right?…get ball in hole by one means or another.  I am going to check this off…check!

7) Franck Egglehoffer – My 32, sorry 34, year old self has decided that employing Frahhhnk is just not going to be feasible.  Firstly, he lives in the States, so the shipping cost alone would just be astronomical and, secondly, after extensive google research, it appears he only ever planned one wedding!  I felt slightly sad for my 11 year old self, what was a girl to do.  I couldn’t plan this wedding on my own.  I needed help, expert help…

Father of the Bride

STALKER ALERT

Wedding Planner extraordinaire Bernadette Chapman (I think I like this title, perhaps I’ll add to my business cards?) answered the bat phone on the first ring.  Ok, so I may have tweeted her, text her and stalked her in true Bridezilla fashion (it’s true she did!), but I needed this woman in my life.  She had helped Claire through the sea of administrative tasks involved in organising a home wedding and had whipped the suppliers into shape ensuring the wedding day was everything Claire had hoped for.  I am also convinced that if it hadn’t been for her timely intervention, Mum would have been under the Doctor’s knife much earlier.  A triple heart bypass later Mum was fighting fit, but she looked slightly faint when I told her I wanted to get married at home.  I wasn’t prepared to risk my sanity or Mum’s new ticker so calling Bernadette was a no brainer.

You have a wedding planner?!’  ‘Isn’t that a bit excessive *snort*?’  

That’s sooo American’.

To answer those critics or sceptics out there; Hell yes I do, and I it’s the best decision I have ever made.  Finally someone who doesn’t laugh at my lists…No, she encourages me, smart lady.

Excessive? Try organising an event at home, liaising with the caterers, florists, waiters, chefs, toilet providers, generator specialists, marquee putter uppers and the band, whilst simultaneously having your hair tonged, your lipstick applied and your mandatory glass of prosecco… then let me know your thoughts!

It may be American, but they are on to something…get some one else to do the hard work so you can just enjoy yourself.  Sorry Bernadette, but it is so true.  On Claire’s Wedding day she gracefully negotiated, prodded, and organised all of the suppliers to ensure the only hitch was the Walcey one. If something went wrong, we didn’t have a clue.  This Bridezilla wants her day to be perfect, she wants to enjoy herself with all of her friends and family. Frahhhnk she is not…but quite frankly…Thank God!

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