Chronicles of A Wedding Planner

2005-11-12T03:40:00.002-08:00

OH, TO BE A WEDDING GUEST... AGAIN!!!

Last week, after a very long time, my husband and I attended a wedding, not as coordinators, but guests. I couldn’t have enjoyed it more.We didn’t have to wake up early. No need to bring out the checklists and the “paraphernalia”, as I would call our coordinating materials.

Still, we may have gotten used to being early, so we arrived an hour before the actual ceremony. With us are 2 cages of butterfly to be released during the bridal march. I volunteered to pick up the butterflies and release them --- A little something to help the couple.

As the previous wedding was ending and the guests of the wedding we are attending started coming in, I couldn't help but see myself in the bride.

Like me, the bride was "brave" enough to decide not to hire a coordinator. She too wanted to be the coordinator of her own wedding. I knew how it is and I had an idea on how the bride will come out after this. But, that's her decision. She couldn't say I didn't warn her.

As expected, despite her perfect effort to designate tasks to her friends, the bride was "hands-on" all throughout the day.

In the bridal car, instead of just waiting, she was seen several times shouting at her entourage, giving instructions and panicking over things that were missing but were supposed to be there. When the entourage members we're lining-up for the march, the bride was left alone in the car... still panicking.

I couldn't help myself. I came to the bride's rescue, like I always do in all of our weddings. Only, this time, I wasn't getting paid.

The music played. The march began.

Behind the doors of the solemn venue, there was I, fixing the bridal veil, laying the bridal train on the ground, making sure that the bride will look perfect when the church doors open.

And as the doors opened, I could see my husband, on the other side of the church door signalling me to release the butterflies... and we did. Then, the bride marched, and we went back to being guests again.

That wasn't the last time we had to act as coordinators. At the reception, we still found ourselves participating in the execution of special effects.

I guess, it's human nature to do what needs to be done. For no matter how much I would just like to be a simple guest, I knew by heart that I am and will always be ... a wedding coordinator. Or in this case, a "guest coordinator".

2005-11-12T03:40:00.001-08:00

2005-11-12T03:40:00.000-08:00