Hard times and dream weddings
Decor and more: Taking care of the little details
After a pandemic-induced hiatus, it seemed that everything was falling back into place when it came to weddings. However, with the current economic crisis, how hard is it to plan your dream wedding?
Anushi Wilson, a wedding planner turned coordinator at Bowerbird shared some experiences she faced and the reason she transitioned from a planner into a wedding coordinator during this time.
Wedding planning, she explains, involves being there from the get-go with your clients. From understanding what the couple want at their wedding— the venue, decor, guest list, wedding favours, caterers and more. “There is a lot of back and forth where we look at the theme the couple would like, provide them with visuals and basically bring their dream day to life.”
She herself got into wedding planning just three years ago on a whim after planning her sister’s wedding, and there’s no mistaking the passion Anushi has for creating the picture-perfect event for her clients. Yet she admits that with the lack of resources, fuel and economic crisis right now, wedding planners are less in demand and it is quite stressful on her side as well.
Now, you don’t know how the situation could change in two weeks. Quotations can increase, and materials may be unavailable, etc.
“What I’ve noticed is that especially here in Sri Lanka, if you have a big family and friends, they become your support system through it all. You can omit a wedding planner and your family instead undertakes different sorts of duties to help ease the chaos of planning a wedding which I personally feel is more practical during this time,” she shares.
It becomes cost-effective while also bringing people closer together. But doesn’t this affect her role? Anushi responds that it was one of the main reasons she became a wedding coordinator instead.
A wedding coordinator is someone you can hire either for a month, week or even for the day of the wedding and they play a significant role in getting all those tiny details sorted and ensuring that your wedding goes off without a hitch. Instead of having family or friends running about on your big day and missing some of the most important moments, a wedding coordinator will be the one who makes sure that the groomsmen have their boutonnieres, the cake has arrived and the band knows what songs to play.
All the last-minute stress that
usually avalanches as your wedding day approaches is taken on by wedding coordinators.
Anushi Wilson
“The couple would have already got their vendors, theme and everything done. What your coordinator or team of coordinators will do is get everything prepared and ready for their big day. We call the suppliers, organise logistics and more. Instead of wasting a lot of resources, like a year in advance, you can get a coordinator the month where everything gets stressful to help you out,” she adds.
As someone who had also planned weddings during the height of the pandemic, was it easier having a wedding during COVID-19 or the current economic crisis?
“During COVID, there were a lot of intimate small outdoor weddings obviously due to the pandemic yet it was much easier to get your resources even if you hadn’t had the chance to personally meet your vendors, etc. Yet, as Sri Lankans, one huge problem that came out of this was guest lists. So many people were simply not invited and that causes stress,” she says.
Weddings now however are back to their large-scale glory yet so much harder to plan because you don’t know if you will be able to get everything you want done on time or even if your guests will be able to come for your wedding. You don’t even know if the bride will arrive at the venue if she doesn’t have a vehicle with fuel to come in. It’s all those minute details that have been affected by this current crisis.
“Everyone has been waiting to get married for almost two years now and when they finally have the opportunity to do so, it seems like not everything will go to plan. My advice is to wait out this period if you are in a position to do so especially as things are uncertain. If you are determined to get married this year, get all the support you need through family and friends. To ease the stress when you’re closer to the date, we are simply a call away,” she says empathetically.
Bowerbird is on Instagram and Facebook on @eventsbybowerbird or on Whatsapp – 0775881344
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