Weddings Can Be Difficult to Coordinate

Please introduce yourself to our readers.

Hi! My name is Kaitlin, the owner of Kaitlin Shea Weddings! I’ve been in the industry for about 3 years and spent my first few years working for a bridal salon and a planning company before venturing off on my own! I absolutely adore working with creative couples, and Colorado is a beautiful place to plan! In my first 10 months of business, I’ve been lucky enough to be published in 6 different publications, and have just about filled up my 2019 with weddings, workshops, photo shoots, & other projects!

How did you become a wedding planner?

My story is similar to many other wedding vendors, I got interested in the industry after getting engaged! I hired my own wedding planner and she helped me get started with some educational resources. From there, I worked at a bridal salon in Cherry Creek, interned and then worked for a planning company in Southern Colorado, and continued to educate myself through associations, events, online resources, & more! I’ve also educated myself on business management, social media marketing, and the other important pieces of owning and running a business! If you’re interested in joining the industry, I highly recommend combining book learning with real-life experience, as the combination of the two will help you understand the industry and if you like the work!

What does a wedding planner do?

The better question is what doesn’t a wedding planner do! Depending on the package, we help with coordinating your vendors, timeline creation, design, venue & vendor booking, fashion styling, and absolutely anything wedding related! We can also help with other events like your rehearsal dinner or showers and love acting as almost a coach or therapist for our couples at times!

What are the advantages of hiring a wedding planner?

By hiring a planner, you are taking most of the stress off of your plate as well as cutting back on your time commitments! Hiring a planner also means having an insider into the world of events and someone who can help you figure out the best timing, unique design elements, you name it! If you’ve never been married before, you likely have about a million questions that your planner can either answer for you, or get the answers quickly!

Why is planning a wedding so stressful?

Planning a wedding is stressful because essentially you’re taking on another job on top of your regular one! Event professionals exist for a reason, it’s hard to tackle all of the moving pieces without any of the experience!

What is your advice for couples that want to plan their own weddings?

For couples that are organized & excited, taking over some of the planning is absolutely an option! I do recommend to everyone, regardless of the size of the wedding, to hire a Month-of Coordinator. There are things day-of that you just can’t do yourself, and it’s always good to have another set of eyes looking over your contracts, timeline, and plans!

What are a wedding planner's duties during the actual wedding?

On the wedding day, I’m typically the first to arrive and the last to leave (aside from the venue). I help coordinate vendors, direct wedding party, run the ceremony, make adjustments if we are ahead or behind on schedule, gather cards & gifts to be packed away, setup and tear down décor, and about a million other little things! 😉

What was the most memorable wedding you planned?

Every wedding is memorable because they are all so different, but one of the most memorable was probably one that I did at the end of 2018. The couple was one that I had offered free coordination to at a charity event, and they were beyond excited throughout the whole process. They had so many incredible people at their wedding, including their kiddos! They really had their priorities in order and knew that being in the presence of family and friends was of the utmost importance, and the day was beautiful to be a part of!

Was there ever a time you had to improvise?

There’s rarely a wedding that doesn’t require a little bit of improvisation, but the most notable was actually my first (after starting my company). My assistant for the day ended up breaking her leg in the first hour of setup and we had to think quickly to get her taken care of and keep the day on track! Despite such a dramatic improvisation, the wedding went off without a hitch and the couple was none the wiser!

If you could ask one thing of the grooms and brides that would make your job at their wedding easier, what would it be?

I would ask that my couples be in constant contact with me! Often, my couples worry that they’re asking too many questions or being too “pesky” but I love when my couples keep me in the loop and much prefer it to having to track anyone down!