A Wedding Planner’s Tools of the Trade

by Nicole Marshall of Beautifully Planned

 

 

 

Everyone has their own “tools of the trade” that they use to do their job the best they can. My TOP 5 tools are:

1. My laptop: I use my laptop daily in so many ways for my business.

• Show off my portfolio to prospective clients
• Document EVERY aspect of my client’s events
• Create my schedules, contact lists and other wedding paperwork
• File all of my clients emails & attachments in an organized system to access the details quickly
• All of my behind the scenes work to run my business – blogging, website updates, bookkeeping, etc

2. My van: You need to have a large vehicle to transport materials for weddings. I carry several totes to and from my events to be sure I have anything that may be needed PLUS I have the space to transport some items from ceremony to reception.

• A CD Player if suddenly the DJ has sound issues
• Long extension cords if more power is needed or someone misjudged the space to the outlets
• Cleaning supplies to clean the washrooms or silverware – whatever is needed
• Assortment of candles for “refills”
• Case of water for the photo shoot
• Tools: pliers, hammer, screwdriver, nails, screws, you never know what repair may pop up
• Hair blower, straightener, if there is a hair malfunction
• And so many more large items so I am covered JUST IN CASE

3. Waist pack: I wear this all day, it’s my mini emergency kit that I have at my fingertips, it holds:

• A bottle of water so I stay hydrated
• My cell phone that I use to stay in touch with everyone
• My walkie-talkie (and earpiece) to be in constant communication with my assistant
• Pens
• Kleenex
• Pins – safety pins, boutonniere pins, straight pins, bobby pins
• Bandaids
• Tylenol and Advil
• Scissors
• Tape
• Nail file
• And usually various items the couple or wedding party has asked me to hold

4. Comfortable flat shoes: These are a necessity as I am on my feet all day from early in the morning until the last event has happened at the wedding. Comfy shoes keep me going!

5. Paperwork: This is critical for me to run the day. I am a paper person so I always have the wedding schedule, contracts, contact lists, speeches and my own to-do-list in an organized binder with tabs within arm’s reach. The feeling of physically check marking a completed task is a great feeling! I also make notes all day long so that any timing changes earlier in the day, I am adjusting for them on the fly and I have a record for me to review after the wedding. A personal education tool to keep getting better and better.

Lastly I have my full emergency kit bag which is full of items that may come in handy as you just never know what might happen, but that’s a separate blog post.

Nicole Marshall is a wedding planner. Her fave part of planning is the logistics involved – necessary for a great wedding but boring for most people. In her free time, Nicole loves scheduling (yes its fun for her), camping, cooking and studying the law of attraction alongside her 3 children and adoring husband.