Newly engaged? Confused about how to navigate the whole wedding process? You’re not alone. The wedding world can be overwhelming at times, especially if organising spreadsheets and writing sticky notes aren’t what you’d consider hobbies.
Fortunately, there are passionate businesses who specialise in things like styling, flowers, planning – basically anything to do with creating an unforgettable event from the ground up.
What exactly is a wedding planner though? And do you really need a wedding stylist? We thought we’d pass these questions over to George and Smee – a Sydney-based company that happens to be a one-stop shop for all the above mentioned services. Given their years of experience, we figured they’re perfectly placed to explain what each job title entails and why you might want one or more of these talented humans around on your day of good times. We’ve collated their guidance below.
Wedding Stylist
All those pretty wedding pictures you see on Pinterest are often the work of a wedding stylist, whose main responsibility is to ensure everything looks awesome.
They work closely with couples to develop a concept that is reflective of their personalities, create a desired vibe or mood, and that fits within their budget. Then they go about bringing your vision to life – and this is where the real work starts…
They think about every little detail – from the moment you arrive at the venue to the moment you leave – and execute it seamlessly. This includes things like (but is not limited to) cutlery, napkins, signage, lighting, stationery, place cards, furniture, marquees, linen, cake stands, candles, lounge areas, drink stations, ceremony backdrops, scented toilet spray, how the car park looks etc.
Of course there are couples that choose to do some or all of these things themselves, sometimes to save money, but often because they underestimate the time, effort and logistics involved in pulling off an unforgettable event (ie. a wedding!).
Given most of it needs to be done on the day, it usually ends up being a friend or relative who gets relegated to setting tables, fetching ice, folding napkins, hanging up festoon lights etc. And let’s not even talk about pack-down at the end of the evening. If it’s not something your venue offers, we highly recommend giving your guests the night off and outsourcing someone to remove your rubbish and take down your decorations.
Wedding Florist
Ever tried to remember the botanical names of every flower? Don’t, your brain might burst. Wedding florists however, know them all. Not only that, they can tell you what’s in season when, what will work well with your colour palette, and what size and style arrangements will work with your furniture, layout, budget and personalities.
Whether you’re after hanging installations, ceremony arches or backdrops, table arrangements and/or just bridal bouquets, they’ll work closely with the other wedding suppliers to create a beautiful, cohesive look.
Most importantly, they’ll save you a 3AM trip to the flower markets plus the logistics involved in having to transport all the beautiful blooms (if you’ve ever tried transporting flowers en masse, on a hot day, with no way of keeping them cool, you’ll get what we’re talking about here – it’s not ideal).
Wedding florists are responsible for all the flower and foliage aspects of your day: your bouquet/s, buttonholes, arbour dressing, table arrangements and any floral installations.
Wedding Planner
Your wedding planner is there to hold your hand in the lead up to and on the day of your wedding. More so than this, they are the wizards that will help you come up with a vision (and often communicate this to your stylist or florist) and coordinate all the vendors that will come together to bring it to life.
Wedding planners are people who live and breath to-do lists and colour coding, and waste no time in getting sh*t done. Their role covers everything from helping you to select and lock-in suppliers (your venue, photographer, celebrant, band, caterer etc.) to coordinating logistics on the day.
They think about the practical things you might not know about including council permits, generators, rubbish removal and wet weather options. They will also create all your run sheets and schedules and be the main point of contact for all your wedding vendors.
Basically any wedding-related queries or stress will be theirs to deals with, so you can just enjoy the ride and focus your attention on what truly matters on the day.
Featured photography by I Love Wednesdays.
To find more of George & Smee’s awesome work and to get in touch, you can find the ladies right here and have an Insta-perve at @george_and_smee. They’re happy to answer any questions you have.
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