Q. I can’t decide if I should hire a wedding coordinator or just ask my friend of the family?

A. We have a name for this dilemma! 

 “Friendor” = Hiring a friend on your wedding day | OR | a professional who doesn’t normally work at weddings 
 
This might be the single most important thing you do on your wedding day. We can’t say it enough – hire a pro. A wedding-experienced professional. We understand that budgets can be tight, but this is the not the place to save cash. In that case, try a day-of coordinator with professional experience. We can make some great, affordable, recommendations! 
 
We love your friend of the family, and I am sure they are a super organized person! However, unless they work at weddings regularly, there are a number of things that a wedding professional will do to keep the schedule smooth that a “Friendor” may not be aware of. We have seen many weddings run very late because there was no professional day-of coordinator to monitor the schedule, and it’s too much work for the Mother of the Bride/Maid of Honor to manage alone. No one wants chaos on their wedding day. 
 
There’s a lot of warnings out there about using “Friendors” for your wedding, mostly because you know how things can go when money exchanges hands between friends. (Or if it’s done for free… that’s a whole other issue) 
 
Questions to ask yourself for any Friendor: 
Do they have the proper skills/ talent/ experience to perform/ produce the wedding service they have so kindly offered? (A wedding isn't a dress rehearsal - if they forget the speaker cable/the extra camera battery/{insert critical equipment here} your wedding might not be the fairy tale you dreamt.) 
Is the friend is a professional but normally does not work weddings? 
What happens if you are not happy with the results of their work? They are a Friendor after all, how will you complain and or ask for more, or something different (and still remain friends if they get offended?!) 
Do they have insurance – most likely they don’t – what happens if they inadvertently [or even directly] cause an accident causing harm to you, the venue, property or a guest? Who pays up? -Most likely you! 
Will you have a contract, or a formal agreement for what they are providing – if your hired a professional you most certainly would! 
Do you have a back up plan if they get sick or can’t come? They’re (most likely) not a professional/ working in the industry so wouldn’t have a partner/ back up vendor they would use regularly.

Thanks One Love Photography for posting this wonderful article!

We're Over the Moon!

We are so unbelievably proud and excited to announce that Wish Wonder Dream has been chosen as a recipient of The Best of The Knot Award 2013!! What an incredible honor this is and we find ourselves to be literally without words.

Thank you to The Knot and an extra special thank you to all of our past clients who shared their experiences with us on The Knot review board. This award is presented to businesses based on reviews from past clients and based on their reputations and involvement within the wedding community at-large. We couldn't have won it with you and we so deeply humbled by this incredible honor. Thank you thank you thank you!

Congratulations Rebecca and Ali!

I can't put into words how much I adored working with Rebecca and Ali. Four years ago (in 2008) I met Rebecca and Ali in my (then) office in West Los Angeles. We had a great meeting and totally clicked. Our personalities completely aligned and we just had the best time! Then, for a reason unbeknownst to me at the time, I didn't hear from them again. I was definitely disappointed and I'd always wondered what happened. Well, flash forward to March of 2012. I came home from the airport after an overnight flight from London (where I spoke at the UK Wedding Planners Annual Conference) and I had a miserable cold. The phone rang and a familiar voice was on the other end. It was Rebecca, my long lost bride. She explained that since we saw each other 4 years ago they found and bought a house and then decorated/furnished it. So they'd put the wedding planning on the back burner. But she called to let me know that they were back in wedding planning mode and that I was their first call. I was, of course, ecstatic and I asked if we could meet a few days later to give me some time to get over my cold. We met, clicked all over again, and spent the rest of the year planning their unforgettable wedding.

Rebecca and Ali are kind of the perfect couple. They are best friends, perfect partners, and the most relaxed people you'll ever meet. They also just happen to be HILARIOUS. They complement each other like two peas in a pod with their quirky sarcasm and witty banter. I love sarcasm and enjoyed every opportunity they threw at me to keep a joke running. Every planning meeting we had together was an absolutely blast - both because they're so fun and because I LOVE their taste!

I was equally impressed with the beautiful vases, linens, and mercury glass candles that Rebecca chose as I was with the gorgeous cake serving pieces, toasting flutes, and custom tux.edo that Ali chose. Their taste is classy, elegant, formal, and timeless and I just loved watching it come to life on their wedding day.

I am so honored to have been selected as Rebecca and Ali's Coordinator and truly touched that they came back to me four years later. That means so much and the experience of working with them is one I will never forget. Thank you both so very much and my most sincere congratulations on your marriage! I can't wait see you two at the Restoration Hardware outlet soon ;)

Now, I'm pleased to present the photos from this gorgeous and very heartfelt wedding, captured by the always-amazing Sammy and Natalia from Closer to Love Photography.

Congratulations Natalie and Brock!

Our sincere congratulations go out to Natalie and Brock. They had an over-the-top swoonfest wedding at Vibiana this past September and we had the absolute pleasure of coordinating it. We arrived at the venue first thing in the morning and had the pleasure of watching every step take shape. We loved their black and white color scheme - it was striking, dramatic, and so perfect for the venue! The ceremony was all white, which created an ethereal feel and gave it a crisp, bright, fresh look. Then guests went out to the courtyard for Cocktail Hour, giving us just one hour to completely flip the space to Reception. The lights went from white to bright purple and an all-white dance floor quickly went down. Our team dressed the tables and we loved the alternating crushed satin and flat satin linens, which matched the alternating white orchid and white hydrangea centerpieces. To add a bit of extra flare, Amber Event Productions projected a custom monogram on the dance floor and the beautiful altar (which displayedthe gorgeous wedding cake) was lit up in lavendar and white. The couple sat under a beautiful spotlightatop the altar staircase and looked out at the beautiful scene. It was definitely a night everyone will remember forever and we are just so happy that we got to be a part of it. Thank you so much Natalie and Brock and we wish you the very very best!!

And a very big thank you to Joe Buissink for capturing the day so beautifully, as seen in these photos below.

 

              

Congratulations Krystle and Fan!

Sweetest couple ever alert! We had such a wonderful time working with Krystle and Fan! For about a year we developed their vision together and brought the most beautiful day to life! We love how Krystle and Fan carried the theme of them as cartoon characters on their menus, table numbers, and signage. Everything looked SO cute and really added such a personal touch. Krystle and Fan were the ultimate team and they partnered on every aspect of the day. No detail was too small and we had so much fun offering suggestions all along the way and bringing the day to life along side of them. On the actual wedding day, there was so much love surrounding them (and we definitely understand why). Their venue, The Altadena Town and Country Club was just lovely and the weather was perfect. Guests danced the night away and the french doors off the dancefloor were open all night, allowing perfect views of the night sky and a crisp, refreshing breeze to come in. We think these photos say it all so we'll just let them tell the rest of the story.

Krystle, Fan it was an absolute pleasure working with you and getting to know you both. Fan, I'll think of you every time I see a Volkswagen and Krystle thank you for remaining in touch via Gmail chat :) I love receiving your messages to this day and I hope they'll continue always.

A big thank you to Harvard Photography for these lovely photos!

Coordinated by: Whitney Wing Drake and Morgan Rogers