Vendor Spotlight | Something to Plan - Suzie Lopes Photography

It’s with great honor that I get to share this vendor spotlight with you all. I had the opportunity to see first hand the beautiful work that Nikki from Something to Plan gives her couples on the biggest day of their life. She was instrumental in making Sophia and Marco’s beautiful Tampa Bay Garden Club wedding go off without a hitch. To this day it is one of my favorite weddings I’ve been involved in. Nikki was a dream to work with!

What exactly is a day-of wedding coordinator?
Having a day of coordinator means you have an advocate and best friend by your side to make sure all the hard work and planning you’ve put together goes off without a hitch! What is most important is that you get to enjoy every moment of the special day with each other, your family, and guest. This is great for couples that have a venue, most likely a good idea of vendors, or have already done most of the heavy lifting and need someone to make sense of it all!

Duties of a day of coordinator usually in tales Timeline and/or floorplan, confirming vendors, walkthroughs, and rehearsals. Usually, the first initial meeting takes place 3 months prior to your wedding date to ensure there is plenty of time to take care of all your details and check off those final planning tasks to make your day flow smoothly.

How would a couple book with you?
Well, initial contact starts by email, social media, or a phone call. Then we schedule a chat. Whether it is by an in-person meet, video call. We sit down and chat (face to face) and make sure we’re the right fit for you! We’ll talk through your event – get to understand the scope of work. I would ask a lot of questions to get your vision- this tells us what kind of experience we’re helping you build. Chat about the experience you want your guest to have, and get to know you as a couple (don’t forget you’re a guest too!) You have the time to ask me questions as well. I am very open-ask me anything. I’ll tell you anything! At this point, we decide on a partnership.

After booking a venue, what do you recommend the couple do first?
Start on the guest list and sending out save the dates. This is important. It will give your potential guest a heads up on the wedding date to make prior arrangements and to pre RSVP for the most part. Wedding gown shopping should happen ASAP. You want to have time for any fittings and alterations. As well as wedding party attire. Start selecting vendors early in case you need to adjust the wedding budget.

Are there perks to booking a wedding planner or day of coordinator?
Some people don’t realize that there is a difference between a day of coordinator and a planner. From the moment you are engaged the planner will take care of everything. A planner plans, designs, and executes from start to finish. They do everything in between. This is the most preferred way to go. Therefore you don’t worry about anything. A day of coordinator does none of those things. They are only to coordinate the day of the event. This route is a bit lighter on the pocketbook. With that being said. Keep in mind that all vendors do not work well together. Usually, planners hand pick their vendors. For the reason that they know what level of expectation they prefer. This way everything runs smoothly because of a great working relationship. All vendors do not hold themselves to a higher standard or quality of professionalism that the planner you hired for the day of coordination may hold themselves to.

What is the biggest misconception couples have about event planners?
I would say that people think that event planners and wedding planners are the same. In some cases, they are. But usually, most wedding planners only specialize in weddings. Wedding planning can be a much more involved process compared to private events. Event planners usually can and will do all events. They plan weddings, private events, and special occasion events of all kinds.