Are you Ready to have the Perfect Wedding?

You’ve just gotten engaged, and you’re ready to have the perfect wedding. Although I’ve yet to be married, I can only imagine the overwhelming sense of excitement and anxiousness! Personally, I know I would want to have the ability to enjoy every minute of my wedding day, and so should you.

Have you considered hiring a wedding planner? I must admit I always THOUGHT I knew more than I did about planning a wedding. But I honestly had no idea!!!! A few weeks ago, I met with Valerie Metrejean, owner of Southern Fete. We met to discuss Summar + Stewart’s upcoming wedding (stay tuned for the post) and at the end of the meeting…and ESPECIALLY at the end of Summar’s wedding, I learned SO much about the VALUE of what she does.

From a photographic point of view, I strongly encourage hiring a wedding planner. The day runs smoothly, the bride and her friends/family ENJOY the day, and all the details are ready and in place. Having these things in order ultimately affects everything…including your images.

For the full scoop on what Valerie does, feel free to continue reading…..

These are the women from Southern Fete: Jesse (Assistant), Valerie (Owner/Primary Planner), and Natalie (Assistant)

So I asked Val to explain to me a little bit about what she does for her clients:

• Uses her resources to assist with budgeting (including vendor discounts) and allocating funds to the most important aspects of the wedding.

• Looks ahead so that there are no regrets. She plans a smooth wedding day so that everyone can sit back and really enjoy without a worry.

• Creates a VISION (P.S. This is HUGE for your photos) so that your interests and personalities are translated into cohesive decor.

• Executes unique ideas to make your day special and DIFFERENT!

• Attends vendor meetings and coordinates with each (venue, florist, photographer, caterer, etc.)

• Takes care of all the small details and DIY projects

At the end of the day, your wedding will only happen once. And after having seen Val work during Summar’s wedding last Friday, I am convinced that it’s completely worth it to invest in her! These are a few pictures of Valerie at work this past weekend:

Everywhere I looked, she was. Every detail I saw was in place. Every moment ran according to the schedule and smoothly. Because of Southern Fete’s hard work, I was able to capture everything as it was: Perfect.

For Valerie, the wedding day is a result of all the planning before…especially the week of the wedding. Most couples have a TON of friends and family visiting the week of the wedding. Valerie makes sure that all troubleshooting is taken care of, that the schedule is made, and that all decorating/coordinating is in order…..so that everyone else can relax and enjoy that special time.

Valerie is also extremely talented in her graphic abilities. As part of Southern Fete Creative, she designs programs, invitations, favor tags, and menu cards. Summar’s program above called for a simple and elegant design; all Valerie’s designs reflect each unique couple.

Like any vendor you’re hiring for your wedding day, it’s important that you find someone you an trust and communicate with. Valerie is an excellent communicator and extremely organized. She made everything flow so smoothly.

I feel like it’s the little things that make a big difference, especially for your photos. For example, making sure that the flowers are laid out on the cake table, that the champagne and champagne glasses are in place, that there are pens on the sign in table, and a stand for your display canvas. Valerie and the girls from Southern Fete even wrapped each praline individually and finished with ribbon and a favor tag.

And at the end of the day, when everyone goes home, her job still isn’t over. Valerie was there to pass out the wedding bells as they exited, and then stayed late to make sure that everything was packed and returned to the rental companies and families of the bride and groom.

Coincidentally, Valerie’s own wedding was featured on the Green Wedding Shoes Blog today! 🙂 So, ladies, she a woman of experience!!!! The average wedding today costs over $20,000. Let her help you make the most of YOUR budget.

Valerie caters to busy, budget brides interested in a stress free, vision-oriented wedding day. For more information including pricing or to contact Valerie directly, please visit her website: http://www.southernfete.com

Knowing her personally has been a pleasure and she always has a smile on her face. And what’s most important is that Val started planning weddings for the bigger picture: “Although the wedding day may be the best day of your life, it keeps getting better everyday.”