Beyond the walk down the aisle – A Father’s perspective on working with a wedding planner
Many people are involved in the wedding planning process, the bride, the groom, the mother of the bride, the sister of the bride, the maid of honor, and the father of the bride. And each one will have their own opinions about the wedding planning and responsibilites to fill. Today, let’s talk about the father of the bride and his role in his daughter’s wedding. As the father of the bride, he knows that his daughter has been dreaming of this day since she was a little girl. And of course he wants her to have the wedding of her dreams. However, he has to be realistic since he has a budget he is working with. And it is easy to carried away with just one more thing to add! It can be very overwhelming and emotional for the father of the bride!
Not only does he contribute to the wedding budget, but he also has several responsibilities on the wedding day. Including the following:
- Have a “First Look” with his daughter in her wedding dress
- Walk his daughter down the aisle at the wedding ceremony
- Dance with his daughter at the reception
- Give a Welcome Speech to the guests at the reception
Included in his speech will be stories of his daughter’s birth to her growing up and then meeting her soulmate. He can also include the following in his speech:
- Welcome his new son-in-law into the family during his speech
- Tell his daughter how beautiful she looks on her wedding day and how proud he is of her
- Thank his son-in-law’s parents for the rehearsal dinner the night before the wedding
- Thank his son-in-law’s parents for raising a fine young man to marry his daughter
- Thank all of the guests for traveling to the wedding
- Thank his wife for her support during the wedding planning process.
So as you can see, the father of the bride is a very important person and has a few “jobs to complete” on the wedding day. He shares the wedding day spotlight with his daughter, and he is the host of the party.
I decided it would great idea to hear firsthand from a father of the bride regarding his own experience with planning his daughter’s wedding and with the wedding day itself. I was curious to learn what he thought about hiring a wedding planner. Did he think it was worth the value? What did he know, what did he not know about wedding planner? And what information could he share to help other fathers of the bride with the wedding planning process.
We recently sat down with one of our Father’s of the Bride, Steve Foege. Here are some thoughtful questions I asked Steve about his wedding planning experience working with Gloria Schulz Events.
Thinking back to the entire wedding planning process, from start to finish, how would you describe your experience?
Exceeded my expectations for sure. I was pretty much hands of till close to the end. Once I was involved, I saw how much work the ladies had done up to that point. It all came together on the wedding day. All the planning paid off in spades. Flawless and beautiful.
What surprised you about the wedding planning process?
Nothing really surprised me. I knew Sue, Kathryn, and Gloria had a vision; I just took a backseat and funded the operation.
Did you understand the value that the wedding planner provided when you started searching for a wedding planner?
At first, I did not. It was my first expense, and I did not understand the size of the event. 200-plus people were on the invite list. That was when I saw the value of Gloria and the scope of the plan.
Do you think it is beneficial to hire a wedding planner?
Absolutely. It is a once-in-a-lifetime event; don’t leave it up to chance. On a side note, make sure the planner has a resume that fits your needs. It is money well spent.
What do you wish you knew now about planning your daughter’s wedding?
Don’t make it about the money; a budget is needed, but the financial arguments ruin the fun. It’s a partnership. Once I understood tha,t things turned from contentious to fun.
What advice can you give to other fathers of the Bride?
Enjoy the process, the end was one of the happiest and proudest days of my life for both my wife and daughter. Gloria made that happen for me.
We developed a special relationship working with Steve during the wedding planning process. We had Zoom meetings, and Steve would join in and provide his thoughts and ask questions. He even jumped in with the planning towards the end of the planning process. Originally the DJ was going to provide Cold Sparks for the newlywed grand exit at the end of the night. Howeve,r a new law was passed by the State and the DJ could no longer provide the cold sparks. Steve contacted a company who specialized in cold sparks a few weeks before the wedding and booked them. Thank goodness he found them as they were amazing and Kathryn was so happy to have the cold sparks for her grand exit!
Wedding planning can be stressful emotionally and financially for the father of the bride. Being well prepared with the help of an experienced wedding planner can ease that stress with tips and advice. As Steve said, hiring a wedding planner was “money well spent!”
Want to learn more? Contact us Gloria Schulz Events We would love to provide your father of the bride with the resources and support he needs while planning one of the most importants days of his daughter’s life!
