The Day of Coordination - Events of Love and Splendor, Angel and Anna

Oh, how I LOVE Events of Love and Splendor.

Angel Swanson, the creative founder of this event coordination company, is just about the sweetest person you will ever meet! And her little sis, Anna Brewer, is just as sweet with the perfect amount of sass to make them an incredible team!

Because we had so many DIY projects for our wedding, I really hesitated on hiring a Day of Coordinator (DOC) because I didn't want someone else getting the glory or altering all the hard work we put into our day! Also, since I had done all the research, negotiating and booking of our vendors, I didn't think a DOC would "save" us money in any way by referring us to vendors and getting us discounted rates or anything of that sort. However, a few months before the wedding, I realized that all our DIY projects were precisely WHY I needed a DOC! Because I didn't have specific vendors bringing in a lot of my decor, I needed someone who understood us and our vision to set-up everything we had worked so hard to make and put together. We wouldn't have time to do it ourselves because Eddie and I planned to have a first-look before the ceremony and I would need to be getting my hair and make-up done in the morning along with my bridesmaids. Also, as we were getting down to the wire, I realized that there were more and more issues that I wanted an expert advice on. So, I started researching start-up coordinators on different blogs and boards because I figured I just needed a basic package for the day-of and knew that I would be able to trust someone with little experience, lots of talent and little price tag.

Unfortunately, by this time, most of the "budget" coordinators were all booked. I was beginning to feel very discouraged and started to consider asking a friend (who also coordinates events) to help me for the day. But so many people warned me against using guests/friends as help or coordinators on the day-of. After all, you want your friends and guests to enjoy themselves! So, on a whim, I decided to contact a coordinator I had been following (read: stalking) through her blog to see what her prices might be. I sent an e-mail and crossed my fingers that she would be available and within our budget!

This lovely gem would be the one-and-only Angel Swanson of Events of Love and Splendor. Her response e-mail was so genuine and bubbly that I knew we would hit it off! PLUS! She noted that although she was going to be out of town on my wedding day, she would be able to fulfill all of her regular pre-wedding DOC duties and her sister (and assistant, Anna) would be able to take the lead on my day-of for a discounted rate! The four of us had an in-person consultation and as we were leaving Eddie said, "Wow. We need to book her." And we did! Bonus, bonus: they ended up referring us to a great florist who did in fact save us a ton of moola. PLUS her advice and expertise didn't take away from anything we had planned for the day, it only enhanced what we had already envisioned! She is so wonderful about working with what you have in mind and bringing it to it's fullest potential!

For Angel, being a DOC doesn't mean that she is just around on the day or your wedding to take care of any issues that may come up. She is there for you 200% from the moment you book her until even after your day is over! She works with you BEFORE the wedding to ensure that it goes off without a hitch and is so supportive and knowledgeable that I cannot even imagine having had our wedding without her and Anna. Because Anna was the lead on our wedding day, she and Angel were both present at any meetings we had before-hand (which I don't think is always the case when Angel leads). So, even though we got a discounted rate, I really feel like we got a more valuable package! And don't let the discount price fool you! They NEVER ONCE made me feel like I was not paying as much as their other clients. In fact, I often felt like I was their ONLY client because of all the special attention I received. ;) This is probably largely due to the fact that Angel deliberately only books a limited number of weddings per year so that each one can receive her undivided attention. Very Nice! ;)

Angel, me and Anna at our final site walk-through

The day of the wedding had a few mis-haps that were completely out of the hands of Anna or Angel, but I was hardly aware of them and when I was, I felt completely at peace that we were being taken care of. We thoroughly enjoyed the day and night and entered our honeymoon suite thanking God for these two lover-lies! I think I may have even left a slightly-buzzed (off of happiness) voice message to Angel at like 2 in the morning telling her how much fun I had, how much I missed her and how thankful we were for her and Anna's help! (*sorry, Angel!*).

So, if you are considering a DOC or a coordinator in general, do yourself a favor and check out Events of Love and Splendor. Their blog and website has great eye candy and inspiration for any bride! And if you are NOT considering having a DOC for your wedding... please reconsider! ;)

And because every post is better with pictures, here are some of my fave, yummy images taken from weddings Angel has coordinated and posted about on her blog: