WEDDING PLANNING
CULTURE
“The wedding
planning culture in Polk
County has changed
significantly in the past
several years. The biggest
change is in the brides,
who are becoming
more sophisticated and
seeking professional
planners. They are
driven by a desire to
produce their dream
wedding- regardless of
budget,” Smyers says.
She attributes this to
wedding-related TV
shows and Pinterest - an
online pinboard where
users organize and share
beautiful ideas and
inspirations they find on
the Internet.
“Visually, there’s more
information out there,
so brides in this area
don’t have to travel to be
exposed to the latest in
fashion, cakes, design,
décor and styles of
weddings,” she says.
“The current demand
in Lakeland’s wedding
planning market is for
day-of coordination
services,” Ellis says.
Lakeland brides
tend to have smaller
guest counts, and are
looking for a planner
to pull all the details
together and manage
the wedding day. This
involves about 30 hours
of work. The bride hands
over all her information
to the planner a couple
of weeks before the
wedding, and the
planner makes sure
every detail is in line and
the timeline is set. It also
includes coordinating
the rehearsal and
all activities on the
wedding day.
Ellis commends the
brides and their families
who recognize they do
not want to be in charge
of their wedding day.
“A pending wedding
is a very emotional time
and the stress of all the
details, family members,
guest’s arrangements
and vendors can be
overwhelming,” she
says. “Hiring a planner
alleviates the pressure
and enables everyone to
focus on each other and
enjoying this memorable
occasion.”
The day-of
coordination package
can be a happy medium
between do-it-yourself
and hiring a full service
wedding planner.
“If you’re inviting
guests to an event and
spending a considerable
amount of money on )