As we start to come to the end of our wedding season here in Hudson Valley, we thought it would be the perfect opportunity to introduce Georgina! She’s been working hard behind the scenes to make all of the beautiful weddings here at Elite Wedding and Event Planning a reality (it takes a village!) and if you are looking for a wedding coordinator in Hudson Valley, keep reading! Today, we are going to share 2023 wedding trends she loves, her favorite part of wedding planning, and what she does first to make sure every wedding she works with, whether for planning or coordinator, goes off without a hitch.
Are you new to Elite wedding planning and events? You can learn more about working with us here (you’ll quickly find out that ballrooms are not our style). We love embracing the stunning and untraditional wedding venues in Hudson Valley, the Catskills, the Berkshires, and beyond. Don’t have a venue yet? Click here.
How Georgina Became a Hudson Valley Wedding Planner
Georgina has always loved weddings and has the binder from when she was 13 to prove it! Quick flex: some of her taste still holds up. She was working part-time at David’s bridal, and she loved helping brides light up when they found their dream dress. Before starting at David’s bridal, she was working as a script supervisor and a production assistant on a few independent films so she also had a lot of experience with scheduling, timelines, budget management, and more. Attention to detail was imperative in that career path too!
I think she said it best when she said “I love weddings and I love spreadsheets – this is the perfect career for me!”
In film, you have to be ready to fix a set, have a rain backup plan, sew a costume – everything in a pinch. Problem-solving is just as important, and time-sensitive, on a wedding day and I am so grateful that Georgina brings this experience to each and every wedding day!
The Most Important Task When Booked as a Wedding Coordinator in Hudson Valley
On a wedding day, you’ll never catch Georgina without a sewing kit and a clipboard. Unlike full wedding planning, wedding coordination relies heavily on logistics. Because we weren’t involved in the planning, we have to confirm that nothing was missed.
The first thing Georgina confirms when booked as a wedding coordinator in Hudson Valley is that our timeline as wedding planners matches the caterers. If not, it’s one of the first things that needs to be addressed.
On the wedding day, some of the first things she checks are the chair and table count, the floor plan layout, and the place settings. These are seemingly small details but they directly affect the guests, so they need to be perfect.
Favorite Parts of Wedding Planning
It’s always interesting to see what wedding planners love most about wedding planning because we are all so different! For Georgina, it’s making timelines! She loves pouring over contracts and preparing all ‘day of’ documents. Seriously, it’s the most satisfying thing watching everything come together.
Truly though, sometimes it changes based on the couple. At one wedding, Georgina remembers loving the first look because the couple had waited so long to get married. For another, it was the speeches because their family and friends raved about them. A wedding day is incredibly intimate and it’s often the couple’s favorite moment that will become hers as well.
When she worked at David’s bridal, one of her favorite moments was a random Thursday evening, when a bride-to-be came in late and said “we have been engaged for 20 years and he’s finally set the date to tomorrow!”. Georgina helped her find a dress, a small shoulder jacket, shoes, jewelry, and two gifts for her children. More than that, she was able to give the bride-to-be some love and attention even without the big wedding. Sometimes it’s the unexpected moments that are some of the most special.
Planning with Couples and Their Families
I think Georgina said it best when she said she loves watching couples and their families come together to make decisions. Although it can feel overwhelming working with parents and the couple together (more people rarely make a decision easier!), it’s also so much more rewarding in the long run when you connect with the immediate circle. You always feel a little more proud of the work you do on the wedding day when you feel like you know the family a little.
In fact, one of her favorite wedding day moments was when they were preparing for the father/daughter’s first look when the videographer (and couple’s uncle) came to me panicked. She thought someone was hurt! He then told her, that the bride’s father forgot his pants! Fortunately, she was able to jump into action and have someone pick up the correct pants and bring them to the venue ASAP so it was another crisis averted, and now a funny wedding day story to tell.
2023 Wedding Trends
Finishing off, I thought we should share some 2023 wedding trends Georgina has been loving lately. She’s a big lover of wedding gowns (if that hasn’t been made obvious yet!) and she loves a whimsical wedding dress. Over the past few years, tulle gowns with lace appliques have been trending and will likely continue to trend into 2023! Many 2023 gowns are also floral-inspired so it will be exciting to watch that come to life too (personally, Georgina loves a whimsical gown!).
Although the wedding gown is arguably the most important piece of attire, Georgina also loves watching guest attire trends change. Lately, we have seen a lot of semi-formal attire or “black tie optional” dress codes and it will be interesting to see if that continues into 2023.
Wondering what else we are seeing for 2023? Check out this post here.
Elite Wedding Planning and Events
A last piece of advice from Georgina? Having questions is natural so don’t be afraid to ask them! Communication is always key with all your vendors so make sure you know what your main priorities for your wedding day are and let your planner support you in making them a reality. We want your wedding dreams to come true and it’s a lot easier when we know what they are!
We have had such an incredible year with weddings back in full swing, and we couldn’t be more grateful to have Georgina on our team as we walk into 2023! If you are currently planning a wedding in Hudson Valley (or beyond!), connect with our team directly here!
