I am SOOO excited to feature Holly of Just Dandy Events in today’s vendor spotlight! Holly is an amazing wedding planner and I had the honor of working with her for Claire & Paul’s wedding. Our friendship has blossomed ever since and I am thankful beyond words to have her in my life! She’s incredibly thoughtful, hilarious and a total go-getter. We’re always bouncing ideas back and forth and she totally inspires me. She loves & serves her couples and ya’ll know I’m all about that! Want to learn more about having a stress-free wedding planning experience and wedding day? Get to know Holly in the Q&A below!

I’m Holly!  Born and raised 20-something Virginia girl.  I realized my love for planning and executing one-of-a-kind events after planning my own wedding {that didn’t quite pan out} and helping several of my friends plan their weddings, showers, and fundraisers!  In March 2011, I decided to give it a try and I haven’t looked back since!

I offer both day-of and full service wedding coordinating.  However, I work with each of my couples to build a custom package of services to suit their needs.  No two weddings are the same, so I have a hard time placing any wedding into a pre-decided upon package.

Many brides tackle wedding planning on their own and enlist a friend or family member for ‘Day-of Coordination’. Why do you think couples should hire a professional wedding planner instead?

So many times I’ll meet a newlywed couple and they tell me all the incredible things about their wedding day….and then they tell me that they would have rather skipped the whole planning process because it was just too stressful for them.  It makes my heart hurt for them because it should never be like that!  Hiring a professional planner takes so much of that unwanted stress off the couple’s plate, allowing them to really enjoy their time of being engaged.

The best part about your actual wedding day is enjoying it with your friends and family.  When you enlist a friend or family member to take care of the logistics of your big day, they aren’t able to enjoy the day with you.  Also, while your great aunt Mildred may be excellent at executing the details of your decor, she may not have the same connections with your other vendors that a professional planner would.  In many cases, using a professional planner can even earn you discounts on certain vendors’ services!

Keeping them in line with the timeline we established for the day!  It’s important to me to make a couple’s wedding day feel like it just flows for them.  The whole day will already fly by, so I want to make sure that they aren’t feeling as though they’re being pulled in a hundred directions and really give them time to enjoy their guests and each other!  Sticking to a timeline is key!

Blush bridal gowns!!!  Gone are the days where all brides have to wear some shade of white, and I absolutely love it!  In 2016, I really hope to see more non-traditional wedding details.  Whether it’s the couple’s dog serving as ring bearer or a ceremony taking place in a unique location…I love when couples choose to do something out-of-the-box to really reflect who they are.  It’s always such a blast hearing guests leave at the end of the night saying, “I’m so glad this wedding was different from all the other weddings I’ve attended this year.”  Make your wedding stand out and really represent you!

1) Choose vendors that you trust implicitly and that you feel a real connection with.  You’re going to be working very closely with them over the next few months and it’s important that you “get” each other.

2) Be a nice bride.  I’ve written an entire blog series around this topic because it’s so easy to get wrapped up in the emotions and the checklists and sometimes brides forget about the people around them.  They forget that their bridesmaids were their best friends before the ring and that their fiance is going to be their husband after the wedding day.  Be mindful of the fact that after your wedding is over, you still want to have relationships with these people.  Treat them accordingly.

3) Hire a wedding planner.  In the age of Pinterest, every bride wants to do-it-herself.  But don’t shoulder all the stress that can surround a wedding yourself.  Hire a professional that can execute your dream wedding day so that you can really sit and enjoy it with your new husband!