Kerry Johnson, Palm Valley Country Club

If you're planning a wedding and want it to be the best it can be, follow these few tips, and you (and your family) will come out smiling.

Do Not Put It Off

For your own peace of mind, complete as much of the planning and preparation as you can in advance. If it can be completed in advance, do it! Even the seemingly small details such as taking everything out of its wrapper and removing stickers from items so you aren't dealing with it on the actual wedding day. Make sure everything is ready to be placed on your tables.

Plan Ahead For Your Guests

Always set the time on your invitations to be a half hour early. This way, if you have a few friends or relatives that tend to run late, they will not miss the ceremony. Even the timely ones can get caught in traffic.

Gather Everything Together 

As you gather items to take to the venue the day-of, store them together somewhere specific in your home (e.g., the marriage license, toasting flues, the cake cutting set, guest book, favors). Then, when it's time to go, you know that everything you need is in that spot.

Delegate To Professionals 

When your wedding day arrives, you should only be focused on getting pampered and arriving in style, with a smile. Have a plan in place: who is setting up and who is taking home items? You don't want to be in the middle of your honeymoon before realizing you forgot your crystal champagne flutes at the venue. A wedding coordinator is a sound investment for this reason.

Top 5 Reasons You Should Hire a Coordinator

1. Beat the learning curve of planning and executing a flawless event, because your coordinator has already done it. Planning a wedding is like having a part-time job, so cut yourself some slack and take advantage of a coordinator's experience.
2. Ensure your investments in the event are completed and nothing is forgotten. Why spend the time planning certain details only to have something forgotten or mismanaged?
3. Because of their experience, a coordinator can spot mistakes or trouble spots in advance of a bigger issue—so you can sleep better the night before your big day knowing you have someone else looking out for you.
4. A coordinator is all business. It's always great having family members help out, but a coordinator will not get caught up in the "fun" of the event. Let the coordinator do the work and give your family a break: let them enjoy the wedding as well.
5. A coordinator will oversee the vendors and set-up. Sometimes you have a half dozen vendors calling or showing up, and a coordinator can make sure everyone (and everything) is in place before you even arrive. If a hiccup occurs, you don't want your phone ringing—you don't even want to know where your phone is!

Finally... Don't Sweat the Small Stuff

No matter how you plan the perfect day, there will be things that do not go as planned. Don't let these hiccups ruin your day! Expect the unexpected and roll with it.