What Does a Wedding Planner Do? A Real Day in the Life (Featuring Sweat, Storms & a Cop Call)

If you’ve ever asked yourself, “What does a wedding planner do?” — get ready for the behind-the-scenes scoop you didn’t know you needed.

Spoiler alert: it’s not all fluffing dresses and cueing music. Sometimes it’s hauling chairs in 100-degree heat. Sometimes it’s serving cake, lighting candles, pinning boutonnieres, and calming panicked vendors. And sometimes… it’s calling the cops on the cleaning crew by accident. (Yep. That happened.)

In this post, I’m sharing a real wedding day from start to finish. I’m Sarah Lizabeth — professional wedding planner, floral designer, and host of The Snagged Podcast. And today, we’re diving deep into what really goes down behind the scenes.

First, Let’s Talk Expectations

Before we get into the story, let’s clear up one big misconception:

Not all wedding planners do the same thing.

Some planners offer full-service planning from engagement to exit. Others just do month-of coordination. Some handle florals and rentals. Others focus strictly on timelines and logistics.

That’s why it’s so important to ask your wedding planner exactly what they’re responsible for. Don’t assume. Ask. Confirm. Communicate.

Now… let me walk you through my day.

A Day in the Life of a Wedding Planner

5:00 AM: Alarm goes off. I grab coffee, run through my checklist, and double-check every single detail of the schedule. I pack a change of clothes (because sweat. So much sweat).

7:00 AM: It’s July in Tennessee, which basically means I’m working on the surface of the sun. I cool off my SUV like it’s a flower fridge to protect the florals I designed. The cakes are loaded, the vases are secure, and I’m driving what feels like a traveling flower shop/bakery combo.

8:00 AM: I arrive at the venue, meet with the rental crew, and direct the tent setup. I tuck the cakes into the fridge, stash the florals in the house, and start hauling chairs for the ceremony… 200 feet. In the heat. My assistant and I look like we took a shower in our clothes.

Midday: We’re setting up tables, rolling out linens, folding napkins, and placing china and glassware — only for a giant storm to roll in. So we tear it all back down… and reset everything after the rain passes.

2:00 PM: I meet with the bride and her family to go over our rain backup plan. It’s still drizzling, and I’m watching the weather radar like my life depends on it.

3:00–5:00 PM: Family photos, vendor check-ins, boutonniere pinning, bouquet delivery, vendor Q&As (so many questions — even after multiple meetings and PDFs). Then I sneak off for a 5-minute wardrobe change so I’m not in my setup clothes for the ceremony.

5:15 PM: The skies might hold, so I call a meeting with the bridal party. “We are starting on time — no disappearing acts!”

5:30 PM: Ceremony starts, outside, on time. It’s dreamy. Emotional. Worth every drop of sweat. The skies hold!

Cocktail Hour, Reception & The Fall Heard ‘Round the Venue

After the ceremony, the couple has a private moment to breathe (a must for every wedding!). Guests head to cocktail hour while we haul the ceremony chairs back to storage. Still sweating. Still smiling.

As guests sip and mingle, we’re filling water glasses, lighting candles… and then it rains again. But the important parts are done — photos, ceremony, setup — all complete thanks to staying on schedule.

Reception begins: I cue the bridal party, release dinner tables one by one, and start prepping for the cake cutting. (The cakes had been hidden in the A/C all day.)

Dances, toasts, and… SPLAT. On my way back to the car with decor in hand, I slip on the wet concrete and land flat on my butt. Cartoon-style. My assistant and I made awkward eye contact from 30 feet away. It was a moment.

(Thank God this did NOT happen!)

Exit… and the Unexpected Ending

Guests are dancing. We’re breaking down chairs, scraping plates, boxing leftovers, organizing the bride’s things, and cleaning up the entire venue.

Then we see… a suspicious car. Lights on. Not moving. In the middle of the woods. Inside a state park. It’s pitch black. No one is supposed to be there. The lights go off. Then back on. The car pulls into the drive.

One of my assistants blocks them in with her car. She calls 911. I’m still inside locking doors and turning off lights like I’m in a horror movie. She calls me:“GET IN YOUR CAR. THEY’RE GETTING OUT.”

I fly out of there in reverse, hit the brakes, and the back of my SUV explodes like a garage sale: vases break, cake stands fly, and I’m fully convinced I’m about to be kidnapped.

The cops arrive.

Turns out? It’s the cleaning crew.

We called the cops… on the cleaning crew. So yeah. Just another normal wedding planner night. 😅

So… What Does a Wedding Planner Do?

We plan. We direct. We fix. We sweat. We clean. We haul. We pivot. We handle your most sacred day with our whole hearts — and a very full emergency kit.

And at the end of the night, no one knows all the work that went into it. They just know it happened. Beautifully.

That’s what a wedding planner does.

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💍 Need wedding planning support that actually gets you?

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📸 More tips & inspo: Follow @wedplanpro on Instagram & Pinterest.

🎙️ Listen in: The Snagged Podcast—search on any platform or visit SnaggedPodcast.com.

About the Author

This post was brought to you by Sarah Lizabeth—a wedding planner, educator, and storyteller on a mission to change the narrative of the wedding industry. With two decades of experience and a heart for service, Sarah helps couples focus on what truly matters: connection, clarity, and a celebration that reflects their real love story.