What to expect from your Wedding Planner

In today’s wedding industry, nearly sixty-one percent of engaged couples sought the help of planner to assist with their big day, compared to less than twenty-four percent ten years ago according to a recent study. As weddings becoming bigger and more complex, more and more brides are seeking professional help to assist them with bringing the day of their dreams to life, and we couldn’t be happier.

From our experience, brides who have a wedding planner tend to generally be less stressed about the process compared to brides who try and take on every aspect of their day solo. It will not only reduce stress, but make everything seem more organized and within reach because the wedding planner takes on that overwhelming feeling so you don’t have to!

You get the security of a professional who will solicit unbiased advice when you feel unsure as well as someone who will make sure every “I” is dotted and every “t” is crossed. You can’t put a price on your sanity!

 

What is a wedding planner??

A wedding planner is someone who plans or organizes weddings professionally.

 

Why are they so important?

Your wedding planner is there to guide you through the planning process and essentially take away the stress and overwhelming nature of planning an event as important as your wedding. There are so many details and factors that go into making your day perfect and you can leave it to a professional to guide you through the way.

This starts from the beginning, which means the venue should come with a wedding planner. This will be the person who guides you through the planning process and keeps you on track, remembers deadlines, and makes sure all your details are covered. They contact your vendors, send contracts, order linens, confirm delivery and pick up times, and everything else you don’t want to be bothered with so you can focus on finding your dress, attending your bridal showers and planning a honeymoon!

A common misconception about wedding planners is that you give up all creativity and control of your day. That could not be more inaccurate. Your wedding planner should simply take your ideas and bring them to life. They are the ones to remember important deadlines, send contracts to vendors, confirm food orders and so much more so you don’t have to worry about it.

Personality and special touches are absolutely something they will bring to life for you so you can enjoy being engaged and look forward to your wedding rather than stressing about it.

 

Where do I find one??

They can be found through the venue you choose or can be hired from their own personal businesses. The internet is a great tool for finding wedding planners! Word of mouth and referrals are very common as well because people trust professionals who their friends and family have worked with before.

Now, often times, close friends or family members will opt to “help” with the planning process and act as a make-shift wedding planner or the bride will try and take everything on herself. While this is great help and very generous of them to offer their thoughts and extra hands, I would encourage you to still hire a professional.

Sometimes the venues come with a wedding planner, this is a huge benefit! It will not only save you money by hiring someone else to do it, but you can trust their judgment and advice since each venue is different in their own ways.

The positives of having a built-in wedding planner with the venue is that they are super experienced with that venue in-particular so they will be able to give you the most accurate, applicable advice about the specifics of the day because they are so familiar with it. They have worked many, many weddings at this venue so their expertise will be very helpful throughout the process. I would encourage you to take their advice! They know what works and what doesn’t.

 

What to expect from your wedding planner?

To give you a small glimpse of what a wedding planner will aid you through, these are very popular things that your planner will assist you with. Every person is different and will require different services based on your wedding, however, these should be things you look for when finding the right fit for you.

1.       Send pricing

2.       Build contracts

3.       Help with color scheme

4.       Check for venue availability

5.       Handle payments to venue and vendors

6.       Set up vendor meet and greets

7.       Help choose menu/order food

8.       Refer you to vendors

9.       Send contracts to vendors

10.   Mark important deadlines

11.   Finalize headcounts

12.   Order tables, chairs

13.   Order linens

14.   Give you suggestions for table design

15.   Remind you of things like guest book, card box, sand ceremony, and table assignments

16.   Design floor plan  

17.   Be point of contact for all parties involved

18.   Order all rentals (dance floors, casino tables, projectors for slideshow)

19.   Help with invitations

20.   Refer transportation and hotels

21.   Set up tours of venues

22.   Order special alcohol, set bar packages

23.   Gather information on all details

24.   Figure out deals and discounts (to give you the best options)

25.   Create a timeline of the planning process as well as a timeline of the wedding day

26.   Be available to answer all questions when they arise!

27.   Setting up a realistic wedding budget

28.   Devising a wedding master plan that maps out all the little details, from ceremony music to favors

29.   Showing you the best and most original locations in the area, considering your wedding size, budget, and vision

30.   Finding the top florists, photographers, caterers, bands, DJs and other vendors in your price range

31.   Cutting you choice deals: Consultants bring volume to favored vendors, so often the vendors will reciprocate by slashing prices or throwing in extras

32.   Reading over all your vendor contracts to make sure everything is there, correct, and in accordance with your best interests and negotiations any amendments on your behalf

33.   Creating a day-of (or weekend-of) timeline that tells everyone involved in the planning process — vendors, members of the wedding party, you, and your families — when to do what

34.   Handling the invitations, from the wording and ordering to the addressing and mailing, as well as tracking RSVPs

35.   Counseling you on proper etiquette as well as what’s hot on the wedding front

36.   Managing the wedding day: supervising vendors, setup, and delivery; handling emergencies; and soothing nerves

37.   Serving as your spokesperson, conveying your every whim and desire to vendors or family members when you just can’t deal with doing it yourself

38.   Prevent expensive mistakes such as rush shipping charges or unnecessary changes

  1. Give you ideas, and tell you about current trends
  2. Help pull together any disjointed elements, and create a unified “look”

Before you choose a wedding planner, consider this:

First and foremost, you need wedding planners who are easy to contact and responsive to your needs. If they don’t return your calls promptly or don’t seem organized, look elsewhere.

Beware of wedding planners who are getting kickbacks for recommending certain vendors – make sure you are hearing about vendors who are right for you, and not just those who have a hand in the wedding planners’ pockets.

Make sure that you like their taste and style – you want your big day to look like you, not like your wedding planners.

Like any vendor, you’ll want to have a clear contract with your wedding planners that spells out their duties, costs and expenses, and deposits and payment schedules. Make sure there are clauses that spell out how increased duties and costs will be negotiated, and what happens if they fail to meet obligations or you want to cancel the contract.

 

Day-of coordination is a little different and some wedding planers will do both. To learn more information about day-of coordinators and why you need one, visit our blog!

Google Analytics Alternative