When all is said and done, as a couple, you simply want your wedding day to go smoothly and with no hiccups; any help you can get to make this come to fruition, should ideally be welcome. One of the ways that can make this day not just successful, but also less stressful and enjoyable, is to get yourself a wedding planner.
The main task of a wedding planner is to understand your vision for the wedding, help you bring together the different elements of the wedding planning process, including choosing and negotiating with all the relevant vendors, and finally help you run the wedding day to the very end in a seamless manner.
This is undoubtedly a daunting task, but one that is essential to realizing your dream wedding.
We have put together tips to help you choose the perfect wedding planner and we hope these will help:
Look for referrals from family and friends who have recently gotten married. Personal recommendations are a great way to find a wedding planner who has a proven track record of success. It will also reduce the time you could have spent searching for a planner from scratch.
The internet does make things easy in our times today, so you can go digging for information as there are numerous tools to help you to this end. Feel free to do research online for wedding planners in the local area, or in close proximity to you. Many wedding planners have a website or social media presence, which can give you an idea of their style and approach. This too will quickly give you ideas of who you can work with in terms of their ideas and style closely aligning with yours.
Check the planner’s portfolio and reviews from previous clients. This will give you an idea of their experience and the quality of their work. These are important for you to quickly know how the planner rates and thus help you narrow down to the one/s you can work with.
Schedule initial consultations with potential wedding planners to see if they are a good fit. This meeting will give you the opportunity to ask questions and get a feel for their personality and communication style. In doing this you will be able to quickly establish if you can work together or not.
Inquire about the planner’s experience and previous weddings they have planned. This will give you an idea of their expertise and the types of weddings they are familiar with.
Ask about the planner’s preferred vendors and if they are willing to work with vendors of your choice. This will give you an idea of the planner’s network and if they are flexible enough to work with your preferred vendors. A good planner should have relatively good working relations with most vendors as the industry isn’t exponentially big. Vendor experience will also help the planner negotiate better deals for you.
Discuss the planner’s pricing structure and what services are included in their package. This will help you understand what services you can expect and how much you will be paying for them.
Clarify communication expectations and how often the planner will update you on progress. This is important to ensure that you are kept up-to-date with the planning process and that you are comfortable with the level of communication. These must be set very early in your interactions so that none is feeling pressured or uniformed at any particular time.
Check if the planner has experience working within your budget constraints. It is important to choose a planner who can work within your budget to avoid any financial stress. The wisdom here is to be open with them, right from the start about what you are working with. This will avoid the planner trying to impose their own pressure on you to upgrade to their own expectations. The other side of it is that with the understanding of your budget, they should not deliver way below the vision you have.
Make sure you feel comfortable with the planner and trust their ability to plan your dream wedding. It is essential to choose a planner whom you feel connected and comfortable working with. If you feel you can entrust your entire wedding vision with them, then just relax and believe they will bring your vision to life.
We hope that by following these tips, you can choose a wedding planner who will help you plan the wedding of your dreams. At the center of it all is that you should make your vision clear to the planner and ask as many questions as possible. This will ensure that you are all aligned on what you want to achieve, and you can then let the planner run with it, of course as they consult you every step of the way. I hope that on the wedding day you will be having the time of your life.