Before You Hire a Wedding Planner Part 1
It’s been a while… grab some tea and come sit with me! I’ve officially been a wedding planner for 11 years! The joys and richness of wedding planner has added so much happiness to my life it’s unmatched. I have ran across a few wives and they often say, “I wish I knew you when I was planning my wedding..” and I begin to think what value was lost in their planning experience. We may never know, however, my hope is to share why hiring a planner is optimal in your journey, but sometimes it’s not always a perfect fit for everyone. Budget, availability and better yet, chemistry… so before you hire “me” (wink wink) let’s assess a few things.
There is no denying the fact that planning a wedding can be incredibly stressful. There are so many details to coordinate and keep track of that it is so easy to let something slip through the tracks and get either overlooked or not given enough attention. Sure there are some brides, and grooms, who are such perfectionists that they will not delegate even a single task but for others who are willing to enlist the help of a professional a wedding planner can really make a huge difference. Not only can the wedding planner make life so much easier for the bride by handling and coordinating many of the details of the wedding but she can also help the bride find great deals through connections she may have in the industry and can make recommendations for experienced professionals that will help to make the wedding day perfect. This article will discuss some things to consider before hiring a wedding planner.
First and foremost a bride should carefully consider the type of role a wedding planner will play in the process of planning the wedding. Some brides may be confident handing over all of the planning details to a wedding planner, some brides may only allow a wedding planner to perform a few minor tasks and most brides will fall somewhere in the middle of this spectrum. The majority of brides who hire a wedding planner want to be involved in every step of the process but are intimidated by the prospect of planning the wedding so they rely on the wedding planner to keep track of details, make sure nothing is overlooked and deal with vendors.
Next a bride, along with anyone else involved in paying for the wedding, will have to consider the fees charged by the wedding planner. This is very important because depending on the amount of work required the cost of employing a wedding planner can add significantly to the budget for the wedding. Some wedding planners charge an hourly rate, some charge for each task handled by the wedding planner and some charge a flat fee for all of the services provided to assist in the wedding planning and preparations. It is important to understand these fees beforehand and to have a contract that carefully outlines all of the services which will be performed by the wedding planner and the fees that will be paid to the wedding planner. Without this type of contract there are likely to be disputes. However, with a contract in place the bride and the wedding planner can proceed with confidence that everyone involved knows what is expected of them during the process of planning the wedding.
When it is time to start narrowing down your options for wedding planners it is very important to seek out recommendations from trusted sources. Friends or family members who have used a wedding planner in the past will likely give you an honest opinion of whether or not a particular wedding planner is a worthwhile investment. Brides should also use the Internet to learn about wedding planners and search for reviews. There may be hundreds of wedding planners located in your city but if you start by only considering those who come highly recommended your search will be much easier.
Once you use personal recommendations and online reviews to narrow your field of wedding planners down to a few contenders it is time to schedule interviews. This is incredibly important for a number of reasons. First, you want to select a wedding planner who is capable of planning a wedding that will meet your expectations and suit your style. Ask to see pictures from previous weddings and ask for details on the role played by the wedding planner. It is also important to get a good feel for the wedding planner’s personality during this interview. This is significant because you will be spending a great deal of time with the wedding planner over the course of the next few months. If you can’t get along with her it can not only be uncomfortable but may result in you not having your dream wedding.
To be continued…
Find us on Social Media: Instagram @crwevents Facebook: www.Facebook.com/crwevents Twitter: @eventscrw TikTok: @crwevents Pinterest: CRW Events Chi
