Planning a Wedding is a huge undertaking which can take years (or even a lifetime) to complete. While you may not feel comfortable spending even more money on a Wedding than you had to before, a Wedding Planner can save you so much time, stress and even money.
If you decide a Wedding Planner is right for you the next problem is finding the right Wedding Planner. As they are an intricate part of your wedding you should put as much thought into your Wedding Planner that you did your fiance!
Wedding Planners come in all shapes and sizes, from large agencies to small boutiques or individuals and they all offer various services. There are two main types of Wedding Planner, a full-service planner and a day-of coordinator. With this in mind, it’s time to ask yourself…
How much help do I need and how much control do I want?
The Day-Of-Coordinator
If you’re not one to let things go and enjoy organization, or are on a budget, a day-of-coordinator may be best for you. They take on the roll that is usually given to Mother-In-Laws or Bridesmaids, ensuring the Wedding runs smoothly so that everything you have planned comes together without a hitch.
Dealing with vendors, their arrival times, transport and even packing up at the end of the night, the day-of-coordinator takes care of it. Checked and Double checked so you don’t need to worry about a late photographer or a lost florist.
Really this involves a month of work, but the name Day-Of-Coordinator is what these Wedding Planners go by.
The Full-Service Wedding Planner
A full-service wedding planner can help in a number of ways depending on what you are looking for. Some stick strictly to dealing with vendors and locations to fulfil a plan you have already created, while others take a more active role in the entire process. It’s important to decide what you need before you begin to interview your Wedding Planners. If you want a creative mind to bounce your ideas off of you’re going to need somebody much different than if you want a strict, organisational mind to keep everything together.
Full-Service Planners can do almost anything you need for your Wedding, and can provide years of experience in Wedding Planning. You can bet they will know the best Photographers, Caterers and Florists to deal with and may even save you a fortune on Vendor bills.
With this in mind you can begin your search for the right Wedding Planner for you, matching your needs with their skills.
Stay tuned for Part 2 of “How to choose your Wedding-Planner”, where we will provide you questions to ask your prospective Planner during the interview, and red-flags to look out for!