Congratulations! You are engaged! And you are in the beginning stages of planning your the best day of your life. You have been dreaming about this since you were a little girl wearing pigtails. But planning is hard, so you start to wonder what exactly is it, that a wedding planner does? Are they worth the investment? Or, perhaps you are starting to feel the stress of planning. You start to ask yourself whether hiring a planner might just be the key to your sanity. Here is some info about wedding planners:
To describe a wedding planner, it would be way too easy to say, “they do anything and everything”. But let me try to be more specific on how wedding planners can save you money and time. All this, while making your day stress free and seamless. First, let’s figure out the difference between wedding planning and wedding coordination.
The Difference – Wedding Planner Vs. Wedding Coordinator?
You may be wondering about the difference between a wedding planner and a wedding coordinator. There is a big difference between the two.
Your wedding planner is there for you for the entire planning process. This starts with helping you with your wedding budget. Planners also assist you with picking other wedding vendors. They are with you from start to finish, ensuring your day is smooth and carefree. They are your advocate along with a host of other supporting roles.
A wedding coordinator is responsible for helping you facilitate wedding day details that you have planned. They focus on managing your vendors and the day-of logistics. They strive to perfectly execute the wedding day you planned.
Let Your Wedding Planner Get To Know You
Whether you choose a full-service planner or a day of wedding coordinator, your planner will immediately seek to get to know you and your fiance. A full-service planner will listen to your ideas or plans. They offer any needed ad hoc services and work to make your day beautiful. Because no two couples – or weddings for that matter – are the same, planners usually have several packages to choose from. Some couples want to take a hands off approach and others want to be frequently updated. Clear communication with your planner is important, to ensure they know your preferences.
Trends, Styles and Designs
Planners are aware of all the fun trends, classic styles, or romantic flowy designs. You may have your own ideas about style or you may want your planner to help you come up with the design. That is what they are there for! Having a planner to narrow down your ideas and give you direction can be immensely helpful.
Vendors, Sourcing and Negotiating
Each wedding planner has their own list of trusted vendors. They can pull from this list and recommend the vendors that they think would work best for your special day, taking into account style, design and budget. They will be able to recommend the ones they think will work best for you. This is a huge time-saving task! Most planners also try to negotiate on your behalf to guarantee the best price and ensure they are working within your budget. Once you’ve chosen your venue and vendors, a planner can set all the contracts in place for you and put together a payment schedule. They will prompt you when each deposit is due to ensure you don’t miss any and, again, to ensure you don’t go over your budget.
Wedding Day Schedule
As your wedding day nears, your planner will prepare a timeline which includes input from your vendors. Your timeline will show you, your wedding party, your family, and your vendors exactly where everyone needs to be and at what time. This is truly helpful to ensure all of the wonderful parts of your day flow seamlessly! In the weeks and days leading up to your wedding, your planner will reach out to all of your vendors. Planners ensure that every vendor knows what time they are scheduled for and what services they have been booked to provide.
Managing the Day
Once all of the design and organizing is done, your planner is there to ensure the day goes smoothly and stress free for you. Most planners work quietly but are always right there when they are needed. On your special day, the planner will ensure everyone is on schedule. The planner will confer with caterers in case timing needs to be adjusted, talk to the photographer if there is a change in the timeline, and ensure the DJ is set up and ready before guests enter the dance floor. Planners also deal with tiny details like the dimmer switch for lighting, a sewing kit for a button, or the detail box with the rings!
But I Already Have a Venue Coordinator?
Often, couples ask why they would want a planner if the venue has a coordinator. Actually, these are two very different things. The venue coordinator is there to ensure the venue is providing you with what your contracted services entail, whether that be setting the floor plan or prepping and maintaining the facility. The planner is there to represent you and your fiancé. Although the venue coordinator will always work hard to ensure the day is as smooth as planned, a full planner is the only one who can ensure your day is completely smooth and stress free, already knowing each detail of the day.
Reach Out
Hopefully this clarifies what types of planners might be best for your wedding day. If you would like a free consultation with a planner, I recommend Veiled Events click here. They have a team approach, handle the day with grace, and pay attention to the finer details. If you are looking for a photographer for your special day, here is my website, with pricing and FAQ’s!
