The decision to hire a wedding planner will make or break your wedding. And a quality wedding planner is more than just a bossy girlfriend. We absolutely encourage you to hire a wedding planner. Especially now, with everything that is going on in the world, many brides are having to reschedule or cancel their weddings. You NEED a wedding planner. They are able to navigate these troubles waters to reschedule vendors, find new dates, and use their connections to make your day perfect. Virus or no, wedding planners are essential. But how do you know who to hire? We have listed a few things you need to know before reaching out to a wedding planner and some questions to ask to delineate who is the right fit.
What You Need to Know Before Hiring a Wedding Planner
Services. Not all wedding planners offer the same services. Even the term “Planner” is not always correct. Here is a little terminology to help you decide what services you need:
- Planning – searching, interviewing, and assisting in hiring all vendors. Laying out the timeline and vendor schedule for the wedding day.
- Designing – selecting wedding design elements like color scheme, floral, decor, layout, etc. Gives the overall look and feel of the wedding.
- Coordinating – ensuring that the rehearsal and day of the wedding run smoothly according to timeline.
- Styling – taking all of the design and decor elements and arranging them for your wedding day.
Packages. The pricing and inclusions for each package for each wedding planner varies greatly. Most wedding planners offer full, partial, month-of or day-of packages.
Logistics. Inform your potential planner of the following:
- Venue(s) you have selected or if you still need a venue
- Wedding date or time of year
- Estimated guest count
- If any part of your wedding day take place outside
Vendors. If you need help finding vendors, planners can often offer quality selections. Also, it is important for your planner to know what vendors you have already hired. Building a vendor team is important and you want your vendors to work well together.
Style. Share your vision for your wedding. If you have a good rapport with a wedding planner, they may ask to see your Pinterest boards. Better yet, complete our Style Quiz and Style Curation to give them a detailed look at your dream day vibes.
Budget. Wedding Planners need to know what your overall budget will look like for your big day. The amount should include everything. Wedding Planners can help manage your budget and help you stay at or under that amount. Also, they can help guide you on the cost of vendors and services. Sticker shock in the wedding industry is a real thing.
Questions to Ask the Planner
- Who handles setup and cleanup on my wedding day? What does that include?
- When it comes to the Timeline will you coordinate with the photographer, dj, and other vendors?
- Do you review my contracts with all my vendors?
- I see you have a team, who will be my day-of contact on my wedding day?
Professional Planner, Ashlee Nicholson of Treasured Heart Events has given us some great additional questions to ask a Wedding Planner:
- How many weddings do you take on per month?
- How do you ensure we will get the level of attention we deserve?
- How is your company different from other wedding planning companies?
- Do you take commission from vendors you recommend?
Once you have received the answers you want and it feels like a good fit, schedule a consultation. Above all else, you should feel comfortable with your wedding planner and confident that they will run your wedding flawlessly. Happy planning!
Photography Credit: Melissa Claire Photography