There are a ton of posts on the ol' interwebs highlighting the reasons why you should hire a wedding planner (lots of reasons,) but we won't reinvent the wheel here. What we will do though, is cover some of the ways to determine what level of service you need and how to choose the right coordinator for you.
Photo by Wonderfelle Media
Communication is Key
Just like in any healthy marriage, communication is so important from day one. How do you communicate with others, and what is your preferred method of communication (planning dashboard, email, phone calls, face time, or in person etc.) Ask your potential wedding planner about how they typically communicate with their couples and mention what your preferences are to see how this aligns with their process. How quickly are you expected to respond to your coordinator, and vice versa?
Clear Expectations
No one likes to feel like their needs aren't being met. How do you envision your wedding planning process? Do you want to be hands on with decision making and details/logistics or would you prefer that your planner works primarily on the details then comes to you for your final decisions/approvals?
Feeling the Vibe
We work as team of planners not only because of a busy wedding schedule but also because personalities can match up differently and we want to ensure that our couples are feeling the vibes and connecting with their planner. Typically our couples spend about a year with us give or take, so we get to know each other and connect. It's literally the best part of what we are so blessed to do.
Relationships
Working in the event industry, we have forged relationships with a strong network of event partners from Venues, DJ's, Caterers, Florists and Bakers to name a few. When our couples ask for recommendations we have the highest confidence in our vendor teams because they have a proven track record of only the best service. We know who goes above and beyond, who is responsive to emails/requests and is easy to work with. This saves our clients a lot of time because they aren't starting from scratch when selecting their vendors. So choosing a planner who has an established reputation is very important.
Experience
Relationships and experience seem to go hand in hand, but we break this down because it is easy for anyone to all themselves a wedding planner. However, until someone has worked their way though weddings and all sorts of logistics, they won't know enough about real life problem solving, managing large crowds or any other stressful aspect. Read reviews, and feel free to ask for past clients so that you can hear first hand about what to expect.
Value
When you are planning a wedding it makes sense to want to know the cost up front. "What is this going to cost me?" However when booking vendors of any category we urge you to think of the value first of what the vendor offers, their experience in the industry and reputation. Booking someone based purely on price can often lead to frustration. We believe in being cost effective and budget friendly while delivering excellent service for our couples.
We hope that you find your A Team for your wedding day, if you have questions or need assistance feel free to shoot us a note!
~ Happy Planning!~