If your wedding is coming up in the near future, hiring a wedding planner has probably crossed your mind at least once. But what do wedding planners do? How does it work? If you can afford it and if you're willing to delegate some of the details to someone else, wedding planners can make your big day a lot easier and more enjoyable for you. This post will give you all the details you need to know before deciding whether or not to hire a wedding planner. Let's get to it:
1. First Meeting
When you're considering hiring a wedding planner, the first thing you'll do is have an initial consultation with your prospective planner. You'll outline what you would want the planner to do and what you expect to do yourself. The wedding planner will try to get a basic understanding of all the events surrounding your wedding--the ceremony, the reception, the rehearsal dinner, etc. The wedding planner will want to know your anticipated budget, your style, and the progress you've made in the planning thus far. After this conversation, the wedding planner will tell you the packages he/she offers that will best represent your needs. The two most common types of wedding planning are full service and day-of coordination.
2. Full Service
If you want a wedding planner to help you every step of the way and coordinate the actual ceremony, this is the option for you. Your wedding planner will be constantly in touch with you about booking a venue, choosing a cake, vendors for food at the reception, and much more. She will help you with every decision that needs to be made and cover the logistics of making those decisions. The planner will even attend your bridal salon appointments to help you pick the bridesmaid dresses. Even if your wedding planner won't be covering all the details (invitations, place cards, programs, save the dates, etc.), she will make sure you stay on schedule so it all gets done in time. She will supervise from the beginning of planning to the moment you and your sweetheart slip on your matching wedding bands and into the celebratory reception.
3. Day-of Coordination
If you just want a wedding planner who will take care of all the logistical details on the wedding day, then day-of coordination is the best option or you. The wedding planner will make a schedule, which he will coordinate with the vendors, photographer, DJ/band, and others, to ensure the day runs as smoothly as possible. The wedding planner will hand out this schedule at the rehearsal dinner and make sure everyone in the wedding party knows when and where to be on the day of the wedding. He will show up early at the venue on the day of the wedding to oversee all set up, and he will liaison between the vendors and the bride/groom. During the actual ceremony, the planner will make sure everyone is in place at the designated time and ensure it goes off smoothly. After the ceremony and the reception are over, the planner will then make sure the wedding gifts get where they need to go, rented materials are returned, and much more. A full-service wedding package takes care of all this plus the extensive planning beforehand.
Sometimes wedding planners specialize in different things, so keep that in mind when you're searching for one. For example, some wedding planners specialize in style and design, so if you're hoping your wedding will look magazine-worthy, start there. Just remember, a wedding planner's main goal is always this: to give you the wedding you've always dreamed of.
Before your wedding planner signals for you to head down the aisle, make sure you have your matching wedding bands ready.