So, you’ve decided to enlist the expertise of a professional to help you plan your big day, and what a great decision that is! Many brides underestimate the amount of time and hard work it takes to plan a wedding, and that actually a lot of the prep work can be tedious and stressful! A wedding planner can help ease the work load, leaving you to organise the fun the bits and allowing you carry on with your daily commitments with minimal disruption.
Bearing in mind how personal a wedding is and how much work it takes, it is essential that the person planning yours is going to do the job properly! Having a connection with them is also an important factor. You must feel that they understand your ideas and vision for the day and are capable of translating that into a reality!
To help you find a wedding coordinator that will help you make your dreams come true, we have compiled a list of the first four things you should ask when choosing a wedding planner.
“What services do you offer?”
Wedding planner roles vary greatly by how much they do and how involved they are: do they just deal with logistics or do they have a more creative approach to the planning? Before you even meet with a wedding planner sit down with your other half and decided exactly how much help you want and need for your day.
Chances are, a big bulk of the wedding planning can be taken care of by your friends and family. For instance, your bridesmaids could find and book dress shops, while mum does price comparisons for the flowers or makes the bunting for the evening do.
You may just fancy having on the day coordination to ensure everything runs smoothly and no-one is worrying whether the cake arrived or whether Dad’s vintage car will even start up! However if your friends and family are just as busy as you, opt for a professional who can organise the whole lot. Find out what type of packages they offer to ensure their services will fulfill your requirements. Do not be afraid to ask as many questions as you need.
“How much and how do you charge for your services?”
Once you have decided on which type of service will best suit your requirements, you will want to talk money. A professional coordinator will understand that a wedding is nearly always planned with a budget in mind and will have no problem in explaining the different pricing options and how they charge. Is it by the hour, a percentage of the wedding cost or a flat rate?
If the package that you originally chose is out of your budget, ask if it is possible to tailor the service and pricing to you. Make sure you get the quote in writing and be sure to read all the small print and check that there aren’t any other hidden costs that may spring up thoroughout the process.
“How many weddings have you planned?”
Whilst we appreciate that everyone has to start somewhere when it comes to business, we highly recommend opting for a wedding planner that has more than than a couple of weddings under their belt. You want to be assured that if, heaven forbid, something did go wrong, they have the skills and connections to resolve the issue quickly and with minimal disruption. Often, this comes with experience.
A wedding coordinator that has had experience in the industry for a while will have also built up a reputable list of quality, trustworthy wedding suppliers whom they can recommend and use if needed. All this experience will go towards ensuring that your big day runs smoothly and is everything you want it to be.
“Please can you provide us with a portfolio and references?”
Now we don’t want to be cynical, but unfortunately there are a handful of people out there who may up sell their experience and reputation. Protect yourself against being scammed by doing your homework and researching your chosen planner. Ask them to provide you with a portfolio of previous weddings and events and ask for the contact details of brides and wedding suppliers who can offer references. Give them a quick Google too to see if there are any online reviews.
Start your journey to choosing a wedding planner at our directory! If you decide that a wedding coordinator is not for you, we have a great range of wedding planning tools to help you become the most organised bride ever!
