Confetti’s favourite wedding planner Mark Niemierko shares his tips on what to look for when hiring your planner.
Hiring a wedding planner is a great way to allow couples to fully enjoy the planning process, rather than leaving them feeling stressed and burdened in the lead up to their day.
- It is essential that you bond with your planner. A wedding day is one the most personal events you will experience and so you must be able to enjoy the process of planning together. If personality’s clash, it simply won’t work.
- Always look for a reputable and established company. A couple must consider the level of professionalism and expertise the planner has. A good planner will take on a business perspective rather than seeing the planning process as just a hobby. Do you really want your wedding to be someone’s hobby? Sure you need someone who is keen with huge amounts of enthusiasm. But they also need to be professional.
- Hiring a wedding planner needs to be worthwhile. What will a planner bring to the wedding that was missing? Organisational skills are key, but it can also be a planner’s creative vision that transforms your wedding day. Ensuring the right suppliers are approached, and hired, that match up with your style and taste.
- Planners vary in which direction they take during the planning. Think about what you want the planner to do – whether it is to take an organised approach with the plans or to be creative with the design concepts. I combine both of these; however some planners can just take a logistical role where others are more designers.
- A wedding planner must share the couple’s vision for the entire look of the wedding. I really hope there isn’t a signature “Niemierko style”. Instead each of the weddings I’ve planned subtly showcases the Bride and Grooms style, not my own. Consider whether they will reflect your own personal style and taste and can represent you as a couple on a personal level. This all needs to be done effortlessly, of course.
- I personally believe a couple should never hire a planner JUST for ‘day management’. A wedding planner should be all or nothing. There is no point in me coming onboard of a wedding a few weeks before when everything is planned and organised and for me to pick up the pieces. So yeah I oversee the cake arrive, but I’ll have no idea if it’s the right colour, design or even amount of tiers. Simply as I wasn’t involved in the cake consultation meeting. Same goes for every other element and supplier. The wedding day for a good planner is the easiest part of the process. Everything’s done. You’ve planned it so well…. now watch it come together. To do a good job, I believe a planner should know what is going on from the small details to the bigger picture.
- Finally. Use your wedding planner. Get them to make all the appointments, recommend suppliers, and liaise with the venue and catering team. Have them spoil and look after your Mother’s every request. You are paying for a service after all so take full use of it, whilst you sit back and enjoy the planning just as much as the day it’s self!
