A Wedding Planner is Important

Except for the most intimate affairs, and include those for many, a wedding planner is a very integral component of a wedding.  Life is a lot smoother the sooner in the wedding planning process you come to terms with the concept of having a wedding planner.  Your wedding planner will be vital as you hunt for the perfect venue for your wedding.  The wedding planner will have a host of vendors that will fit in your budget and may even be able to give you some wiggle room with negotiation power.  

For busy women with a vision, a good wedding planner can take your vision and run with it!  However, while you are planning, don’t forget to plan by reading this on the wedding gift he wants – sexy pics!

What to ask your potential wedding planner?

The most important question to ask a potential wedding planner is are they available on the day of your wedding.  Wedding planners can run with the whole show, or fill in to round out your planning strategy to include design, design and planning, coordinating as things come down the stretch, day of coordinating, and just providing a plan for the wedding and you to all the execution.  Deciding the roll of your wedding planner needs to be answered in your mind first!   However, sometimes a wedding planner will start out with “just a little help the day of” and as details explode step in to offer more assistance!  

A prospective client will want to know the average cost of a wedding for the wedding planner you are interviewing.  Make sure your budget is somewhere in that range.  

Establish who will take care of the details and how those details will be managed.  If the wedding coordinator is hiring the vendors, then they will need access to an account where you have deposited the necessary funds.  If you are writing the checks, be prepared to drop everything so parties can be paid to secure those dates!  

Who owns the vision?

You will need to establish with your prospective wedding planner who will be creating the vision.  Some wedding planners excel at creating the vision and will be able guide you into the most beautiful day of your life.  If, however, you have a vision, ascertain that your wedding planner has experience at making those visions come alive!  

Finally, find out if this wedding planner excels at styling a ceremony or coordinating the details!  A good bet is that you want equal measure of both qualities!  Do not make the mistake of hiring a wonderful stylist who forgets to rent chairs!

You will want to get a feel for the experience your wedding planner has.  Have they been in business six months or six years?  You may wish to know how many weddings a year they plan, and if part of a larger organization, you may want to know who will be the coordinator assisting you on your wedding.  If it is not the person you are interviewing, you would want to meet this person.  

Speak to those referrals!

There is no substitute to actually speaking with past clients.  Honing in on these details is imperative!  Will this person make your dream day come true?   Don’t skimp on this step!  

You found a gem!

So you have interviewed three fine candidates, now what?  Don’t forget to sign that contract!  Do not consider it a date until you have a paper trail to assure that you have an agreement.  Your contract should include the name and contact information for both you and the person you are entering into a contract.  Include the date, time and location of your ceremony and reception.  If you do not have all these details nailed down, get them!  Clearly list the services that the wedding planner will be providing.   Also, the services the planner will be providing will need to be clearly specified in the contract.  Most noteworthy, know who and how many will be present during the ceremony and reception.    Included with the arrival and departure of each of these individuals.  

Also in your contract, the time you expect your wedding planner to arrive for the ceremony and reception.  Names of the planners and those assistants who will be available during the ceremony and reception.  The total cost should be in the contract as well as the amount of the deposit.  Include the due date for the balance.  Also, what would the cost to you be if you cancelled the contract?  In addition, what amount would be reimburse to you should the other party cancel the contract?

All parties must sign this contract!