What Do Wedding Planners Do?
Wedding
Planners Make Things a Lot
Easier If You Know What You're Looking For
Wedding planners, also known as coordinators and event planners, quite
simply help you organize your big day. But what they actually do can
vary greatly. The Duties of Wedding Planners
Typically, wedding planners start off by meeting with the couple to:
-
understand the events – not just the wedding day itself, but also the
rehearsal dinner, bridesmaid teas, day after brunches, and any other
related events.
- review the overall budget
- understand
the style, colors, vibe, and taste of the couple
- discuss
progress to date
They'll then propose how they might be helpful
and present the couple with a contract for the wedding planners'
services. Probably they will be a combination of some of the below,
depending on your needs and budget:
Organizational Queens
Even if you're newly engaged, you're probably realizing that this
process includes many many details that require you to be organized,
stick to a budget, and stay on schedule. So even if you are a well
organized person, you'll want to make sure that your wedding planners
are not only on top of things, but that they'll help you stay on top of
things. They'll
- create and review vendor contracts
- organize
your wedding day timeline
- coordinate vendor arrivals and
deliveries with your venues
- prevent expensive mistakes such as
rush shipping charges or unnecessary changes
- remind you of
obligations, appointments, and budget constraints
Style
Mavens
For those of you who are looking at bridal magazines, but worry you
don't have the aesthetic eye to pull it off, look for wedding planners
who are designers. They can
- give you ideas, and tell you about
current trends
- help pull together any disjointed elements, and
create a unified "look"
- see and add details you might have
missed
- coordinate the florist, caterer, printers, invitation
companies, graphic designers and any other aesthetic vendors
- help
you choose bridesmaid dresses and other wedding party attire, your
bridal gown and/or groom's wear
- find coordinating and stylish
favors
- design your tables, lighting and other visual details.
Peace
Makers
If you're constantly arguing with your parents, or with
each other, wedding planners can use their negotiating skills to create
peace. Whether it's talking to the mother-of-the-groom about the blood
red dress she wants to wear, or helping to mediate budget disagreements,
and saving you from etiquette snafus, wedding planners can be
invaluable.
Vendor Resources
Experienced wedding
planners have a rolodex of contacts in the biz, so they may be able to
find you that reception venue with the perfect view, or the one caterer
who will work with small budgets. They may also be able to pull in
favors to get discounts or freebies.
Day-of-Wedding
Coordinators
On your wedding day, you're going to be pulled in a
million directions. Old friends will want to say hello, you'll want to
relax and get ready, and people will be asking you far too many
questions. And that's just before the ceremony starts. Wedding planners
can help you avoid the chaos by
- meeting vendors and deliveries,
and handling any no-shows
- solving other last-minute emergencies
- running
the rehearsal
- setting up the ceremony and reception spaces
- making
sure that the wedding party is on time and in the right places
- coordinating
the reception timeline
- dealing with wedding crashers and
unruly guests
- ensuring that the space is left clean and that
you'll get your deposits back
- collecting personal items wedding
gifts and making sure they get back to you safely.
- returning
rentals and borrowed items.
Most wedding planners will handle
these tasks, but it is possible to hire people just for these tasks.
Though they're called "day-of" coordinators, you should meet with them
at least a month in advance, and they should start confirming with
vendors at least a few days before the event.
Full-scale wedding planners for big budget brides These
are the wedding planners that you see on TV. They do everything --
creating a lavish event to impress and handling all the details while
the happy couple just gets to enjoy the whole event.
Things to Watch Out for With Wedding Planners
- First and
foremost, you need wedding planners who are easy to contact and
responsive to your needs. If they don't return your calls promptly or
don't seem organized, look elsewhere.
- Beware of wedding
planners who are getting kickbacks for recommending certain vendors –
make sure you are hearing about vendors who are right for you, and not
just those who have a hand in the wedding planners' pockets.
- Make
sure that you like their taste and style – you want your big day to
look like you, not like your wedding planners.
- Like any vendor,
you'll want to have a clear contract with your wedding planners that
spells out their duties, costs and expenses, and deposits and payment
schedules. Make sure there are clauses that spell out how increased
duties and costs will be negotiated, and what happens if they fail to
meet obligations or you want to cancel the contract.
Before you sign any contracts, make sure you've read:
