While it may start as Pinterest boards full of wedding decor and bridal magazine spreads, wedding planning can quickly turn into an overwhelming flurry of decisions, appointments and conflicting ideas. Even if you love to plan, some of the minute details are daunting, or you may not have enough free time in your schedule for it. For these reasons and more, almost 30% of couples turn to professional wedding planners.
What is a wedding planner? A wedding planner or coordinator can help you minimize stress and find your dream wedding amid all the creative ideas you have. They can keep you realistic and ensure the day goes smoothly. If your budget is tight, you might be wondering if you need a wedding planner at all, or if you can eliminate the extra cost. Sometimes, that is an option, but it depends on your needs, budget and personality.
Do You Need a Wedding Planner?
From handling logistical details to reducing stress and forming your creative vision, wedding planners can solve a wide variety of issues. The list of reasons you may need a wedding planner goes on and on, but we’ll try to condense it down. When deciding if you’ll use a wedding planner, you may need one if your wedding planning has any of the following issues.
- Scheduling conflicts: You both work demanding jobs and wouldn’t be able to make vendor meetings and weekday appointments.
- An organization issue: You’re not a very organized person who can stay punctual and meet deadlines.
- No assistance: You don’t have any outside help, like that from a mother, bridesmaid or friends. Remember, you’ll need people who aren’t in the wedding party to help run the show on the wedding day.
- No vision: You don’t know where to start or can’t picture your wedding. A planner will have suggestions and ideas and can help form your image.
- A personality quirk: If you need a reality check to stay within budget or prevent a bridezilla, a strong-willed planner can help.
- A unique location: If you’re having a destination wedding, local customs, traditions and laws may apply, and you’ll need to make travel accommodations. A wedding planner who can take care of these unique needs will help immensely.
- A lot to get done: Being way behind schedule may require someone with expertise to pull it all together in time.
- No desire: You might not be interested in planning a wedding. You may find the experience nerve-wracking, annoying or overwhelming. If it’s not fun for you, a wedding planner can take the stress out of it. For many, this is worth the money on its own.
Ultimately, the choice comes down to your needs and preferences. Planners are industry insiders. While some couples worry about the cost of a planner, many of them can save you money. They know how to budget and may even be able to get you a good deal with your vendor, with whom they might have an existing relationship. Plus, if a full-time wedding planner is too far out of your budget, many also offer partial or month-of services. We’ll talk more about those later, but they open your options and let you use planners just where you need them.
Another reason many people turn down planners is that they want to have complete creative control and have fun with planning their wedding. It’s useful to remember that planners don’t take away your authority or your agency. You’ll still get to plan the exciting parts and do what you want, but the planner might give you some pointers and can take care of any details you don’t want to deal with. Their job is to work with your vision, not take it over. If you don’t have a very defined image of the wedding, they can also help you clarify it.
Taking the stress out of the wedding day can be reason enough for most couples. It’s a day you want to enjoy, not spend keeping up with vendors and making sure your relatives don’t fight. On the other hand, if you’re particularly hardy against stress and you enjoy the planning process, you may be able to get by without a planner. Remember that your personality types and your commitments outside of the wedding, like work and classes, can make the process more or less difficult. Know what you’re up against regarding your planning habits.
Types of Wedding Planners
When most people envision a wedding planner, they picture a full-time person who will take care of everything. This planner will typically help with your timeline, budgeting, vendor dealings, guest lists and day-of management. They may or may not include more aesthetically based design services like decor, floor plans and realizing a creative vision. Sometimes, it’s better to outsource these tasks to designers.
What you might not realize, though, is that other types of wedding planners may be better for the budget-conscious couple. If a full-time planner is outside your budget, you could go with a less involved planner or a wedding coordinator who still helps with critical tasks without being at your side every step of the way. These choices include the following.
- Part-time planners: A part-time planner will step in for specific aspects you need help with. If you only want an extra hand for some elements, like arranging your floor plan or finding a venue, the part-time planner can help. They’ll be there where you want them, and won’t cover the entire planning process.
- Month-of planners: Sometimes called day-of planners or wedding coordinators, these shorter-term wedding planners are there to help keep your wedding day running smoothly. What does a wedding coordinator do? They’ll step in on the wedding date to troubleshoot, follow the timeline and put out fires so you can enjoy the events. You’ll need to work with them in the preceding month, but their focus is on the day of.
Another kind of wedding planner can help out those looking for a destination wedding. If your venue is in uncharted territory for you, these planners specialize in making it simple. They’ll research local laws, regulations, and etiquette, and help you figure out guest accommodations and itineraries. A destination wedding can be a beautiful experience, but one that is full of extra difficulties and complications. A planner who specializes in destination weddings can be incredibly helpful.
Remember, there are many types of planners with various skill sets. Some planners will double as designers and stylists, handling everything from centerpieces to lighting, while others have outside resources to help with the more aesthetic details. Know what your planner is capable of.
What Does a Wedding Planner Do?
It can be tricky to answer the question, “What do wedding planners do?” because they have a versatile job in front of them and cover a broad range of tasks. Some of the aspects they often take care of include the following.
- Budgeting: Between being realistic and finding the best bang for your buck, planners are good at handling the money and staying in your budget.
- Timelines: The planner can create schedules for the long haul and the wedding day. These are great to distribute to the wedding party, so everyone knows when various events will happen.
- Managing the day of: On the wedding day, you’ll need someone backstage running the show. The planners will meet with vendors, ensure everything is in place and keep things moving smoothly. At this point, their job is to handle any problems that come up so you can focus on your special day. They could also do some peacekeeping if your family members become unruly or argumentative. You may be able to help minimize this with our handy list of do’s and don’ts for wedding guests.
- Managing you: The planner can also keep you in line by reminding you of appointments, due dates and obligations. This aspect could be especially crucial if you’re scatterbrained and tend to forget these things.
- Honeymoon and rehearsal dinner planning: Some planners offer their skills for these related events.
- Handling vendors: In addition to recommending vendors based on your individual needs, they can also set up appointments, take care of payments and read through contracts.
- Invites, RSVPs and the website: Planners can take care of these details for you.
- Venue care: A planner will also help with taking care of the venue by making sure it is clean and collecting items like gifts and belongings.
A wedding planner wears many different hats during their work. Everything from conflict management to helping you choose your accessories can fall under their umbrella. For this reason, it is critical that your planner understands your desires and can advocate for you when talking to others. Make sure you know what services and tasks your planner will cover before signing a contract.
Questions to Ask Your Wedding Planner
Meeting with a wedding planner for the first time is a bit like an interview — for both of you. Each party wants to gauge how well their ideas will mesh. You’ll also want to know what the logistics will be like when working with this person, especially if pricing is a concern. Talking with them can help you determine how beneficial they’ll be to you. The wedding planner will influence so much of your big day, and these questions to ask a wedding coordinator can help you find the best match if you do decide to hire someone. Consider the following as you meet with them.
1. What’s the Process of Working With You Like?
Ask the planner to run through their process and give you a better idea of their style. Different planners may be more or less hands-on, with a variety of skills and services included in their work. You may want to know what their communication style is like. Do they prefer lots of in-person meetings, or texts and emails? Will they contact you with every detail, or wait and discuss several things at once when you meet? These aspects can be positives or negatives based on your preferences and schedule.
2. Does Your Work Typically Reflect a Budget Like Ours?
This question helps ensure your expectations are realistic and that your planner knows what you’re looking for. It also gives you a better idea of the budgets their previous weddings may have been operating with. Make sure you look through their portfolio to see what their results typically look like.
3. We Want to Do ____. How Do You Think You’d Approach It?
Telling your planner about your ideas helps you learn more about their style and how it works with your vision. You can get a better idea for how well you two will mesh.
4. How Do You Handle Payments?
You’ll need to know how the planner gets paid to make sure they work within your budget. Do they charge flat fees or hourly wages, or take a percentage of the wedding cost? Ask about any additional fees that could pop up. It will also help to know how they deal with vendor payments and professional services. Some will send you an invoice for each one, while others will ask for lump sums ahead of time and pay them all for you. Others still will instruct you to cut the check each time.
5. How Many Weddings Have You Planned?
This question looks for experience, so you know how well-versed your planner is. While previous work with birthdays and other parties is great, a wedding is a very different beast, so you want a planner who knows their way around a chapel. Bonus points if they’ve worked with your venue before. They may have excellent ideas for setup and know of any unique quirks the location may have.
6. What Is and Isn’t Part of Our Agreement?
A wedding planner’s work can be very detailed, so the list of included services may get long. Sometimes it’s easier to ask what they don’t do. Depending on your needs, you may also want help with honeymoon and rehearsal dinner planning. Many planners will include this or offer it for an additional charge.
7. What Is Your Backup Plan If You Can’t Be There?
Unfortunately, sick days and emergencies happen to wedding planners too. Ask them what their contingency plan is. Will they enlist another trusted planner or a veteran assistant? They should have a qualified backup that you feel comfortable with too.
8. How Many People Are on Staff on the Wedding Day?
Depending on the size and complexity of your ceremony, you may need a planner with more resources, like multiple assistants, to help manage the day.
9. How Many Weddings Do You Typically Take on at Once?
Less is more with wedding planners, as you want their full attention. Of course, they’ll probably have other projects at the same time as yours, but it helps to make sure they aren’t overburdening themselves with work that could affect the quality of your wedding.
10. Do You Have References?
Professional planners should have this list handy and can provide you with a list of recent couples and other people they’ve worked with who can attest to their skills and the experience of working with them.
Find Your Dream Wedding Dress at Alexandra’s Boutique
With all that in mind, answering the question, “Do I need a wedding planner?” isn’t easy. Consider your budget, needs and personality styles. If the idea of planning makes you want to give up and elope, you probably need a wedding planner. Alternatively, if you are detail-oriented and have a robust support system, free time and a clear vision, you may do better without one. The decision is ultimately up to you and your needs.
Even if a wedding planner takes some of the more difficult decisions off your plate, you’ll still have one big one to make, and that’s your dress. When you need some help finding the perfect one, Alexandra’s Boutique is here with seasoned stylists and one of the largest collections of custom and hard-to-find gowns in New England. To get started finding your dream dress, make an appointment with us today.