wedding planners

lauren · Joined: 07 Jun 2005 Posts: 1

i just wanted to ask you wjhat you all thought of wedding planners?

Melyni · Joined: 22 Aug 2005 Posts: 7

Hi Lauren - I might be a little bit biased, because I am a wedding planner. However, here are my thoughts on it. Depending on the bride (her interest in planning, other time commitments, etc.), the usefulness of a professional planner's services vary greatly. For example, I have a client right now who is completely overwhelmed with other commitments in her life right now. The wedding is fast approaching and she genuinely wants an extraordinary day...but honestly doesn't have the time to make it happen on her own. At the other end of the scale, I was a very hands-on bride and even after years of planning corporate events, etc., I found that I would have really benefited from having a wedding planner on hand just to manage the day of the wedding (meet the vendors, keep things running smoothly, handle the last minute crises, etc).

Regardless of where you stand on that spectrum, it's important to work with a reputable planner who is willing to provide you with references, be up-front about his/her pricing policy, and above all...your planner should be someone with whom you establish a rapport and level of trust. After all, your planner is your advocate, your trusted advisor, and at the end of the day...the one who is going to make your dreams turn out just as you had dreamed them (or even better). So, finding the planner with whom you feel comfortable is essential.

The nice thing is that planners don't cost the moon anymore. So, they are not exclusively available to celebrities, royalty, and the daughters of oil barons!

Melyni

babydoll · Joined: 14 Aug 2005 Posts: 2

what do they do? everything?

Melyni · Joined: 22 Aug 2005 Posts: 7

Dear Babydoll - A wedding planner can have as broad or narrow a role in your wedding planning and management process as you wish. For example, right now I am working with three clients. One has booked her venues and photographer. However, finding and selecting all of the other suppliers, dressing the venues, and managing the day of the wedding are my responsibilities. The second client just needed help finding invitations, a photographer, and managing the day of the event. And the third client has requested the full service...everything from finding the venues to sending out and managing invitation RSVPs, to returning suit hires after the wedding. So, it can really be customized depending on your needs.

Of course, fees vary widely. 10% to 15% of your total wedding budget is the industry average fee for complete wedding planning and management services. The average cost of Event Day Only management services is
250-350.

Clearly, not everyone needs full wedding planning and management services. However, having a non-friend or non-family member present for the rehearsal and wedding day is beneficial. There are so many little things that pop up that having a wedding planner/co-ordinator present will enable you and your family to enjoy your wedding more fully. The wedding coordinator can deal with the last minute questions, extinguish potential fires, meet vendors, keep things on schedule, etc.

The one thing I would have changed about my wedding (and the reason for starting Lasting Impression Events) is that I would have hired someone to coordinate my wedding day. Even though I have planned hundreds of corporate and private events in the past, being the bride and the event manager at the same time was not easy. Looking back, it would have been nice if I, my dad, and my sister could have just relaxed and enjoyed the day (instead of having to also deal with managing the event).

Wedding planners/co-ordinators are becoming more common in the UK. Right now, in the States, it is nearly as common to have a wedding planner as it is to have a videographer. The use of wedding planners in London is gaining popularity and the rest of the country is starting to follow suit. Perhaps this is because today's brides just don't have to time to manage their already busy lives: jobs, family obligations, children, etc., and plan their weddings. Gone are the days when a girl's "job" during the year before her wedding was to plan the big day. Now, our lives are so complicated and busy that a bride can get every bit of help she can find.

I hope this helps and best wishes on your upcoming wedding!

Melyni @ www.lastingimpressionevents.co.uk