He popped the question, and you said yes. Now you get to plan the wedding of your dreams. You have ideas for the kind of wedding you want, but aren’t quite sure where to start.
Along with the excitement about your wedding comes a lot of questions:
Where to have the ceremony? The reception? Which flowers are in-season? Who pays for the flowers, the reception, the honeymoon? How do you arrange seating to deal with sticky family situations? Suddenly, you find yourself in a panic with more questions than answers. Who do you turn to for help?
Take a deep breath and relax. Planning your wedding doesn’t have to be overwhelming or stressful. You can actually enjoy the process and have a stress-free wedding day. Hiring a wedding planner will make all the difference when it comes to pulling all the pieces together to make your wedding day dreams a reality.
What Is A Wedding Planner?
A wedding planner is a professional who assists the bride and groom in planning their wedding and executing those plans. They are also referred to as wedding consultants and event coordinators. In reality, they do much more than just provide a professional service.
They know the latest trends in weddings, what works and what doesn’t, and how to come up with contingency plans for emergencies. They are a combination of mom, cheerleader, therapist, and best friend—always knowing the right thing to say and do at the right time. Hiring a wedding planner can mean the difference between a stressed-out, frazzled, anxious bride and a calm, relaxed bride who truly enjoys her wedding day.
Wedding planners generally offer different types of services or packages:
1) Day-of-Service/Day-of-Wedding Planner/Day-Of-Coordinator
2) Consulting/A La Carte/ Getting Started/Month-Of-Direction
3) Full-Service Planning
What A Day-Of-Service Planner Does
Day-Of-Service Planners will typically help the couple with a wedding day timeline; confirm vendors (photographer, videographer, florist, caterer, etc.); and follow the timeline from start to finish on the wedding day. The Day-Of-Wedding Planner coordinates the wedding day activities only. The bride and groom are responsible for making all the arrangements, but the day-of-service wedding planner will make sure everything happens as planned.
What A Wedding Consultant Does
Wedding Consultants will offer recommendations for venues and vendors, offer advice on colors and style, provide etiquette advice, and help the couple stay on track with their timeline. However they will not do the legwork or handle small details.
On the wedding day the wedding consultant will interact with vendors and ensure that the day goes as planned. A consultant is the perfect choice for the "hands-on" bride, who really doesn’t want to relinquish control of the wedding day plans. The wedding consultant is an invaluable resource for the bride who doesn’t have time to research all the details herself, but wants to make the arrangements and do the planning herself.
In fact, wedding consultants offer services like A La Carte, Getting Started and Month-Of-Direction. With the A La Carte Service, a bride can hire a consultant who will assist them with wedding dress selection, venue, cake, or color selection only. A consultant's expertise and experience will make the bride's job easier and go much more smoothly.
What A Full Service Wedding Planner Does
Full-Service Wedding Planners help determine the wedding style and colors, choose invitations, find venues for the ceremony and reception, recommend vendors and screen contracts, and accompany the couple to food and cake tastings.
Some will even send invitations and track RSVP’s. On the wedding day, the planner is there from start to finish: troubleshooting, handling last-minute details and keeping the event on schedule.
Problems invariably arise on the day of the wedding, and having a wedding planner to handle these problems instead of the bride is a great service.
A good wedding planner will know the bride well enough to anticipate how she would handle sticky situations and will represent the bride and groom well.
Why Do I Need a Wedding Planner?
Many brides want to be in control of every detail of their wedding day. They feel the only way to ensure success is if they handle it all themselves. But, in reality, a bride needs to just "be the bride" on her wedding day.
It is unrealistic for a bride to think she can be getting pictures made and overseeing the caterer, so being able to entrust someone else with the minutiae of the day is essential. Many brides have full-time jobs, as well as full lives. Planning and carrying out all the details of a wedding can seem like a job in itself. That’s why you need help from a professional wedding planner.
What Does a Wedding Planner Cost?
Costs vary by region. According to The Wedding Report, the average costs for a single wedding are as follows:
- A La Carte $851
- Day-Of-Services/Day-Of-Coordinator $699
- For Getting Started $649
- Full-Service $1,940
- Month-Of-Direction $995
These costs are just a guideline. In some areas, the minimum for a Day-Of-Wedding Planner can be as high as $1,500 and $5,000 for a Full-service wedding planner.
How Do I Find A Great Wedding Planner?
• Talk to friends and relatives who have recently gotten married. Even if they didn’t use a wedding planner, they may have heard recommendations for top-notch wedding planners.
• Talk to vendors (photographers, bridal salons or caterers) who frequently work with wedding planners. Set up meetings with wedding planners to see who best suits your needs, budget and personality. Ask lots of questions and ask for references. Always call the references to see what other brides have experienced working with particular planners.
• Start looking for a wedding planner as early as possible. Many weddings are booked months or years in advance.
Wedding planners aren’t just for Hollywood celebrities. They aren’t just for big-budget weddings. They are accessible and affordable for every bride. Their professionalism, knowledge of the wedding industry, advice on getting the most for your money and can-do attitude will contribute to the most memorable day of your life.
WeddingandPartyNetwork.com is your convenient resource for wedding planning.
A special thanks to J & R GUARINO PHOTOGRAPHY in Brick, NJ for the use of their wedding ring photo.
A special thanks to The American Wedding in Peru, IN for the use of their wedding invitations photo.
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