Imagine meeting someone that you just clicked with, someone genuinely interested in really listening to you... Well, if you were single I imagine you'd be angling for a second date but, if you were engaged and looking for someone to help you make the wedding day of your dreams a reality, I'd say you'd just met your perfect wedding planner!
I say YOUR perfect wedding planner because, just as every couple and every wedding will be different, so every wedding planner will interact differently with those couples, so the planner who was perfect for your best friend's sister might not be right for you.
But I've jumped ahead of myself and can hear the people who haven't been married screaming, "What can a wedding planner do that I can't do myself?" at the screen.
Well, as anyone who has been married will tell you, think whether you've got a spare 200 hours (look at it as 6 weeks working full time) - because that's the average amount of time it takes to plan a wedding. If you're confident you can handle it all, then fabulous, you can cross 'wedding planner' off that lengthy To Do list!
If, however, you have a demanding job that takes up too much of your time, if you know that organising and managing such an important event is not going to come naturally to you and if you can imagine letting someone you trust take all the stress and worry out of planning your wedding, leaving you and your other half to enjoy every second of your day and the preparations, then a wedding planner could be for you.
Below are just some of the things a wedding planner can do for you:
- Help you set and keep to a realistic budget.
- Source the best suppliers, from florists through DJs to videographers – in your price range.
- Liaise with all booked suppliers and ensure that contracts are signed and in order.
- Produce a 'wedding blueprint' that includes all the details from the big ones such as timings to the little ones like seating plans.
- Keep you up-to-date with trends and advise you on how to interpret these in your wedding plans, if you so wish.
- Produce a timeline that includes everyone involved in your big day and details their responsibilities. Your wedding planner can also ensure this timeline is adhered to.
- Provide assistance with wedding stationery, from invitation wording to RSVP management.
- Chair a pre-wedding meeting with all suppliers in attendance to ensure that everyone is aware of the details and expectations for your day.
- Manage the day itself, from behind the scenes – taking charge if any emergencies should arise.
- Be 'bad cop' to your 'good cop' whenever appropriate – ensuring everyone involved in your wedding knows what you want and shielding you from having to deal with anything you just can't face.
Don't be afraid to meet up with prospective planners in person, in fact, it would be a huge mistake to hire a wedding planner without meeting them at least once. Don't worry, they don't bite and it's as important for them to meet prospective clients as it is for you.
Your relationship with your wedding planner should be easy, open and honest on both sides and if you can't imagine that when you first meet them, you'll be doing both yourself and them a big favour by moving on to the next planner on your list.
Be wary of planners who only offer fixed price 'packages' – you're not the same as any other couple so why would you pay for something that's been designed with someone else in mind? A great wedding planner will be flexible and work to give you exactly what you want and need without forcing you to pay for things you don't. Some wedding planners offer one-on-one sessions to kickstart your planning and this can be a great way of deciding if you might need to use them further down the planning process without a big upfront financial commitment.
Your perfect wedding planner will not take centre stage on your day, - that's your job! They'll be behind the scenes making sure everything happens when it should and their greatest reward is hearing your guests tell you what a wonderful wedding it has been! Oh, and they'll definitely be looking forward to a long soak in the bath and a bit of a lie-in the next morning!
There are hundreds of wedding planners, probably several thousand and I have no direct experience of any of them. I have put a few links to wedding planners on this web site and the ones I have included are ones that I have spoken with or met and who seem to offer a good service but everyone is different and that includes you the bride and the groom and also the wedding planner so its best to meet a few and see how you get on and what you think before you entrust your big day to someone who will start out as a stranger but hopefully end up as a good friend.