Wedding Planners not just for the rich and famous!!
Whenever I tell anyone that I'm a wedding planner, there are usually two things that spring to mind: the first is either J-Lo in the film "The Wedding Planner" or Frank in "Father of the bride"; and second, that engaging the services of a wedding planner must be "expensive". Well, to be honest, neither of these things are true.
Wedding Planners, or Wedding Co-ordinators as we're sometimes known, are one of the fastest growing wedding suppliers in the UK, and you can understand why. Everyone loves a wedding, and as a wedding planner, it gives an old romantic like me the chance to re-live the best day of my life again and again - I truly love what I do!
If you ask anyone who is married they will say that although it is one of the best days of their lives, it can also be one of the most stressful. Many bride and grooms agree that if they had their day again, they would have loved to have had someone professional on hand to coordinate the event and take ultimate responsibility for the running of the day, allowing them and their bridal party to truly relax and enjoy the occasion to the full.
Many couples now a-days are looking for the "wow" factor when organizing their wedding, and wedding planners, with their experience and expertise, can help to inspire and make dreams a reality. Gone are the days when all it took was a chocolate fountain to get people talking! Therefore, to ensure that your ideas and perceptions of the day are translated as you imagine, you need to choose your coordinator carefully. Someone who is late for meetings or seems unorganised, untidy or generally makes you feel uneasy, simply isn't going to make you feel confident that everything is under control. Your wedding planner will become very close to you and your family; they will become a friend and confidant. And remember, you may be working together closely for 12-18 months! Therefore, you must make sure that this is someone who you can work with and trust. Most wedding planners offer a free, no-obligation first consultation, so use this as an opportunity to ask plenty of questions about their experience, training, and ask for any testimonials or references they may have. Also ask yourself, do you like this person, and you'll often find that the ultimate decision will come down to gut instinct.
How do Wedding Planners work?
Wedding planners are not ’just for the rich and famous‘: you don't have to have lots of money, a huge wedding budget or a castle as a reception venue to qualify for their services! One of the main benefits of having a wedding planner is to save money and keep you on track so that you don't over-spend - they are trained to work within specified budgets, to negotiate money-saving deals with suppliers where they can, and to ensure that you get value for money. The other thing that they do is save you valuable time - from visiting reception locations on your behalf to phoning suppliers or booking honeymoons; all of this is within their remit if you so choose. Planning a wedding takes a lot of time and energy - on average 250 hours, and that excludes thinking time!
Which brings us on to the most popular services planners offer: the first is simply the "Full wedding package" and can cover absolutely everything. However each and every couple's requirements are different and any package like this should be expertly tailored to their individual needs. For example, you can hire planners from day one until after the honeymoon (to cover the whole thing from start to finish), or you can ask them to come on board at the ’search for a venue‘ stage where their professional experience and contacts will no doubt save you both time and money. They can also be engaged on a more ad-hoc basis, where they are simply there to do those little bits and pieces that the couple either don't wish to or haven't got the time to do. A full wedding package is normally around 10%-15% of the total wedding cost, but ultimately is dependent upon the amount of work involved.
The most popular package however is the "On the Day Package" which includes a meeting with the bride and groom approximately 3-4 weeks before the wedding, keeping in touch with them through the last few frantic weeks, and attendance on the day itself, from up to 4 hours before the ceremony. A planner's presence in this capacity will ensure that everything is in place and that the day runs smoothly and to time. Some planners will choose to leave after the speeches, but many will stay as long as the happy couple require; this is all negotiable between you and your chosen planner. The cost of this package is normally around £250, dependent on where you live in the country but really, for the peace of mind that a planner can provide, this service is priceless!
For many couples this is the most important event that they will ever have to plan, so it makes sense to seek out the services of a professional to ensure that the stresses and strains don't take over. So why not let someone help, someone who is simply passionate about weddings and, most importantly, someone who is passionate about your wedding?
By Julia Wilson of JDW Weddings.