IS EVERYONE A WEDDING PLANNER THESE DAYS?!?
It certainly seems that way, doesn’t it? You’re not wrong though, and we understand how that can make it so hard to know whose hands you can trust putting your wedding day in.
Buckle up because we know this may shake some things up, but that’s ok!
There are so many planners because...
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The barriers for entry into the wedding industry are virtually non-existent, especially for wedding planners
In an effort to generate additional revenue, some venues offer “in-house” wedding planning via a venue manager or venue coordinator
Venue staff dabble in wedding planning on the side and use their position at the venue to promote their side business
Some brides who planned (or only had a hand in planning) their own wedding, decided that that was all the experience they needed in order to plan for others
Like venues, some vendors offer wedding planning as an “add on” service to their primary service specialty
now, let's dissect those a little...
VENUE COORDINATORS
AKA - Venue Managers, Event Managers, Venue Staff, Venue "Planners"
First and foremost, remember that Venue Coordinators (and other venue staff) work for the VENUE !
Most venues offer planning, to generate additional revenue but some do it because they have dealt with an onslaught of "pretend planners" that had no idea what they were doing and couples that tried to do their own wedding planning, making the venues job more difficult. Even still, there is a huge difference between managing the bare bones of a wedding day and everything that goes into getting it TO that day. Making the whole “you don’t need a planner because we have an venue coordinator” a very popular lie.
So what’s the difference between an venue coordinator and a wedding planner? Literally, everything!
Most importantly, there’s a conflict of interest that’s created when venues (or their staff) offer planning services. This is because the employment or ownership relationship between them can seriously compromise their judgement, decisions or actions in ways that are not in your best interest.
FORMER BRIDES
DBA Wedding Planners
This is actually how many wedding planners are born!
While it is possible for them to plan (or help plan) their own wedding and learn enough to dip their toes in to the wedding planning business, it doesn’t suddenly mean one has earned the right to be entrusted to plan for the general public.
It takes time to truly master it to that level as well as establish a business that can be 100% dedicated to serving clients, 100% of the time.
In our opinion, a former bride/planner who works or has trained under the guidance of an experienced planner would be a fairly safe option and we have great respect for those that take it seriously enough to gain experience under a mentor first.
VENDORS
with a side of Wedding Planner
“Jack of all trades, Master of none” basically means someone is doing a multiple things at a mediocre level, instead of focusing on being great at one thing.
Offering additional services that are outside the realm of a vendors primary specialty (Ex: a caterer also offering photography) is usually spawned from the need to provide employment for a spouse or family member or when their primary service isn’t successful enough on it’s own to support their existing expenses.
But they are effectively sabotaging the industry from within by supporting the notion that anyone can be a wedding planner, florist, photographer, DJ, caterer etc. It’s like hiring a car salesman to replace your car engine - just because he/she works in the automotive industry, it doesn’t make them a mechanic!
Wedding pros in general do a much better job at providing superior service to clients when we all stay in our lane. This helps avoid any confusion when it comes to who is responsible for what - resulting in less stress and risk for you, the client!
ARE PLANNERS JUST AFRAID OF A LITTLE COMPETITION?
Hell to the no! Real wedding planners actually need other high caliber planners to share referrals with because none of us can (or want) to take every client that comes along.
But when Jane Doe Wedding Planning Co. over here feels like she’s in her “Wedding Planner Era” because she had a wedding, went to a wedding, watched The Wedding Planner or works in the wedding industry in any capacity - that prompts some serious side eye from seasoned planners!
When a pretend planners lack of real experience and knowledge creates a bad planning experience or ruins a couples wedding day . . .
...IT MAKES ALL PLANNERS LOOK BAD!
Yes, couples do bear some responsibility for not exercising due diligence when vetting planners, but the onus still lies with the planner whose inexperience led them to over-promising and under-delivering. Leaving couples with negative feelings about all wedding planners, and then advising other couples against hiring one!
This feeds into the “we don’t need a planner” or “a planner isn’t worth the investment” mindset of many couples today.
These negative opinions often force seasoned wedding planners to have to work that much harder to prove themselves to potential clients!
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