What kind of planning/coordination do I need?
Have you gotten to the point in wedding planning where these wedding details are daunting and are totally getting in the way of normal life? This is usually the point where you are asking yourself, what can I do to take some of this work (and stress) off me?
Well… in comes a wedding planner! Ta-da! There isn’t an easy button to press to make all the details go away but a wedding planner is definitely a step in that direction. A wedding planner is fully vested in your wedding from the very beginning; sometimes before there is even a venue booked.
WHAT TYPE OF WEDDING PLANNER IS BEST FOR YOU?
First, you have to think about what type of planning you want and what your budget will allow. Remember that a wedding planner is not your "personal assistant", you are hiring a wedding industry expert because (let's face it) if you really knew everything about planning a wedding or already had connections with the top wedding professionals in your area, you wouldn't need a planner, right? Many planners have different packages ranging from full or partial planning to wedding design or event management/month of coordination.
FULL PLANNING, DESIGN + COORDINATION
If you hire a planner for full planning they will be working very closely with you through every phase of the planning process. They get to know you and your wedding, from the beginning. Based on your vision, they create a look and feel that is cohesive throughout every element of your day. From hand selecting the perfect vendor team to overseeing all the finer details, they work to give you a seamless and stunning wedding day while tackling the behind the scenes elements and logistics.
But don't misunderstand full planning! Full planning doesn't mean you give up full control of your wedding nor does it mean your planner becomes your "go fetch it" person. You will still have to make all the final decisions and be responsible for many of the planning tasks...but your planner will be handling a larger portion of the leg work through the planning process so your personal workload is minimized.
One of the biggest advantages to Full Planning is that you are never in a situation where you realize you need more planning help than you originally anticipated and regret booking a smaller service package.
PARTIAL PLANNING & COORDINATION
The harsh truth is that Partial Planning is very often chosen by couples that actually need Full Planning - but don't want to pay for it. Partial planning offers you much less assistance and is more guidance heavy service but still includes coordination of the wedding day.
Typically with partial planning a planner is handling some aspects of the planning but you will be handling the larger portion of the workload. For instance, based on your vison your planner will recommend specific vendors that best align with your needs and your budget. You will be responsible for contacting those vendors to check availability, request quotes, request quote revisions & initiate the bookings.
Partial is a good option for you if you have a lot of free time and can trust yourself (and your partner) to complete tasks on time. There is a lot more to planning than just booking vendors and sending invitations - if it's any indication, our planning task list has 229 line items! Because most have never planned a wedding before, many couples tend to grossly underestimate the amount of help they actually need, resulting in feeling very overwhelmed when they get deeper into the planning and see actual volume of work that needs to be done.
If you are really detail focused & task oriented but not sure what to do and logistical details are just not your thing, this could be a good package for you.
Partial planning is still going to make sure your wedding day runs smoothly. While not as inclusive, this can be a more cost effective option if you are committed to putting in the time and work.
WEDDING MANAGEMENT
Wedding Management is most often the go-to for couples that think they only need someone on wedding day to make sure everything runs smoothly, are working with a very small wedding budget or those that initially feel like planning a wedding is going to be pretty easy (even though we know better!).
This service is often confused with "Day Of" coordination, which isn't actually a thing! And can you really be relaxed on your wedding day putting everything in the hands of someone you just met a few weeks ago and hasn't really been in the loop on the this day you have spend the last year or more planning? And when was the trust built?
Now. if you are the epitome of organization, have done (or intend to do) all of the planning yourself and you just need a more customized plan for what to do and when to do it - Wedding Management may be a good fit. With this service, it's all on you up until a couple of months prior to your wedding.
The biggest draw back to Wedding Management is that most couples feel very confident in their ability to effectively plan their wedding without direct help - until they get into it, then wedding planning begins to consume their life, they get stressed out and overwhelmed. All resulting in regret for not investing in more assistive planning services to save their sanity and that would have actually saved them some money in other areas of their wedding!
WHAT YOUR PLANNER IS not!
There is often a misconceptions about what a wedding planner's job is and many couples go in to booking a planner thinking that a planner will quite literally do e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g! So think about the words in the job title...planner and coordinator. Their job is to PLAN & COORDINATE. While your planner will place some of your personal details (guest book, welcome sign, table numbers, favors etc) a planners responsibilities do not encompass things like rolling out tables, putting on all the table linens, laying out place settings, tying cushions on chairs, decorating or cleaning up the mess afterwards, but not to worry...these come at a cost! This is where are more assistive planning service can be so valuable. A planner guiding your vendor selections will ensure the right vendors are in place for your wedding - thereby minimizing your additional expenses for things you probably didn't account for when you were doing the planning yourself.
No matter the type of planning assistance you end up choosing, all still require you to be actively involved in the process. There is not really a "hands of" method of planning unless you are willing to invest in truly All-Inclusive services from your planner where all you have to do is make the final decisions and show up on wedding day.
There is much more to planning that most people realize, until they are in the midst of it. The best thing you can do is to openly assess the level to which you are able to commit to the process, how organized you are and your ability to follow thru and complete what needs to be done.