Detroit Area Wedding Guide
Choose a wedding planner
Choosing a Wedding Planner or Wedding Coordinator
To choose a wedding planner or not is a difficult question. Wedding coordinators in the past were always thought of for the rich and famous. People who had enough money to buy a spectacular display of extravagance and who wanted to upstage the last person's wedding. But as times progressed and more and more women went to work and schedules become more hectic, wedding planners were a necessity for some couples. Many wedding planners or coordinators exist now and offer a variety of services and packages depending on the needs of the couple.
What the Coordinator Does
|
A wedding coordinator is also referred to as a bridal consultant, wedding planner or wedding consultant. Depending on the consultant and what her specialty, she may offer different services. For example:
Some couples would like to put on a show-type wedding. If the wedding is large and broadway-production-like, then most likely the couple will require a consultant who is accustomed to doing large events, which go beyond the scope of a wedding.
Other couples have chosen a theme for their wedding but are not creative enough to "pull off" the effect so a coordinator may be the right choice in completing the desired atmosphere.
Some brides want to control the planning herself, but might like regular expert advice as she moves through the wedding planning process.
Other brides feel that it would be less stressful and more convenient to have someone on the actual day of the wedding to "direct traffic" and "put out fires". A coordinator will make sure everything arrives as per the checklist, count things to make sure the correct quantity has arrived and interact with vendors and delivery people.
Wedding Consultants offer full-blown wedding services from start to finish or pieces thereof as requested by the client.
Benefits of Hiring a Wedding Coordinator
A real wedding planner is an expert in the field. She should know how to avoid the pitfalls of organizing the wedding as well know where to get the best packages available. Theoretically, someone only gets married once so how can they be an expert in planning their wedding.
She may be able to buy in discount by using the same suppliers on a regular basis. But be careful that the planner has no investment or reason to benefit from using a particular supplier. The use of that supplier should only benefit you and not the planner. Also, do not get caught up in "run of the mill" supplies because the planner is not considering other vendors.
|
|
A good planner or bridal consultant will have done events in many locations previous to your wedding. This will act as an advantage to you because the consultant will know what works and what does not saving you time and ultimately money.
Sometimes it is nicer to have a third party speak for you. If you are timid and cannot negotiate, the consultant is supposed to work on your behalf since she is employed by you and not the vendor.
You can free up your time the day of the wedding by allowing the consultant to interface with suppliers and make sure everything goes where it is needed and to ensure that everything arrives.
How Consultant is Paid
There does not seem to be an industry standard because everyone provides different services depending on the requests of the clients. In addition, it appears that some consultants charge by the hour, some a flat rate for the project and others charge a percentage of the vendors' costs. Because of the disparity in pricing, it is so important to understand the price schedule and ensure that nothing is taken for granted. Everything must be documented in the contract so that you are not left without on your wedding day.
How to Choose the Wedding Consultant
Choosing a bridal expert to help with the planning and organization of the wedding is a delicate matter. You are entrusting the most important day of your life to a stranger. You know nothing about the attitudes of this person, their work ethic, their ability to get along with others, their negotiating skills, their ability to speak up on your behalf and basically their ability to carry out the required functions in a timely and consistent manner.
The most important consideration when interviewing candidates as your wedding planner is whether or not you "click" with this person. You and the consultant will be spending much time together and you are basically handing over a very personal and sensitive project. Things to watch for when interviewing are:
is she open to suggestions or does she want everything her way
does she ask lots of questions trying to familiarize herself with your preferences and absolute dislikes
will she help you with a realistic budget
does she talk like she is experienced in putting together weddings
how many events has she done in the past year
is this her livelihood or is it her hobby - what happens when her real job requires her and she still has preparations to make for you and deadlines to meet
while it is not necessary, but some event planners have gone to school to learn how to do this and may have a certificate
is she insistent on using a specific vendor
does she make suggestions that compliment your desires
does she "get" your vision or picture of the wedding
Once you have chosen a wedding consultant, keep a close eye on how she works. Is she meeting the deadlines? Is she getting things done? Does she remind you of things that should be done?
When you sign the contract, make sure you have a section that outlines what happens if the consultant is not performing. Outline in detail what that performance should be as different people perceive different things from the same words.
DetroitPages Wedding Planner Directory
|
