Things To Consider Before Hiring a Wedding Planner

pauline

On your wedding Day, you want to look your absolute best and feel beautiful! And in order to achieve that you need to have somebody to guide you.  Planning a wedding can be very interesting if done in a right way. However, all the nitty gritty details you have to pay attention on, makes it very stressful and wearisome.

Most couples tend to think planning a wedding is a walk in the park, but only those who have planned their own wedding knows how tedious and stressful it can get. Truth be told, planning a wedding can drain out all of your energy even before the day of the wedding.

So, hiring a wedding planner is the best solution to bypass all the hassle and constant worry before your wedding.

The commitment you need to make for instance, sitting those long hours to think of the right decor theme, deciding on the food menu or waiting another hour or more, to discuss the right bits and pieces that match your theme, calling and booking of venues and entertainers, and dozens of never ending little details that require your time and energy. All these may get too much!

That is exactly why we are here to take that load off of you by helping you make your wedding plans enjoyable just like you desired it to be. Better yet, we have jotted down all the things you must consider before hiring a wedding planner so you don’t miss out anything!

Why Hire a Wedding Planner?

Just in case you’re having second thoughts about hiring a wedding planner, we have listed down the advantages of hiring one. In the beginning, you may not realize their value but, as soon as you get closer to the day of your wedding you’ll be surprised how much you needed them all this while!

 So let me introduce you to the things one should consider before hiring a Wedding Planner.

Research

Without a helping hand you may be in for a wild and exhaustive run. If your budget allows, you must hire a wedding planner.

Wedding Planners help you carry that load off of your shoulder. Especially if you have a very busy work schedule and have very little time to think of planning a perfect wedding, you’re in for the best choice you will never regret!

Meet Up with Wedding Planners

Once you have narrowed down the top 5 wedding planners, plan meeting with any three, meet each one of them and tell them your ideas including the theme, decor, wedding attire, venue, vendors etc.

Ask them their past Projects

If possible take a close look at all the past weddings and other big events the wedding planner has worked on. Do not be reluctant to ask questions that you may have regarding the services they provide.

This could be his or her linkages with vendors and entertainers, or the discounts and deals that come with your budget. You can also ask them to showcase pictures and videos of their past projects. You will eventually know the quality of their service from the years they have been in the service.

Although years is not the deciding factor of the quality of the business it sure does help as they are bound to have different experiences in the field.

Take a look at Reviews

Social Media can be a good platform to dig into what the public has to say about a certain business service. Social Media comments and reviews are usually honest since customers are not bound to speak anything less than what they truly feel. So take your time by reading all the reviews of the Wedding Planner’s Projects.

Go ahead and seal the deal ONLY when you’re fully satisfied!

Contact References

This is an important step to consider as this will give you a better idea regarding the professionalism of a wedding planner. You definitely don’t want a hobbyist to take risk on your Big Day, instead you need to find someone with skills and expertise.

Ask the wedding planner’s references regarding the budget, did they stay within the budget? Were they negotiable and flexible regarding last minute changes made, if any? Was the Reception well organised? And any other questions you may have.

Have they done any Cross Cultural Wedding ?

This is where professional inputs are crucial and are required. You may find it very difficult to know how to go about it.

Awkward situations may arise when your in-laws want to conduct the ceremony in a certain way and your side of the family do not agree to it.

Wedding Planners will be the middle ground to decide on what and how to divide and coordinate two cultures in one. They will help you make a list of all of the traditions and customs so both side of the family is content.

Feel free to ask, if they have done any Cross Cultural Weddings before and if positive, then take insightful suggestions from them regarding unforeseen situations that might arise from either of the family members.

Availability of the Wedding Planner

This is by far the most important question you should ask the Wedding Planner you have hired. Especially on peak season, wedding planner tend to take several projects on one day. So You must make sure your planner stays with you throughout the planning process and on the day of the wedding.

Portfolio

When you’re looking at a wedding planner’s portfolio make sure you look for their credentials A professional Wedding Planner must be able to showcase his qualifications and the registration number of his or her business. You do not want some “wedding hobbyist” to plan for you.

The Wedding Planner must have high skills set like organisational skills and professionals have better contacts with vendors and entertainers depending on your budget.

You should also read the testimonials of their previous clients and contact them if possible.

If they have designed and coordinated any engagement or wedding photo shoot do not miss out on taking a look at that. If their concept and idea meets with yours then go ahead sign the contract!A design board of the wedding planner may help you understand their ideas and their past projects better, so ask if they have any.

Experience

 If possible take a close look at all the past weddings and other big events the wedding planner has worked on. Do not be reluctant to ask questions that you may have regarding the services they provide. This could be his or her linkages with vendors and entertainers, or the discounts and deals that come with your budget.

You can also ask them to showcase pictures and videos of their past projects. You will eventually know the quality of their service from the years they have been in the service. Although years is not the deciding factor of the quality of the business it sure does help as they are bound to have different experiences in the field.

Social Media can be a good platform to dig into what the public has to say about a certain business service. Social Media comments and reviews are usually honest since customers are not bound to speak anything less than what they truly feel. So take your time by reading all the reviews of the Wedding Planner’s Projects. Go ahead and seal the deal ONLY when you’re fully satisfied!

Ask about their best weddings? Why do they consider it best? Ask them the budget of that wedding? Can he/she do the same wedding in your budget?Feel free and allow your wedding planner to share their toughest wedding? What was tough about it? and how did they handle it?

You must have at least a page or more of question bank that you need to ask your wedding planner. Do not forget to ask them of their best wedding decor? What type of décor it was? And what was their inspiration behind the design?

For some couples, you may ask whether the planner can somehow depict your love story within the décor. Little details like that make a wedding even more memorable.

With all their past experiences they have very good knowledge of how to handle those difficult situations. Suppose you have a theme planned and your soon to be in-laws do not quite agree with what you have in mind, or What if you want to inform only selected guests of the post wedding party? Wedding Planners have got it all, they know how to slide into uneasy situations and make it all work!

All you have to focus on the day of your wedding is to cherish and make great memories with your loved ones. And you can make that possible knowing that you’ve got the best Wedding Planner in the city to take care and coordinate everything for you.

Evidences

Some wedding planners may boast of their work with you but you must do a thorough check on their social media platform and see how their past clients have reviewed about their work.

You want to make sure both the wedding planner and the clients are on the same page! You may blatantly ask them in person but to be on the courteous side you can check their profiles and ratings before you meet them.

Detailed Minded

A Wedding Planner must be able to execute your ideas well with attention to detail. For instance you may want to customise all of your Wedding Favours and other details of your engagement and bachelorette party. He or she must know how to creatively exhibit your ideas in a creative manner.

Good communication is the end solution to a successful event planning. You should make sure you chose a wedding planner who you are comfortable to communicate with.

If the wedding planner you have hired is short tempered and irresponsible then you’re in for a dooms day rather than a wedding day. You are investing all of your desired dreams into this person, so be very careful in who you’re putting your confidence and trust in.

Keeps Their Word

This is one of the most important quality of any service provider. He or she must stick to their word in order to gain trust from their clients. You can assure their trustworthiness either by reviews from their social media platform or be stern about “trust”when you’re in a conversation with them while you’re planning the wedding.

Make sure they will be able to handle unforeseen situations and be flexible about any last minute changes.

Different Types of Wedding Planners

Consider the following Types of Wedding Planner and choose the type that will suit you best!

Full Service Wedding Planner

This Wedding Planner will help you from A to Z from the day you hire the wedding planner to the day of your Wedding. From the tiniest detail like choosing your wedding dress/ lehenga to booking hotels and venues, the Wedding Planner will be by your side throughout. This may cost you good money because of the workload involved but will you will be stress free.

Full Time Vs Part Time 

You do not want a hobbyist to take up the most important day of your life. Don’t get me wrong hobbyists can be great too but a professional wedding planner will know more regarding how to strategise according to your budget and a professional one will very most likely have better linkages with vendors,caterers and other service providers.

A professional may be able to offer discounts and good deals for the type of services you require.null

Destination Wedding Planner

As the title suggests, this type of wedding planner is for those that are planning to have a wedding out of the city. For obvious reasons, it is likely that you do not have much information about the region you plan to get married in.

So it is important to have a professional help to guide you and scout for all the vendors, venue, and the most of all the food!Once you have chosen what type of Wedding Planner you want, narrow down to five. Call and plan a meeting with each one of them and discuss through the phone or face to face regarding their availability.

All of the aforesaid wedding planners can be searched through different platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, a simple Google search or you can ask a relative or a friend for a recommendation, if they have any.

How far in advance do you need to hire a Wedding Planner?

The answer here is As Soon As Possible. Once you decide on the budget, and other details with your family  and your in-laws, go ahead and hire the Wedding Planner.

Ask For Ideas

Since planning a wedding may likely be a field you usually do not touch upon, you may not have many ideas. However, wedding planners are professionals that keep track of every little detail and have had dozens of experiences. So once you catch hold of a wedding planner, ask them for their suggestions and advice.

Communication is Key

Good communication is the solution to a successful event planning. You should make sure you chose a wedding planner who you are comfortable to communicate with. You are investing all of your desired dreams into this person, so be very careful in who you’re putting your confidence and trust in.

On the other hand, you must keep track and take (mind) note of everything that you have asked the Wedding Planner to be responsible for. You do not want an imposter to ruin your wedding day!

In cases of Cross Cultural Weddings you may ask the Wedding Planner if his or her company provides translators in case somebody needs it.

Service Terms

Once you find the perfect wedding planner, carefully read all the terms and conditions. Although it may seem time consuming make sure you go through all of their agreement terms. Their agreement terms must be in hard copy with all the specific details like different packages they offer,costs of extra hours, how many home visits,hour visits, how many visits required.

You must ask a wedding planner the kind of service they will not provide.

Miscommunication or Misinformation of Service Terms is where most people end up creating havoc and confusion with the Wedding Planner. Because everyone is so stressed out and anxious on the day of the wedding, couples or relatives and friends end up asking services from the Wedding Planner that was initially not agreed upon. So you need to be very clear on what kind of services you expect from the Wedding Planner.

It is wise for you to inform or alert your wedding planner to be negotiable and flexible at all times in case of any unforeseen situations.

Payment Terms

 Like any purchase made in the open market, you must enquire about the mode of payment. Ask them if they accept cheque, card, or cash. You must not forget to pay advance payments if the company asks it from you.

Make sure you collect the bills from the company after you have paid the required amount just to be on the safe side and also for documentation.

That is exactly why we are here, to take off the load and help you in making your wedding plans enjoyable just like you desired it to be.

Good Luck!

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pauline

A wedding enthusiast at heart who finds her niche in writing useful tips and creative ideas for her fellow wedding aficionados. Loves writing about weddings across cultures in India and has had experience in planning special events for friends and family.

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