The Need To Hire a Wedding Planner

A wedding planner is an invaluable asset. It is absolutely worth hiring one, at least for the day of the wedding.  This may mean shifting your budget around to accommodate for a planner (i.e. by cutting 10 people from the guest list or using less expensive florals).  The value received in return for this expense will be much greater, as it will vastly improve the quality of your guests’ experience.

Having a planner helps increase peace of mind on the big day.  It’s easier for brides and their families to relax and enjoy the moment.

An Indian wedding without a planner is at a higher risk for the following mishaps: incorrect musical cues for entrances, poor sound equipment, cold food with dry naan, a late arrival by the bride and/or groom’s family, or unruly guests making noise during the performances.

What Exactly Is The Role Of A Wedding Planner?

On your wedding day, a planner can help with things like meeting all vendors as they arrive at your venue, delivering your final payments to vendors, ensuring all vendors meet their contractual obligations, ensuring bride and groom entrances are smooth and on cue with music, communicating with your caterer and the venue wait staff to ensure the food is prepared and presented on time, and managing the crowd of guests.

Planners may also help during the planning process by offering advice on types of  venues and vendors, managing vendor relationships, providing experience based on what past clients have done, narrowing down the couple’s crazy ideas into themes, and updating the couple on the latest trends in weddings.
A planner does not do everything during the planning process and wedding day.

When booking a wedding planner, ensure that his or her roles are clear from the outset so you do not have unrealistic expectations, leading to frustration or disappointment. Always be clear in your communications and ensure they deliver on what was promised in the contract.   Remember that they are people too, and that they have other clients!

Types of Wedding Planners: Organizational and Creative 

1) Organizational: An organizational wedding planner can help co-ordinate and communicate with all of your vendors.This type of planner can be hired at any phase of the wedding planning process (days to years ahead of the wedding).

2) Creative Co-Ordination: A creative co-ordination wedding planner will devise a “vision” for your wedding and will execute that vision based on your budget.
It is best to hire this planner from the early stages of the wedding planning process in order to implement their vision throughout your engagement phase (i.e. engagement photos and Save the Date cards) as well as the wedding.

Types of Service Packages Offered 

1) Full Planning: From the engagement to the day of the wedding, this package usually entails regular meetings, budget supervision, attendance or arrangement of vendor meetings, advice on vendor and venue selection, management of vendor relationships and communication, and execution of all tasks on the wedding date.

2) Consultation:  Most planners offer consultation packages for advice on topics such as venue selection or vision conception and design.  These services may be offered at an hourly rate.

3) “Day-of” Planning and Co-ordination: Planners can execute all tasks and scheduling on the wedding date. This type of package is best for brides who already know of the reliable wedding vendors in their community, are on a budget, or have lots of friends and family to help them during the planning process prior to the wedding date.

Lesson Learned: Some planners offer custom packages.  If you think you cannot afford a wedding planner, shop around to see if one can create a custom package for your budget and needs.