Making a decision on whether to hire a wedding planner will be one of your first steps in the process of wedding planning. In theory, while some may think that organizing their own wedding might be easy, then think twice. It might be true to some, but at the end of the day, you want to be the one that enjoy and celebrate the biggest day in your life. And not having to fuss and stressed over the details and planning.
But as we ask around those who have been married, hiring a wedding planner is definitely worth the expense. They know the ins and outs of the industry way better than us, so they can get things done easier and faster. Wedding planners helps you to coordinate the whole event, get you access to your ideal vendors, help manage your budget, maybe even help you save some money with their partnerships with other vendors, and most of all help you to avoid mistakes during the planning.
As the wedding planner will get involve throughout the whole process of your wedding, selecting one that is capable, knowledgable, experienced and able to deliver what you and your spouse need is extremely crucial. Here’s a guide to how you can decide to hire the best wedding planner.
Know Your Vision
It is best to know your vision before deciding to hire a wedding planner. Knowing who you are and what you want in the wedding is important. In terms of the wedding event, you should discuss with your partner on the general concept and theme. Then you identify the planners that have the ability to work on the idea and aesthetics that both of you want.
Besides that, while you hire a wedding planner, you will also get very involved in the whole process. You might also want to get a planner that does not have the similar strength with you. If you’re a florist or stylist, you wouldn’t want to get a wedding planner who are the specialty in the similar field. Choose a wedding planner whose strength fills up the gap of your weakness.
Ask Your Network
The fastest way is to ask your family and circle of friends if they know someone. Those who are married and hired a wedding planner before will be able to share their experience with you, and perhaps recommend you if they have encountered a good one. If you have attended a well-organized wedding previously, get in touch with the couple and ask for the contact. After all, word of mouth is the best testimonial you can get.
Browse The Social Media and Internet
Almost all wedding business and vendors are now present on the internet and social media. You can easily source for any of the services by just a few clicks. Look into their social media and check out their portfolio and the works that they have done. If they have a website, check them out as well. Then look in-depth to the their clients’ satisfaction through comments and reviews.
Check Websites, Magazines and Events
You can also look into wedding websites and magazines where they have recommendations and reviews. Some websites even have a directory and briefly describes about the services that a vendor offer. Keep an eye on local wedding exhibitions and bridal shows. Visit the vendors’ booth and listen to them pitch their ideas and see if it is suitable to your needs.
Talk To Your Venue Operator
If you have already decided and booked your venue, you might want to ask them for any contacts. They might have planners and vendors that have worked in their venue frequently. That make things even easier as they have been comfortable with working along each other.
Budget and Fees
Recruit a wedding planner that suits your budget. You wouldn’t want to start discussing on details and only finds out that their price is too high for your budget. Get the basic price of the planner, and leave some room for add-ons to the budget. You’ll never know that you will need additional services and items as you’re in the midst of planning; which means additional costs.
Finding The Right Fit
Your wedding planner will be your key person towards the whole process of organizing the event. Thus, you will spend a lot of time working along with the planner. It is important to find someone who share the same ideas throughout the process and able to get along together.
Before confirming a wedding planner, spend some time talking, texting and emailing to see if they are the right fit and suits your vibe. If you finds it difficult communicating or you feel stressed discussing with the planner, then perhaps you need to think twice. You wouldn’t want to waste time arguing and debating during your whole process of wedding planning.
Besides, getting a wedding planner is suppose to save you the trouble and reduce the stresses of planning, not giving you even more problems.
Trust Your Intuition
After doing all the necessary researches and discussions, the final thing to do is to trust your intuition. While we may not get a perfect wedding planner, importantly is that we find a good teammate that can help make things easier for us. In the end, the bride and groom should be the one that enjoys and celebrate the big day.