The Wedding Planner
Congratulations on both your decision to get married
and for finding the best wedding consultants in the
business. In general, prospective brides are thrilled
with the thought of planning their wedding day, undoubtedly
one of the most exciting events of their lives. However,
most soon find the task emotionally stressful and financially
taxing. It is for these reasons that having an experienced
wedding planner becomes invaluable. A
wedding that runs smoothly from beginning
to end does not do so without a great deal of work.
It is a very complex social event and one that involves
a great deal of planning. The majority of couples today
lead busy lives, juggling work, school, and other responsibilities.
They do not have free time to plan a wedding. Every
bride can benefit from the services of a consultant.
When you hire a wedding planner to assist you in planning
your wedding day from start to finish, you make an investment
in your sanity.
A wedding planner not only brings his or her expertise
to the planning table, but he also assists in ensuring
that things run smoothly on the wedding day itself.
A consultant can be a mediator for you in several different
areas, caring for everything from vendor related issues
to family disagreements to last minute fashion emergencies
and stocking runs. He, or she, can advise you on questions
of etiquette, supervise the rehearsal and ceremony,
and work behind the scenes to insure that everything
runs smoothly. A consultant can do as much or as little
as you want. You can tell your consultant exactly what
you want and let him or her do the rest. All you have
to do is show up.
Aside from saving you wear and tear on your nerves,
a good consultant can also save you time and money.
His or her job is to know about all of the resources
available to you to produce the kind of wedding you
want, within your budget. A consultant will be more
likely to get you a vendor that will do the job and
do it well, and because of the opportunity for additional
business, that consultant can usually negotiate a better
price for the product or services offered. In addition,
any vendor that you approach on your own knows that
this is a one-time job. Chances are they will do a great
job, but if they do not, it is only one wedding. However,
when you hire a wedding consultant, that vendor knows
any mistakes they make will jeopardize their relationship
with that consultant and any future business between
them. This added incentive goes along way in getting
you exactly what you want. That is not to say that you
are obligated to use the consultant’s existing
contacts. If you have a certain vendor you would prefer
to use, just inform your consultant. You should feel
that the consultant is your advocate and that the consultant’s
decisions are not being affected by anything except
your wants and desires.
How do you go about finding this perfect wedding planner?
Well, the reality is that there is no such person. What
you will find if you search long and hard enough are
persons who love what they do and with whom you feel
comfortable. Therefore, do your homework. Conduct such
a search with the same eagerness as you would with any
other service for that special day.Know this it takes
more than a person saying she planned her sister’s
wedding to be counted as a professional. Shop wisely
and be alert.
We contacted The Association For Wedding Professionals
International and we put their planners to the test
with the following questions, and this is what we found.
Best advice money can buy:
What makes for a good wedding planner?
“Ability to negotiate contracts for client.”
Tamara Waterman,
Special Moments-Weddings
“Well versed in multi-cultural weddings”
Jessica Greenstein, Owner
A Perfect Day, Wedding & Event Planners
“Get references!”
Yuri Cordero
“Etiquette training is also a plus. References-References-References!”
Rev. Hallie J. Hendrickson
Simply Yours Wedding Services, Cashmere, WA
Competence- Is this person on top of their game? Can
I trust them to get the job done to my satisfaction?
Can they handle my wedding while juggling so many others?
Bernadette C. Saunders
“Having a variety of vendors available in a variety
of price ranges,”
The Perfect Day - Events by Christine Stieber, CA
“His/her passion for the job, his/her creativity,
organizational skills obviously, attention to details
and customer, orientated spirit.”
Managing Director, Piece Montee
Wedding Consulting and Organization, France
The Average Pricing:
“It depends on the region that you live in and
the scope of the project.”
Lora Horvath, Owner,
Save The Date Weddings and Events
The costs vary depending on the service request. As
international wedding planners we require fees from
700 US$ for only paperwork assistance to up 3000 US$
for a luxury event coordination. Generally the average
is US$1200;
Alberto Ciani, CEO
alberto@weddingitaly.com
“Someone to offer you options that you never considered”
white6084@aol.com
Beware Of:
“You want to avoid wedding planners with no vision;
you might end up with a "cookie-cutter" wedding.
Julie Beaulieu
Aphrodite Bridal Consulting, Ottawa, ON, Canada
“If a consultant tells you that she can service
you for a little of nothing find another consultant
immediately.”
Lynda Jones-Owings, Your Complete Event Planner
Why Get a Wedding Planner?
“The greatest advantage is having a professional
rather than a family member or friend who is emotionally
involved in your day in attendance to manage the details.”
Patti Zint
Scarlet Heart Weddings, Phoenix, Arizona
“A consultant can ensure they don't make costly
mistakes.”
Special Occasions by Sparkman Event Planning, Narketta
Sparkman, M.A.
Event Producer/Owner, Southfield, MI
We have been in the wedding industry for 20 years. We
started by producing a bridal show. In 1995, we discovered
a need that is shared by all the wedding professionals.
The need was to assist getting our members’ essential
business services (insurances, credit card acceptance,
marketing assistance etc.)
These professionals continue training/learning after
they start their business. You can tell them by the
certificates of membership that are on their walls.
When a bride does that, she can feel very confident
in her decisions. Richard, President of Afwpi.
For a list of qualified wedding planners near you, contact
the Association for Wedding Professionals International
and The Bridal Association of America.
The Bridal Association of America, 1-866-MYWEDDINGS
or
www.bridalassociationofamerica.com
.
The Association for Bridal Consultants, 56 Danbury Road
Suite 11 * New Milford, Connecticut 06776, Ph: 860-355-0464
| Fax: 860-354-1404,
E-Mail: office@bridalassn.com
Click
here to download Budget Check List
