Many couples opt to plan their wedding and do all the wedding arrangements themselves, or with just the help of their parents. This is not the only way to go in today's world. In today's world, you have another choice-hiring a wedding planner or event co-ordinator. Couples today do not realize that a wedding planner can be essential in helping to save them time, aggravation or even money. Here is a checklist to see if a wedding planner might be right for you:
* You both work full-time jobs that may interfere with many of the things you need to arrange for the wedding, like appointments in meeting with vendors (florists, bakers for your wedding cake, photographers, etc.)
* You don't have anyone to help you with the wedding planning, like parents who may be deceased, no brother or sisters, helpful Bridesmaids or knowledgeable friends
* You don't know which vendors to choose, which are reliable, which are the most cost efficient for your needs
* You are planning a destination wedding and you need someone to help set it up at the destination end
* You may be having difficulties with personality conflicts between yourselves, your parents or other people. A wedding planner can help smooth the relationships with regards to the wedding choices, or offer alternatives.
* You may not be a good planner, or a person who is capable of dealing with everything involved in planning such an important event (let's face it, not everyone can do this type of thing.)
* You have fallen behind on your checklist, budget or scheduling
* You may have a very short engagement period and you need to expedite the wedding process
* You have a very clear vision of what you want your wedding to be, but no idea of how to bring it about
* You feel over-whelmed by all the tasks involved in preparing for your wedding
* You need leadership in the wedding planning process
Although hiring an event planner can be a life-saver when it comes to planning your wedding, there are a few things to watch out for when choosing one. First, you need to be able to contact your the person easily. Watch out for those who do not return your phone calls in good time, or those that don't seem organized. Also, some wedding planners get kick-backs from certain vendors so make sure the one you choose is not taking you for a ride with their vendor choices and just lining their own pockets. It is also a good idea to find out if your wedding planner's taste and style is in line with your own. You want your wedding day to be what you want it to be, not what your wedding planner says it should be.
When hiring a wedding planner make sure that you outline everything you expect in the contract, their duties, costs and expenses, deposits, payments schedules, etc. Everything should be spelled out clearly within the contract clauses. Ensure that both parties are in agreement with what is expected, and what happens if the wedding planner fails to meet their obligations.
The cost of wedding planners can vary significantly. Some are very expensive and some can be very affordable. You can hire a wedding planner to do the whole event, or one to do just a portion of it. For a wedding planner to orchestrate the whole event, expect to pay about 10-20 percent of your total wedding budget. If you hire a wedding planner just to help with the day-of-the-wedding, typically expect to pay a flat fee of about $500 to $2,000, depending on their experience, the size and scope of your wedding and respective charges in your local area.
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