You hire professionals to take your photographs, make the cake and arrange the flowers, so why not hire a wedding planner to help with the planning.
According to reports 70% of brides who did not hire a planner wish they had!
Unfortunately when people talk about a wedding planner, a number of common misconceptions are mentioned – “a wedding planner is only for high budget weddings and an extravagance I cannot afford”, “I do not want someone taking over my wedding, its my day” and “I do not need any help I am doing it all myself”.
After thinking about this matter for some time I have decided to write a blog on Wedding Planners and what I actually do.
I am based in the South West of England and cover Devon, Cornwall and Somerset which have some of the most stunning locations to get married, whether its on the hills, beside the sea or in a castle.
Challenges
1) The biggest challenge to overcome is that of couples thinking that planners are an additional expense that is not needed. When I actually meet couples and go through costs and what I can offer them, they are always amazed at how little it costs.
If you equate my full planning fee over a year it costs the same as one cappuccino a day from Starbucks which many people have without thinking about the cost. Therefore, my services are affordable to all couples no matter what their budget. I also work with suppliers on a daily basis and can often negotiate discounts with suppliers all of which I pass directly onto the client. I will work to find the best suppliers within a couple’s budget to get them the best value for money.
My full and partial planning services are tailored to your requirements and I have a set on the day fee but if you only want some elements off one package or a mixture of two, this is absolutely fine. I offer a free no obligation consultation to discuss in detail what requirements you have and I will always be upfront about my costs.
The average UK wedding budget including a honeymoon is around £20,000 and planning a wedding takes between 250-300 hours – on top of your family life, day job, housework, socialising, etc.
2) It is quite sad to think that brides still feel that a wedding planner will take over their day, make decisions on their behalf and cause them upset.
All my brides remain totally in control of their wedding. I do all the organising, chasing, administration and hard work, keeping my couples up to date at all times. I give regular updates and all decisions are left to the couple, I help make the decisions clearer to them so they can make the final choice.
It is my job to get to know my couple, their likes and dislikes in order that I know exactly what they want and then make sure that is achieved.
3) A lot of brides love planning their own wedding but may need a helping hand getting started, some advice along the way or help on the day.
A wedding planner usually offers different services depending on the requirements. I myself offer a partial planning package which allows the couple to have help at the beginning if they need it, handing it over half way through if it is all getting too much or taking over at the end when they want to relax and enjoy the final weeks; as well as an On the Day Co-ordination package which is very popular. This package takes away all stress from the bride and bridal party on the day, and means everyone can focus on enjoying the day.
No matter what stage you are at, if you need some help a planner should always be able to point you in the right direction and we should never be ruled out.
What I really do......
Knowledge & Experience
The experience I have means that I can think of innovative and unique ideas for your special day as well as knowing which suppliers can offer you the best service. I can give advice on all areas of the planning – from etiquette to what the groom should wear. Following a meeting with a couple, I will often produce an inspiration board to enable them to see how their ideas will look, or create boards from scratch if they do not have any specific ideas to help them make that decision.
From the minute I start work on your wedding, I am there to help you whenever you need it and will ensure your wedding day is as you have dreamt.
I love planning all types of weddings – from the traditional church wedding, themed weddings through to the quirky wedding in a garden. I have experience and knowledge of locations and suppliers to cater for all styles of wedding and love to create a couple’s vision.
Every wedding is different and I make sure all my couples have a unique day where their individuality shows through.
Guidance
I am not here to take over your day. I am there to help guide you and make sure everything is as you want. I will not give anyone orders or tell you what you should do but offer advice and make recommendations for your consideration, all of which you can ignore if you so choose. I offer to make the process easier for you and reduce your stress and time spent planning.
Listening
I am always available for my couples whether they want to run through the plans, have a query or just want a chat. I love talking about weddings so will happily listen to you whenever you need me to and I will not tell you that you are silly or that any idea you have is stupid.I am there for my couples whenever they need me.
Reducing stress
Unfortunately weddings increase stress levels – whether it’s making decisions, choosing who to invite, family arguments and I’m here to help you reduce that as best I can.
If any issues arise, I will sort them out whilst keeping you calm. If you have what you think is a great suggestion and I do not think it will work – I will be totally honest with you.
I will always endeavour to be open and honest with you, and would hope that you would feel that you could do the same with me. No issues are too big and we will work through everything together.
Money
Most couples know at the beginning their maximum budget for their wedding along with their wish list for their dream wedding. My job is to work with you to achieve this, making sure your budget and ideas are realistic, and keeping costs within this (and ideally under). A budget does not have to be restrictive. You can create the most amazing day with a smaller budget, whether it is for 100 guests or just 30. I work with all budgets and wedding sizes – nothing is too big or small for me to take on.
My fee is set and agreed at the beginning and will not change during the planning process which can be a great relief to couples. I do not take any commission from venues or suppliers and pass any discounts straight to you.
Suppliers
If you have started to look at suppliers you will see there are a huge number in each category, how do you know where to start? I research wedding suppliers all the time and will find you the best ones who match your requirements and ones that I know will make sure they deliver what is required of them. A key feature of a wedding is that all suppliers work together as a team and I will make sure that they all know what is expected of them, what they need to do, where they need to be and when.
I work very hard to negotiate discounts or deals with any suppliers I find for you and pass all of the savings directly to you.
Assistance on the day
One of my most popular packages is the On the Day Coordination. Lots of couples love planning their own wedding but start to worry about how it will work on the day.
Who will be there to make sure the flowers/cake have turned up? What if the meal is running late? Who will help decorate the room? Who will help fix the bridesmaids dress?
On your wedding day you do not want to worry about suppliers arriving, making sure the wedding runs to time, what to do if problems arise – all of this adds to the worry and stress which you do not need on this day!
The On the Day service allows me to be the main point of contact for the venue, suppliers, the bridal party and guests. I will be there to make sure everything runs smoothly and on time. I can help decorate the venue, make sure it is set up as you wanted, run any errands, keep everything to time – anything and everything you worry about on the day will be my job to sort out along with my rescue box!
Locality
A number of brides are choosing to get married out of their local area. Having someone based near to their chosen wedding location to find the venue/suppliers is incredibly helpful.
Imagine if you had to check on something and had to drive hundreds of miles when you could just call your wedding planner and ask them to check it out for you. It saves a huge amount of time and worry, let alone petrol costs!
As a planner I know all the local suppliers and can ensure you get the best value for money and the service you require.
I hope this gives you all a bit more insight into wedding planning and in particular how I work and what I do for my clients.
Unfortunately as much as I love this job I do have to charge for my services, in order to pay the bills, but as every wedding is different the cost is dependent on what is required of me and I will always do my best to help each and every couple I can.
So, if you are looking to get married, whether it is a traditional ceremony or something that little bit different, please give me a call to discuss your ideas and see if I can help you make them a reality,
Well said! I'm glad you work ethically too.
ReplyDeleteYou make some excellent points. x