Hiring a Wedding Planner - How to Find the Right One
It’s a moment many of us dream about, the love of our life popping the big question, getting married and spending the rest of your lives together. Engagements are a whirlwind of emotion and excitement and once you’ve let the world know about your engagement, there comes the time when you start thinking about how you and your fiance want your special day. But with a list as long as the Amazon river and some big decisions to make, it can start to feel a little overwhelming…
Queue professional wedding planner…
Hiring a professional to help you curate the day of your dreams to help with the design, details, planning and management of your wedding can take a huge amount of time and stress out of the equation.
Your wedding planner will be your helping hand along the way acting as a confidant, a support anchor and the person who helps you to create one of the most memorable days of your life. They’ll deal with everything from initial planning, finding your dream venue, organising suppliers, RSVP management - and all the things you might not usually think about.
Wedding planners have all the experience and know-how, contacts and time to ensure that your big day is everything you need. You get to do the fun part of planning and making a dream come to life, but all the nitty gritty stuff can be left to the experts.
But again, with so many wedding planners out there, how do you even begin to pick the right one?
You and your partner need to decide on a few things…
Your budget
The size of your guest-list
The big date
A rough vision (don’t worry if you don’t know exactly how you want things to look, all you need is some potential ideas and a feel for how you want the vibe of the day to be)
When talking to your potential wedding planner, make sure you consider:
If you and your partner felt listened to - the most important thing here is that your wedding planner understands your vision and is willing to give you both the day you’ve always dreamed about
Did you get a good feeling that the wedding planners will work within your budget?
Did you connect well? This is a very personal (and should also be a fun) process! Therefore it’s really important that you both get on well with your wedding planner and your personalities click - it’ll make the process all the more enjoyable and memorable.
Whether what they offer marries up with your requirements? Do you want a full or partial wedding planning service or someone that can particularly help with design and styling? Websites and social media profiles are windows into what we do and who we are and are a great way to research and seek out wedding planners as you’ll get a true feel for the kind of weddings they can help you to curate.
When looking at their website and social media, assess whether images and language reflect the way you and your partner are? Does the language seem inviting and can you imagine yourself chatting with them? Are you excited by the work they do? Do they cater for the style and quality of wedding that you’re looking for? If you and your partner want something classic, pared back and minimal but a specific planner specialises in bohemian weddings then it might not be the right match for you. Try and find wedding planners where you can envisage yourself having the kind of wedding that they usually work on.
Other important questions to ask your wedding planner…
Wedding planning experience: It’s always nice to get to know your wedding planner so why not ask them how they came to be where they are now. Have they always been a wedding planner or has it been a career change for them? How long have they been in the wedding industry? How many weddings have they worked on?
Achievements: Ask your wedding planner their biggest achievements, their favourite weddings and even if they have any awards of certifications.
Number of clients: You might want to ask how many clients your wedding planner takes on each year, and how many clients they’ll be working with at the time of your wedding.
Venue: If you have a wedding venue in mind why not ask your wedding planner if they’re worked at the venue before and what experience they’ve had with the venue. It’s also good to see if they have any Plan B ideas for bad weather and how they tackle that issue (although let’s not tempt fate)...
Vendors: Will you have the freedom to choose your own vendors or is it a requirement to go through wedding planner recommended vendors and if so do they get any commission? Ask what the process is with payment with vendors and how your wedding planner will deal with any issues relating to vendors?
What to expect: Ask them what type of planning they offer, is it more logistical and organisational? Or is it more design based and centred on bringing your dream vision to life?Will your planner handle every aspect of the planning or can you plan some parts yourself? Do they have any assistants and backup planners and how present will they be on the actual date of the wedding?
Ask them about their prices, how changes impact the final price and refund and cancellation policies?
These questions are all incredibly important and will help you to get a real feel of how certain wedding planners operate, how their process tends to work and what you and your partner will need to do along the way.
It’s always best to chat to as many wedding planners as you can and don’t jump in with the first one you find. Compatibility and understanding is a big thing when you're putting your dream day in the hands of someone else so don’t rush and choose the wedding planner with the best fit for you both!
When should I hire a wedding planner?
Is there a right time to start thinking about a wedding planner and when is the best time to hire a wedding planner? If you know that a wedding planner is something you and your partner definitely want then it’s best to enquire as soon as you know you need one as wedding planners can get booked up at pace, especially during peak seasons like summer.
Where can I find the right wedding planner?
Wedding planners can be found all over, especially with the beauty of the world wide web and the likes of Pinterest, Instagram and Facebook. As well as social media, wedding magazines and local lifestyle publications are a great shout if you’re looking for someone local to you.
As wedding photographers and filmmakers, we get to be part of so many beautiful love stories and spend a lot of our time at weddings (surprisingly!) and we’ve worked with some great wedding vendors. If you’re looking for an elegant, stylish and classic wedding, then Coleen McKay and Hannah at Conifer Events are two of our best recommendations with experience in creating bespoke weddings worldwide. Coleen and Hannah are both luxury wedding planners and cater for couples looking for a first class service, be that small intimate elopements and gatherings to multi-day events. With a whole team at hand to pay attention to detail, they’ll help you plan the most memorable day!
