What is a wedding planner?
Essentially, a wedding planner is a professional whose expertise and contacts can make your wedding a day of absolute perfection. He or she is the pivot of your event; the one who finds the services and suppliers you need; who negotiates contracts; who mediates and manages the various companies involved in your day; and who ensures that everything runs smoothly. Popular alternative job titles include wedding coordinator, wedding consultant, wedding designer, or even wedding specialist. I will use the terms interchangeably in this article.
Planning weddings is a lot of fun. But like any other job in this world, things don’t go smoothly. Planning a wedding with the expectation that it will be a day to overshadow all others can take an incredible amount of time and effort, not to mention the stress and worry! There are highs and lows, times of great joy and times of great stress and pressure.Weddings are awaited events: some brides have fantasised about walking down the aisle in a pure white gown and tiara for 30 years or more!It is certainly a challenge that you have never encountered before. And when you add both work and a hectic social life before marriage to the equation, the achievement often seems monumental. It is an honour not to be taken lightly.
Why use a wedding planner?
These days, with so much to do and so little time to do it, hiring a professional marriage consultant is increasingly seen as a sensible way to ensure a stress-free engagement and a potentially flawless wedding. In the US, it’s the norm: most couples getting married use a wedding planner. It is a huge industry that provides invaluable value to couples during a time in their lives when stress and worry need to be eliminated and time is of the essence.
Slowly but surely, couples in the UK are waking up to the realisation that a wedding planner is not just a luxury reserved for the rich and famous. A good consultant is now as comfortable planning a small and intimate family celebration for 12 people as she is planning a large party for 500 or more people.Using their expert knowledge of the industry, along with extensive databases and links to leading suppliers, an established wedding planner will have the foundation for building the perfect wedding. They give you unlimited access to any supplier in the country that meets your requirements. Unless otherwise specified, their priorities are solely with the couple, their marriage goals, and the all-important budget. And when you find an advisor you trust and feel comfortable with,
The very best wedding planners have diverse skills. They are extremely practical, versatile, knowledgeable, and resourceful. Their job is to assist both the bride and groom in the lead-up to the big day. On the day itself, the bride takes centre stage while the wedding planner works tirelessly in the background.
During the planning process, they will bear the brunt of the daily tasks. They will design, plan, coordinate, and manage the event from behind the scenes, giving couples valuable time to relax and enjoy their engagement and look forward to their dream wedding.
The wedding planning process
As with most wedding consultants, we usually start with a conversation with the couple to find out exactly how they envision their wedding day, from the moment they wake up in the morning to the moment they leave the party amidst an explosion of fireworks at the end of the night. While we often see the groom shy away from the initial planning process, we always try to encourage his input. It is vital to try to get him “on board” as early as possible, as you can be sure that 2-3 months later, when many of the important decisions have been made, he will start to take an interest and realise that this wedding lark may not be as boring as he initially expected! Regret is a terrible thing that we only discover after the fact!
Once the all-important wedding plan or briefing has been prepared, it is the job of the wedding consultant to begin locating the appropriate wedding venues, suppliers, and wedding services. Of course, the wedding location is central. Once this has been shortlisted, inspected, and booked, the other wedding services and suppliers required can be sought and shortlisted for the client’s consideration. While the wedding planner will arrange all venues and services and provide well-informed guidance and advice, the choice of companies to use is at the discretion of the couple. No pressure should be exerted by a wedding planner at this time. If it happens that you feel pressured, it could be assumed that the planner is working on behalf of the said supplier, so be insistent and remind your planner that their role is to help.
Once all the vendors have been selected, the set designed, budgets met, and timelines finalized, it is common for the wedding planner to assist with the rehearsal and then oversee the wedding day to ensure the needs of the bride, groom, and wedding feast are fulfilled.
“Can I justify the added luxury of a marriage counselor?”
It is often the case that a wedding planner can save you money. They can negotiate special discounts with the venue and other wedding services, which will then be passed on to you. If a discount is not available, they can also find you a location or supplier that offers a high-quality service at a competitive price.
Wedding planning fee
Pricing structures are determined based on the needs of the couple, and since every wedding is unique, the wedding coordinator’s fees often are too.
As a “rule of thumb,” for the complete coordination of the entire event, a portion of the wedding budget is usually charged. Percentages vary from consultancy to consultancy but are usually between 10 and 15 percent. Usually, minimum rates apply.
A bride who needs a coordinator to assist on the day will usually be charged a flat rate or an hourly rate. Again, fees vary from company to company and sometimes from season to season. Approximately, one would expect to pay in excess of £70.00 an hour for a reasonable coordinator on the day of the wedding.
Alternatively, you will find that there are different packages for couples who have specific purchasing and/or contract negotiation needs. You may be charged a flat rate for this service or a percentage of the specific budget allocated to the said service; for example, if you have set aside £3,000.00 for a photographer, the planner’s fee may be 10%, or £ 300.00. Again, fees fluctuate from advisor to advisor, but ultimately, the amount you pay will reflect the amount of time and effort you put into dealing with your personal requirements. It also depends on how long the advisor has been active. Of course, those new to the industry need to charge lower rates in order to compete for business.
Other services you may be able to find include assistance in the 4 weeks leading up to the big day, helping you manage any last-minute stress and minor issues that so often come up. Alternatively, wedding planners can manage the invitations and RSVPs or even search for the wedding rings and honeymoon.
- You will see that just about anything is possible. You are only limited by your imagination and, of course, your budget! The first can possibly be expanded under the guidance of your wedding planner. The latter must be strictly observed in most cases. However, we recommend that you allow yourself a backup allowance of up to 10% of the budget to cover any unforeseen circumstances and situations along the way. The final finishing touches and last-minute attention to detail can make the difference between an average wedding and an exceptional one, and it’s the finer details that are often overlooked when planning your own wedding.
- Conclusion
The primary function of a wedding planner is to design, coordinate, and project manage a client’s dream wedding, from concept to realization, precisely and according to the client’s wishes and requirements. - We have clearly seen that planning a wedding is a complicated, time-consuming, and often stressful task. It’s a job best left to professionals.
Sam Ketterer is a professional consultant with Absolute Perfection Wedding Consultancy Ltd., London, UK. He is happy to answer any questions about this article.