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Wedding
Planning Services
Do you need a
Wedding
Planner?
Ever since Jennifer Lopez played the role of a hopelessly romantic
Wedding Planner in the film of the same name, the idea and role of the
planner has very increasingly popular.
What are the
benefits of a
wedding planner?
Well, planning a wedding can become a full
time job for one person. Think about it; there’s the wedding
dress, the bridesmaid’s dresses, the outfits for the mother
of the bride, your father, his suit, his best man’s suit, the
cake, the food, the invitations, the favours, the venue…and
on and on. A wedding planner has a book full of contact that she or he
can call on and knows the best deals, and the best places for your
needs. Yes your mum and best friend can advise but beware of falling
outs over differences in taste. The wedding planner is not there to
convey his or her own sense of style, they are there to absorb your
tastes and translate it into a wedding setting.
A good wedding planner is also extremely creative; he or she will
normally be able to add a creative edge to your wedding by finding out
what your loves are; they will know what kind of personal touches are
noticed and appreciated by the guests.
What a wedding planner is extremely useful for is budgeting and keeping
on schedule. If you are a busy person then you will forget appointments
sometimes; you may not realise how much time is necessary for say,
printing invites, or how early you need to find a venue. A wedding
planner is paid by you to take care of all of this.
Also think about if you have help from your groom; not all men but some
prefer to keep out of the palaver of wedding planning; now if you know
your other half will be disinterested then the help of a planner could
be idea.
But what about the cost? Well, the prices vary greatly. Some planners
deal with people with lots of money to spend and are used to being
given huge budgets. If you can find someone who seems to offer a
personalised service; ultimately the planner must gel with you and be
able to make your life infinitely easier, listen to what you want and
not cost you the earth. Rates vary depending how much you want the
planner to work with you. Sometimes for a higher fee they can become
more involved and be there on the day for you. A good planner can save
you money because they have a relationship with the people who will
provide you services.
Having said all of that, some brides love to have all the control and
have particular taste that they want to deal with every facet of their
wedding themselves. If this is you then there’s no question;
you are the wedding planner!
Hire
a
Wedding Planner?
It sounds so wonderfully dreamy to delegate all the dirty work to
someone else. Can you envision it? A chic lady will arrive on your
doorstep, and in one fell swoop, she will find the perfect three-piece
fusion jazz/funk/rock/hip-hop band that will both blow away the
twentysomethings and appease the sixtysomethings; she will personally
hand-address your invites; she will expertly mediate with both sets of
parents; she will winningly prod your caterer to make exactly what you
want for the same price as the low-budget pasta dish she was trying to
pawn off; and then she will discreetly shampoo your carpet in her spare
time. OK, it’s time to wake up and deal with the reality.
The best wedding planner is one part personal coach, one part contract
negotiator, one part Best Friend Forever, one part fashion stylist, one
part therapist, and one part researcher. You have to remember that
you’re not hiring a personal assistant. You need to manage
your expectations. What exactly can a wedding consultant or coordinator
do for you? Here’s a realistic portrait of the tasks you can
outsource in the best of all worlds:
The
Detective Work: A good planner
will know your local wedding industry like the back of her
well-manicured hand. She’ll float into the best shops and be
greeted with awe, respect, and special deals. A good planner can lead
you to places you might not find in the phone book, bridal magazines,
or the message boards you’ve been trolling for tips. She is
clued in to the best secret services before you even make her
acquaintance. Sure enough, the best of them act like a concierge at the
Ritz; one fast flip through the old Rolodex reveals the perfect venue
for you, and the contact information of the caterer who is listed
nowhere.
The
Dirty Work: Some of us
couldn’t pay a high enough price just to have someone else
read through the fine print. With weddings, there is plenty of
it—because you will want to have contracts with all of your
vendors, from the caterers to the florist. A planner, however demure he
or she may appear, has plenty of stern looks behind that smile. To
fight for your best interests and weed out any possible scam, she can
go from sweet to scary in a matter of minutes. Bewildering contracts?
No problem! Hidden add-on costs? Unearthed before you put your pen to
the paper!
The
Director’s Work:
Coordinating a mass event is no minor feat; it requires someone with
the skills of the most polished diplomat, and who can quietly but
effectively make things happen while operating behind the scenes. With
a wave of the hand, the flowers are delivered, the hairdresser is
waiting when you arrive at the hotel, the band knows where to be and
when and everyone’s lapel is perfectly crisp. The director
frees you from all concern about even the smallest details, enabling
you to focus solely on enjoying your big day, rather than on the fact
that your bridesmaid’s dress is utterly wrinkled.
The
Haggler’s Work:
Although planners cost money, it can be argued that you will ultimately
save more money using one than by not doing so. This is because a good
planner will use her savvy and experience to negotiate the best deals
for you. To start, a planner can help you come up with a budget that
works for you, and then she can help you get the best prices to meet
that budget. How? A well-connected planner knows instantly just who in
the area is looking to promote his or her services or products and
therefore may be willing to tack on booking incentives, like free
upgrades or discounts. For example, she might be able to negotiate a
free engagement photo from your photographer or an extra hour from your
musicians.
The
Therapist’s Work: A
planner’s work is never done. When you find yourself meekly
asking, “Is this normal?” you will have an ally who
can tell you, “Yes, it is. Everyone feels frustrated,
alienated, irritated, infuriated, or taken advantage of.”
Let’s face it, you are Bride - so what may feel like a Crazy,
Novel, Unique Experience is actually par for the course for this pro.
That could be a good thing. Your last-minute zit? “Normal;
try toothpaste,” she might suggest. Your mum’s
last-minute freakout? “Normal; take a timeout and have tea to
smooth things over,” she’ll offer. You start to
freak yourself out: Is he the one? “Normal; have a romantic
evening at home and rediscover why you’re doing this in the
first place,” she’ll instruct.
To book
please call 01273 620220
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