Weddingbee PRO

The afterglow of the engagement has begun to wane and reality sets in: you have a wedding to plan!! Although most brides are excited to dream up ideas for their big day, many are daunted by the task of planning, designing and coordinating one of the biggest parties of their lives. After all, this is probably the first (and hopefully the only!) wedding you will ever plan. It’s at this point that many people decide to enlist the guidance and expertise of a wedding planner. In honor of what many people believe to be the hottest engagement season of the year (the holidays!), I thought I’d write up a little post on how you should go about picking the perfect planner for YOU.

1) The sooner the better. I strongly recommend hiring a planner as early in the process as possible. A great planner will be able to assist you with key initial tasks like drawing up a realistic budget, scouting for the perfect venue, and providing you with personalized referrals for the best vendors around. Also, if you intend to utilize a planner for event design, you will want them around as you begin considering palettes, floral designs, etc. Once you decide you want a wedding planner (or even a coordinator) on-board, begin researching fab ones in your area.

2) Make a list of your “wants.” What exactly do you want your planner to do for you? Make a list of basic duties you’d like to delegate to him/her. This will help you as you research local options and sort through their lists of services. A key question to consider is: How involved do you want your planner to be in the design of the wedding day? Do you need a creative visionary to shower you with unique, custom-tailored ideas and personalized service? Or do you see yourself just needing an industry “insider” as a sounding board for your own ideas? Having a clear picture of what you want your planner to do will help you find him/her!

3) Do your homework! Begin the research process! Start by checking in with friends and acquaintances for any word-of-mouth referrals. They are your strongest, most reliable sources of information! If they have rave reviews about a planner in the area, they are worth checking out. You can also scan local wedding websites (Project Wedding is a wonderful example here in CA) for candid reviews from real brides. Make a list of 5-10 planners that catch your attention. Once you have an initial list, visit their websites and read about them and their work. Narrow down your initial list to a handful you’d like to seriously consider.

4) Make contact. Send out emails to the potential planners that made your short-list. Make sure you send individual emails and not just a generic, “Please send me your price list.” You can fill out an inquiry form on their website (if one is available) to give them key information: your wedding date, location(s) and services needed/desired. If you don’t have a date or site yet, let them know that securing those things is part of what you’d like them to help you do.

5) Assess and review. Now you sit back and wait for the replies to come back. Take note of how the planner comes across. Were they timely in responding? Did they seem genuinely interested in your day, or did you receive some standard letter written out to “Dear Bride-to-be”?? You want to feel good vibes immediately, so trust your gut here. This is also when you review their proposals and pricing. Who fits in the budget? Who is worth a potential splurge? Who is totally out of the ballpark? Determine which of the planners are worth meeting in person for a consultation (which should be complimentary!).

6) Follow your heart! As you meet with planners in person, the rules sort of fly out the window. This is the time to trust your instincts and go with the person you “click” with! One of my sweet 2008 brides confided that when she met another planner, she thought to herself, “Ugh, I can’t stand her sweater! If she wears stuff like that, how can I trust her to plan my wedding??” Haha I know that sounds harsh, but if you are going to invest in hiring a planner, you’re allowed to use your own criteria. Here are some more standard criteria you should look for:

• attention to detail
• organization
• great communication skills (written and verbal)
• enthusiasm for you and your event
• sincerity and kindness
• professionalism
• a strong sense of style and design

As I mentioned, you are allowed to bring in any other factors as you weigh your options. I strongly suggest not just hiring someone you believe to be competent… but rather springing for someone you LOVE. That’s right… you should LOVE your wedding planner! You should be thrilled to have this person on board for the next few months (or year!). If you are inviting someone into your life to plan such a momentous event for you, you want to actually enjoy working with them. How awful would it be to hesitate every time you called your planner because you felt like you were bothering him/her?? How sad would it be if you never asked your planner any questions about your ideas because you felt like they didn’t really ‘get’ your style? How horrible would it be if you hired someone who didn’t seem to care about you or your event? It would be a definite bummer. There are many people out there who can get the job done, but who is going to enrich your experience?

My clients and I almost have a two-way screening process. When they interview me, I am also feeling them out for that “click”. I usually know within 3 minutes if they are the right fit for me. As a result, I build the most amazing relationships with my clients because we are so well suited for one another. My clients email me about everything and anything, call me at 1 a.m. in the morning when they have a brilliant idea and feel free to vent when things get overwhelming. I want to be a friend, confidante and trusted adviser throughout the entire process. It is a role I cherish and take very seriously.

Wedding planning is a wonderful, glorious, joyful and altogether delightful process. (Well of course I would say that… I do it for a living!) Make sure you share it with a planner you LOVE. I promise it will make all the difference.

xoxo, Angel