It's time to plan your wedding, but you don’t really know where to start. Between vendors and Pinterest boards and family members asking for details as soon as you get engaged, it becomes a bit overwhelming. Hiring a wedding planner is the best way to help manage all those details. Once you have found the planner who is going to make your life easier, we guarantee they will very much appreciate if you follow these suggestions for making their job easier.

Have Your Own Ideas

A planner's job is to help make your wedding vision a reality. They help you find the right venue, select the perfect decorations and plan the activities, but you need to provide them with some direction. Even if you start out with little to no idea of what you want, any idea can help. For example, you might suggest colors you like or know that you want the caterer to serve your favorite type of food.

It can be difficult for a wedding planner to help if the couple isn’t able to make decisions. Postponing decisions long enough can lead to your options no longer being available by the time you do decide. Venues and vendors get booked earlier and earlier these days.

Another danger is disinterest in the decisions that need to be made. One couple that we have worked with in the past insisted they didn’t care much about the details, so they let a certain member of their family make most decisions for them. In the end, they realized that the wedding that took place didn’t fit them as a couple. This is why it is so important to work together with your planner and give them direction so they can focus your ideas and deliver a wedding that makes you and your new spouse absolutely happy.

Communicate

Communication is extremely important when working with a wedding planner. As indicated above, your planner can’t make decisions for you unless you tell them what you want. When your planner asks you a question, try your best to respond promptly, even if you don’t have an answer right away. Even replying with, “We will need to think about it and let you know” still tells your planner that you are paying attention.

You should also ask questions. A good wedding planner will be happy to answer. You can ask about the cost of things, ask what terminology in a vendor contract means or simply ask for their opinion about ideas that you have. Your wedding planner wants to make sure you understand and are completely comfortable with every aspect of the planning process. Take advantage of their experience.

Speak up if you have concerns. Don't worry about hurting your planner’s feelings—you won’t. Your wedding is all about your feelings and your planner just wants you to be happy, but they won’t know if you are unsatisfied with something unless you tell them.

Include all decision-making parties in the communications. If, let's say, your future mother-in-law is heavily involved in the planning, make sure to keep her in the loop. In one instance, a client’s mother-in-law took it upon herself to put a deposit down on a venue thinking she was doing the couple a favor, but the couple told their planner they wanted to book another venue. Because they did not include mom in the discussions, their decision was made for them. Sure, that was an extreme scenario and clearly the mother-in-law should have double-checked before booking, but remember that it is best to share information with all involved early and often so those things don’t happen.

Similarly, it is good to include your planner in wedding-related meetings, phone calls and emails with your other vendors. It keeps everyone on the same page so there is no confusion and things run smoothly on your wedding day. In addition, your planner might ask your vendors questions that you hadn’t thought about. We have had many instances in which the planner was told one thing and the vendor was told another. Using the ‘CC’ function on emails is a simple solution and saves everyone some time.

Be Clear about Your Budget

Wedding planners want to make sure you stick to your budget, so be sure to set it early and make it clear that you have a maximum amount you plan to spend. Your wedding planner can then help you figure out how to best allocate your money and make sure they are providing vendors who fit that budget. One bride (not our client) told us that her planner regularly recommended vendors far beyond the couple’s price range, which was frustrating to the couple because they would get excited about the vendor’s work only to realize they couldn’t afford them. Being clear about your budget helps to avoid disappointment.

Trust Your Wedding Planner

When your wedding day comes, try your best to relax and leave all of the details in the hands of your planner. Remember that you did a lot of work together up until the wedding and that your planner is a professional. Don’t freak out if something doesn’t go exactly as planned, because you know you have someone there who will make sure everything is alright.

*Photo by Creative Interpretations Photography*

Give Your Wedding Planner a Great Review

Wedding planners rely on reviews and referrals to get new business. If you are happy with their performance, help them out by writing them a glowing review on Google, wedding websites like theknot.com or weddingwire.com or on their social media. They will appreciate it more than you know!

If you could use a wedding planner or would like more information, contact us.

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