I was at a wedding show not to long ago and I heard a DJ telling a bride, “If you hire the right DJ, you won’t even need a wedding planner”. All I could think of is that poor, poor bride if she believes that comment. Not that there aren’t a lot of good DJ’s out there, I work with some of the best. But a DJ is NOT a professional wedding planner, not even close.
The same can be said for a site planner and an actual wedding planner. No matter what they claim, they are not the same thing at all. Want to know how to find out for sure? Ask the person that is telling you they will handle all your planning, when they are available to go on vendor calls with you, what their plan for transportation is, when can you call them to discuss the colors of your bridesmaids dresses or when will they be contacting your other vendors with timelines or even if they will be available to you through out your whole reception. Most site planners (and don’t get me wrong, there are some great ones out there), only stay at a reception until dinner is served and then they are out of there.
Ask any of these questions and I bet you get a shocked look and a stammer of “well we don’t handle that”. Well guess what, a professional wedding planner does. She handles all this and more. Real wedding planners are invaluable to a couple. We are hired to look out for your best interest. A wedding planner is a liaison, someone who steps in and coordinates all your other vendors, along with your plans and produces your one of a kind event. Wedding planners are there to help you make an educated decision on what is best for you. We are not selling the site, trying to make a quota on a food sell or trying to please our corporate boss. You are our boss. As planners we help guide you into the right decisions for your wedding and budget. Remember the site coordinator is only responsible for that one site. Her responsibilities stop at the door. The plans for your wedding do not stop at that same door.
Don’t get caught in the trap of believing that your site coordinator, whether it’s church or reception site is going to be there for you to call with questions, just try getting hold of one on a Saturday or Sunday. If you’re having problems with your future mother in law, or invitations or seating decisions, your dress, or accessories your site coordinator is not going to be there with the answers.
So many brides figure this out too late and end up a stressed out mess. They end up figuring out a month or two before the wedding that as the bride they can not handle everything and enjoy their wedding. Suddenly they are drowning in details and need help. I feel so bad for brides that call me frantic a few months before their wedding searching for help. So often I’m already booked and can’t handle it or I see so many mistakes that have been made, mistakes that wouldn’t have been made if they had hired a planner in the beginning.
Don’t let this happen to you. Know what you are looking for and ask the right questions next time someone tells you, you don’t need a planner.
The same can be said for a site planner and an actual wedding planner. No matter what they claim, they are not the same thing at all. Want to know how to find out for sure? Ask the person that is telling you they will handle all your planning, when they are available to go on vendor calls with you, what their plan for transportation is, when can you call them to discuss the colors of your bridesmaids dresses or when will they be contacting your other vendors with timelines or even if they will be available to you through out your whole reception. Most site planners (and don’t get me wrong, there are some great ones out there), only stay at a reception until dinner is served and then they are out of there.
Ask any of these questions and I bet you get a shocked look and a stammer of “well we don’t handle that”. Well guess what, a professional wedding planner does. She handles all this and more. Real wedding planners are invaluable to a couple. We are hired to look out for your best interest. A wedding planner is a liaison, someone who steps in and coordinates all your other vendors, along with your plans and produces your one of a kind event. Wedding planners are there to help you make an educated decision on what is best for you. We are not selling the site, trying to make a quota on a food sell or trying to please our corporate boss. You are our boss. As planners we help guide you into the right decisions for your wedding and budget. Remember the site coordinator is only responsible for that one site. Her responsibilities stop at the door. The plans for your wedding do not stop at that same door.
Don’t get caught in the trap of believing that your site coordinator, whether it’s church or reception site is going to be there for you to call with questions, just try getting hold of one on a Saturday or Sunday. If you’re having problems with your future mother in law, or invitations or seating decisions, your dress, or accessories your site coordinator is not going to be there with the answers.
So many brides figure this out too late and end up a stressed out mess. They end up figuring out a month or two before the wedding that as the bride they can not handle everything and enjoy their wedding. Suddenly they are drowning in details and need help. I feel so bad for brides that call me frantic a few months before their wedding searching for help. So often I’m already booked and can’t handle it or I see so many mistakes that have been made, mistakes that wouldn’t have been made if they had hired a planner in the beginning.
Don’t let this happen to you. Know what you are looking for and ask the right questions next time someone tells you, you don’t need a planner.
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