What does a Wedding Planner really do?

When talking to brides, both brides-to-be and newly married; I hear two comments over and over again. First from the bride-to-be, "I'm planning my wedding myself; I don't need a Wedding Planner". And second from the newlywed, "Oh! I wish I would have had someone like you to help me on my wedding day".

So in order to help that bride-to-be not become the newlywed with wedding day regrets, I am going to explain what a Wedding Planner really does.

A Wedding Planner has many roles such as: adviser, coordinator, supervisor, financial planner and mediator.

• Adviser - From the correct etiquette of invitation wording to matching your personality and budget with the perfect wedding vendors, a Planner will advise you using their knowledge and experience of the industry.


• Coordinator - A Planner will help you develop the perfect time line for the entire day both for the bridal party and the vendors. They will help you with the timing for the ceremony and help you lay out the entire reception, detail by detail to ensure a smooth event. On the day of your wedding, the Planner will coordinate all of these details with everyone involved so that you do not have to worry about a thing.


• Supervisor - A Planner will oversee all the details of the day; including the multiple vendors you have contracted for your wedding. A Planner will act as a liaison for you; why should you have to worry about what time the cake will arrive or if the DJ has the right size table? And why would you want to add this stress unto a family member or friend instead of their enjoying the day with you?
  


• Financial Planner - When working with a budget, things can get a little overwhelming. A Planner will guide you throughout the planning process making sure you get every penny's worth and helping to stretch every dollar. They will keep you on track, ensuring that your money is allocated to the details that are most important to you as a couple and to your families.
  


• Mediator - Weddings can be a very emotional time for everyone, especially when there are complex family dynamics involved. A Planner can act as a third party to help mediate in certain stressful situations.

There are many other roles I could add to this list such as Decorator, Boutonniere Affixer, Button Re-Attacher, Cake Cutter, Candle Lighter, Last Minute Errand Runner, etc. I could go on and on with the things of which a bride and groom would never imagine. They are in no way there to take over your big day and should never be the center of attention. It is their job to be behind the scenes coordinating everything; without your guests even imagining all the moving parts. A great Wedding Planner also smooths over anything that goes awry without the bride and groom knowing or worrying about it as well.

Wedding Planners and Consultants are hired because of their knowledge and experience and this includes being extremely familiar with the area in which they work. Hiring a Planner in your wedding location, if you are having a destination wedding, is a wonderful idea. They can help you find great vendors that you might not find from an internet search and local vendors can almost always save you money on delivery or travel fees. If you are not able to regularly visit the area of your event, a local Planner can keep an eye on things and attend meetings if you are unable to do so.

Events by September's Bride has many different levels of services available from Set Up and Ceremony Coordination to Complete Planning. Couples that are planning the entire wedding on their own but do not want to deal with the stress on the big day may hire a Planner for Wedding Day Coordination services. Other couples that are too busy with their careers or do not feel they are organized enough to plan on their own may be in need of Partial or Complete Planning assistance. We also offer hourly consulting for the bride and groom that have some ideas but are not sure how to get started or how to pull everything together.

A Planner can be a valuable asset to your wedding team; having an ally along the way to take your side in a dispute with a vendor; share ideas, and even just someone to call and vent to when you feel overwhelmed. Events by September's Bride would love to be that ally to you, we will use our experience and knowledge to make your dream day into reality.

Please contact us today to find out more about our services and to reserve your wedding date.