Save the Date: Choosing the Wedding Planner That's Right for You
When you get engaged, the minute details of the wedding you're going to have are probably the furthest thing from your mind. As days pass and you get closer to the big day, however, these details can seem incredibly overwhelming. This is why most people hire a wedding planner. But how do you know which wedding planner you can say "I do" with and which ones you just can't tie the knot with? If you're looking for a few hints on choosing the wedding planner that's right for you, then here's what you need to know.
What Exactly Do They Do?
Not all wedding planners are created equal. Some handle only logistics (how to get everyone where they need to be when they need to be there), while some add vendors to logistics (finding florists, caterers, waitstaff, cleaning crews, etc.), and some take care of every detail, from cake to seating and everything in between. You'll want to make sure you know what level of involvement you're looking for before you start interviewing wedding planners. The last thing you want to do is to fall in love with a planner only to find out that they really only do logistics when you want the whole package.
A few good questions to ask here are what kinds of planning they do, whether they have ever done full-service planning before (if that's what you want), and if they use specific vendors or are open to using the ones you prefer.
Do They Respect Your Budget?
One of the most important parts of a wedding is coming in under budget. Weddings can be extremely expensive, but if your planner pays careful attention to your budget, you can have the day of your dreams without paying for it for the next five years. Some wedding planners give lip service to your budget but end up going over in order to give you what they call "the experience." If your budget is iron-clad, make sure they know that, and make sure they respect it.
Questions about how many weddings have they gone over and under budget on, any particularly good deals they've struck, and their relationships with local vendors are all important to ask here.
How Do They Get Along with You?
It does no good to have the best wedding planner available if you just can't stand each other. Remember, you're going to be spending a lot of time with this person, and that time will be some of the more stressful that you've had in your life, especially as you get closer and closer to the big day. Finding a planner whose personality meshes well with your and your spouse's personalities and who can keep a cool head in cases where things don't go as planned is a necessity.
Ask questions about things like the most stressful wedding they've done and how they handled the situation, how often you would be able to communicate with them, and the kinds of weddings they prefer to do so that you can get a good grasp of both their abilities and their character.
To start looking for a great wedding planner, speak with venues such as The Manoa Grand Ballroom, since venues often have planners on staff or know of good planners they have worked with in the past.
