A Guide to Hiring a Wedding Planner

As a profession, we work incredibly long and unsociable hours. Our job can often be stressful, tiring, and frustrating. We’re on call 24/7. We go above and beyond for our clients, and we do all of this with a constant and unwavering sense of calm and positivity.

It’s because of all of this that I’ve procrastinated—I desperately want to do justice to this feature, our profession, the role we play, the work we do, and, of course, to my wedding planning colleagues, mentors, and friends.

So, it’s finally time to stop procrastinating and break down the who, what, why, when, and where of hiring a Wedding Planner…

What

In a nutshell, a Wedding Planner is a professional (note the word professional here) who can assist and support you with the overall design, planning and management of your wedding.

However, I don’t think this nutshell does the profession justice because a Wedding Planner is SO MUCH MORE… A Wedding Planner is also:

• An expert, confidant and mentor.
• Someone who will listen to and support you and remove some of the burden and stress of planning a wedding.
• Someone who will work with you to understand your dreams and deliver them.
• Someone who will create one of the most memorable experiences of your life.
• Someone who will work tirelessly throughout to ensure every last detail is carefully considered and flawlessly executed.

A Wedding Planner can take on as little or as much of the organisation of your wedding as you want. As such, most planners offer a range of tailored services to suit.

As a Wedding Planner, my most popular planning services are Full Wedding Planning and Wedding Day Management, whereas other planners’ areas of expertise are slightly different to mine, and so too are their services as a result, i.e. Wedding Planners specialising in destination weddings (for example, Matthew Oliver Weddings and Louise Perry Weddings) or planners with a particular emphasis on wedding design and styling (for example, Pocketful of Dreams and Liz Linkleter Event Planning & Design).

Before I round up the WHAT, I just wanted to touch upon the difference between a Wedding Planner and a Wedding Coordinator because they’re often seen as having the same role. In contrast, there’s a vast difference between the two, which ultimately boils down to the level of service – A planner will usually be for full or partial wedding planning, helping you throughout the planning process from start to finish, sourcing your venue and suppliers, budget and RSVP management etc. Conversely, a coordinator will generally come in towards the end to help you in the final few weeks, pulling together the timeline for the day, confirming the suppliers, tying up loose ends and being there on the day itself.

Who

Thankfully, there are as many Wedding Planner styles as there are! With planners coming from a whole range of backgrounds, you’ll be able to find just the right planner for you.

So, where do all these Wedding Planners come from? Some of us have honed our planning skills in corporate events, worked as PAs or in other organisational roles. Others come from more creative and artistic backgrounds, such as costume or stage design. Some have worked overseas, and others have had high-flying city jobs.

Obviously, these respective backgrounds have influenced each Wedding Planner’s style. With my history as an event planner, it’s no surprise I’m a huge fan of lists, spreadsheets, and timelines! Other planners, like those I’ve mentioned above, are more passionate about the creative aspects of the day. So, the right WHO for you will be the planner whose skills complement your own and your overall vision.

As every planner comes into the industry with a different skill set, everyone will have different experiences and even different levels of training. You’ll find that some planners have taken one or more training courses before they launched their business, and others won’t. There’s no ‘right’ option here, so qualifications or training courses should probably reinforce your feelings that someone’s right for you rather than being the only thing you look for.

And what should you be looking for? How will you know WHO the right planner is for you? Well, here’s my take on things:

• Does their website and social media speak your language? Can you imagine yourself having a conversation with them?
• Do the images on their website correspond with the style or quality of the wedding that you’re hoping for?
• Are you excited by their portfolio?
• From your first contact with them, do you get a sense that they’re on your wavelength?
• Are their communications with you timely and appropriate? Everyone has different expectations here, so only you know what’s right for you.
• Do you like them?

I know that last point might sound a bit OTT, but it’s crucial that you like your Wedding Planner. You’re going to trust and rely on them to execute one of the most important events in your life, and you’ll probably get to a point where you’re communicating with them more than your friends and family.

Rounding off the WHO is pricing!

Of course, your WHO will be governed by your budget in some ways, but let me just say two things here…

Firstly, when you’re comparing proposals and quotations from planners, don’t simply look at the bottom line figure. Go through the quote to see exactly how much of your Wedding Planner’s time you’ll have before, during, and even after the wedding day itself. Meetings, site visits, travel, calls, and all that admin add up, so consider the level of support that you’re getting for your money to work out whether your quote is good value for you.

Secondly, I know that Wedding Planners are sometimes accused of being expensive, but imagine us as a time-saving safety net if you can. We’ve got the know-how, the contacts, the time and the experience to ensure that your wedding is everything you want it to be. We’ve got your back throughout the planning process; on the day, we’re totally on your side. We’ll save you time, stress and organisational headaches and rustle up ideas and suppliers you’ll love. You’ll still get all the best bits of wedding planning without worry, and we’ll give you a day you’ll remember forever. If only we could put a price on that! 

Why

Every couple is different, and so too are their reasons for hiring a Wedding Planner, whether it’s because they’ve got demanding jobs, a young family, live overseas, want to marry in an area they don’t necessarily know, lack the creative confidence to deliver their vision or simply have no interest in weddings or wedding planning! The commonality amongst them all is that every couple will benefit from hiring a Wedding Planner as a result of the following WHYs:

• A Wedding Planner will save you a considerable amount of time.
• They’ll relieve some stress and shoulder the burden of planning your wedding.
• They know the industry’s top names, so they can recommend the suppliers who are the right fit for your wedding and budget.
• They may (with particular emphasis on the word) be able to save you money due to existing supplier relationships by thoroughly checking contracts or booking suitable suppliers for the correct timings and service.
• They’ll help you bring your vision to life, or if you don’t have one, they can create one for you!
• They’re there to set up and pack up on the day, oversee suppliers, manage your timeline, etc. If you’ve hired them for this service (if you’re having a marquee wedding, then they’ll also be there to oversee the set-up and de-rig)
• They’ll work tirelessly to ensure every last detail is carefully planned and considered.
• They’re expert behind-the-scenes firefighters!
• They’ll allow you to let go, relax and enjoy your engagement
• They’re dedicated to YOUR needs and are on YOUR team!

When

So, WHEN should you hire a Wedding Planner?

The honest and straightforward answer is as soon as you know you need one!

If you know from the outset that you don’t have the time to plan your wedding and you’d like to hire a planner for a full planning service, then the WHEN is NOW, especially as Wedding Planners, on average, only take on 8 – 10 weddings a year and can, as a result, get booked up quite quickly, especially during peak summer months.

Likewise, if you’re looking for someone to provide on-the-day support, it’s best to book them ASAP. It’s another item you can cross off your to-do list and, once again, ensure availability.

If you’re managing most of the wedmin but need expert guidance, venue research or supplier advice on an ad-hoc basis, then the WHEN is much more flexible and can be tailored around you and your requirements.

Where

Finally, WHERE do you start when it comes to researching and finding the planner that’s right for you?

You can look around online—Instagram is a great place to start. Through their social media feeds, you can also get a really good feel for a planner’s personality. If someone makes you smile and regularly posts content that interests you, then you’re off to a good start already!

Wedding platforms like Coco Wedding Venues are also invaluable. When you see a real wedding feature that fills you with wedding excitement and sends you into a Pinterest pinning frenzy, check out the credits to see if a Wedding Planner was involved and then take a look at their website. The same goes for wedding magazines and even regional lifestyle publications if you prefer someone based near you or your venue.

You might also find a Wedding Planner through a recommendation from a friend, your venue, or another supplier. Recommendations from suppliers you’ve already chosen can be really helpful, as suppliers tend to build up networks of like-minded contacts who share a similar style or aesthetic. Friends will hopefully have as much insight into you and what makes you tick as you do to be able to give you a good steer, too.

When it comes to it, WHERE you find your Wedding Planner doesn’t matter as long as they’re the right planner for you and you’ve checked that you’re happy with all of the following:

• Their response times to enquiries and correspondence.
• Their portfolio.
• Their references.
• Their quotation.
• Their contracts, terms and conditions and payment terms.
• They as a person… their personality, and your personality fit!

So, there we have it—my guide to the five W’s of hiring a Wedding Planner. Useful? I hope so. If you fancy a chat, you can find me here.