Congratulations, you’re engaged! Now comes the fun part: planning the wedding. But where do you start? This is where a wedding planner like me steps in, turning your vision into reality while making the process enjoyable and stress-free. Let’s pull back the curtain and take a peek into what wedding planners really do!
Consultation and Planning
It all starts with getting to know you and what you want! We can’t plan your perfect wedding without knowing your vision. There are a few things to expect in your initial consultation: vision, preferences, size, location or region, and budget. You’ll give your planner all of the details, from your love story to your wedding dreams, so they can set the plans in motion to create exactly what you’re looking for.
Venues and Coordination
Finding the perfect venue can be overwhelming, but we have you covered! Not only will your wedding planner help you research venues that fit your style and budget, but their experience and knowledge may open your eyes to even more options than you thought possible. After site visits and making a final decision, you can leave it up to your wedding planner to negotiate the venue’s contract to ensure you get the best deals and terms.
It doesn’t stop at selecting the venue, either. Your planner then manages the coordination of ensuring everything runs perfectly on your big day. This includes venue setup, special requirements, regulations, and anything else that may come up!
Vendor Selection and Management
In order to bring your vision to life, it is vital to select the right vendors. Like any wedding detail, a vendor can make or break your vision. Your wedding planner will not only help curate a list of trusted vendors, but they will ensure everything runs smoothly. From meetings, to tastings, contracts, deadlines and more. With every step of the process, your planner is the go-to for anything and everything.
Design and Decor
Wedding planners simply help with contracts and communication with venues and vendors. Your planner also translates your vision into a cohesive design (or create that vision for you), creating mood boards and design proposals to guide the process. They source all the necessary materials. From flowers and lighting to furniture and rentals. Once it’s wedding day, they oversee the setup of those same materials and make sure every last piece matches the planned design.
Budget & Timelines
This is the really fun stuff (wink, wink). But we keep the money accounted for, on schedule, and in-line with your financial expectations. Sometimes that means having a conversation about expectations versus budget and other times it’s about spending your money in the best places for what you want and keeping within your limits. Then of course there are timelines. From what to do when at home while planning to the wedding weekend itself and all the vendor teams involved!
Rehearsals
A rehearsal is key to a smooth wedding day, and as a wedding planner, we’re there for that, too! Your wedding planner becomes a sort of maestro to make sure everyone knows the plan for your big day. They’ll make sure the schedule is finalized and all vendors and members of the wedding party are in the loop for the final plan.
The Big Day
Your big day is finally here and there’s nothing to worry about. You get to enjoy! There is a lot of peace knowing your wedding planner is there to make sure everything is on time, manage any last-minute emergencies, or navigate any changes. They’ll supervise vendor arrivals, setups, performances, and make sure everything goes as planned.
Post-Wedding Wrap-Up
This may come as a shock, but your wedding planner’s help doesn’t end with making sure the wedding is great. Your wedding planner will also help manage leftover food, decor, and other materials. Plus, you can continue to enjoy the moment while your planner handles final payments, gratuities, and all loose ends so you can enjoy being a newlywed!
Wearing All of the Hats
Essentially, wedding planners are there to wear all of the hats so you can enjoy one of the most memorable day of your life! If you are worried about getting everything just right, a wedding planner might be exactly what you need to lessen the stress of bringing your vision to life.
And this is just a small snapshot of what wedding planners will do you for (and how they make your lives so. much. easier.)
xoxo,
Mindy
P.S. If you’re not sure where to start with your planning, here is where to start you planning journey.
