Wedding Planners are featured front and center in pop culture (who didn't see Father of the Bride, The Wedding Planner, Bride Wars, etc.) and in real life. No longer a luxury service reserved only for the rich and famous, hiring a Wedding Consultant is considered to be an essential part of the wedding planning process.
The average wedding takes more than 300 - 500 hours to plan. With a completely blank canvas, and unlimited options, designing the perfect day is a daunting task for anyone, let alone a couple also trying to enjoy their engagement while balancing family, friends, work, and life in general. There are themes to be determined, vendors to seek out, interview, and negotiate with. Dresses need to be tried on, fashion decisions tied together, stationary to print. The list goes on and on.
Enter the Wedding Planner! Hiring a Wedding Planner will immediately alleviate much of your stress. They can take as large, or as limited, of a role as you would like. Fear not that a Wedding Planner will take over, making the wedding more theirs than your own. Quite the contrary, a good Wedding Planner allows you to dream, and then relax and enjoy watching those dreams come true right before your eyes.
After getting to know the two of you as a couple, your Consultant will be able to draft and present you with a series of ideas and themes for your big day, and provide assistance as you edit your ideas and refine your vision. Inspiration boards will be crafted, budgets will be defined, and a selection of vendors will be presented to you for consideration. Your Wedding Consultant's years of experience with various members of the wedding community, scheduling, and negotiation allows you access to the best the industry has to offer, along with the peace of mind that comes only from having a professional at your side to guide you through the planning process. Everything from florals to photos, menus, music, decor and more can be processed through your planner, and coordinated in such a way so that it appears to be a cohesive, balanced, highly stylized affair that speaks to your guests, allowing them to share in your love.
Beyond the basic, logistical aspects of planning for your wedding, hiring a Consultant provides you with emotional benefits as well. Now, there is a place and a person you can go to with anything, no judgement. Your Wedding Planner will not tire of listening to you. She (or he) can empathize, and offer suggestions with everything from how to deal with a renegade bridesmaid to your mother, future mother in law, and even your fiance. At times, you may feel as if your Wedding Consultant has become one of your best friends. And that's because she has. As a Planner myself I can tell you that the bond that forms is real. In fact, I count a number of my former brides as friends, keeping in touch with them about life and love, marriage and kids, and all things in between.
When seeking out any wedding professional, but most importantly a Wedding Planner, the most important thing is that you feel a true connection. You will be spending a tremendous amount of time with one another on the phone, in person, and via email. More than that, you need to have complete confidence in the person you entrust with this task. Discuss their educational background, experience, and review testimonials from previous brides.
After you have done all of this, relax and enjoy knowing that the hardest part of the planning process had been handled!
Always...A
