am looking to use a wedding planner for my wedding....his decor work is beautiful and i would really like to work with him to make my wedding beautiful....
i dont know about wedding planners at all...when negotiating with vendors do they get a deal off that?? so in turn the price for us would go up too, after give him his fee???
my FMIL convinced my Fiancee that we dont need one...but i also realy want him to oversee things the day of....
anyone with knowlege of the whole wedding planner thing pls inform me on the ins and outs.....thx so much!!
2006-09-09 05:08:51 · 12 answers · asked by Michelle D 2 in Family & Relationships ➔ Weddings
ok, my mother and father have passed away, so my mother isnot an option
2006-09-09 05:21:44 · update #1
If you can afford one, and know of a planner whose decor you appreciate, you totally should do so.
I grew up in a family-owned flower shop, and have worked in shops off and on as an adult, and planned my wedding myself. That is just because I knew every detail I wanted, and how to get the best deal, plus my family was especially helpful in lending a hand with the whole process.
If; however, you don't really know the in's and out's of the industry, a wedding planner could actually save you money, and will almost definitely save you much stress during the planning process, as well as on your actual wedding day.
Wedding coordinators generally work on a commission of sorts, charging a fee of 10-15% of what your wedding ends up costing. There are different types of wedding planners, those who are in the business to save you money, and those who will gut you for all you have.
Have an honest look at your budget for your wedding and decide how much you can afford to spend, bottom line. THEN talk to the planner you have identified and see if he can make it happen. If he can do it, on the budget you outline, you're a winner! If he hems and haws about your budget, walk away. Don't spend more than what you have decided you can afford. Don't pad your estimate and let him talk you up. Find out up front what he can do for x amount of money and if is acceptable to you, hire him on the spot. Your wedding will be sooooooo much easier. Keep in mind, this is a business transaction. You are coming to him, making him an offer for his services. If you remain unemotional during this meeting and agree to solid terms, it will take an enormous amount of pressure off of you in the long run.
Regardless of your budget, check out http://www.ezweddingplanner.com/ It is a completely free website that will keep your wedding organized, from invites and addresses, to budgets and thank you notes. It is a good tool for setting a realistic budget! I am not personally affiliated with the site at all, my sister is just thinking about starting a budget wedding planning business, and it was one of the best resources I came across.
Best wishes!
2006-09-09 10:01:17 · answer #1 · answered by sendmedaisies 3 · 1⤊ 1⤋
GET ONE!!!!!! More than anything you want to enjoy your day and if you are worrying about overseeing things or wether or not things will go smoothly, you wont be able to just take it all in. This day will only come once, and before you know it it will be over. Pay the money to get a planner, i WISH i had. I did it all with the maid of honor and when it was all said and done and time to walk down the isle guess who was freaking out about the music, and everything else....ME! Leave it up to someone else, not a friend or someone who is in the wedding. They will want to see you walking down and they will get distracted trying to enjoy your wedding. An outside party like a wedding planner is the way to go, i speak from experience!!!!
2006-09-09 08:49:57 · answer #2 · answered by chickidee3 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
How much time can you put into your wedding planning? Do you have the ability to make contacts with vendors as well as interview them? How large is your budget?
If you can afford a planner, it's not a bad idea. We're hiring a day-of coordinator to take the stress off of us.
Some will charge a LOT, but you can take care of it, go for it. Interview many, ask questions you want answered, and don't let them stress you to a new level.
2006-09-09 05:52:07 · answer #3 · answered by FaZizzle 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I got married two years ago and didn't need a wedding planner. It all depends on how involved you want to be and how stressed you tend to get I think. Why dont you visit www.theknot.com or other wedding sites to find more information about wedding planners. I do think that prices might go up a bit not because he or she gets a cut with service providers but becasue he or she is charging you for planning the wedding and getting all that stuff off of your hands.
Enjoy the planning...it makes for a memorable moment.
2006-09-09 05:15:58 · answer #4 · answered by White 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You have plenty of options. You could go with this wedding planner you seem to have in mind to coordinate the entire wedding but you could also plan it yourself and hire someone to work the day of. I am a Wedding Planner and a lot of my business is day of services with a lot of my clients preferring to coordinate it themselves. Now, having said this, they have help from their mother, sisters, maid of honour, etc. If you don't have a lot of help from other people, and you work crazy or long hours, it might be worth your while to hire someone.
If you decide to go ahead and hire someone, check them out thoroughly before you sign any contracts. One thing I can suggest is, if you contact the Association of Bridal Consultants, the Wedding Planners that belong to them are required to uphold certain standards or risk being dropped from the Association. Their website is:
http://www.bridalassn.com
You can do a search by state to come up with local Wedding Planners for where you live. Hope this helps. Happy planning.
2006-09-09 10:25:41 · answer #5 · answered by Patricia D 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
A good wedding planner is worth his/her weight in gold...
They are there to catch all the details and make your day memorable and run smoothly.. Many wedding planners have florists, caterers and other vendors they regularly work with and are able to get deals with... If you have the money to pay a wedding planner I would highly suggest getting one as they are the ones who deal with the details and make your dream a reality without you having to fret and worry...
Do a bit of research wedding planners will typically have references from previous weddings talk to those people find out how smoothly thier day went, ask to attend a function to scout out the planner... before hiring one...
2006-09-09 07:57:35 · answer #6 · answered by Diane (PFLAG) 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If you have the money, I say go for it. It will take alot of stress off of you and your fiancee. I have to say though that I have been to many beautiful weddings, and a wedding planner was not used. My cousin had a wedding planner and her wedding was a total disaster. Guess it depends on where you live and how experienced the planner is. My cousins parents paid somewhere between $20,000-$30,000 for her wedding and it wasn't very nice, they ran out of cake,there was not enough seating, it was just awful. My advice to you would be, just becareful of who you hire, if you decide to have a W.P.
2006-09-09 07:12:28 · answer #7 · answered by ? 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think it would be a good idea to get a coordinator. Me and my wife had one and it really took alot of stress out of the wedding. Tghey are already stressful enough. I can't remember how much it was, because her parents paid for it.
You can do it yourself, but it's kinda hard to try to decorate, find a dress, find the tux, find the cake, find the place, etc, etc. Plus, if you have a rowdy family like mine, then a coordinator will step in and handle the situation.
Also, by not getting a coordinator, you open yourself up to alot of problems. People will want you to do it this way or that way. My mom is very pushy and wanted our wedding to be something that she wanted. Vice Versa with her family. So we decided to get a coordinator so that we could have the wedding that we wanted without everyone trying to add their suggestions.
Above all, it's your special day. It should be the way you and your fiance want it to be.
Good luck and best wishes.
2006-09-09 05:16:34 · answer #8 · answered by Mike 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I had a wedding director...she didn't really help me do any planning as far as the decorations and all that because me and my mother in law did that. That part was fun & we enjoyed that. I hired her to coordinate the wedding party on rehearsal night & on our wedding day. And also she made my invitations & programs. She was great! I feel like they are worth it. I only had to pay her like $100 which was worth it for me.
2006-09-09 13:43:55 · answer #9 · answered by beachbum26 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
get a wedding planner
2006-09-09 05:11:43 · answer #10 · answered by manchester babe 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋