Planning with your wedding planner

Of all the life cycle points, getting married is the most personal, memorable and life changing event. It is all about you.

To have a wedding you will live to remember with a smile (and not a sigh), strongly consider handing the planning baton to a wedding planner. Your smile will come from the memory of having truly had a great day, without all the hassles that come with being the focal point of an event.

They will do the legwork, hire vendors, negotiate contracts, and may even cut you some money-saving deals, in addition to supervising and coordinating on the D-day.

The ugly side of the coin relates to you thinking about all the things that could go wrong. Needless to say, you will probably look over your shoulder more often than you can remember, really hoping that your wedding ceremony is unfolding beautifully, according to pre-determined arrangements.

Having a wedding planner coordinate your wedding guarantees that your wishes are being followed to detailed specifications. He or she represents your interests in your absence.

This brings us to the big picture. There are certain questions whose answers will determine if you have an ally in your wedding planner. Whoever you are consulting should be willing to align his or her skills and expertise in the direction of your wishes, needs, level of maintenance, budget, scope of imagination, and more.

This, however, does not rule out the possibility that he or she would make suggestions that you may wish to go along with.

1. Will the planner commit to your budget and not push you in the direction of things you simply can’t afford?
2. Will the planner devise a master plan mapping out all the little details, from floral arrangements with your favorite shade of blue to desert servings (This will cue you in to organisational prowess and a willingness to keep you in the loop on every matter imaginable)?
3. Can the planner name the best and most suitable locations in your area (that would be just right for your wedding size, style, and budget)?
4. Is the planner familiar with the best florists, photographers, caterers, bands, and DJs in your price range? Can he/she explain their strong points to you briefly? (Ask yourself: Does the planner seem both knowledgeable and passionate?)
5. Can the planner save you some discounts with any vendors? (Planners bring volume to favoured vendors; often they’ll reciprocate by slashing prices or throwing in extras.)
6. Will the planner read over the vendor contracts for you? What are some common traps to look out for?
7. Can the planner create a timeline that tells everyone involved in the planning process — vendors, members of the wedding party, bride/groom, and families — what to do and when to do it? How will she/he make sure that everyone sticks to the schedule?
8. Will the planner handle the invitations, from wording and ordering to the addressing and mailing?

To be continued