Wedding Planners
Why hire a wedding planner?
A wedding planner can seem like an unnecessary extravagance when planning your big day on a tight budget. But did you know that a good wedding planner can save you thousands of pounds, negotiate fantastic deals and find the best possible suppliers for your special day?
So, what are the benefits of hiring a wedding planner?
We can negotiate on your behalf – we’ll get you the best possible wedding for your budget. We know great suppliers and a good deal when we see it, and we can pass on our expertise to make sure your wedding is exactly as you planned. We can also help relieve the tedious admin and help you to relax and enjoy the day itself, rather than worrying whether everything is on track, and we can coordinate those special design details that will make your wedding truly unique.
But won’t a hiring a wedding planner mean that I don’t get to do all the planning and fun stuff myself?
Well we don’t take over any of the fun jobs (unless you want us to!) – instead we focus on the tedious tasks, leaving you plenty of time to enjoy all the preparations for your wedding. It’s an exciting time and who wouldn’t want to choose their own cake, go to food tastings or spend time on the personal details and design? But who really wants to spend hours making sure the guest list is up to date, planning the schedule for the day or making phone calls to countless suppliers? The average wedding takes over 250 hours to plan – we can help lighten the load and make sure you’ve got plenty of spare time to really enjoy the fun stuff.
I’m getting married at a hotel and they provide their own wedding coordinator – what’s the difference?
Hotel wedding coordinators are great, but they don’t do the same job as a wedding planner. The vast majority of the tedious admin and supplier liaison is done well in advance of the day itself, so this will still fall to you to complete. And on the day itself, be aware that other events at the hotel may take their attention away from you and your requirements. Also, they may be tied to recommending preferred suppliers through hotel agreements and may not always pass on discounts which means you may end up paying over the odds in the end.
What’s the benefit of the on-the-day management service – surely our ushers and family can help?
Weddings can be costly and all the services you’ve booked, from the photographer to the caterer, need someone to coordinate them in advance and on the day to ensure they come together in the right way, at the right time. If something goes wrong, you want someone on hand to deal with any issues as they arise and not interrupt your day. Your wedding day is so important, and a wedding coordinator is an affordable way to ensure it goes smoothly, successfully and exactly as you planned
Won’t a wedding planner just take over my wedding?
Not at all – our job is to make what you want to happen, happen. Consider us your wedding PAs – we help lighten the load and will advise when appropriate – but everything is totally your call.
What’s included in a typical wedding planning package?
We’ll go through your specific requirements and produce a bespoke proposal and quotation – all the services included will be clearly outlined in this document but will cover venue finding, supplier finding and management, all admin, overall management of the event and on the day management as well as a personalised plan, timeline, wedding day schedule and budget.
Do wedding planners have preferred suppliers?
Good wedding planners will have trusted suppliers on their books, but not preferred suppliers. It totally depends on your wedding and style as to which suppliers we suggest – no two couples or weddings are the same and while the supplier may be fantastic, they may not be the right fit for you. We make sure we find the ‘dream team’ that’s perfect for you.
Can you get discounts from suppliers?
We can usually get a discount or preferred rate and if the supplier is offering a fair price, we’ll let you know. But if we feel that there is a deal to be done, we’ll always push for extras or money off on your behalf. Sometimes though it’s better to pay more for a better service, and we can advise on this. And any discounts a wedding planner can negotiate should always be passed straight back to you.
What should I look for when booking a wedding planner?
You should make sure they are a member of a professional organisation such as the UK Alliance of Wedding Planners (UKAWP) and that they have current public liability insurance. You should also check their background and experience of planning weddings and events and ask to see their portfolio. It might also be worth checking what areas they normally work in, as most wedding planners will have a good network of contacts in their area, but may not have this further afield.
Article by Nicola Jones of Brighton Wedding Planner