How to Hire a Wonderful Wedding Planner
Whether you’re planning a destination wedding in beautiful Maui or a wedding at your local church, weddings require work and thought. That’s why so many people choose to work closely with a wedding planner. But, not all wedding planners are created equally. For this reason, it’s imperative that you are very selective about the wedding planner you choose. If you’re not sure what to look for, don’t worry. These tips can help!
Tip #1: Know What You Want
Before you go out and hire a wedding planner, spend some real time thinking about what you want and envision for your big day. Otherwise, you run the risk of hiring a wedding planner who completely takes over and leaves little room for your input. Or, worse, you might hire a wedding planner who, while skilled, has a totally different idea of what your wedding should look like. Being sure about what you want and discussing these ideas with prospective planners will make it easier to find someone whose vision matches your own.
Tip #2: Remember, Experience is Everything
Often, brides and grooms make the mistake of letting a family member or friend act as an unofficial or even official wedding planner. However, wedding planning is a real career path, and it takes time and experience for these professionals to become good at what they do. Skilled wedding planners also have connections that can prove helpful to you. Thus, choose a real, professional wedding planner, not just someone who does it as a hobby or on-the-side. Look for someone with legitimate, verifiable experience and a proven track record of wedding planning success. It will make everything so much easier.
Tip #3: Keep Open Lines of Communication
With a wedding planner, communication is everything. You don’t want someone who is hard to reach, who makes decisions without your input, or fails to fill you in on the most important details. From the very start, pay attention to how well (or not so well) prospective wedding planners communicate. Do they pick up or return your calls quickly, or do you have to play endless rounds of phone tag? What about past clients? Do they mention easy, open communication? If so, you’ve likely found a winner. But, if there are communication issues early on, you can expect that they’ll only get worse.
A good wedding planner will prove to be truly invaluable to the success of your big day. So, don’t make your hiring decision lightly. Choose your wedding planner like you’re choosing a lifeline because, in many ways, they’ll be exactly that.
