It used to be that wedding planners were considered a luxury for the wealthy and/or celebrities. Nothing could be further from the truth. If you are recently engaged, or even one month from your wedding and need a little help, here is a sensible, intelligent and real guide to finding that special someone who can get you down the aisle to your other special someone with style. These are the quick, crucial bullet points you need NOW:
1) Talk to friends, vendors and look at blogs and sites that you trust. Ask their recommendations. Schedule meetings with at least three highly vetted consultants/planners after checking out their websites and seeing their work. Come armed with questions and use this as your guide. Most of all, follow your gut and see who you click with. Those consultations should be by appointment only and of course, gratis!
2) First question: do you like their style (of manners, humour, dress, organization)? Does he or she make you smile/feel calm? If so, that's a good sign you'll be a great team. Remember, a wedding planner is part budget guru, part organizational ninja, part shrink, part style consultant and part family therapist. He or she (and their team) will be your sanity, your laugh, your respite and your guide. Choose wisely!
3) How long has he/she been in business? How many weddings has he/she executed? If the answer is "I planned my own wedding and it was SO much fun" or, ditto, "I planned my daughter's wedding and it was so fulfilling!" then, run. These are called hobbyists and there are hundreds of them masquerading as experienced pros. Taking a class in wedding planning does not make a wedding planner, either. You want to make sure your planner has done at least 50 weddings. A good rule of thumb is also at least three years in business. Do they have any lawsuits filed against them? Bad sign. Do they get lots of local and national press? GREAT sign.
4) Do they have a variety of ways to plan, such as full-service (best for most brides), weekend of and hourly? Are they reachable during most business hours and some after hours? Don't abuse it and call at 3 am in a panic, but expect that they will get back to you promptly when you have burning issues. Planners live on their smartphones, so text and email as well. They are super organized!
5) If they charge extra for rehearsal and rehearsal dinner, that's a a red flag. Great wedding planners in florida will also take care of that and brunch the day after. Your ideal planner may even offer to pack you for your honeymoon and make sure a car take you to the airport. Soup to nuts is why you pay a premium for excellence! If you opt for a more abbreviated planning experience, expect great attention and excellence as well. "Day of" is never really "Day Of" - your planner should start meeting with you a few weeks prior and know your wedding like the palm of his/her hand, double checking contracts, drawing up timelines, vendor lists and being on-site for the big event, setup, breakdown and other parties.
6) Speaking of money - cheaper is never better with wedding planners. A great wedding planner will pay for him or herself given they have the relationships with all the best vendors - they buy in volume and will get MUCH better prices for you on cakes, site rentals, floral design, stationery, photographers, caterers. They know the BEST vendors in the business and will offer you many choices for each facet of your wedding. Sadly, to a vendor, YOU are a one-trick pony (I know this seems harsh, but you only get married once, right?), but that planner is their bread and butter and they will go out of their way to please a planner. What may seem a little steep is actually going to come out as a budget saver for you. Great wedding planners will follow your budget to the letter and keep you there. Awesome!
7) To that point, a wedding planner who takes kickbacks from vendors is NOT ethical or for you. He/she is your advocate and charges you enough money. This also means he/she will use the same vendors over and over, without regard for your personal style. Double-dipping to line their pockets? Run away. It's a valid question to ask. It is unethical and immoral.