Wedding Planning 101: The Wedding Planner

Hello blogosphere! Oh, how I’ve neglected you these past few weeks. My sincerest apologies – life has been a bit hectic!

Today, I thought I would talk about something simple that will save yourself the headaches and stress that sometimes comes with planning a wedding (or any event for that matter). For years, I have been an avid watcher of all sorts of shows dealing with weddings and events (when my fiance proposed he later said “Now you actually have a reason to watch the shows and read the magazines!”) so I thought I had a pretty good idea of what goes into making a wedding successful. I found out pretty quickly that I might not make it to my walk down the aisle due to exhaustion and stress if I didn’t get some help.

Bend the Light Photography

So, I have two (fabulous) words for you… Wedding Planner (insert sigh of relief here).  I never envisioned myself having one. I am a ‘hands-on’ type of person (ok, slight control freak) that likes to touch everything and is very reluctant to give up control. But, in this case, it was probably the best decision I’ve made yet.

What can a wedding planner do for you?

Oh, where do I begin. Remember, this is their job which means they know weddings inside and out. They can help you make a budget, keep you on track with a detailed timeline, suggest great ideas that you may never have thought of and give you great ideas for vendors – not to mention they may be able to help you even more with all of the personal relationships that they have with these vendors. And have you thought of the day of activities? Who is going to be setting everything up for you? Mom? I don’t think so. While that might sound like a great idea, really think about if that will turn out the way you want. Your wedding planner can be like a great girlfriend with the best knowledge ever – someone that you can bounce ideas off of and feel confident that the job is getting done with accuracy and your vision in mind. They are there to keep the day running whole making your life a little less stressful. Believe me, they can do a lot. And, like I said, this is their job, think about how much you have invested in your job and that’s what they know about weddings. Intrigued yet?

What if I don’t have a huge budget?

Well let me start by saying that I am a very budget conscious bride who is not going to spend a huge amount on our wedding. That’s just my vision, I have nothing against those who go all out – send me an invite, I’d love to see the neat things you think of! So you might be thinking, why would you spend the money on a wedding planner? Well, strangely enough a wedding planner can likely save you money in the end. With their vendor connections and knowledge they have gained through years in the business, they will be your best bargaining tool. Sometimes they will even have partnerships with other vendors that might save you a percentage if you use them. It’s a win win I promise. Plus, they will often create a realistic budget for you and help guide you to stay on track. HUGE plus in my book. I knew nothing about how the budget should be divided and I am well known to veer off track if I want something.

How do I find a wedding planner?

As with every other vendor, it’s all about chemistry. With a wedding planner this is extremely important. You don’t want to dread their calls or hate every idea they have. Really research who might be the right fit for you. I found mine after I met with photographers that I really loved. They were very complimentary of my wedding planner and after hearing my vision, they highly recommended her. I trusted their judgement because they had the right style and knew my vision.

How do I know I’m making the right decision?

The interview, it’s important. Make sure that you ask them the hard questions. To make sure that you are happy with their answers. There’s nothing wrong with asking them about vendors or ideas they might have. That’s the only way to know if they’re right for you. Make sure that you really evaluate if this person has the right feel and personality for you. Again, it’s about the chemistry. If you don’t feel like this person could end up being a great friend, chances are it’s not a good fit.

Everyone needs help, trust me. Especially if you have a lot going on at work and in the rest of your life, you don’t want it to feel like you have a second job when you get home. This should be something you enjoy!

Below, I’ve listed a few people that we’ve worked with and my own personal wedding planner extraordinaire. This by no means all of the wonderful talent in San Antonio, if you have someone you love, send them my way, we would love to meet them!

Wedding Planners in San Antonio:

Elegant Events by Maureen  

Tiffany Rose – Extraordinary Settings Event Planning

Maria Morgan – Wedding Planners, Inc.

Betty Parish – Wedding Planners, Inc.

Diana Boucher – I Do! Wedding Consulting

Brandi Dunagan – Country Sugar Events (For anything DIY, she’s your girl and my personal wedding planner so I especially love her!) 

Things in the planning world are starting to pick up. Next week: How to choose your caterer and what to expect. Plus my favorite blogs and online resources. 

Happy Planning! 

Jessica