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A wedding planner helps engaged couples coordinate the logistics of a wedding day.

Scope of Services

Typically, a wedding planner's services include the following, but there can be many more functions of the planner:

• several meetings with the couple
• phone and email contact
• reviewing wedding vendor contracts to establish vendor obligations
• calling vendors to confirm details like time of arrival
• creating a timeline to schedule the events in a day
• coordinate the wedding rehearsal
• provide in-person coordination of the events of the wedding day at the wedding venue
• keeping up with current trends
• knowing wedding etiquette
• bringing third-party objectivity
• eliminating costly mistakes
• giving each couple their "perfect" wedding day, traditional or whatever their dream day is
• allowing the families to enjoy the day, worry free
• tracking the rsvp's and the menu choices
• serves as a negotiator when there are disagreements in the family
• creates a pre-budget and final budget for the wedding

Many weddings are so elaborate that the bride can go crazy trying to organize it all by herself. This is where a wedding planner can be helpful. The planner is usually hired by a bride, and therefore treated as a vendor who has promised to deliver a service. The planner will stay in constant contact with the bride throughout the entire wedding planning phase, sense when there is a problem, and find a way to take care of it so as not to further stress the bride.

Tips

• Wedding planners may actually be able to save the bride some money, even with their own fees factored in. Many planners have relationships with specific venues, and by providing those venues with lots of clients, may be able to receive discounted services (think of it in terms of a bulk discount.)
• Established wedding planners often have a very deep knowledge of a specific city/area, which may benefit brides monetarily as well. Planners will know which venues are worth the money, and which are too good to be true, ensuring that the bride gets a fair value for all of the money she intends to spend.
• planners should provide a list of vendors to the couple, and never refer the couple to a specific venue for the sake of a "kickback" to the planner.
• The Wedding Planner should dress appropriately for the ceremony, engagement parties, and all functions she attends with the couple...jeans and t-shirts are a real "no-no" for the planner to wear to the couple's function.
• some planners also do florals, help with making favours, and can assist in pre-engagement functions, such a ring shopping. A good planner discusses engagement functions with the couple at their first meeting, including things like bridal registries, newspaper announcements, places where custom gowns can be designed and made, and so on.
• With so many blended families today, a good planner is aware of how to advise the bride regarding announcing the engagement to everyone in the family.

See Also

• Day of coordinator

Weddingbee Posts

• A Tale of Two Planners: Part One by Miss Jasmine
• A Tale of Two Planners: Part Two by Miss Jasmine
• A Tale of Two Planners: Part Three by Miss Jasmine