shape
carat
color
clarity

Wedding Planners

Status
Not open for further replies. Please create a new topic or request for this thread to be opened.

House Cat

Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Feb 22, 2009
Messages
4,602
Are any of you hiring a wedding planner? To the wedding alumni, did any of you hire a planner? What are your feelings on hiring a wedding planner? Was it worth it?


I''m seriously considering it because I''ve found a really incredible planner that is VERY reasonable. I just have a tiny bit of doubt as to whether or not I''m hiring someone who is doing what I could easily do. I do have to admit though, that I really feel lost when it comes to planning my wedding. I really want a wedding that feels authentic and I just can''t seem to do that myself.

Another little bit of background...I''m 34 years old. I''ve been with FI for 8 years and we have 3 teenagers and a toddler. He works full time and is a part-time student. I am a stay at home mom and a part-time student. I guess what I''m saying is, we''re very busy people.
 

mrscushion

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Nov 15, 2008
Messages
3,309
I am going to have a DW and will probably hire a local planner overseas. I see that European DW planners can be priced fairly reasonably. Haven''t found one yet, though.
 

meresal

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Nov 13, 2007
Messages
5,720
Date: 3/27/2009 10:32:21 AM
Author:House Cat
Are any of you hiring a wedding planner? To the wedding alumni, did any of you hire a planner? What are your feelings on hiring a wedding planner? Was it worth it?


I'm seriously considering it because I've found a really incredible planner that is VERY reasonable. I just have a tiny bit of doubt as to whether or not I'm hiring someone who is doing what I could easily do. I do have to admit though, that I really feel lost when it comes to planning my wedding. I really want a wedding that feels authentic and I just can't seem to do that myself.

Another little bit of background...I'm 34 years old. I've been with FI for 8 years and we have 3 teenagers and a toddler. He works full time and is a part-time student. I am a stay at home mom and a part-time student. I guess what I'm saying is, we're very busy people.
House, you answered your own question and then contradicted yourself in the same post!! lol... you MUST be a very busy person!! Planning a wedding is definitely not easy to do, and I don't have any children. I bet there are times when you are going to be glad that your planner can go pick up things that you just can't fit into your day.

I do not have a planner, but that is because I am the 4th, and last, of my sisters to get married. I am a very organized person, to the point of neurotic, so I could never put my wedding in anyone else's hands anyway. I really enjoy doing ALL of it, with my mom's help of course. However, if you are already feeling like you can't do it all yourself and that you are lost, then get the planner. You will be glad you did!!

ETA: I should add that my mom pretty much is my "planner", and she is a life saver. I'm planning a wedding in my home town, from another city, so she can get alot done when I can't be there.
 

Deelight

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Oct 4, 2007
Messages
5,543
Date: 3/27/2009 10:55:21 AM
Author: meresal
Date: 3/27/2009 10:32:21 AM

Author:House Cat

Are any of you hiring a wedding planner? To the wedding alumni, did any of you hire a planner? What are your feelings on hiring a wedding planner? Was it worth it?



I''m seriously considering it because I''ve found a really incredible planner that is VERY reasonable. I just have a tiny bit of doubt as to whether or not I''m hiring someone who is doing what I could easily do. I do have to admit though, that I really feel lost when it comes to planning my wedding. I really want a wedding that feels authentic and I just can''t seem to do that myself.



Another little bit of background...I''m 34 years old. I''ve been with FI for 8 years and we have 3 teenagers and a toddler. He works full time and is a part-time student. I am a stay at home mom and a part-time student. I guess what I''m saying is, we''re very busy people.
House, you answered your own question and then contradicted yourself in the same post!! lol... you MUST be a very busy person!! Planning a wedding is definitely not easy to do, and I don''t have any children. I bet there are times when you are going to be glad that your planner can go pick up things that you just can''t fit into your day.


I do not have a planner, but that is because I am the 4th, and last, of my sisters to get married. I am a very organized person, to the point of neurotic, so I could never put my wedding in anyone else''s hands anyway. I really enjoy doing ALL of it, with my mom''s help of course. However, if you are already feeling like you can''t do it all yourself and that you are lost, then get the planner. You will be glad you did!!


ETA: I should add that my mom pretty much is my ''planner'', and she is a life saver. I''m planning a wedding in my home town, from another city, so she can get alot done when I can''t be there.


TWINS :), I am to much of a control freak and an exacting perfectionist to be able to trust someone with details.

I did at one stage entertain a planner because I was having issues finding a venue, the people I talked to are meant to be some of the best in my area and frankly I was not pleased (putting it nicely) - they didn''t listen to what I was after and couldn''t find me anything decent or remotely what I was after and at the price they were charging per hour I expected better.


So no at this stage no wedding planner however one of the venues I am looking at comes with a co-ordinator and I may hire a DOC for the day so as to help it run smoothly when I am preoccupied with other things like booging the night away :D.
 

sba771

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Jun 1, 2008
Messages
887
My mom is my wedding planner. Actually we discussed it since I want her to enjoy the day, but I really don''t want to pay more money to someone and from what I have seen from Who''s Wedding Is It Anyway- they are weird and not always good. I know our venue will be our DOC which is a big help.
 

Inanna

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Sep 14, 2008
Messages
565
I agree with others who say that they would not want someone else to handle every detail of their wedding.

FI and I especially wanted to have full control of choosing our venue, photographer, caterer, officiant, and DJ - after all of that, how helpful can a wedding planner really be? A day of coordinator is a great idea though. I was lucky to find a catering company that provides day-of coordination, and that is included in their catering/rental fees.
 

meresal

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Nov 13, 2007
Messages
5,720
Date: 3/27/2009 11:21:01 AM
Author: Inanna
I agree with others who say that they would not want someone else to handle every detail of their wedding.

FI and I especially wanted to have full control of choosing our venue, photographer, caterer, officiant, and DJ - after all of that, how helpful can a wedding planner really be? A day of coordinator is a great idea though. I was lucky to find a catering company that provides day-of coordination, and that is included in their catering/rental fees.
Inanna... other than planning and picking things, I can see where you are coming from, but if you've never been involved with a wedding before, a planner can be very good about reminding you of things you never would have thought you needed.

With that said, I've noticed that some planning agencies do "consultations" now, where you can come in with all your info, and they will give you advice on what still needs to be done, without actually being a planner. It seems like an incredible idea.

And we're still on the fence about the DOC. I want my mom to enjoy everything, and it would be nice to have someone behind the sceenes looking out for our best interest.
At my half-sisters wedding, which my parents paid for, the venue asked her mom (my dad's ex wife) if they should bring out another $400 shrimp tray... to which she replied "Of Course!!". Easy for her, she obviously wasn't footing the bill. These are the kinds of things where it would be nice to have 1 person that all these questions would be directed to.
 

elrohwen

Ideal_Rock
Joined
May 20, 2008
Messages
5,542
I kept it in the back of my mind as I started planning, but everything's been so easy (so far) that I haven't needed to consider a planner. I'm easily able to keep up with everything myself.

I do think my wedding is easier because it is on the cheap side. If I were having a $100k wedding, I would most certainly hire a planner to make sure I got all of the details correct.

ETA: The people who run my venue act as DOCs, so I don't need to worry about that. If I didn't have someone to do this job, I would very seriously consider hiring someone because I don't want any of my family or friends to spend their day coordinating things.
 

goldenstar

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Sep 16, 2006
Messages
1,045
Wedding planners are not for everyone. It really depends on your personal situation and the planner. There are bad ones out there and there are amazing ones. Some brides need assistance and others don't.

We hired a planner because:

1) Our jobs keep us very busy
2) My mom and I don't agree on anything. Having her help is not an option. Plus, her job keeps her very busy also.
3) I wanted professional help in putting together a cohesive design.
4) I wanted to delegate as much as possible so that I could let go a little and enjoy the ride.


I found a very reputable planner that I trust 100%. She offers different packages so that she can be involved as little or as much as you want. Since design was important to me, I got the following:

Designing Touches
a. Initial Consultation - outline your event vision, establish priorities to
create budget worksheet, review services and contract
b. Event Design and Décor, meetings and vendor procurement - provide a holistic
design with décor (tent, lighting, flowers, stationary, linens, chairs, etc), procuring desired vendors
to execute the design
c. Vendor Fee/Contract Review - review vendor contracts outlining additional required
information and track payment due dates, while ensuring continuity between vendors
d. Wedding Day Schedule Preparation - create your customized event schedule
according to your needs and desires for your special day, ensuring all involved are informed.
Schedule includes required design and site layouts.
e. Wrap-up session - walk through of finalized timeline and day of details to ensure
that ever aspect desired is completed
f. Site inspections - site visits for décor/design needs, as well as to review flow, floor
plan, timeline, and day of details with site representative
g. Vendor management - vendor contract review, creation of vendor specific timelines,
final call of vendors to review timelines, transition liaison role to consultant ensuring vendors do not
bother you day of, oversee vendor activities day of wedding, and distribute final vendor payments
h. Rehearsal and Day of Coordination - assistance with rehearsal and full
orchestration day of event from 2 hours before ceremony until end of event, including set up of
favors, place cards, guestbook/pen, photos, champagne, cake/knife server, etc if required.
i. Additional consultations/advice - at your service for reasonable phone calls and e-
mails for advice, guidelines and checklists
j. Emergency kit – full access to a comprehensive emergency kit for any day of needs

She took a ton of stress off my shoulders by working with vendors as far as pricing. I'm very happy with the costs of lighting, stationary and flowers.

All in all, I am extremely glad I hired her. I would definitely be more stressed at the point without her. The wedding is in 4 weeks!!!


ETA: She procured the design related vendors and I completely handled the photo, video, DJ et al. On her side, she and I meet with several options (e.g. florists) and I decided from there. She worked with trusted vendors but was also open to talking with vendors I discovered on my own. She knew the right questions to ask and things to look for.

Our venue also has a person on-site that could act as a DOC but she won't do things like call each vendor individually and create vendor specific timelines. I feel like its better to have an independent DOC that can get involved a few weeks (or months) before the wedding because they will see the big picture better than someone who isn't in the loop as much.
 

SarahLovesJS

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Feb 2, 2008
Messages
5,206
I''m not married yet, but we decided early on after meeting with a planner not to hire one. In some situations I think they can be very helpful, but we had over a year to plan..and my Mom is helping a lot. I am generally a pretty organized as well. But it does sound like you''re pretty busy people! For y''all it may be worth it..for me, it definitely wasn''t. The venue does come with a coordinator for the reception and the minister helped us plan out the ceremony. So that only leaves someone to tell people when to go down the aisle essentially! :) It was an added cost we didn''t want to spring for when I could plan it all myself. So far it''s gone well, only kinks were finding BM dresses and the honeymoon.
1.gif
So I guess just see what kind of assistance your vendors and venue offer before hiring one.
 

dcgator

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Aug 15, 2008
Messages
1,115
Date: 3/27/2009 11:33:15 AM
Author: meresal

Date: 3/27/2009 11:21:01 AM
Author: Inanna
I agree with others who say that they would not want someone else to handle every detail of their wedding.

FI and I especially wanted to have full control of choosing our venue, photographer, caterer, officiant, and DJ - after all of that, how helpful can a wedding planner really be? A day of coordinator is a great idea though. I was lucky to find a catering company that provides day-of coordination, and that is included in their catering/rental fees.
Inanna... other than planning and picking things, I can see where you are coming from, but if you''ve never been involved with a wedding before, a planner can be very good about reminding you of things you never would have thought you needed.

With that said, I''ve noticed that some planning agencies do ''consultations'' now, where you can come in with all your info, and they will give you advice on what still needs to be done, without actually being a planner. It seems like an incredible idea.

And we''re still on the fence about the DOC. I want my mom to enjoy everything, and it would be nice to have someone behind the sceenes looking out for our best interest.
At my half-sisters wedding, which my parents paid for, the venue asked her mom (my dad''s ex wife) if they should bring out another $400 shrimp tray... to which she replied ''Of Course!!''. Easy for her, she obviously wasn''t footing the bill. These are the kinds of things where it would be nice to have 1 person that all these questions would be directed to.
Hi House Cat,

I don''t have kids, but I do have a full time job and between that and the wedding planning, it can be a lot to deal with so I imagine, you will have your hands full with four kids and the planning!

As far as the control issue, I am totally Type A and like to know what is going on when and where and who is doing it. I want to know all the vendors and have a hand in negotiating, etc. However, I did hire a DOC (Day-0f Cordinator) and think its a great thing. Although technically she is only for the Day-of, I can call her whenever I have a quesiton about something. Also, I have used her to help in the negotiations, when I didn''t feel comfortable with it. As she works with some of these vendors all the time, she has a bit more pull than I do.

That being said, I didn''t use all the vendors she recommended, and we had a plan before we met her. We are also having an OOT wedding, so its nice to have someone on the "ground" to help me out. My mother is somewhat helpful, but not so much into the details, so it''s nice having an extra helper. Also the biggest thing for me was having NO STRESS on the day-of. If someone is not there on time or things aren''t what I ordered, I don''t even want to know. I want someone else to deal with it and I want to enjoy my day.

Moral of the story, if you want an extra hand, I would recommend getting a select-service planner, so you don''t pay for stuff you don''t need. I think its nice to have a back-up to help you out. Plus, since its your wedding day once, you want to enjoy you day sans stress. Hope that helps you!
 

redfaerythinker

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Jun 7, 2007
Messages
1,781
My mother and I are hiring a planner because I will be out of state until the wedding at school, and her job can have her working six days a week. We also have not had a wedding in our family in over thirty years. So we have NO idea. lol
 

ChargerGrrl

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Aug 17, 2005
Messages
2,865
no planner for my Fall ''06 wedding, but i did have a DOC and she was worth every penny!
 

ilovethiswebsite

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Jan 13, 2008
Messages
1,788
I am actually looking in to a "day of" planner right now... I am not sure if it''s worth it as there isn''t that much to do but I just don''t want to have to worry about anything that day... Then again - I will probably go over everything anyway to make sure everything is just right...
 
Status
Not open for further replies. Please create a new topic or request for this thread to be opened.
Be a part of the community Get 3 HCA Results
Top