What Does A Wedding Planner Actually Do?
Worth their weight in gold!
Planning a wedding can be an exciting journey, but as you start thinking about all the details, decisions, and research involved, it can quickly become overwhelming. With a full-time job or other commitments, finding time and energy to plan can be challenging, even with a helpful family member. But what happens when a family member’s opinions become too much or the wedding weekend arrives and they want to enjoy the fun instead of helping set up your decorations? This is where a wedding planner can step in and alleviate the stress, guide you through the decision-making process, and make sure that you and your loved ones can fully enjoy the day.
Wedding planners are industry experts who can offer invaluable resources to create a personalized, beautiful, and seamless event while respecting your budget. A planner allows you, and anyone else involved in the planning process, the chance to focus on the overall details and what most consider the “fun” parts of the planning process (menu tasting, design, etc.) while they handle the logistics and back and forth details with the vendors involved.
Many planning companies, like Kristen Caputo Weddings & Events offer a variety of packages ranging from Full-Service Planning to Wedding Coordination. These packages may vary between planning companies, however, at the core of what all these packages include is ensuring the wedding day runs smoothly. Sounds simple, right? The reality is your planner will spend anywhere from 30-40 hours on a wedding coordination package and 150+ hours for a full-service package -and around an average of 12 hours straight on your wedding day alone! Let’s briefly break down the high-level difference between a wedding coordination package and a full-service package, and what a planner might be responsible for in each of these offerings:
Wedding Coordination:
Starts helping you with the planning process around 2 months/60 days prior to the wedding
Assists in communicating final details and logistics with vendors you selected
Creates a comprehensive wedding timeline to share with vendors as well as you and your wedding party
Direct your rehearsal so that everyone knows what to expect when it’s time to say “I Do!”
Assists vendors with decor and table set up and breakdown
Is onsite on the wedding day directing vendors and ensuring the timeline is being followed and the day runs smoothly
Full-Service:
Is with you from the beginning, sometimes even before you have selected a date and location
Assists in establishing a vision and realistic budget
Connects you with professional vendors to bring your vision to life and will review all contracts
Communicates all details and logistics with vendors throughout the entire planning process
Helps create a cohesive design based on your vision and budget
Is there to guide you during the planning, providing etiquette guidance on aspects such as invitations, family situations, and wedding day flow
Creates a comprehensive wedding weekend timeline to share with vendors as well as you and your wedding party
Is onsite on the wedding day directing vendors and ensuring the timeline is being followed and the day runs smoothly
While planning packages offer many essential services, there are countless other tasks that your planner can do to ensure a stress-free and enjoyable experience for you and your loved ones. Some of these unknown services are:
Saves a bridesmaids dress from deodorant stains
Helps the groomsmen and groom pin on boutonnieres when they (inevitably) need help doing so
Fashions a bustle out of safety pins and thread underneath your dress when yours breaks
Places umbrella behind altar for wedding party if it looks like it might rain
Helps you pee
Carries your lipstick in our pocket so you have it when you need it
Makes sure you get appetizers, dinner, and your favorite beverage in hand all night
Makes sure there is a plate and forks by your cake before you cut it so that your ceremonial slice has a place to go
Stops the band from warming up/doing sound check during your ceremony (if reception is close by)
Stops drunk guests or unplanned guests from getting on the mic to give a toast or speech
Ultimately, a wedding planner is an essential investment that brings expertise, experience, and peace of mind to your special day. Trust your planner and know that they have your best interests at heart.
Are you thinking that a planner sounds pretty good right about now? Let’s chat! We would love to get to know you, your partner, and your event more and answer any questions you may have!