Nowadays “wedding planner” as a career is very popular and becoming more and more trendy every year. This means that the process of searching for a qualitative planning service is getting harder for a future husband and wife, especially for destination weddings.
The internet is full of options, but how can we choose a wedding planner who is really professional?
Below you’ll find some advice on how to make the right decision and not be disappointed or upset during the preparation and, most importantly, on the wedding day.
1. Try to search not only on Google, but also on some other famous platforms, like Style Me Pretty. This American wedding blog is very thorough with the suppliers who are featured on their website. They will even schedule a Skype call before the vendors' approval.
2. Carefully check the company's portfolio. There should be at least 10 real weddings, not including styled shootings. By checking real weddings you’ll understand if their style matches your vision. Of course each wedding is unique, however some planners work in very specific styles, plan weddings for specific budgets, amount of guests, or even specialise in elopements. In their portfolio you might also find some vendors’ names. I recommend checking them out, as you will probably work with the same professionals. And if you get interested in a specific wedding planner, why not asking the vendors' opinion about them?
3. Check the company's experience. This doesn’t mean you should work with a person who has been on the market for decades. But if you are looking for a good quality service, it is probably necessary that they have at least 3-5 years experience of wedding planning.
4. If you found a professional with a nice website and everything seems to fit what you're looking for, don’t forget to check their social networks: Instagram or Facebook. It should be well presented and dynamic, it should show the company’s style. There you should also be able to get the real taste of a wedding planner, and maybe you’ll find interesting information, such as reviews and opinions. Don’t work with a company that has forgotten their account or if you don’t like their pictures. Try to follow a company/professional for at least 2 weeks before making a final decision.
5. Search if a company/professional has ever planned weddings for famous couples. If yes, try to find a testimonial of that couple. If all seems great, the company is probably trustworthy and can manage important tasks.
6. Based on first emails, check several important aspects: - How fast and complete the answer is;
- How transparent the fees are;
- How many weddings this company does per year (note that more weddings = less attention to you, and therefore a service with less quality); - If the company gets commissions from suppliers. If no, ask if you will be able to check all contracts/real prices directly with suppliers (even if you are not going to do this in the future, you should have this possibility);
- Check who exactly will plan your wedding with you. You should talk directly to that person (it could possibly not be the person who answers your first email, but at least should be the person who makes the first video call), not with an assistant/manager/coordinator. You are going to work with a wedding planner for a many months, and this means you should like this person and trust her/him.
Wedding planning is an important service that makes the most sense if you want a successful wedding.
Keep in mind that, unlike any other wedding supplier, a wedding planner will be working with you for a long period of time. This means you can expect someone that will charge more than the average if they are planning on freeing a lot of their time for you to treat you in the best way and think about your wedding like it is their own. This is one of the main differences between low-cost and a more luxurious wedding planning service.
I wish that every bride and groom finds the best wedding planner for them and have a dreamy day! Good luck!
Kind regards,
Anastasiia Halla
CEO & Wedding Planner