*Photo via Rittenhouse Designs & Events
A wedding planner will make a huge difference in the planning process. They’ll keep you on track with your budget and timeline, give you professional insights, make your vision a reality, and even score you the best deals with vendors. Most importantly, they will take a lot of the stressful planning weight off of your shoulders! If you are going to be working with a wedding planner, these tips will help you make the most out of your professional relationship and throw the wedding of your dreams.
Find a Pro That You Mesh Well With
Finding a wedding planner that is highly recommended, works in your area, and fits with your budget is important – but that is only half the battle. You also need to find someone who listens to and respects your ideas and meshes well with your personalities. You’ll be working closely with this person, so you’ll want to make sure the experience is as enjoyable as it can be! As you are meeting with potential wedding planners, come prepared with a set of questions to get a good idea of each professional’s work style and personality. After each meeting, ask yourselves if you can truly see working well with this person.
Be Clear and Communicative About Your Ideas, Concerns, and Non-Negotiables
Even the most seasoned professional wedding planner can’t read minds. A successful wedding planner relationship is all about communication. If you want them to execute your ideas and bring your vision to life, you’ll need to be as direct as possible with what you want – and what you don’t want. If you don’t have an exact idea about every single aspect of your celebration, that is perfectly okay! They are there to help you create a celebration that reflects your style and needs, even if you don’t exactly know what that will look like quite yet. Bounce ideas off of your wedding planner, and work together to come up with a plan that works for everyone.
Listen to Their Ideas – But Don’t Be Afraid to Say No
Your wedding planner will have plenty of ideas, from how the day should be scheduled to how the reception venue layout should look. Be sure to listen to their advice. After all, you hired them for their wedding expertise! That being said, if they offer up an idea that doesn’t fit in with your vision, feel free to say no, and communicate why it doesn’t work for you. Again, they can’t read your mind, and they’ll be able to get a better vision of what you want from both your likes and dislikes. In the end, the wedding planner has one goal: to help plan your dream wedding. Don’t be afraid to reject any ideas that don’t align with that vision!
Keep Them in the Loop with Vendor Contracts
Once you put down a deposit and sign a contract with a new wedding vendor, be sure to forward the information forward to your planner as soon as possible. This will help keep them up-to-date with what vendors have been selected, who still needs to be hired, and what is expected of the vendor on the day of the wedding. Since they’ll likely be coordinating with them prior to the celebration and on the actual day, be sure all vendor contact information is readily made available, as well. Sending forward contracts will also help your planner make sure you are staying on budget.
Let Them Do Their Job
It can be difficult to hand over important wedding tasks, especially if you like to be in control. However, as long as you’ve followed the above tips and been communicative about your expectations, you can trust that your wedding planner will be able to execute all wedding-related tasks to your liking. A professional is going to bring your vision to fruition – trust that you’ve hired the right person to get the job done!
If you are in the process of planning your wedding, come to the next Georgia Bridal Show near you. You will have the chance to meet with professional wedding vendors of all talents who can help bring your vision to life!
Georgia wedding vendors, as well as other wedding professionals across the Southeast, can contact us about opportunities for exhibition and online marketing with Georgia Bridal Show.