How to choose the right wedding planner?
There are many planners out there, but there are also many couples and many personalities. Many cultures and many languages. Many recommendations and even more expectations. But how to choose the right one for you? Based on the markets I know, the people I have met and talked to, I can help you with 7 important tips for finding the right wedding planner for you.
1. Why is Trust on Top?
It’s first on my list because trust is one of my top values. At the end of the day everything comes down to trust. You formed a partnership with yourself first. You are using your instincts because you trust yourself.
You said yes, because you trust your future spouse. You trust that she or he’s the one and you formed a partnership with your partner.
For the big day you need a solid, trustworthy, reliable partner. Your wedding planner. It will be one of the most important days of your lives, so trusting to be also able to openly communicate on both ends is the key.
Ask yourself: what is your goal when hiring the right wedding planner? What are your values? Do you feel comfortable to trust him/her and you feel the openness and trust coming your way as well?
2. Authenticity and Transparency
Speaking of open communication, clear communication is just as important. To be able to ask direct questions, to communicate your expectations clearly and expect direct information updates, without beating around the bush. You don’t want misunderstandings and you don’t want your time to be wasted. Transparency is effective work.
You are entitled to realistic expectations with no sugar coating and misleading. Why?
You should be able to be who you are. Not only when it comes to the wedding but in your life. It is your wedding and it should be according to your wishes.
Can all the expectations communicated also be realistically met? Wouldn’t you want the real info response and feedback when things might not go exactly your way for whatever reason? Don’t take me wrong, the service you’re getting should be professional and friendly. But the last thing you would want is “a yes, of course” person that just wants to “calm you down”, makes promises he/she cannot keep and at the end doesn’t deliver. Authenticity is how your expectations are met.
3. You are unique. And so is your wedding.
We have all heard the saying “one size doesn’t fit all”. This is very much true when it comes to wedding planning. Your personal touches and wishes are taken into the concept, because your story is unique, you are a unique couple and your wedding should reflect you.
Many wedding agencies have a standardized process and offers and they are trying to persuade you that this is what you want so they don’t have to “stretch” for your wedding. Have you heard of Givenchy’s quote: “The dress must follow the body of a woman, not the body following the shape of the dress.”?
The right wedding planner should pay attention to details and the couple’s personalities, emotions and special customs to create the special, unique concept and wedding that is just yours and perfect for you.
“The dress must follow the body of a woman, not the body following the shape of the dress.”
-Givenchy
4. Passion, Flexibility, and Professionalism
The first feeling you get when talking to the wedding planner is that he/she just absolutely loves the job. The natural service persona and solution seeker. The enthusiastic one with passion and determination to make it happen.
Of course flexibility, as humanly possible, is appreciated, so you can rely on him/her to be reachable for questions. The one that has experience in planning different kinds of events is used to everything and offers many different ways to be reachable-phone, email, WhatsApp, Voice Messages, in person, in the way that is the most efficient for everyone and possible to plan the wedding of your dreams.
The background helps to see if he/she is a narrow thinker and learned to do the one thing and this is how he/she does it, or he/she can think outside of the box and is creative.
Me, professionally coming from Event Management in from travel to tech, from corporate to startup environment, and from professional event agency to wedding planner, had a chance to collect all kinds of different planning experiences that are coming in handy and are valuable when planning weddings. Read more here.
5. Let's talk about money.
Because I come from different types of events-background I know exactly how events, wedding agencies and planners work. It should be in your best interest to have the best providers that work for you and not the one that promised commission or % to your wedding planner. You hire a wedding planner, because you want the result and you should actually get what you were promised.
Choose the right wedding planner, that doesn’t charge per work, process, hour done, but the one that charges per outcome and satisfaction. Here it would be good to revisit point number 2 about the clear communication of expectations on both ends.
6. Listen more than talk?
“We have two ears and one mouth so that we can listen twice as much as we speak.”
-Epictetus
Have you been around people that cannot stop talking about themselves and their recommendations, and achievements? Before you have a chance of even asking them a question you already got a list of name dropping and the fancy places they have been to.
The wedding is yours and it’s all about you, not the wedding planner. It shouldn’t matter if he/she planned the wedding for Megan Markle and Prince Harry or has been to Mars. If she/he doesn’t show interest in you, ask questions, and pay attention to details for the wedding planning, it’s time to have “an emergency” to end the call.
Unless this is what you like and you enter the bragging competition. In this case you probably fit and congratulations-you found your match. 🙂
7. Recommendations - yes or no?
The last point I saved for the recommendations, because it’s a tricky topic.
Do you trust the recommendation or your gut/heart?
Remember, you are your own, unique person, and you two are a unique couple. What are your values and priorities? Trust only recommendations from people you actually know in person. If you trust that they share the same values and have had this wedding planner they are recommending at their own wedding, it’s “a legit” recommendation and you should definitely contact him/her.
Everything else that is happening online, on social media, written recommendations on websites, think twice before believing it. I studied and worked in Marketing and I can say one thing you probably also know: Don’t trust the quantity, look for quality. And usually quality doesn’t need to brag and doesn’t need quantity’s help.
“Trust your heart, let nobody trying to convince you otherwise.”
-Katarina Winbush
Extra tip
You go to sleep before the wedding day. Where are your thoughts going? Your worries? How do you feel when you wake up and what do you actually need at that time? Who is there to help with what and why would you want it like this?
It would really help if the wedding planner also had their own wedding. Being a bride myself I know exactly how you would feel in certain situations, what you would think about, what you would need. There is no playbook on this. You have to live it to know it. I can share some insights and useful tips for sure.
But how do I know then?
Easy. Ask for a call/appointment. Ask your questions, communicate the expectations, have an in person conversation and see how you feel.
Trust yourself, you’re making the right decision.
For love, with love.
Katarina W
