Although there is a wedding myth out there that hiring a wedding planner can be very costly, the truth is that most wedding planners tend to work with a budget to suit you best. A good planner will shop around for the best deals for you and they pretty much know every trick of the trade. But, how do you find the perfect wedding planner for you? Check out the tips below of course!
Do Your Research
This is the first step that will give you an idea of what’s available to you. It’s important that you have good candidates to work from so be sure to ask friends and family if they have come across any amazing planners. Try asking your wedding venue if you have this already booked too. Often, hotels can recommend someone that have worked with before. The second step is to snoop them out. What does their website look like? Is it professional? Do they have any photos of weddings they have planned? Do they have a LinkedIn account?
Call up Your Favourites
Now that you’ve had a good snoop around, you’ve probably picked out your favourites. It’s important here to judge on the following: types of planning services offered, names of sites they have worked with, date availability and price. Once you have a few that has met this criteria, it’s time to follow up with appointments.
Prepare for a Meeting
Here is your chance to find out if you will get on together. Bring magazine clippings, inspiration boards, a laptop/iPad for Pinterest boards. It’s also a chance to see their portfolio personally and ask questions like how they will pull off your vision. A good planner will listen to your ideas and is enthusiastic about weddings (of course!).
Call any References
You don’t need to feel pressure to hire anyone on the spot. Call up their references with questions like:
- How closely did he/she stick to your budget?
- Did anything go wrong? How did he/she handle it?
- Was the style of the wedding what you had discussed and wanted?
- Did he/she take care of you and your guests on the day?
Seal the Deal!
Once you’ve met a few, you may be able to narrow it down quite quickly. Take notes during your interview and compare them. Pricing, impressions, proposals and plans should be included here. Once you’ve figured out who that person is, share no time! Call them asap and book them in. Soon, you’ll have your right hand woman (or man) ready to roll with you!
Image via Pinterest
