What does a Wedding Planner actually do?
This is it, the big day. For so long it was just a dreamlike notion, a far-off ‘x’ on the calendar. Now the reality of your wedding day is coming into view on the horizon, and with it, a mountain of preparations and decisions which need to be made. Even if you have pictured our perfect wedding since childhood, you may be shocked at the sheer volume of possibilities to consider. What was supposed to be one of the most joyous events of your life now seems overwhelming. Here is where we, the professionals, come in. But you may be wondering, what exactly does a wedding planner do? As this article will explain, it is far removed from the movie cliché of a frantic figure running around your ceremony with a headset and a clipboard. Read on as we delve into the details of a wedding planner’s duties.
Coordination
When you imagine your wedding, the most obvious images probably spring to mind; the dress, the venue, the decor, the band, the flowers, and so on. What may be less apparent is the incredible amount of behind-the-scenes coordination required to pull all of these elements, and many more besides, together. This is where a wedding planner can prove invaluable. Professionals in the industry have all the right contacts kept in their little black book and can provide a couple with high-quality suppliers who will bring the vision for their celebration to life, as well as negotiate the best possible contracts. Wedding planners also act as effective communicators between the suppliers, the venue staff, and the bridal party. A project with so many moving parts requires someone to take the reigns, and knowing you have an expert wedding planner overseeing your special day can be a huge weight off your shoulders!
Planning
From a well-organised itinerary to a table layout that keeps all the guests happy, right down to how the napkins are folded; no detail in a wedding ceremony is left to chance. This is largely thanks to your wedding planner taking all of the guesswork out of the day, a process which starts months in advance. Your wedding planner will schedule and attend meetings with the suppliers, enacting your decisions. They will handle the logistics and transport between locations, as well as booking blocks of accommodation where necessary. This is an absolute must if you are planning a destination wedding or a wedding ceremony with a non-traditional venue. A planner will draw up detailed floor plans and timelines, and nip any potential faux pas in the bud to provide a smooth and seamless progression through your wedding day, all the while managing your budget. As you can see, this extensive list of duties requires an expert communicator who can keep calm in any situation, which is precisely the professional service we guarantee.
Design
As well as overseeing the workings and logistics of the day, a wedding planner may also have a creative hand in the aesthetic design or theme of your wedding. This can include aspects such as the venue’s decor and flower arrangements, the floor plan, and lighting design, the furniture and linens; even the attire, if you have a specific theme in mind. To give your wedding ceremony a stylish and cohesive look, a wedding planner needs to possess a keen artistic sensibility to conceptualise the overall design, as well as a meticulous eye for detail when checking their work and the work of others. Maybe creativity isn’t your thing; or maybe, alternatively, you have a thousand different ideas for your wedding and are struggling to narrow them down. Whatever the case may be, a professional wedding planner can provide recommendations and work with you to transform the space into something unique and unforgettable.
So there you have it, an overview of the many roles of a wedding planner, though this is far from an exhaustive list. Undoubtedly in the run-up to your wedding and even on the day itself, countless unforeseen circumstances will crop up, and you will be thankful you have a seasoned professional on hand to take care of them. As any married couple can attest, your wedding day will be non-stop from start to finish. With the help of a wedding planner, you can be present for the parts you want to remember forever, and let the professionals take care of the rest.