How to Choose Your Wedding Planner | Broadside Visuals
Everyone who has ever had to put together all the many details of their wedding without any help can attest to how difficult it can be. You have to remember the photography, videography, caterer, florals, cards, sparklers and another million things to make sure your perfect day goes off without a hitch.
Utilizing a professional wedding planner has the benefit of taking all these responsibilities off of your shoulders so you can focus on the moments that make a wedding so incredible.
But how do you know what makes a good wedding planner over just a sub par one? What are some of the key things to look out for so you know you are finding someone who will truly cherish and plan your wedding down to a tee?
In this blog Broadside Visuals breaks down what you need to do to find the perfect wedding planner. If you enjoy this article we have a whole blog page dedicated to all things wedding industry and wedding photography and videography that you can checkout at our website.
Know What You Want
Sometimes couples can think of a wedding planner as a silver bullet when it comes to taking all the responsibility of planning a wedding off of their shoulders. However, even if/when you find a great wedding planner, you need to create a vision to share with them to guide their planning. Remember this is still your wedding, even if you have a planner helping you along the way.
Doing this will still require some planning and for you to put together some ideas for the big ticket items like venue, catering and a few others, but once those are finalized now all the details are in the hands of your planner and off your plate.
Find a Planner from a Referral
It’s true what people say that word of mouth is the best way to grow a business starting out and this truth also applies to when people are looking for a wedding planner. If you just went to a friend's wedding recently and really enjoyed how the entire experience came together, ask them who planned it and if you can get their contact information.
Having some background and trust already substantiated in a wedding planner before you even talk to them helps build their credibility and eases your mind because you know they can deliver a beautiful and seamless wedding day experience.
Ask Questions and Feel It Out
Just like with any other job there is always an interview portion after applying, and this definitely applies to your wedding planner. Set up a time to sit down, face to face if possible, and really get down to the brass tacks if you will.
Asking questions like the following can really help you decide if they are a right fit:
How and why did you get started in the wedding planning industry?
How many weddings have you coordinated?
What is your favorite part about planning a wedding day?
How many weddings do you typically plan in a year?
Is wedding planning your full-time job?
This is just a list to help get you started. Usually after a couple questions and hearing some initial answers, you’ll be able to know if they will be a good fit as your wedding planner or if it’s time to keep looking and searching for the perfect planner.
Define Responsibilities to Save Potential Headache
The craziness and emotions that swirl around planning a wedding can sometimes lead couples to forget to dot all their I’s and cross all their T’s. Defining responsibilities for your wedding planner as specifically as you can will go a long way in making sure everything goes smoothly. You want to avoid confusion on what they are doing and it will help avoid any potential regret after a wedding that didn’t go how you thought it was going to.
Specify how they are going to coordinate the wedding, make sure they have all the vendors' contact info and have talked with them prior to the wedding, and any questions that pop up along the way be sure to let your planner know so they can pivot and plan accordingly.
Pull The Trigger and Pick Your Planner
After all of your planning, interviewing, questions and concerns have been answered, it’s time to make your final selection on who is going to be your wedding planner. This can sometimes be the most difficult part of the whole process for couples. You might have a few planners that you like and don’t know how to make the final decision.
After all the pros and cons have been accounted for, if you can’t break a tie then it is always a good idea to trust your cut and select the planner that you both have a good feeling about in addition to checking all of your boxes.
A Little More About Broadside Visuals and The Wedding Pirates
Another key item to consider when planning a wedding, with a wedding planner or not, is which wedding photography and videography will capture my most breathtaking moments on my special day.
Broadside Visuals is a small husband (Luke) and wife (Libby) owned business who has been in the wedding industry for years and has served over 100 weddings all across the United States. The unique style, elegance, and just plain fun they bring to each wedding and the professionalism and quality of product they give to each couple is unmatched.
If you would like to learn more about the different services and packages that Broadside Visuals offer then you can check that out on their website.
If you want to learn more about who The Wedding Pirates are then you can tune into their podcast “The One Where We Talk” on Spotify.
If you want to contact us directly to see how we could be a good bit for your wedding photography and videography needs then visit our contact page on our website to connect with us.