What Does A Wedding Planner Do?

After the excitement of your engagement starts to wear off you come to realize that now you have a wedding to plan. Your wedding day will probably be one of the biggest days of your life and you want it to be perfect. However, there are so many elements to think about and plan for in order to have the wedding of your dreams. If you have talked to your married friends, many of them will tell you that you should hire a wedding planner. But what does a wedding planner do? Wedding planners can make the whole planning process go more smoothly and less stressful for you and your partner. If you are planning to have a small and simple wedding then you may not even need the help of a planner. However, if you are planning to have a larger or more extravagant wedding then you will definitely need a little help!

Something I touched on earlier: What does a wedding planner do? Many women aren’t quite sure exactly what a wedding planner does. Knowing exactly what a wedding planner does will help you decide whether the help of a wedding planner will be right for you. A wedding planner’s job is not always the same for every wedding they help plan, but their goal is. They take on the job of many different people such as a designer, organizer, budgeter, coordinator, and much more depending on the client. To see if a wedding planner is right for you, keep reading!

Consultation

Every wedding planner starts their job by scheduling a consultation with the bride and groom. During the consultation, the wedding planner (or in some cases, the online wedding planner) will sit down with you and your partner to determine the level of planning you would like them to be involved in. You can choose to have your wedding planner do just about everything or you can choose specific jobs for them to handle.

Budget

Not every couple is great at setting a budget for their wedding. If you are a young couple and it’s your first time getting married, it can be hard to figure out how much money to spend on what. Your wedding planner can sit down with both of you and guide you in the right direction. They can read over a budget that you have already come up with to see if it is feasible for the type of wedding you desire. If you’re planning to have a few wedding planner games though, it might be a bit more expensive.

Location Finder

If you are having a church wedding then you will most likely choose the church yourselves. However, if you are not having a church wedding and are unsure where to have the ceremony and the reception, the wedding planner can help. All you have to do is give the planner an idea of what type of place you would like and they will do the rest! They can search for venues that match your criteria and make phone calls to inquire about prices and availability for your wedding date.

Calendar

You and your partner will be busy with work and other obligations during the wedding planning process. It is hard enough to keep up with your regular schedule without the added stress of planning your wedding. A wedding planner acts as a calendar keeper and timeline regulator. Your planner will be in charge of setting and keeping meetings, arranging phone calls, setting up rehearsal dinners, and anything else pertaining to your wedding. The planner will do all of this around your schedule so that it’s as convenient for you as possible.

Wedding Apparel

If you are having trouble finding bridesmaids dresses, groomsmen suits, a flower girl dress, and a ring bearer outfit, don’t worry. You can ask your wedding planner to help you find the correct colors, sizes and styles of attire you will need. They will also make sure that everything is within your budget. If you are having issues with your wedding dress, your wedding planner can help you with everything from finding a great dress to finding a great seamstress to do alterations.

Flowers

There are a lot of smaller, but equally important details that need to be addressed when planning for a wedding. Something as simple as choosing a florist and type of flower arrangements may sound easy. However, once the smaller details start to pile up you can become overwhelmed very quickly! If you have a wedding planner, you can tell them the color scheme you want for your wedding and what types of flowers you would like. The planner does the rest! The planner will price out different florists and find the best price deals for you. They will also make sure that the florist supplies the type of flowers and arrangements that you are looking for. They will arrange everything from the type of arrangement to the drop off and placement of the arrangements.

Music

If you choose to have music during your wedding ceremony and at your reception, your wedding planner can help you with the arrangements. They will look at your budget and see what type of music will fit. If you choose to have live music or a DJ, the planner can search for ones that are within our budget and that are available on the date you have set for your wedding. Your planner will also arrange a meeting with several options for you to hear and you can choose from there.

Favors

If you are having trouble with choosing your wedding favors, your wedding planner can help you narrow your choices down. They will help you decide which ones are within your budget and go with the theme of your wedding.

Food

Planning the food you will have at your reception is a big part of the planning process. There are so many vendors and types of food to choose from. You want to make sure that you can accommodate all of your guests, especially if some are vegan, vegetarian or have special dietary restrictions. Your wedding planner will search for vendors that fit your budget and can provide the types of food you want for your wedding.

Floor Plans

The seating arrangement for your guests is also a big part of your wedding planning. If you are having a larger wedding this task can be quite nerve racking. However, your planner will be by your side to help you decide how much seating will be required to accommodate all of your guests. They can also help you choose the type of seating and table arrangements that you want. They will also search for a vendor that will fit into your budget.

Photographer and Videographer

Since your wedding day will be a joyous occasion that you will want to remember for the rest of your lives, finding a great photographer and videographer to document it is very important. Your wedding planner can set up meetings with perspective photographers and videographers so that you can look over their portfolios and compare their work. Your planner will also make sure that the list of photographers and videographers you can choose from will easily fit into your budget.

Hotel and Transportation

Many couples are choosing to have destination weddings. If you are having a destination wedding, a lot of time will be spent on finding and booking hotel rooms for you and your partner as well as your guests. This also means that you will need to made arrangements for transportation. Part of your wedding planner’s job is to find lodging that is stylish and comfortable, but will not break your bank! They will also arrange for a limo service for you and your partner to and from your ceremony, reception and hotel (or airport if necessary). You can also ask your wedding planner to arrange transportation for your guests as well. Even if you are not having a destination wedding, you will still need your wedding planner to arrange accommodations for guests coming in from out of town as well as transportation for you and your partner on the day of your wedding.

Honeymoon

Yes, the honeymoon is part of planning a wedding even though it comes after. You can ask your wedding planner to help with your honeymoon travel arrangements, lodging and even arrange fun things to do while you are on your honeymoon!

Set-Up and Break-Down

Your wedding planner’s job is to also make sure that everything is set up properly before your wedding and reception. They will make sure that the flowers, tables, chairs and food arrive at the right places and are placed accordingly. They will make sure that the music is correct for both the ceremony and reception. After all the fun and excitement of your big day, the last thing you want to worry about is the break-down of the reception hall. Your wedding planner will make sure that it is all taken care of and send you both on your way to an amazing, romantic and stress-free honeymoon! They should be able to go through every item on this wedding planner checklist.

Remember, not every wedding is the same. You don’t have to ask your wedding planner to do everything on this list. You can choose what you can’t do or don’t have time to do and have your wedding planner take care of it. Your wedding planner is there to be a guide, a mediator, a reminder, a second opinion, a helper, and even a friend. Your wedding planner is there to work with you and your partner to help you achieve the wedding of your dreams. In the end, you will be very glad that you hired a wedding planner to make everything come together perfectly!

For more information on what does a wedding planner do, check out some of these articles:

Free Online Wedding Planner Tips

Steps to Planning A Wedding

Thanks for reading!