You've found the perfect person of your dreams. You want to spend the rest of your lives together. You can't wait until your wedding day. But the idea of planning your wedding sounds like an absolute disaster to you, and your partner agrees. Whether you don't consider yourself a "type A" person or simply don't have the time, hiring a wedding planner may be your solution. Here are four tips for finding the perfect wedding planner.
Find Someone Whose Personality You Mesh With
You'll talk to this person a lot for the next few months or possibly over a year, depending on how far off the wedding is. You need someone you can communicate with and get along well with. In addition, this person needs to work well with your schedule. For example, if you hire someone on the other side of the country and will primarily be talking over video conferencing, they need to be available during the best hours for you.
You'll also want to ensure your wedding planner understands how much of the planning you want to do and how many decisions they'll have to make on your behalf. If you are working 60-hour work weeks and don't feel particularly picky about certain choices, you will want someone comfortable taking the reins and making decisions for you. On the other hand, if you have basic ideas of what you want and only want help with scheduling or managing the details, your wedding planner should be willing to follow your lead and only do the things you want them to.
They Communicate Well
Your wedding day is one of the most important days of your life, and putting the control in someone else's hands is a big deal. They need to be on top of communicating. When interviewing wedding planners, ask them how long it takes, on average, for them to respond to texts, return phone calls, and answer emails. Finding the average turnaround time can give you an idea of what you can expect.
Their Fees are Transparent and Make You Feel Comfortable
Different wedding planners will have different ways of managing fees. Some will charge a flat fee for their wedding services, with perhaps a couple of add-on fees, while others will charge hourly. If you are only looking for a wedding planner for a couple of things that won't require a lot of time, then hourly may be the best option. On the other hand, if the wedding planner needs to be in the driver's seat for most of the decisions, you may be better off with a flat fee.
They Can Help Make Your Dream Wedding Happen
If you are someone who has dreamt of your wedding day since you were 7 years old, then you probably have a good idea of what you want. Sure, you may not want the bridesmaid's dresses to be Barbie pink anymore, and maybe you aren't going to serve Kool-Aid at the reception. But, if your wedding day is something you have dreamed about since childhood, you need someone to make your dreams come true. That means finding someone who can hear your ideas and develop a way to make them happen. In addition, you will want to consider things such as religious involvement. If you want a completely secular wedding, you may not want to hire someone who only has experience with highly-involved church weddings.
Hiring a wedding planner can help you alleviate stress and save you a lot of time. If you don't have the time or desire to plan your wedding, then hire someone who can do it for you.
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