Choosing the right Wedding Planner

Choosing the right Wedding Planner. How to you do it? There are lots of wedding planners out there, with varying experience and very different styles and approaches to work. Where do you start? and how do you decide?

First start by looking online perhaps for a wedding planner in your area, or the area you want to get married or perhaps a planner that specialises in certain types of weddings. Some planners specialise in urban style weddings, some more boho and some destination weddings. Have a good look at their website. When I say good look, I mean read their testimonials, they should have some, if they have experience. Look at their portfolio, does it resonate with you, do you like the style of work they have on their website. Then follow this by looking at all of their social media, do you like their instagram feed? are the images they post real? a lot of planners post stock photos, not weddings they have planned. We always post our own work, to show other prospective clients the sorts of weddings we plan.

Do remember when you look at a planners portfolio that they are usually working to the clients brief and so whilst the weddings you see may not be your ideal wedding, they may show you that this planner could create and plan the wedding you want. You can get a feel for their work and style by looking at their real weddings.

If you find a couple of wedding planners you like the look of, make contact and see how they respond. If they are professional, they should get back to you within 48 hours at the most and you should warm to the way they respond. They should answer any of your questions, quickly and professionally. Speak or meet with more than one if you can, most offer a no obligation consultation where you can chat about your wedding and meet your prospective planner. You will be working with your wedding planner for a while and it is a close relationship, you need to like them as people.

As I said earlier, there are a lot of planners out there. A lot who do this part time for a bit of fun, pocket money if you like. These planners are likely to be cheaper than some of the full time professional planners out there. Obviously cost is a factor when choosing a planner, but it shouldn’t be the deciding factor. There are no formal qualifications for wedding planning, so basically anyone can do it. Ask yourself, do you really want to trust the biggest day of your life with someone who just does this part time?

If they are full time, ie planning weddings is their business, they should have lots of their work to show you, both on their website and on their social media. A fellow wedding planner and good friend wrote a great peice on choosing your wedding planner on the wonderful blog Love My Dress. Grab a coffee and have a read.