2010-04-07 08:00:00 by SMARTBRIDE
Wedding Advice: What Exactly Does A Wedding Planner Do?
Ever been to a party with a group of people you've never met? Inevitably you’ll be asked the question, "So what do you do for a living?" As a Wedding Planner, I get a mixed reaction from people when it comes to my chosen career.
There are women who squeal gleefully at what they imagine to be a wholly romantic and luxurious vocation. The reaction from commitment-phobic men is a cringe as they desperately look for anyone else to talk to! Alternatively, there is the ever enjoyable, "What does a wedding planner do exactly?" followed by a look of bewilderment.
As a Wedding Planner I’m required to use skills normally associated with other careers. I'm part therapist, financial planner, production coordinator, designer, life coach and friend. I have to wear a million different hats and be able to randomly assume these hats from client to client and as the situation requires.
Wedding Planners Guide
To my brides & grooms my role is that of a guide. I help them create The Moment (not A moment) of their adult lives. I facilitate their journey through this rite of passage and time honoured tradition called marriage. I help couples wade through the sea of options so they can focus their vision to create the moment that is completely perfect for them. Sometimes this means getting them barefoot on a beach in Bali and sometimes it involves a bride wearing a Vera Wang gown while surrounded by orchids and glittering crystals. It's my job to help my clients create this vision!
Wedding Planners Understand
To vendors my role is a bit different. Wedding Planners understand the creativity, time, and energy that vendors put into weddings. I've put myself in the shoes of a wedding photographer, bore witness to an Officiant’s process, and worked closely with designers to learn their logistics, foundations, and terms.
Wedding Planners Translate
I help to translate my clients' vision with the various vendors involved in a wedding day. Vendors often seek guidance, clarity and confirmation that their skills and services match the vision that my clients have for their big day.
Wedding Planners Produce
Your bridal party will require that I become the wedding orchestrator or producer. They’re the actors and I’m the director who guides them through posturing, placement, timing, and most importantly, enjoyment! I’m like their personal cruise director to make sure they’re enjoying your big day almost as much as you are.
Wedding Planners Keep The Peace
Your family may view me as a peacemaker and even a therapist. Planning a wedding is emotional for everyone involved. I navigate the terrain of family issues with a keen eye so I have the foresight to see potential problems. Perceiving problems in advance makes them less likely to creep up on the wedding day. I act as a sounding board and a landing pad to keep families happy and secure during the wedding.
Still unsure what wedding planners do? A man at a party once joked, "Right, I get all that, but what exactly do you do?"
The Wedding Planner’s Tangible Run Down:
- Having consultations to discuss vision & priorities
- Completing site inspections
- Attending vendor meetings
- Creating a custom wedding design plan
- Providing vendor referrals
- Organizing catering logistics, menu planning and tasting
- Creating itineraries
- Analyzing budgets
- Planning checklists
- Directing ceremony/rehearsal
- Liaising with vendors
- Setting up/coordinating the wedding day
- Providing emergency assistance and training
- Overseeing the scheduling and the actual event
Hiring a Wedding Planner is not a sign of weakness from a bride and groom, but rather a sign of strength. It's an open acknowledgement to your friends, family and vendors that you have a vision for your big day and don't want them to be concerned or stressed about the details. Your guests can enjoy the celebration while you enjoy the spotlight and let an experienced Wedding Planning professional pull it together for a smooth and elegant wedding.
Happy Planning and Beautiful Design,
Crystal Adair-Benning
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About our Guest Blogger: Crystal Adair-Benning
Distinct Occasions is a proud boutique Wedding Planning firm based in Toronto, Canada, but with satellite offices in Glasgow, Scotland and soon Perth, Western Australia! Providing worldly inspired, creative, detailed, luxurious and intimate weddings, Crystal and her team will help you get the "ohhh" and "awww" for your special day.
More Distinct Occasions Wedding Advice from Crystal:
- How can I personalize my wedding without it looking like everyone else's "personalized wedding"?
- What are the upcoming trends in colour? Should I look to them or avoid them?
- My bridal party is all different shapes & sizes. How can I find a look that flatters them all?
- How can we save during the recession without looking cheap?
- Combining different cultural traditions for your wedding
- Opinion Management
- Is it possible to find a meal that meets everyone's needs?
- Preferred Vendor Lists - The Good, The Bad & The Ugly
- Should you feed your vendors?
