You’re engaged! Congratulations! The excitement is palpable, and the vision of your dream wedding is beginning to take shape. But amidst the flurry of inspiration boards and venue scouting, there’s a crucial first step that often gets overlooked: securing your wedding planner.

As a wedding planner, I’ve witnessed firsthand the transformative power of bringing in a seasoned professional from the very beginning. While it’s tempting to fall head-over-heels for a breathtaking venue, I’m here to tell you that booking your planner first is the savviest decision you can make – especially when crafting a high-end, unforgettable celebration.

The Venue’s Influence: More Than Just a Backdrop

Let’s be honest, the venue plays a starring role. It sets the stage, influences the ambiance, and provides the physical space for your celebration. However, its impact extends far beyond aesthetics. The venue dictates many key aspects of your wedding, including:

• Budget Allocation: A sprawling estate demands a significantly different budget than a chic, intimate villa. Venue fees, catering costs, and décor possibilities are all inextricably linked. Committing to a venue that strains your budget can force compromises on other essential elements that contribute to the overall experience.
• Vendor Selection: Venues often have preferred vendor lists or specific requirements. These lists may or may not align with your desired aesthetic, style, or budget. Some venues also present logistical challenges that necessitate vendors with specialized expertise (think complex lighting designs in historic spaces or intricate transportation arrangements for remote locations).
• Design and Ambiance: A venue’s inherent style dictates the overall tone of your wedding. A rustic barn calls for a different design approach than a modern art gallery. Choosing a venue that clashes with your vision can lead to costly and frustrating attempts to transform the space.
• Guest Experience: Guest comfort and seamless flow are paramount. The venue’s layout, capacity, and amenities directly impact your guests’ experience. A skilled planner can assess whether a venue truly works for your guest list and desired event flow, ensuring a celebration that is both enjoyable and memorable.

The Planner: Your Strategic Partner

This is where a wedding planner becomes indispensable. We are more than just logistics managers; we are your advocates, your creative partners, and your strategic advisors. By bringing us on board from the start, you gain a wealth of knowledge, experience, and resources. We help you:

• Define Your Priorities: We work closely with you to articulate your vision, values, and priorities. This ensures that your budget is allocated strategically, maximizing the impact of each element.
• Identify the Perfect Venue: We leverage our extensive network and industry expertise to find venues that align perfectly with your aesthetic, budget, and guest list. Often, we can uncover hidden gems that you might not find on your own.
• Curate Your Dream Team: We assemble a team of top-tier vendors who are not only talented and reliable but also a joy to work with. This ensures seamless collaboration, a cohesive aesthetic, and a stress-free planning process.
• Navigate the Fine Print: We understand the intricacies of vendor contracts and can negotiate terms that protect your best interests and ensure you get the best possible value.
• Manage the Logistics: We handle the countless details, allowing you to relax, enjoy your engagement, and savor every moment of your wedding day.

The Strategic Advantage: A Holistic Approach

By securing a planner before a venue, you gain a strategic advantage. You embark on this journey with a trusted advisor who can:

• Provide invaluable guidance: We offer expert advice on all aspects of wedding planning, from budget allocation and vendor selection to design, logistics, and etiquette.
• Prevent costly mistakes: We help you avoid common pitfalls, ensuring that your decisions align with your overall vision and budget.
• Save you time and stress: We handle the time-consuming tasks, allowing you to focus on the joy of the celebration.
• Ensure a cohesive vision: We work to create a seamless and unforgettable experience that reflects your unique love story and style.

In the world of luxury weddings, every detail matters. By prioritizing the planner-first approach, you lay the foundation for a truly extraordinary event – one that is not only visually stunning but also flawlessly executed and deeply meaningful.

So, you’re diving into wedding planning and encountering terms like “day-of coordination” and “full-service planning.” What’s the difference, and which one do you need? Let’s break it down without getting lost in the details.

Think of “Coordination Only” (sometimes called “month-of” or “day-of” coordination, though it often starts a bit earlier) as having a seasoned conductor step in to lead the orchestra right before the big performance. You’ve already chosen your musicians (vendors), selected the music (your vision), and handled most of the rehearsals (planning). The coordinator ensures everyone plays in harmony on the day itself.

Coordination typically involves:

• Finalizing timelines and vendor communication in the weeks leading up to the wedding.
• Creating a detailed day-of schedule.
• Managing vendor setup and breakdown on the wedding day.
• Overseeing the flow of events on the day, ensuring everything runs smoothly.
• Troubleshooting any last-minute issues.
• Being the point of contact for vendors and the wedding party on the day.

On the other hand, “Full Service Wedding Planning” is like having a dedicated producer and director from the very first note. They’re involved in every aspect of the production, from casting the musicians (vendor selection) to designing the stage (décor) and ensuring the entire performance (wedding) is a masterpiece.

Full Service Planning typically includes everything in coordination, plus:

• Budget creation and management.
• Venue search and selection.
• Vendor research, recommendations, and contract negotiation.
• Theme and design development.
• Creating and managing all rental and design related orders.
• Attending vendor meetings with you.
• Handling transportation.
• Overseeing all logistical details from start to finish.

Why Hire a Professional?

Whether you opt for coordination or full service, enlisting the help of a professional wedding planner is not a luxury – it’s an investment in your peace of mind and the success of your event.

Even if you’re a super-organized individual, the sheer number of moving parts on your wedding day is immense. Trying to manage vendors, troubleshoot unexpected issues, and still be fully present to enjoy your celebration is a recipe for stress.

A professional planner brings invaluable experience, vendor relationships, and a calm, objective perspective. They can anticipate potential problems, handle logistics seamlessly, and ensure you and your loved ones can truly relax and savor every moment.

Whether it’s ensuring the caterer arrives on time with the right order (coordination) or guiding you through the entire vendor selection process (full service), a planner is your advocate and your secret weapon for a truly successful and memorable wedding day. Choose the level of support that best fits your needs and enjoy the journey!

So, you’re engaged! Congratulations! As the excitement settles, the planning begins, and you’ll quickly encounter a cast of characters ready to help bring your dream wedding to life. Two key players you’ll interact with are the venue manager and your hired wedding planner. While both are essential, their roles and responsibilities differ significantly. Understanding these distinctions will empower you to build the perfect support system for your big day.

Think of your venue manager as the captain of the ship – the ship being their specific venue. They are your go-to person for everything related to the venue itself. Their primary focus is ensuring the smooth operation of their space and adhering to the venue’s policies.

What Your Venue Manager Typically Handles:

• Venue Logistics: They’ll manage aspects like setup and breakdown of venue-provided items (tables, chairs, linens, sometimes basic décor), coordinate with their in-house staff (catering, bartenders, security), and oversee the venue’s timeline.
• Venue Rules and Regulations: They’ll ensure you and your vendors adhere to the venue’s policies regarding noise levels, setup times, alcohol service, and other specific rules.
• Venue Amenities: They’ll be your point of contact for utilizing the venue’s amenities, such as restrooms, parking, and sometimes audio-visual equipment.
• In-House Services: If the venue offers in-house catering or bar services, the venue manager will often oversee these aspects.
• Venue Walkthroughs: They’ll conduct site visits to familiarize you with the space and discuss how the venue can accommodate your vision within its existing framework.

However, the venue manager’s responsibilities generally begin and end with the venue. They are not typically involved in the broader planning aspects of your wedding. This is where your hired wedding planner steps in.

Your wedding planner is your personal advocate, your organizational guru, and your creative partner throughout the entire wedding journey. They work solely for you, the couple, and their focus is on bringing your unique vision to life, regardless of the venue.

What Your Hired Wedding Planner Typically Handles:

• Comprehensive Planning: From initial concept development and budget management to vendor selection and contract negotiation, they guide you through every step of the planning process.
• Vendor Coordination: They’ll research, recommend, and manage communication with all external vendors (florists, photographers, entertainment, transportation, etc.), ensuring everyone is on the same page.
• Budget Management: They’ll help you create and stick to your budget, track expenses, and ensure you’re getting the best value for your money.
• Timeline Creation and Management: They’ll develop a detailed wedding day timeline and ensure everyone adheres to it, keeping the day flowing smoothly.
• Décor and Design: They can assist with the overall aesthetic of your wedding, offering creative ideas and coordinating with décor vendors.
• Guest Management: They can handle RSVP tracking, seating charts, and even accommodation logistics.
• Problem Solving: On the big day (and leading up to it), they’ll be your point person for any issues that arise, handling them discreetly and efficiently so you can relax and enjoy.
• Personalization: They focus on incorporating your personalities and preferences into every detail, making your wedding truly unique.
• Venue Liaison (from your perspective): While the venue manager represents the venue, your planner acts as a bridge, ensuring your needs and the venue’s requirements are aligned. They can advocate for your vision within the venue’s capabilities.

The Key Difference:

Think of it this way: the venue manager ensures the location functions flawlessly. The wedding planner ensures the entire wedding experience, from the moment you say “yes” to the last dance, is everything you’ve dreamed of.

Do You Need Both?

While some couples might feel they can handle the broader planning themselves, a hired wedding planner offers invaluable expertise, saves you countless hours and stress, and can often bring creative ideas and vendor relationships to the table that you wouldn’t have access to otherwise. Even if your venue offers an “event coordinator,” remember their primary loyalty lies with the venue, not solely with you.

Investing in a wedding planner allows you to be fully present and enjoy your engagement and wedding day, knowing that a dedicated professional is handling the intricate details behind the scenes. Together, the venue manager and your hired wedding planner form a powerful team, each playing a crucial role in making your wedding day a resounding success.

When searching for a photographer it’s best to first find those within budget or at least close. Photography is one of the few vendor areas that I support over spending. The images and possibly video if videography is something you want to invest in, are the only things you will have after the day is done. It would be a shame to invest so much for photos you’re not in love with. Once you find some photographers that are within budget you then should look at their editing style. Each photographer will have a certain style and it’s not something they will change for your event. Like any artist, you’re paying for their work, not a different version. If you don’t like their style (perspective, colors, film, etc.) then move on. After booking your ideal photographer be sure to add an engagement session. This is a great way to get to know your photographer and confirm the chemistry is right. You want to be sure you’re comfortable since you will be spending basically your entire wedding day with them. Lastly, if the budget allows, invest in a second shooter. Someone to assist and shoot alongside your main photographer the day of the wedding. This will ensure a smooth timeline and usually eliminates the need to add additional hours. We go over much more concerning photography with our clients, but this gives you a great place to start!

I’ve said it so many times, but I will say it again. Professional glam (hair and makeup services) is 100% worth it! The most photographed thing at your wedding will be you and your gorgeous faces. Investing in professionals to help you achieve your perfect look is key. When searching for glam vendors be sure to look at their most recent work and try to inspect the photos that have people with your skin tone and hair color, or at least close to it. At times I find brides saving hair and makeup inspiration of models that look nothing like them. For example, if I’m trying to build a look I wouldn’t find inspiration from a caucasian female with blonde hair or someone with highlights. Since I have olive color skin and brunette hair I would look for women with similar features as me then narrow my search from there. When looking at the investment with professional hair and makeup artists it can seem hard to justify at times, but I promise if you find the right artist it is something you won’t regret! 

Setting a wedding investment goal can be a daunting task. Figuring out how much is enough and reasonable can seem impossible, especially if you’ve never planned a wedding before. Speaking to a planner and having a budget meeting before booking anything is the best way to get the most out of your budget. They will be there to hear your priorities and give you a realistic view of pricing based on your guest count and desired area for a venue. Overspending can happen quickly and easily. It’s good to factor in vendor pricing for fixed prices and guest variable prices. Adding a guest table is much more costly than most think and eliminating one may not save as much as you hoped it would. It’s because of all these factors and more that speaking with a well seasoned wedding planner is advised when setting a wedding budget. Why go through it alone?!

Why is a first look suggested? Why is it important and meaningful to certain couples? Let’s get into it! First looks are becoming the new normal for most couples. Traditionally, the groom did not see the bride until she was walking down the aisle, and some couples still really love this concept. To be honest, so do I, but as a planner attempting to help you get the most out of your day I do usually advise a first look. Doing a first look allows more “event time” for our couples. This means, rather than taking photos during your entire cocktail hour and part of your reception you’re taking them before the ceremony begins leaving you more time with your guests. Aside from more event time, you also get time alone with your spouse which is hard to come by on wedding days. It gives you both a moment to look at one another, say hi before all the commotion starts and to take the majority of your photos at your most “fresh”. You can have a chance to get out some jitters before the ceremony and feel relaxed and ready to face all your guests. Another great pro for a first look is for all our winter couples that are working with a much earlier sunset time. Once the sun is gone that’s when most photo ops go away so planning a first look and most other photos early in the day is advised. All in all we want you to do what you prefer, but as planners we like to make suggestions that will serve you best.