What Would a Wedding Planner Do?

What Would a Wedding Planner Do?: Prioritize Your Wedding Wishes

Planning a wedding can be an exciting and overwhelming experience. To help prevent some of that wedding planning anxiety, sit down with your fiancée and simply prioritize your wedding day desires. Meaning,write down the Top 5 items that are most important to you regarding your wedding. The most common responses are (not in any particular order):

• Want the guests to have a great time: Many clients and/or potential clients want to show their guests a great time. Some wedding couples have guests that travel from all over the country or the world to come share in the celebration, so making it fun and exciting is definitely a priority. Selecting the right entertainment plays a big part in making this happen. Making sure you select the right DJ/Band, or even jazzing it up with a different element of entertainment, can make your wedding truly AMAZING!
• Photography/Videography: A picture is worth 1,000 words, so cutting corners on securing a reputable photographer/videographer is not an option. There are countless photographers and videographers that specialize in weddings, so do your homework – get referrals from friend’s, check references and see who some of your other vendors may recommend.
• Cuisine: When thinking about your menu, you must also consider your venue. Most venues will either have their own on-site catering or only allow pre-determined catering companies on-site to cater your wedding. It’s unfortunate, but most catering companies/venues will not schedule a tasting prior to you booking them. For the ones that do, be prepared to pay for the tasting. It’s only fair as they do not have a guarantee that you will secure them for your wedding. The cost would typically less than or equal to the cost of the menu price you would be paying per guest. Again, I stress that you should do your homework – check references and get referrals.
• Décor: Décor has become a HUGE priority with brides and, in some cases, the grooms too. Wedding couples want to create that “WOW-factor” and take their guests’ breathe away. This does not necessarily mean over-the-top or extrememly expensive, couples have found ways to create this sensation with creativity, understated elegance and an open mind. Lighting, floral, linens and the “details” have an important role when creating an environment that make your guests gasp (in a good way).
• Season / Date: Wedding couples may be partial to a certain time of year or a date may have significant meaning. A couple may have met at a festival; a few years later got engaged at the same festival; then decide to have their wedding during that festival weekend. Others choose their dates based on the bye week of the favorite sports team. Whatever the reason, discuss the significance and make sure it works for you.

Prioritizing your wedding wishes will help you determine where to allocate your budget dollars wisely. Having an idea of the elements you want to incorporate in your wedding and that are important to you will help give you a great starting point when embarking on your wedding planning journey.

Happy Planning!