At this article we’ve covered the most popular questions asked by the couples looking for a personalised wedding planner.
The main topics that will be covered at the post below:
- What to consider when choosing between a wedding planner or DIY?
- What couples should know before planning a wedding?
- How to choose a wedding planner?
- Planning wedding abroad vs wedding in a home country. Pros and cons.
What to consider when choosing between a wedding planner or DIY?
There is a common perception that personalised wedding planner is only for high budget weddings, complex or high profile weddings. The truth is that ANY couple who wants to invest in their time or their peace of mind can benefit from partnering with the right planner. A planner will keep the planning timeline ticking at its natural pace, recommend trusted vendors, inspire you with new ideas, help you save time and money, and understand what you are investing in, and generally be there for you for any support you need.
We’ve listed below the top five reasons why it can be helpful to plan your wedding alongside an expert:
1. Save time and gain peace of mind.
Working with a wedding planner means having someone to bounce ideas off whenever you need – someone to give you straight-talking, experience-based advice from the heart. You’ll have the peace of mind of knowing that everything will get done at the most natural pace: nothing will be forgotten, or slip through the cracks, because your planner will keep track of each to-do. A planner looks after all the most time-consuming responsibilities – like going through budgets, contracts, timelines, emails, accessibility, schedules, calculations.
2. Understand your wedding budget.
Whatever your budget is, it’s worth making the most of – and that’s where wedding planners come in. A personalised wedding planner will help you allocate your budget in a realistic and smart way, prioritising all the things that matter most to you. Its expertise to ensure you’re getting the best value for the investments you make, while also leveraging the relationships with vendors to your benefit.
3. Unlock your vision.
Together, you and your wedding planner will refine the creative and aesthetic side until every supplier, every detail, and every decision reflects the story YOU want to tell. The styling of your day – that is, how it will look and feel – it’s a powerful way of translating your love story into a space, and bottling up that joy into visual memories for years to come. Wedding planners will start from your ideas and help you elevate them, and bring them to life in a way that is totally unique to you.
4. Assemble a great team.
Your personalised wedding planner will guide you in finding a team of talented suppliers that you trust and that align with your vision – so that you have the peace of mind of knowing that every element of your day is handled seamlessly.
5. Enjoy the day to its fullest.
On the wedding day, no task is too big or too small – your wedding planner will be on hand to problem solve, smooth over, tidy, keep the schedule ticking, look after guests and suppliers, oversee every transition, surround you with beauty, and make sure you’re filled with nothing but joy and calm all day! Wedding planners are first in, last out, working tirelessly to ensure all your hard work pays off, and all that’s left on your to do list is to have an EPIC wedding day!
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What couples should know before planning a wedding?
It can be overwhelming to think about planning a wedding as one huge to-do list – but in fact the process of wedding planning is all about breaking it down to smaller steps, and taking it one day at a time.
If I had to breakdown my most important advice, we would say it’s these five things:
1. Take your time and be purposeful when it comes to choosing what to do for your wedding.
Those lifelong memories will be most meaningful and full of joy, for both you and your guests, if you embrace telling YOUR story in whichever way is right for you. Try to gently let go of any preconceptions, expectations, or pressure you’re feeling, and be really honest with yourself and with each other about what matters the most to you. Being clear on these priorities will make budgeting, communicating, and making decisions easier and more fun, and will also allow you to be more present on the day itself.
2. Be safe, and trust professionals.
For most other things in life, we don’t hesitate to look for experienced advice or help – so try to treat your wedding in the same way. There are wedding professionals of every type, every budget, and every style, so find your people and invest in the things that matter.
3. Spend money where your stress is, and where your joy is
Planning (and being at) your wedding shouldn’t be stressful, it should be FUN – so if something is causing you worry, that’s where investing your budget will make the most impact to you. Similarly if something is a priority for you and means a lot to you, it should have a prominent allocation of budget so that you can invest in things that matter to you and make you happy.
4. Take the good and bad, day by day.
There is a very natural order in which decisions can be made, and suppliers can be booked – so we encourage couples to think about building their wedding and their team, one brick at a time. There are portions of wedding planning that are more about admin and logistics, and parts that are more about aesthetics and details, and it’s ok to feel more excited about some parts than others. Everything has it’ natural pace, and it’s important to embrace the fact that you are on your own planning journey, with both light and darkness – which won’t look like your best friend’s wedding planning, your sister’s, or your mom’s.
5. Wedding Insurance
And one final thing: it’s very unlikely that you will need it – but, absolutely, get wedding insurance. It’s a one off expense that is lower than you think, and much lower than the risk you’re taking by not having it.
How to choose a wedding planner?
The most important thing is affinity of personality. Thus, couple’s relationship to their planner should be one of complete openness and total trust; so as a personalised wedding planner – Valentina, encourages couples to ask whatever questions they wish to be able to feel that way. On her first meeting with clients, some couples ask about the details of the planning process, some ask about the previous experiences with similar weddings, some ask about how a wedding planner can help them find the best suppliers, some ask advice on current issues or dilemmas they’re facing to hear her opinion, and some just ask personal questions – which is fine too!
No question is too big or too small. Ideally, you should try to come out of that first consultation with a strong feeling of whether you’ve “clicked” with that planner; you’ll be chatting almost every day so make sure it’s someone you enjoy speaking to!
Planning wedding abroad vs wedding in a home country. Pros and cons.
Destination weddings are a wonderful way to combine a couple’s love for one another, with their passion for travel – and in some ways, it’s all the best elements of a holiday and wedding, combined! It can be a great choice for couples whose friends and family might be spread out around the globe, who themselves are experienced travellers, and who would like to create a multiple-day experience for themselves and their loved ones. Weddings abroad usually mean having more time to spend with guests, but of course this also comes with more logistical challenges and typically more expenses too – as most couples planning destination weddings find themselves organising at least 2-3 days of meals, activities, accommodation, transport, and more.
the pros of a destination wedding
The pros of a destination wedding can be summarised as: breathtaking landscapes for photography, a more intimate and immersive experience sharing quality time with guests, non-traditional elements and multiple days of travel activities, and the possibility to pay homage to a culture, cuisine, and location you love.
the cons of a destination wedding
The cons would be the additional logistics to navigate, potentially complicated rules for having legally-binding ceremonies, the additional costs for guests, and the language and cultural barriers involved too.
Summary
Working with a wedding planner for a destination wedding can be of great value, and we would definitely recommend it for any couples considering marrying abroad but feeling a bit overwhelmed by the thought.
Working with a planner that knows the area, or that is experienced with supporting couples internationally, will give you the peace of mind of knowing that every supplier will be managed and briefed, and that everything will come together seamlessly and beautifully on the day. They can help you uncover the best locations, the most talented vendors, while also helping you navigate all those extra logistics and challenges that planning at a distance can bring. Many planners (like Valentina) specialise in working in new venues all over the world, sometimes sight-unseen, and will know exactly what problems to anticipate, how to make the most of your team and venue, and what questions to ask. It can seem daunting to plan a celebration in a country that isn’t your own, but that it’s definitely possible and 100% worth it!
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