How To Find a Wedding Planner?

You have made an excellent decision to hire a wedding planner for your special day.

This investment helps you redirect the focus of your wedding day.

You can dwell on the romance and importance of your wedding day.

But how to find a wedding planner?

Follow these directions to make the best decision for one of the biggest days of your life.

How To Find a Wedding Planner?

3 Tips For Finding a Wedding Planner

One of the most important decisions you will make when planning your wedding is choosing a wedding planner.

But how do you go about finding the right one for you?

Here are some tips to help you find the perfect planner for your big day.

1. Check In With Yourself

The days and weeks after your initial engagement are a time of overflowing love and excitement. Sometimes well-meaning people will start to pressure you for details about your wedding, like your chosen date, colors, and wedding party members. But the most important thing to remember is to maintain your peace and focus when planning your wedding day. One of the best ways to do so is by hiring a certified wedding planner.

Before you decide to hire a wedding planner, be sure to spend time thinking about your likes and dislikes. A full-service wedding planner can take care of all of the details of your day with as much or as little input as the couple desires. 

While some couples may choose to let their wedding planner take the lead, a few essential details must be considered before hiring a wedding planner. Before consulting with a professional, narrow down your tastes and preferences. Even if you prefer a hands-off approach to plan, deciding on a few broad ideas about your wedding will help make sure you connect with the best planner for your day. 

Consider these topics carefully before researching wedding planners:

  • Wedding Date or Season
  • Wedding Budget
  • Wedding Planner Budget
  • Wedding Theme or Colors
  • Ceremony and Reception Music
  • Wedding Venue or Destination Wedding
  • Reception and Alcohol Offerings

Many of these items are straightforward aspects of planning a wedding but can be a source of contention for unprepared couples. Having a united front when researching and interviewing potential wedding planners is very helpful. 

Hold thoughtful conversations with your partner to make sure you are on the same page. You don’t want to discover during the wedding planner interview that your partner desires a destination wedding while you have always dreamed of a full Catholic Mass!

Many people don’t even realize they have strong opinions about their wedding until they sit down to have a conversation. I was surprised my partner was adamant about the ceremony music and wedding cake! 

Knowing how to share these conversations sets your marriage up for success. Learning how to check in with yourself and your partner when making a significant, mutual decision is essential.

2. Do Your Research

Once you and your partner are a united front, it’s time to do wedding planner research! With the Internet, a nearly-unlimited list of wedding planners is available. There are even databases of certified wedding planners to explore.

Narrow your search by the geographic location of your wedding ceremony for the best results. While you can use a planner from outside the place, the wedding will take place as this may introduce more complicated logistics or increased fees.

Next, match your list of preferences, ideas, and dreams to the services offered by your wedding planner. Each planner specializes in different aspects of a wedding. Some wedding professionals focus on destination weddings, while others specialize in catering, short-notice weddings, or artistic wedding design.

Another great way to gather information about wedding planners is by consulting online reviews. Like all Internet comments, take these reviews with a grain of salt. If you have friends or family who have recently gotten married, ask for their advice. Word of mouth is often the most reliable research available!

3. Conduct Interviews

After you have developed your wish list and found planners who match your desires, it’s time to reach out to planners and schedule interviews. While this may seem over-the-top or formal, it is actually quite normal to interview potential wedding planners. 

Wedding planners provide a complex, professional service to couples on one of the most important days of their lives. It is not outrageous to thoroughly vet someone you put in charge of your wedding day. Some couples turn over much of the control and decision-making surrounding their wedding day to their planner, accruing hundreds of hours of planning. 

Interviewing this person who will become a critical part of your day is essential. Wedding planners also extend a binding contract, so screening them before signing is shrewd. The average price for a wedding planner ranges from $2,000 to $7,000, based on where you live.

Consider these questions when interviewing potential wedding planners:

  • What is your availability?
  • How long have you been planning weddings?
  • Do you carry liability insurance?
  • What is your cancellation policy?
  • Have you worked with our preferred venue or vendors?
  • What wedding planning services do you offer?
  • What services do you not cover?
  • Can you send me references or a portfolio?
  • Do you take a commission?

Every wedding planner structures their business differently. Take the time to dive into their scope of work, like if your planner will track invitations or plan honeymoons. Ask direct questions about their fees and how they are structured, as some planners take an additional commission.

Wedding planners should carry liability insurance and have contingency plans for inclement weather or other crises. Be sure to quiz them on these practical situations and ask them about cancellation policies.

It is not out of the question to ask for references, a portfolio, or their initial ideas about the wedding details you have shared with them. Often this is the moment you discover if they are the right match for you. Pay attention to if there is a spark or if their aesthetic blends with yours.

Choose Your Planner

After completing thoughtful preparation steps and conducting an interview, the right wedding planner for you should become clear. Follow up with your chosen wedding planner to formally hire and confirm details of your wedding plans.

Wedding planners will provide a contract for you to sign. Take the time to review this contract and confirm it matches the information shared in the interview. Weddings are expensive, complex, and emotional occasions. Don’t shy away from doing your due diligence to ensure you achieve a wedding day you will never forget.