Who Really Needs a Wedding Planner- 2

The response from the last interview with a bridal client was HUGE and I am SO glad because I think this might be my favorite series.  I'm really interested in hearing from brides that used other planners, so if you did use a planner (not me) send me your answers so I can post it on the blog in the next edition of "Who Really Needs a Planner." 

To follow up with the series I have an interview with a bride that was referred to me through At Last Event Planning.  Here are a few photos from her wedding.

Photos are all courtesy of the great and wonderful people at Z Media.  

 

 

Q: What made you decide to hire a wedding planner? 
A: I hired a planner within the last month of the wedding planning because the details of the day became overwhelming. It was reassuring to know that she would be there to oversee everything that needed to be done on my day so I didnt have to worry about it.

Q: What types of things attracted you to each planner that you interviewed?
A: I didnt interview planners, only Brandi, and she seemed very organized and professional.

 

Q: What was the best thing your wedding planner did for you? 
A: EVERYTHING!!! Basically, handling the little details that I couldn't do on my actual wedding day and coordinating with each of the vendors to make sure they were where they were suppose to be that day!!

Q: What was something your planner did that you would never have thought of doing?
A: At dinner, she came to the head table, asked the bridal party if we needed anything, and offered to get us drinks!

Q: Did you feel that your wedding planner was worth the cost?
A: Definitely!!

Q: Was there anything you would have changed about your experience with your wedding planner?
A: No.

Q: What was something you wish you would have known before hiring your planner?
A: I only wish that I would of hired Brandi sooner! It would of alleviated a lot of stress on my part.

Q: Is there any situation where you could see why a bride would NOT want a wedding planner?
A: Only if she could not afford it.

The best part of Christine's last answer is that most planners can work with a bride on any budget.  You cut back the areas you don't need more service and you only use a planner during the most important aspects of your wedding planning.  That way anyone, on any budget can still enjoy the expertise and knowledge of a very skilled planner.  I don't ever suggest hiring a less experienced planner because they are "cheaper" unless you are prepared to work with someone, with, well, less experience.  

Bride's send me your interviews, I want to hear about other planners as well!  

www.alleventsplanned.com 

My Interview on Planner Wire

Check out my interview with Serenity Knutson, Editor in Chief of Planner Wire.

Click Here
http://www.plannerwire.com/article_template.cfm?aid=1749&sid=30

What do you think of the interview, have any feedback or even better/different answers, let me know!

What does a "Day Of" Do?

I will follow up on this subject matter throughout the course of the blog, but I thought these were some good perspectives from, all of vendors, photographers! 

Ask the Experts: What Does a Day of Coordinator Coordinate?

by Marta

Ask the Experts is your chance to get wedding advice from a panel of wedding professionals. If you have a question for our panel write asktheexperts@onewed.com.
Dear Ask the Experts,
I see a lot of articles suggesting that I get a Day of Coordinator. But, I’m a little confused about what exactly a Day of Coordinator does. What does she coordinate? I’d love to hear from some caterers/florists/photographers/musicians if they prefer it if a bride has a day of coordinator.
Thanks
Possibly Uncoordianted
Mark at VideoMagic Productions says:
Strangely enough, one of the first questions I ask my prospects when meeting with them (even before they reserve our services) is who they hired as their coordinator. Too often the response is "nobody", and I highly encourage them to consider hiring a "Day of Coordinator". The reason for this is simple. You are planning the biggest event of your entire lives and (probably) not only with no experience, but without the ability to ensure things run smoothly. When you host a party at your house, I don't imagine you mingle around like a guest. Typically a host will make sure drinks are filled, food trays don't go empty, things are organized and much more. Thus, although your wedding is different than a house party, it is MUCH bigger in scale. You want the comfort and knowledge that someone is with you throughout the entire day to ensure things run smoothly, particularly if things deviate from the original plan…and believe me, most weddings encounter issues that need to be handled. Good luck in your planning!
Rebecca Enslein of the Studio B Photography:
First off, I think the name “Day of Coordinator” is a misnomer of sorts. For anyone to have an idea of what is going on the day of your wedding, they need to be involved in the plans before that day so everything can run smoothly. They typically spend about 10-20 hours before the wedding day getting all the necessary information together like getting in touch with the other vendors, visiting the venue, and speaking with you about your vision for the day. The day of coordinator is basically there to make sure that you don’t have to worry about a thing when your wedding day rolls around. There are so many behind the scene things that have to happen to prepare for a wedding like accepting delivery of the cake, setting up all the chairs for the ceremony, setting the tables for the reception, helping the florist with decorations, etc. that if you had to do them on your own, you’d never have the time to get ready!
As a photographer, I LOVE to work with brides who have coordinators. We both like to keep things running on schedule, and when the bride isn’t stressed about all the tiny details, she’s able to be much more relaxed and that makes for better pictures. If you are getting married somewhere that has a person that acts like a coordinator (for example, country clubs usually have very helpful and able staff in this department) you might not have to hire an outside person to handle things. However, if you are getting married in a park or another location that doesn’t traditionally do weddings, you’re better off hiring a coordinator to make sure everything goes according to plan.
About the Experts:
Mark Salloum is the owner of VideoMagic Productions based in Canton, MIchigan. He has traveled the country producing weddings for nearly 2 decades while earning countless awards for the quality and creativity of his cutting-edge wedding movies.
Rebecca is the owner of The Studio B Photography in the Atlanta, Georgia area. As a recent bride herself, Rebecca is able to better understand what her clients need and enjoys providing them with images that capture the joy of their wedding day.