Keep Your Sanity & Enjoy The Experience, "Don't Become Your Very Own Wedding Planner!" Response to the "Brides Magazine Blog"

As I sit and wait for my next client to arrive, 

I stroll through my Facebook news feed to 

come across a Blog Post from the popular 

"Brides" wedding magazine titled, 

"How to become your very own Wedding Planner!"

http://www.brides.com/blogs/aisle-say/2015/08/how-to-be-your-own-wedding-planner.html

First I was shocked and appalled that such an established and respected magazine would publish such an article which disrespects the Wedding Planner advertisers they have. I do understand that not everybody can shell out thousands of dollars for a professional wedding planner, and this magazine was just trying to give those brides some tips to help them plan a successful wedding, but if you hire a good wedding planner, the savings they provide you in proper planning and budget management should cover the cost of the wedding planner!

Here is my response to the blogs suggestions! 


Tip #1 Get Organised:
The problem with this is, many couples don't know where to start to even get organised! They suggest creating different folders in your in-box to store paperwork, templates and etc. Which is a good idea, but a better idea is if you don't want to hire a professional full time, most professional wedding planners offer hourly rates, or a kick start your wedding planning offer where they help you create a proper foundation to planning a successful wedding. This usually cost a very minimal hourly rate or a small inclusive rate. By doing this, the DIY bride is given a proper plan to be organised and this could not only save time, but 1000's of wasted dollars she may have spent researching and booking the wrong things out of order. 

Tip #2 Use Online Tools:
This is a great tip! You can find lots of charts, to do list, check list, budget calculators, time-lines that are free to help the DIY Bride plan her wedding, but what usually happens is once the bride prints them all out, or saves the app, or papers to their device they began to go over those and quickly get overwhelmed will all the tasks especially if you are in school, working, taking care of a child, or any number of things life hands to you. In many professional Wedding Planners Kick Start wedding planning packages they will give you a customized plan just for your wedding and budget so you only have the charts, checklist and time'lines you need and can stay focused instead of feeling bogged down! 

Tip #3 Make your to-do list accessible no matter where you are
This is the best tip that they give, do keep your to do list virtual , so it is available on your computer, phone, pad and any other device you may have. Saving things to Google docs is perfect because once you long in on any device all of your files are available to you. 
                 *Notice they add a link to their blog, "What to do when you hate wedding planning," They added this because if you try to become your own wedding planner, at some point you are going to start hating wedding planning which I really hate to hear from Brides who find me after they are sick with planning their wedding. This is a once in a lifetime experience and you should be enjoying every moment of it not stressing over details and worrying about if who you hired can live up to what you contracted them to do. They mention in this link blog, not to sweat the small stuff because something wrong will happen and no one will notice. Yes, no wedding is perfect, but if you hire someone to be their at least to be the wedding coordinator for the day, you will have a professional to handle to issues that come up or least have them covered up enough so no one really won't notice and you can at least enjoy your wedding day and not just be happy when its all over! 


Tip #4 Do your research
OMG this is the most overwhelming statement that they could have added to this blog. My company has been in the wedding planning business for 20 years and we are constantly meeting new wedding industry providers, finding new great ones, marking off new and old ones that never provided good service or stopped providing good service. This statement of, "Doing your research", can be a full time job all by itself!
This is where hiring a professional can really save you time, wasted dollars, and save you lots of tears in the end! A good wedding planning company that has been around for a while, can save you research time by recommending wedding professionals that not only fit into your budget but will work with your personality and provide you with the service you are looking for. 
It is never proper to haggle or try to negotiate with wedding vendors over prices! This is this persons livelihood, how would you feel if your boss says, I know we said we would pay you $18 an hour to work for us, but since we don't want XYZ from you this week how about we pay you $15 and hour instead! 
That is what you are saying to wedding vendors when you want to haggle with them, also when you do this you discredit yourself and they feel like you don't respect them and after that they really don't want to do your wedding. In every case it takes lots of time, (not just on the wedding day) to do what it is you are hiring them for. They are charging you according to their experience, education, talent, how many workers they may have to pay & time!  A photographer who charges $600 for a 4 hour wedding verses a photographer who charges $3000 for a 4 hour wedding is because the $600 may have just graduated photography school, did not go to photography school, or is not a full time professional and does this as a side job in their spare time (which means a longer wait to get your pictures back). The $3000 one for 4 hours has done it for years, will edit your photos for wedding perfection, and they will be of crisp excellent quality for years to come. This example works for all wedding vendor types. 


Tip #5 Ask other brides
Do ask other brides, but remember they only can tell you about what not to do or to do  if their wedding is over, because during the process they are in the same situation you are and have the same about of information you do . They are not a professional so you are sharing same time experiences. This is a great idea for support because unlike many friends and family who may tire of hearing wedding ideas and stories form you, this community will never tire of your stories and even welcome more!

 

Tip #6 Become friendly with Pinterest
Pinterest is great for ideas and learning how to create things to make for your wedding. Pinterest can also be deceiving, many post show how you can create what would be a very costly wedding look for pennies. Many brides see this and get discouraged when talking to wedding vendors and they quote them a very surprising number and they think the vendor is trying to price gouge them, when that is truly the price and cost of materials! The truth really is, wedding vendors for the most part aren't really over charging many are truly under charging! By the time they get what they need to do your event, give you what it is you ask for, they make a very minimal amount to live on and to provide for their family. 

Tip #7 Divide and Conquer
When you start to feel stress, delegate the task to others to do.... 
This is a great idea if you have people who will do this for you and won't let their lives distract them form getting it done for you. When you hire a professional to do things, they get it done and it is a business transaction, yes by the end they could possibly be your friend, but the job will be done. When you delegate to friends and family they may or may not get it done at all or if done not the way you asked. I have seen many friendships end over things like this and family disputes. What happens when tragedy strikes and the person helping you cannot do what they said and its 2 weeks until the wedding..... 

We at 1 Elegant Event understand that everyone can't spend 1000's of dollars on their wedding, or on a wedding planner, but it is smart to seek out one to get you started and to coordinate the day of your wedding! Your wedding day and the wedding planning process should be enjoyed so you can have great memories of the entire process! Happy Planning!

Blog Written By:

Cossie Crosswhite

Owner, 1 Elegant Event Wedding & Event Planning

www.1elegantevent.com 

www.facebook.com/1elegantevent 

411 Pointers on Wedding Guest Etiquette

Great 411 Pointers on Wedding Guest Etiquette

We all have heard and seen them too...

the fashion aficionados proclaiming that white is the "new black" this season as a wardrobe staple. This may be true, but for weddings and bridal showers, leave the solid white to the bride unless asked to in the invitation!

The whole reason for your invite was for you to be a honored witness to your loved ones life changing event! It is rather tacky to skip the ceremony and attend only the celebration. The couple may not notice, but the other guests will. Since were speaking of the ceremony PLEASE DO Arrive Before the Bride gets to the aisle! This really does seems like the most obvious advice, but for some reason there are always stragglers. Be sure to make every possible effort to arrive at the wedding ceremony at least 10 -20 minutes early!

 

Unless your invitation specifically states "plus 1", "and guest" or "and family" you can presume only the people named on the invitation are invited. You may want, feel, think, and be sure others should be invited, but only those issuing the invitations can make those decisions. Due to the rising cost per person most must stick below a certain number of guest. For all the singles out there, an FYI weddings are great places to meet potential mates!

Our second to last 411 Pointer concerning Wedding Guest Etiquette is about Clicking Cameras. Personal pictures taken by guest should be taken at the beginning and at the end of the ceremony. Only the photographer hired for the event should be clicking away during the ceremony (this includes the vows, ring exchange and kiss). The clicks, flashes and sound of film rewinding can turn a serious and (usually) religious event into a paparazzi-fest and the other flashes could potentially interfere with the professional shots. Also on the subject of uploading to the Internet, it's OK to tag yourself at the event, but try to wait until the end of the night to post your pictures. Give the couples hired or appointed instant Internet liaison a chance to upload them instantly first!

Our last 411 Pointer about Wedding Guest Etiquette is about when is a good time to leave? Maybe you have to work early in the morning or drive back that night night, if you have accepted the celebration invitation, you should remain at the party until the wedding cake has been cut. It really is rude to leave before then because they thought enough of you to invite you and pay for all that came with that (catering, decor and etc). Once the cake cutting has ended if you must leave, you may, but before you leave, be sure to wish the wedding couple well, congratulate the families of the bride/groom, and thank the wedding hosts (i.e. whoever paid for the wedding!).

 By following these few tips, you will be the perfect guest to the prestigious event you were invited.  Feel free to share with friends, because sharing is caring! Have fun!

Blog Written By Cossie Crosswhite

National Event Planner

1 Elegant Event, Wedding & Event Planning

www.1elegantevent.com

For more free tips like us on facebook! www.facebook.com/1elegantevent

ABC's 20/20 Speical Wedding Confidential

1 Elegant Event's blog post are usually full of great pictures, but in light of the airing of the Wedding Confidential special that aired January 18, 2013 on 20/20  that pictured wedding professionals as untrustworthy, price gouging, people out to con more money out of engaged couples we decided to do a blog rebuttal. Don't worry it is very nice and very informative.

Rebuttal in italics written by: Cossie Crosswhite

National Event Speicalist and Owner of 1 Elegant Event Wedding & Event Planning Based in Mobile, AL

I wrote a rebuttal to this ABC special not to offend, but to set a few misconceptions straight.

To find out more about 1 Elegant Event Wedding & Event Planning Visit www.1elegantevent.com

The average wedding costs around $27,000, according to theknot.com. In Los Angeles, it's $37,000, and $65,000 in New York City. It's no wonder the wedding industry is a $30 billion behemoth.

It's common sense that such a special occasion -- involving venues, food, beverages and flowers -- wouldn't come cheap, but there are ways to realize your dreams at a price that works for you.

Watch the full story on "20/20: Wedding Confidential" Friday at 10 p.m. ET

(This aired Friday January 18, 2013)

 

1. Strive for Fun, Not Perfection

"The industry sort of tries to encourage you to have the 'perfect' wedding," said Denise Fields, the co-author of "Bridal Bargains." "Instead, we try to tell people, you need to have a fun wedding, because perfection just doesn't exist. In that striving for perfection, there's this tendency to think that money will get you exactly what you want."

Yes we do believe that couples should strive for fun and nothing is ever perfect but if you hire an experienced wedding planner who is entrenched in there field and knows many professional experienced wedding professional to fit into the budget parameters you set at the beginning of your process, you can have a fun, near perfect dream wedding that you are wanting. Having your cake and eating it too!

2. Pick Your Season

The most expensive time to get married is summer. "If you get married in April, that's the off-season, and you can save 20, 30 percent," said Alan Fields, co-author of "Bridal Bargains." In addition, flower prices fluctuate widely. Roses are outrageous in February; tulips can be pricey in their off-season, which is summer. To stay on budget, stick to in-season blooms.

We also tell couples, to pick wedding colors and not wedding flowers! Many of the floral designs pro-traded in platiumplatinum wedding photo's can and have been recreated with less costly flowers without the look of the design suffering. This can cut 100's of dollars off per centerpiece!

3. Avoid "Wedding" Shops

"Don't shop at stores that have 'wedding' [or 'bride,' etc.] in their name," Alan Fields said. "You can find lots of wedding-related products at other places. I mean, even Costco sells engagement rings."

"White shoes are white shoes," added Denise Fields. "Why do you have to buy them at a bridal shop? You can buy them at PayLess."

This is true when trying to save. Know one knows wear your ring was bought, maybe not even you. Cosco offers a great selection and high grade of wedding rings and bands at phenomenal prices! The only thing you should really purchase from a wedding specific store is your Bridal Gown. By buying your gown in a bridal store and looking for deals check out the sample sale gown area which has gowns at great percentages off. Almost every bridal store has one (even Kleinfields).

4. Don't Succumb to the Mercedes Syndrome

Don't drive your fancy car and wear your designer clothes to your vendor appointments. "We've actually spoken to florists, for example, who say that the price of flowers that they quote to a bride can change depending on what the bride drives up in," said Denise Fields. "Take the bus!"

While this may be true for some wedding vendors, we at 1 Elegant Event pride ourself as an upstanding wedding planning service who keeps a track on the prices of the vendors in our area. We make our clients appointments for them and sit with them at the appointments acting as their advocate and sometimes negotiator of prices to make sure our clients get the best possible price available for the things they are wanting. We keep our vendors records updated regularly and are able to do this because of the relationships we have built with our wedding community.

5. Check Your Emotions at the Door

"Any time you throw emotion into the mix, things can go wrong," said Alan Fields. Realize you are vulnerable and don't let a salesperson convince you to spend more than you can actually afford.

As wedding planners, many feel very uneasy able how up front we are about getting clients to tell us their budget parameter. We can not be your advocate and negotiate to get you your ideal wedding if we do not know up front if the dreams you have can anyway be brought to life in the budget you have. Creating a realistic budget for your wedding from the beginning and hiring a planner that will keep you in that budget while being upfront with you on what you can afford and what may need to be modified will keep you from being vulnerable to up-selling by other wedding vendors.

6. Nix the Engraving

According to "Bridal Bargains," it costs $700 or more for engraved invitations. Thermographed ones are 50 to 70 percent cheaper and look just as elegant.

Shop around period for invitations. You can even buy invitations from department stores that I have seen in the invitation catalogs and have your local copy center print them for you. Also if you have a great printer at home or (at work, but you did not hear this from me) you can print them yourself.

7. Do Lunch

According to "Bridal Bargains," you can save 30 percent or more on your reception by serving lunch or brunch instead of dinner. Save even more money by having an afternoon reception with cake and light hors d'oeuvres.

While that may seem like a good idea, a full meal is actually cheaper than several different hors d'oeuvres. Caterers will charge you $4 - $12 per person (and this is on the low end) for each type of appetizer you may want and many want at least 5 or 6. For that $24 - $70+ per person you can have at the least a basic 1 meat, 2 veggie, 1 starch, house salad, bread, fruit and cheese tray and veggie tray without looking as though you are having cocktail hour without dinner or lunch.

8. Park It

According to "Bridal Bargains," many cities and towns rent out parks and other civic-owned sites for wedding receptions at affordable rates. A city park clubhouse might rent for $125, while a comparable private site would be $750.

This is true, also your parks department may also own Historical homes and rent them for that price and nice community centers have big , blank open spaces to rent with table and chairs included, and they usually have nice kitchens for caters to use.

9. Deal to Die For

The Fieldses suggest you check out funeral homes for the best deals on limousines. Many have limos that sit idle on weekends, available to rent out at good prices.

While this may seem like a good idea, if they get a last minute rush on funeral (because they cannot predict how many people will die that week) they will cancel you maybe a day or a week before your wedding leaving you stuck without transportation. I know this, because a client couple tried this and our company had to pull a in a few favors to reserve a limousine 4 hours away.

10. D.J. Over Band

Instead of a live band, hire a disc jockey. Denise and Alan Fields say bands can cost $1,000 to $2,000, while a D.J. can cost as little as $400 for four hours, can play a wide variety of music -- Sinatra for the Father-Bride dance, James Brown for when the party really gets going -- and doesn't take breaks.

Dj's are great, and a very inexpensive option for wedding entertainment. I would not recommend the cheapest DJ at $400 unless you had seen them in action at another event. While many can just play music, and good professional will play the right music that you suggested to them in your play list given to them weeks in advance to insure that they have what you are wanting. Also a great DJ will have your first dance and other special music queued up so when its time, it is available and have ways to get the crowd up when the dance floor is clear.

11. Be Nice

"Be nice" is the main suggestion from "The B-----less Bride," a wedding planner who provides incognito etiquette advice to brides-to-be on her website. "[For amiable clients] I've been known to throw in top-shelf booze, upgrade the wine...get special linens," she said. "We just want to go the extra mile for the people that treat us with respect."

Being nice does get you far , we have been known to go the extra mile when we can and get things for our couples items or upgrades they really wanted and could not afford, so we pull some strings and surprised them at the wedding. Also being a mean girl may keep many wedding vendors from wanting to do business with you at all. Your local wedding industry is in essence a very small community of professionals and word does get around quickly.

12. Ask Away

"You have to ask the right questions," suggests The B-----less Bride. "You have to ask at the venue, 'Is this inclusive or exclusive of tax and gratuity?' Because if you don't ask that question, you're tacking on between 27 and 30 percent."

When going to venue meeting tours or signing the contract for venues, the venue coordinator as policy reads with you the contract you are about to sign and discusses the fees, taxes and gratuity and then asks you if you have any other questions before said contract is finalized and signed. You should not have any confusion of venue pricing and fees unless you are cold calling for quotes over the phone.

13. Negotiate

"You absolutely should negotiate," said The B-----less Bride. The venue is the most negotiable expense, she said. But "you have to know when to stop," she added. "You can't expect to pay medium prices for a high-end product."

Many venues will not negotiate the price of their venue but will negotiate on the extras like rentals if offered, bar pricing, catering etc. If the venue does offers catering, bars and etc owned by them that the couple has to use as part of the rental, they may wave the room cost when a certain budget level of the other items are meet.

14. Get It in Writing

Chris Evans, the founder of Evans Sales Solutions, trains wedding professionals to grow their business. "You want to get everything in writing," he said. "I mean, every single thing. And anybody who won't put it in writing, run."

This is true. Make sure you have copies of everything and make any and all changes in writing or if you have hired a wedding planner they will have copies of all of your receipts and contracts on hand for you to view at anytime in your wedding planning process.

15. Get References

"And don't just take the ones they give out," said Evans. "If you're looking at images in a [photographer's] book, you say, 'What's her name and what's her phone number, I'm going to call her.'"

This may seem like a good idea, while wedding professionals keep a list of number of references to call they keep these because many do not have any other services to refer to the past clients to keep up with changed contact information. A great idea is to call other random wedding professionals in that area not in their field to see what they say or heard about that vendor. (If they are a photographer call a florist or wedding planner about them or if they are a wedding planner call caters or photographers to ask about them and so forth.) Other wedding-related vendor tend to be honest about who they refer and do not refer because they do not want anyone's with a bad reputation staining their image.

16. Less Is More

Don't be afraid to edit down your jewelry, for instance. Julie Sabatino is the owner of The Stylish Bride and The Stylish Dresser, a bridal fashion styling company. "Earrings highlight your face more than a necklace," she said. "Pick one piece and make it your statement." Consider skipping the handbag as well. "Some of my brides like having a handbag," said Sabatino, "but others find they don't even use it."

Less is more , even when you look at the celebrates on the red carpet many opt out of necklaces. Do concentrate on a great pair of accent earrings and you only need a purse to hold touch up face power and lipstick unless you hired a make-up stylist to be with you all night. Even though your dress may be long people will and do see your shoes. So if you like splurge on them or at the very least make sure they are very cute while being comfortable.

17. Rent A Dress

Julie Sabatino specializes in helping brides select their dream designer dress. If you are determined to have a designer dress on a tight budget, she says one idea is to rent a wedding dress and bridesmaid dresses. "It saves your wedding party some money," said Sabatino.

While renting may be an option, going to a sample sale, tag sale, upscale consignment stores, on-line and at Discount Luxury Designer wedding gown outlet stores like “Vows”, you can purchase your luxury gown for the price it may cost to rent. Then you can sell it a week after the wedding to the next cost saving bride. Also with bridesmaids gowns, try your local Upscale department stores like Macy's, Dillard's, Von Maur. They sell formals all year in many sizes, carry the same product all over the US for your out of state maids to find, and offer incredible sales and coupons!

18. Build Up a Plain Dress

"A great way to save money is to buy a more plain dress and then accessories it," suggested Sabatino. "With a simple nice blank canvas, you can add your spin and style -- adding belts, accessories, a really cool hairpiece."

Adding a great bridal belt, a cool hair piece, adding applicate or brooches to plain wedding gowns styles will upgrade your dresses look if that is what you are wanting, but just because you picked or see a plain dress does not mean the tag on it will be cheap. Also make sure you look at the tag of the bridal belt or other accessory because while it may look like a perfectly innocent belt or brooch it could cost you well into the $1000+ for each!

19. Cheaper May Cost You

Don't buy a wedding dress just because the price is attractive. "There are people who buy something wrong for them for the price," said Sabatino. "Then they hate it and have to get another." Even if you keep it, that inexpensive dress might require pricey alterations.

This a a very true statement and should not only be for wedding attire but this policy should carry over into your own wardrobe. Just because it is cheap you do not need to buy it if its going to sit in your closet unworn or if it looks really bad on you! Aways try it on first, because these super sale items are usually non refundable items!

20. Quality Not Quantity

If you can't afford a top photographer for your entire wedding day, hire one for less time. Jason and JoAnne Marino, destination-wedding photographers for imaginephotoaz.com, said it's important to hire a photographer you trust and whose company you enjoy -- even if it's for less time than you wanted.

"Maybe we can't get the early-morning wedding photographs or the drunken antics after the reception," said Jason Marino. "But we'll get the meat of what is going on."

I so totally agree with this! Never ever skimp on the photographer the holder of all of your wedding memories. Hire the best photographer you can possibly afford and just cut down the time they will be there. Then to get all of the “ early-morning wedding photographs or the drunken antics after the reception” as Jason Marino stated, get everyone to download one of the many free or low cost phone apps that consolidate all of you guest pictures into one big wedding album to print or view for years to come.

Reasons to Hire a Wedding Planner!

Why having a Wedding Planner, Coordinator or Event Specialist

is a necessity and not a luxury!

 

 

I can’t afford a planner. It’s just not in my budget.

Think about the amount of money you allocate to feeding your guests, hiring the photographer to take the perfect photos, picking a DJ that will get the party started, yet couples tend to skimp when it comes to hiring a planner that will orchestrate the whole day! It’s like having a car and all the passengers but no driver (or GPS in a place you never visited)! So why stop at hiring the planner. In reality a planner can SAVE YOU MONEY & TIME! Planners have relationships with vendors and venues since they work on many weddings not just one and may get a better price verses you going to them on you own also planners can give you economies of scale. They will also help you put together a realistic budget for a wedding/ event you'll love and can afford. In the end, the money and time saved most likely will be greater than the cost of the planner, so you basically got the planner for FREE!

 

I have family and friends who have volunteered to help me day-of. It should be fine!

While this is a nice gesture, unless your family member is a professional event planner, I’m pretty sure it won’t be fine. They are your guests and should not be working on your wedding day. They will be so preoccupied with socializing, drinking a little too much champagne, ooh’ing and ahh’ing over how beautiful you look, taking hundreds of photos, and not focused on the important details that make the event run smoothly. Who is making sure the gifts and cards are being accounted for? Who is setting the event up and making sure all the vendors you hired have arrived and have set up correctly? Or how about someone to find the cake knife and server when they disappear just minutes before its time to cut the cake? Most of the time the answer is nobody. Friends and family are left scrambling to solve these mishaps while also trying to enjoy the wedding as guests. They will not be informed on important decisions (i.e. telling the catering manager that although the bar tab has been exceed you insist the bride and groom said its fine to keep it open, leaving the couple with a few thousand dollars more to pay). Almost every couple these days is working within a budget, but everyone seems to think they can save on costs by "doing it themselves or having a good friend to do it." So they will invest in a great photographer to capture the moments, a floral designer to make everything look pretty and money is spent on linens, favors and a dessert bar. However, when it comes to getting a professional wedding coordinator to pull together all those details, often times couples decide to skimp on that and the execution of everything is pawned off on an aunt, family friend, catering manager, or bridesmaid. Paying to bring someone on board who knows what they are doing puts the day at ease no matter the scale of the wedding. Even if there are beautiful decor elements and photos to capture it all, if the bride and groom and their guests didn't fully enjoy it, that's what will be remembered.

The venue coordinator & catering manager assured me that I don’t need to 

                                                hire a planner because they can handle it.

The bottom line is: a venue coordinators are there because they are hired by the venue to maintain and manage the venue only (i.e. food, rentals, staff, etc…. They work for the venue and not for you. Their main goal is to ensure the facility runs smoothly. So if you arrive and all your flower arrangements are wrong and the guests can’t figure out where they are supposed to sit, don’t look at the venue coordinator to help you out because they won’t have any idea on what you wanted and it is not apart of the job they are being paid for. There are many venue in-house coordinators who do a great job managing the venue. However, it is not their job to assist you with all the details that go along with planning your wedding. If in doubt, just ask the in-house coordinator what services they will be providing for you. Listed below are just some of the things wedding planners help with that venue coordinators do not.

Attending vendor meetings with you and asking the right questions.

Reviewing all your vendor contracts for errors or potential problems.

Helping you combine all the ideas that you have to create the wedding of your dreams in your budget.

Creating extensive time lines for you.

Staying in touch with your vendors and making final confirmations.

Having back-up reputable vendors to contact in case of a problem.

Assisting you with invitations and stationary etiquette.

Providing you with custom planning resources.

        Shouldn’t the vendors be able to manage themselves since they work weddings all the time?

According to feedback from vendors I have worked with, I have heard more times than not, there is a huge difference between a wedding with a planner vs. one without / with a venue coordinator. Not only are the finishing touches and design usually better but also the flow of the event and communication between the parties (i.e. the photographer will be ready for photos and not out in the cocktail area when the DJ plays the song for the Grand Entrance because the coordinator will have given both a warning). Although it’s your day, think about the vendors you have hired. What will help make both your lives and their lives easier? A wedding planner!

                            I read all the magazines and blogs. I have all the resources I need. 

                I don’t want a wedding planner to take away the fun of planning my wedding!

When you first get engaged, wedding planning is a novelty. You buy every magazine and bookmark every blog out there to help plan your big day. However, with hundreds of wedding blogs, magazines, photographers, videographers, venues, etc… it can get overwhelming and stressful trying to narrow down who/what is the best fit for your style, budget and needs. Once the wedding comes the couple is so worn out with decisions that the process is no longer fun. Wedding planners who do this every day will help bring you the resources that best fits your needs so that you can “ENJOY the Experience” and have fun during the process until the end! They are educated and knowledgeable in all things wedding related from etiquette to getting a marriage license and are a huge accessible resource!

                            My family & friends want to help me with the planning process.

Except when your future mother-in-law has a completely different vision for her son’s wedding and your brother insists that his band play a medley at your reception and your parents decide to invite all their friends as if it was their party. Think about the movies “My Big Fat Greek Wedding.” You need a MEDIATOR. A planner is a good third-party mediator in tricky family situations. It is impossible to please everyone; however, at least a planner can give an unbiased opinion to help navigate problems.

Not convinced? Below are accounts from actual couples who didn't hire a professional planner! Don't let this happen to someone you love.

1. Transportation nightmare: The shuttle may forget to stop at one of the hotels and leave guests behind before the ceremony is about to start... so now what?


2. Stranded at the altar: The couple may forget to designate someone to cue the musicians to know when the wedding party and bride should walk down the aisle. The groom and guests wait while nothing happens, but the same song plays over and over again.

3. Family Feud: Family members, who are helping run the day, may have a different vision than the bride and groom. With no third party mediator offering an unbiased opinion, the disagreements may escalate leaving the couple less than enthused about their wedding day.

4. Communication Meltdown: The bar tab may exceed the allotted budget, but no one checks in with the bartender so drinks are continuing to be served leaving the newlyweds with an unexpected bill at the end of the night.

5. Budget Blunders: Most couples overspend on their budget and waste a lot of time researching vendors within their price point. Planners are used to working within the confines of a budget, they do it every day. They already know which photographer is going to be in your price range and which caterer will give you the most for your money.

6. Floral/baskets/pillow misplaced: Right before the wedding begins the brides bouquet is misplaced, or the ring bearer lost the ring pillow, or the flower girl left her basket somewhere? Things happen all the time no matter who is in charge, but the key is how are those problems are managed. When a professional experienced planner is not involved, is there someone designated to solve your big and small wedding issues?

                Now I have called around and there are other planners that charge less than you, 

                                                   why do you charge what you charge?

We always refer to that old saying” you get what you pay for!” The same holds true for wedding and event planning. When you go to an outlet store or a store that sells designer mock ups or last season’s name brand clothes/handbags etc….you have to rummage through stacks and stacks of clothes, undergarments, shoes etc, to find something that’s in your size, your color and without any damage to it such as a stain, or string pulled or the slightest imperfection, to feel like you are getting a bargain. But the reality is that you spent several hours rummaging for something that when you get home, may or may not be to your satisfaction, but it’s too late, you purchased it and it may not be an item that can be returned or that can be exchanged because the racks may or may not have another one like it. All I can say is you’re getting what you paid for. 1 Elegant Event, Wedding & Event Planning staff will manage, coordinate, plan, execute and design your special day and are well trained experienced professionals that work in the industry of wedding and event planning. They do not pay money to a company to obtain a certificate that say “Wedding Planner” and have business cards made out that say wedding planner. Let’s face it; some people do become overnight wedding planners after getting married themselves, but does that make them an expert on planning another’s wedding? Planners that actually service brides as a business and not as a hobby are indispensable and will typically charge a minimum of $2000 and a maximum of $10,000 + depending on wedding location, size, and tasks at hand. Anything less may indicate inexperience. Go ahead, do the research; check out some of the blogs who have credible vendor directories and list wedding planners all across the US and compare.

Wedding planners are affordable and can even get you discounts and special rates by consulting through them. Wedding professionals build up relationships with other wedding vendors and will be your ace negotiator in getting you the perfect one for you. They are your wedding manager who is there to make sure you have the best for your once in a lifetime wedding!

On multiple occasions I have seen free services thrown in by a vendor or a price even deducted in half because they went through a wedding planner. Planners can also help you get more bang for your buck. They know how to cut back on certain expenses to make your event look like a splurge even though you might be on a tight budget. On a wedding day it is not uncommon to have a 16-hour work day, a mop in one hand and an iron in the other. The last thing a bride needs to do is to be steaming linen or polishing silverware before she is about to walk down the middle aisle. Wedding planners are professionals that obsess over weddings, daydream about wedding and are always scheming new trends for weddings. They are full-time wedding guru’s that have been doing this for years, not just for a few months of engagement. By tapping into their skills and involving them from the beginning of your initial planning, you will be amazed at the creations that will come to surface giving you the wedding you more than dreamed of!

How much time do I need to hire a wedding planner?

As soon as the couple is engaged, that is the perfect time to contact a wedding planner to start working on the wedding. By obtaining the services of a wedding planner early on, before any other contracts are signed or dresses bought, it will allow the best planned out wedding because the vendors will be available, and they will be able to negotiate prices that will fit the client’s budget whether abundant or minimal. We have contracted with several busy couples who have given us much less than 6 months to plan their Wedding. However, we would prefer to have more time to negotiate and help the couple select vendors that they have time to preview, if desired.

                          There are many website and TV shows about wedding planning, 

         why should I hire a wedding planner with all the self help books and websites out there?

The self help books, magazines and TV show are not specific to your individual needs and they only give generalities on how to do something. They give you general time lines, general to do list, and general how to's. Nothing specific to you and the writer of the program or book does not come to the event to help you if there is a problem. What it does not tell you is, for example, if you happen to use an IPOD for your wedding music instead of someone who is not an experienced DJ , and what do you do if the IPOD is not compatible with the venue’s professional equipment? If you make the invitations yourself through your printer and they are not centered properly or you start to run out of ink and the print gets lighter and lighter before you realized what’s happening, you already have 100 invitations, what do you do? These are just some examples of what happens to well-intentioned brides and families.

    Wedding are boring to me, but I want to please my family. Can you make my wedding different?

These are our favorite types of weddings, the ones that do not have a traditional theme, because we can spend time with the bride and groom getting to know them and assessing their uniqueness and feelings on things and getting the vision for their special day.

            What if I am getting married out of state or out of the country? Do you come with me?

Most of time but, that would be strictly up to the client. We travel with the client at times and the client would provide the planner and their assistant travel fees or we can plan the wedding and event from here through a destination resort and personal planners we know that handles weddings all the time and leave you in their hands once you leave the country to get married there. Since we are closely affiliated with a travel agency who specialize in destination wedding travel and luxury honeymoon packages we have access to many locations and cruises and are able to give you the destination wedding your envisioned.

                                                 What happens at the free consultation?

Our free consultation will be an opportunity for the bride and groom/ and family to come and share their dream wedding ideas that that they have in mind.  We listen to your ideas, give you a budgetary assessment, then we share a little bit about us and if the client and 1 Elegant Event, Wedding & Event Planning is a good fit for each other, the client then reviews our contract and signs on with us to start working. We like to do this meeting in person but it can and has been done for clients out of our city, state or country by phone or skype. 

Glad we could take this time out to help explain why having a wedding planner/ coordinator is a necessity and not a luxury for all weddings. Feel free to call 1 Elegant Event, Wedding & Event Planning service to schedule your free consultation 251-289-9451. 

visit:  WWW.1ELEGANTEVENT.COM

This blog was written by Cossie Crosswhite, National Event Specialist and Owner of 1 Elegant Event, Wedding & Event Planning!

For more information about this topic view Alene Gamel's Blog in AL.com news Blog Weddings 911 http/blog.al.com/weddings-911/2012/12/weddings911-do_you_need_a_planner_or_director.html