10%

What Is A Wedding Planner?

And why they are very important!

By Ashleigh Cropper

April 12^th, 2017

Planner / Coordinator / Designer

Are you engaged? Planning your wedding? Feeling confused and not sure what direction to go in? Finding a reliable vendor is a bit nerve-wracking and harder than you thought? You have a perfect venue in mind, but am not sure if it even exists? Are parents telling you everything you should do, but it's not what you want?

Don't stress. Today, I'm going to break down what a planner does and I have three amazing wedding planners who have helped contribute!

I bet you have seen the following titles of wedding planner, wedding coordinator, and wedding designer?

They are not the same thing!

They are actually three very different roles and here is how I explain this to my brides.

1) Wedding Planner:

They are there for you from the very beginning of your planning, to the very end. From brainstorming and logistics, to contracts, your wedding vision, timelines, budget, and vendor referrals. Some do include design but others do not which is where a wedding designer comes into play.

2) Wedding Designer:

The designer strictly focuses on design only. That could include everything from how you want your lighting to look on the dance floor, to flowers, linens, furniture, arrangements. The overall look is from the designer. The designer has the artistic eye that can see how you would like your whole wedding day to look.

3) Wedding Coordinator:

Have you heard "month-of service?" This would be a coordinator. While a planner sees from the beginning to end of your wedding, the coordinator typically makes sure things are in order for the day but isn't as involved as a planner. They will step in with your wedding details a month out from your wedding date and tie up loose ends, while helping finalize timelines and be there on your wedding day to see that everything goes as planned. So while you might do the planning on your own, they take care of the execution.

Lets talk Specifics!

I cannot recommend a planner enough to all my couples! Although coordinators are helpful, a planner is there every step of the way allowing you to truly enjoy the entire wedding planning experience. I have seen the same scenario play out one too many times (which is why I am writing this post to help you!) I have had numerous weddings in the past where the wedding day arrives, vendors are running late, everyone is asking, "where are the flowers?!", the doors are locked to the reception location for some crazy reason, mom is asking her daughter about ten million questions all at once, the grooms are off doing dude stuff and not watching the time...it can go on and on.

Then panic strikes and suddenly all the time and effort of months--sometimes years--turns into a hellish nightmare of stress instead of a beautiful, care-free day. Those dear moments are spent on the phone trying to track down someone to open the reception location, find the florist, and find the rings. This is not how a wedding day should go!

Trust me, you want to enjoy the day, not run it.

Enter the wedding planner!

I have three amazing wedding planners from Colorado who have joined me in this conversation to help you! These three ladies have shared with me the specifics of a wedding planner so you can see what that they do and why their role is invaluable on your big day!

Brynn Swanson: First Look Events

I am fortunate to work with Brynn, a planner in Denver, Colorado who runs First Look Events. Brynn has been in the events industry for nine years and has extensive experience. She explained the specifics of a wedding planner so well below.

"A qualified planner should first and foremost make an effort to get to know the couple; how they met, what they like to do for fun; what makes them tick. This enables a planner to create a beautiful AND detailed day that is perfect for that couple. From there your planner should develop a detailed budget that will guide the design and vendor selections throughout the wedding planning. Your planner should select vendors in every category that fit your budget, style and personality. It is your planners job to present great options but not necessarily make the final decision. They should help you create a lovely and streamlined design that tells your lovely story."

Brynn then goes on to explain that the month leading up to the wedding, the planner should create a very detailed timeline and present it to all the creative partners so there are no surprises the day of. Can you image trying to create a vendor timeline for every simple person involved in creating your wedding?!

I love how Brynn says it,

" The day of the wedding, your planner should be guiding the day in an effortless behind the scenes way. Your planner should be seen as a place of calm, keeper of answers, master of details, and friend as you say 'I Do!'"

I will echo that planners should be someone who keeps you calm, able to help you in any way, and be aware of every little detail!

Pam Zola of Pam Zola weddings

Pam Zola is the planner of Pam Zola Weddings in Boulder, Colorado and I was fortunate to work with her last year and see her talent in action (that is Pam and our wedding in the images above!) There are two areas of discussion that Pam mentioned which detail really well the little things that planners do.

"A great planner will understand relationships, like who might need a tissue before walking down the aisle, who might need to stay away from whom, and who should not be offered too much to drink before toasts. Weddings are such emotional events that a planner who has a high emotional intelligence is going to be of great value."

Pam then went on to talk about your ceremony rehearsal! So many details go just into the rehearsal that allow you to practice and have so many questions answered. Pam says:

"Your planner will run your ceremony rehearsal. This is not only a fun gathering of your VIPs, but it is a time to work out any questions and concerns that you and your wedding party may have; where do I stand, where do I put my hands, how quickly am I walking down the aisle, how close together are bride and groom standing, where is the mic stand going, how are we handing off the rings, what's going to look best for photos? Then, for the real deal ceremony, those details are old hat and you can all just be giddy and excited, and focus on the emotion of the moment (instead of all the aforementioned details)."

There is so much to think about, and on top of the rehearsal, that is even more so! I think Pam really captured so many of the details that go into being a planner.

tAKE aWAY

There is so much valuable information to consider that comes with booking a planner. Thank you so much to Brynn, and Pam for adding their insight and knowledge as a planner in the wedding industry! I recommend these ladies highly as they have many years of experience and know just how to make your special day a complete success!

My hope is that you see the value in a wedding planner and understand that they are one of the most crucial parts to your day! As a photographer, I have began only accepting weddings with planners because of all they do! I cannot fully do my job of capturing your wedding day if I become a "pseudo" planner.

A planner will be on your side every step of the way, they will solve problems before you even notice them, and they will help you relax, knowing that someone else is taking care of everything.