Wedding Planners ~ Our Thoughts On Hiring A Wedding Planner
Today’s post is an out-and-out-plug for all of our Little Black Book Wedding Planners!
We know that times are tough for most couples planning weddings right now. We know that hiring a wedding coordinator may seem out of the question. But we implore you to look at our Little Black Book for Wedding Planners in your area and call a few. Our Little Black Book vendors are all thoroughly screened and to be trusted. We spend an inordinate amount of time researching these guys … so if you haven’t made the decision TO enlist a planner’s aid, hear me out.
Many venues have their own wedding coordinators that are excellent and very experienced. But sometimes, it’s difficult to discern the level of experience when you first begin the process (believe me, I speak from the experience of having three married daughters). If you get your heart set on a particular venue, be very careful to fully interview the event management team. If you are also able to hire an outside planner … one of your own choosing, they will work together to assure that the entire day goes smoothly and you are free to bask in the glory of the day!
Vendor selection and contract negotiation are probably the two most difficult pieces of the wedding puzzle. A skilled wedding planner will save you an amazing amount of time and money. I know you’ve heard that before, and will likely scoff at it again, but it is just SO true. Granted, if you live in one of the areas covered by The Little Black Book vendors … well, OK … we’ll vouch for any of them. Just let your fingers do the walking thru the LBB pages and you’ll have a great experience. No doubt.
However, many of our readers are in areas that aren’t fully populated by The Little Black Book vendors (yet!). If this is the case, find a recommended planner NEAR your wedding site and check out their ‘wedding planning packages’. Many of them offer hourly consultations, month-of consultations, really all sorts of options to help you double-check that you’re on top of things.
photography courtesy of Steve Canning Photography
Marissa & Jeffrey, pictured in the photos above, enlisted the very talented Aimee Dominick to help them plan and pull together the wedding of their dreams! They were married this past September in Virginia. I’m relatively certain that Marissa will NOT tell you that wedding planning is stress-free … (even when you do hire a coordinator). But I am also sure that she will say that she wouldn’t have enjoyed the entire experience as much without Aimee’s help!
A. Dominick Events is a fabulous wedding planning team in our Little Black Book, based in Washington DC. Her event planning firm offers a range of services that we’ve listed below. Most professional event planners across the country offer similar options.
Full Service Wedding Planning ~ Definitely the way to go if you can swing it. “What am I forgetting,” will never be an issue.
Part-time Wedding Planning ~ Aimee says, “Some brides have the time and patience to keep their wedding planning on track. We can aid these brides with a limited amount of “hand-holding” and become more involved the month prior to the wedding.” Seriously … give this option a huge amount of thought. That last month can be murder!
Month-of Planning ~ Again, from Aimee, “This option is perfect for couples on a limited budget with the time to plan their wedding on their own. In the four weeks leading up to the big day, we will double check all of the plans they have put into place.” Wouldn’t this be a huge comfort to you?
And then of course, there are Destination Weddings. You totally need to work a planner into your worksheet. At A. Dominick Events, this service includes site inspections and guest management. Guest management … hmmm … sounds like a huge help! And your Mom will truly thank-you.
Kim & Aaron’s lovely fall wedding was at the Westchester Country Club, New York. Wedding Planner, A. Dominick Events. Photography courtesy of Brian Dorsey Photography.
Do remember … Wedding planning services aren’t just about the actual wedding. You CAN get help with lots of challenging situations that crop up during the process… Rehearsal Dinners, Transportation Management, Financial Management, Hourly Consulting, Wedding Websites, Welcome Gifts, the list is endless.
So let’s leave it at this …
If you CAN afford one, get off the fence and into the Little Black Book for our recommended Wedding Planners.
If you HAVE thoroughly examined your funds and just can’t do it, re-visit the vast range of partial planning options they offer.
If there’s a particular category on your “to-do” list that you’re just dreading, give a recommended wedding planner a call and see if they would be able to help.
We’re pretty sure you’ll be pleasantly surprised!
This is YOUR DAY ~ YOUR WAY and we want you to have the time and the energy to enjoy it to it’s utmost!
Our best wishes to you ALL!!
A. Dominick Events may be based in DC, but she assists her couples wherever their hearts may take them!
Here's a random question, not exactly related to your discussion about wedding planners...
I love those champagne colored peep-toe pumps!!! Can anyone tell me where those shoes came from or what brand they are? I've been looking for something similar myself and so far haven't been able to find anything. Thanks!
The pumps are Stuart Weitzman - I don't see the 'bedazzled' version on their website, but I know that label! Good luck!
I agree! My fiance and I are both in graduate school (so we definitely have to consider our budget carefully), but we are over 600 miles away from our wedding site.
Our wedding planner are already been invaluable, and I opted for a "help me out with about half of the planning + lots of month through day-of" option. I bet we SAVE money at the end of the day if we compare her fee with the money we'll save based on her connections with local vendors! And the last thing I wanted was my mom and aunts setting up/cleaning up our reception - I want my family to just enjoy being together! So even if the planner is a little extra, she is worth it a million times over.
I'm getting married this coming October in Puerto Vallarta, in a lovely villa. My friend Megan, whose wedding at Cline Cellars was featured here, turned me onto this site It's been great inspiration. We are definitely using a coordinator due to the site (bringing in all the vendors) and the language barrier. We went down to meet them for a planning meeting in April and they are great. I would love to see more resources for destination weddings in the Little Black Book and I would be happy to share about our vendors after the wedding!
Hi, Amy, we are hard at work on our Destination Guide. Congrats on your upcoming nuptials! Please do feel welcome to email me your lovely Destination vendor (and venue!) recommendations for our special book: michelle@stylemepretty.com
Thank you for this post! Being a planner myself I obviously see the benefits in hiring one, but I often find that brides see planners as an unnecessary luxury... until they spend their wedding day stressed out because they're trying to keep track of a million details and enjoy the day at the same time! A post like this one helps brides make educated decisions on whether or not using a planner is the right path for them.
A wedding coordinator can be a LIFESAVER. But it's not an option for everyone.
If you're likely to worry about all those little details being in place on your big day, definitely consider a Day Of coordinator. I interviewed over 33 brides after their weddings and 57% said they wished they'd spent the money to hire a coordinator to look after the details so they didn't have to.
Somebody's going to coordinate your wedding day. Even if you don't hire a wedding planner...make sure that somebody isn't you!
Congratulations to everyone who is getting married! It must be a really exciting time! If anyone is looking for a wedding planner, I highly recommend Nerissa from Private Receptions. She is extremely friendly, helpful, and produces gorgeous events! She was my wedding planner, and I would hire her again in a heartbeat! Check out her website at http://www.privatereceptions.com
For couples living in the US or Canada who would like to experience a Scottish Wedding or a romantic Castle Wedding, then working with a Wedding Planner such as Premier Wedding Planner Scotland is a must. We ensure all legislative requirements are met, we cater for the wedding party from the moment they fly into Scotland and we prepare an itinerary for all the guests (for whom the wedding is often a holiday in it own right). Dealing with the details of a wedding without someone on the ground is never a great idea. We also offer brides a free wedding consultation - as getting to know them and their likes/dislikes and perfect wedding vision is essential.
If you know anybody who would like a free wedding consultation for a wedding in Scotland, please do not hesitate to make an appointment - it will cost nothing, but could result in the best day of your life.
www.premierweddingplannerscotland.com/free-wedding-consultation.