Congratulations on your engagement!

You must be so excited and will most probably want to start planning your wedding straight away!

First things first, we highly recommend you hire a wedding planner! Wedding planning can be quite hectic and overwhelming, so it’s great to have someone to help you along the way. A wedding planner is a professional who has experience in planning weddings, and thus will make the whole process easier for you. It’s best to look around a bit first, and find someone who is the perfect fit for you. Discuss the ideas you have for your wedding and hire someone who understands your vibe. You’re going to be spending a lot of time with this person, so make sure you get along well! Trust us when we say your mum’s friend’s cousin’s daughter who you are being forced to hire, is probably not the best match for you.

BELOW ARE A FEW THINGS TO THINK ABOUT BEFORE YOU HIRE A PLANNER.

1.Do they have a professional website?

Does the planner you are considering have a professional website, or well kept social media pages? These are often the best way to figure out how much effort a planner puts into their business. Check Facebook to see what sort of reviews the planner has gotten. Read the bad reviews too, to see if the bad reviews are something that were the fault of the planner or not.

2.Discuss budgets with your partner beforehand, and include them in the process.

A wedding budget is an important and private thing that you should discuss with your partner and your family beforehand. Talking about finances to other people can be awkward, but it’s something you’re going to have to do to ensure everyone is comfortable. Once you have a budget, you can reach out to a planner.

3.Be careful of the difference between an event planner and a wedding planner.

True, most people can do both. Especially if it’s a bigger event planning business. However, be careful. There are big differences in planning corporate events vs weddings. Make sure your planner has plenty of experience in planning weddings! Check out pictures of previous weddings they have planned, to get an idea of if the fit between you and the planner is right!

4.Check out package deals!

Do you already know what your wedding venue is going to be? Venues that host weddings often, usually have a professional wedding planner that comes included in the rate for the venue. All the points in this list still count though, so make sure you are comfortable with the wedding planner before agreeing. However, this is a great way to save some money.

5.Pretend it’s a job interview!

Because, to be honest, it is! Your wedding planner will be planning one of the biggest days of your life so you have to make sure they will do a professional job! Feel free to meet them, or chat over the phone. Ask them as many questions as you need to, so that you are comfortable enough to trust them with the planning of your wedding!

6.Get their rates and sign a contract upfront.

Regardless of if the wedding planner was a recommendation, a relative, or someone you found yourself, make sure you have their full rate list and package agreed upon before you start planning. Leave room for extras here and there, but make sure you know exactly what you are paying your planner for. For example, make sure the fee includes them being there the whole day of your wedding, make sure you have a set number of meetings planned out and that the co-planners are paid for too.

There you have it! At the end of the day, a wedding planner will take a lot off your plate and make sure you don’t have anything to stress about on your special day. Sometimes, your wedding planner will even become a good friend of yours. Make sure you pick wisely!

www.weddingsbynadun.com