Missed my seminar at the CA Bridal & Wedding Expo? Here, I'll go over some of the things I discussed, including what wedding planners do, what the difference is between wedding planners and coordinators, and how best to get started on your wedding.
What is a Wedding Planner?
According to Wikipedia, a wedding planner is "a event planner who assists with the design, planning, and management of a client's wedding." But let's dive into this more - what does a wedding planner DO?
Every planner is a bit different, but here's an example of what's provided in my full-service wedding planning package:
Guidance through the planning process from beginning to end
Recommendations to help you book ALL vendors & service providers
Review and negotiation of all contracts
Budgeting & scheduling assistance, and keeping you on track with both
Assistance with ancillary wedding events, including rehearsal dinner, bachelor(ette) parties, welcome parties, etc.
Assistance with travel planning, including guest travel, hotel blocks, and honeymoon services
All wedding design and decor creation, setup, and breakdown, in collaboration with other design vendors (florist, DJ, etc.)
Problem-solving throughout the process
Guest list management
Day-of/month-of coordination - managing and communicating with all vendors, generating a day of schedule, and executing and managing the wedding event
And more!
Some wedding planners may not do design, while some may not do ancillary wedding events (they JUST do the wedding), so everyone's packages will vary.
But what if you just need help with certain things during the planning process? That's where partial planning comes into play. Most wedding planners will offer a full-service package or a partial-planning package. Partial wedding planning picks up from where the client (YOU) left off, and include the relevant services listed above. For example, if you have already hired all of your vendors but don't know what to do next, you may hire a partial planner to help you figure out next steps and take over from there!
What's a Wedding Coordinator?
Often, I hear clients confused about two of the services most planners provide: Wedding Planning & Wedding Coordination. So what the heck is wedding coordination?
According to Brides.com, a wedding coordinator "is logistically focused but on a shorter timeline than a planner. A coordinator usually begins working with you about a month before your wedding and functions as the point-person on your big day." Similarly, let's dive into the duties of a wedding coordinator - what do they do?:
Generates a schedule for the Wedding Day
Takes over communication and management of all wedding vendors & venue(s)
Ensures that all wedding vendors and venue(s) have what they need for the Wedding Day
Sets up decor & design on the Wedding Day alongside other design-related vendors (like your florist)
Manages and executes the schedule on the Wedding Day, keeping things moving so you don't run behind
Manages all wedding vendors and venue(s) on the Wedding Day
Problem-solves as issues come up
Many people refer to wedding coordinators as "day-of coordinators," however, this is a bit of a misnomer. Wedding coordinators do not JUST work on the day of the wedding, but actually typically start working about a month before.
So what's the difference between a planner and a coordinator? Basically, while planners create all plans and designs and are your guide throughout the whole process, coordinators only pick up and execute plans and designs right before the Wedding Day.
What's a Wedding Designer?
A service that some wedding planners provide is wedding design, however, some also are themselves wedding designers. So what's a wedding designer and what do they do? What do you get when you hire a designer?
As opposed to a wedding planner and coordinator, according to Brides.com, a wedding designer's role "is purely aesthetic and doesn't include things like contract negotiations or attending appointments alongside the bride." Essentially, wedding planners are both logistically AND creatively focused, coordinators are ONLY logistically focused, and designers are ONLY creatively focused. Here's a taste of what designers provide:
Collaborates with the client on vision and direction & creates a design plan
Chooses (with the client) signature colors and palette
Oversees & manages the decor budget
Sources all design/decor elements
Creates all design/decor pieces and floor plan
May also setup design on the day of the wedding
So Why Should I Hire a Wedding Planner?
You wouldn’t try to fix your septic system by yourself. So why don’t we hire professionals to plan our weddings? Wedding planners offer so much, apart from just their services and duties, including:
Expertise & Knowledge: We are trained professionals, with the knowledge and expertise to know how to best create your dream wedding.
Etiquette Advice: Whose name do I put on the wedding invitation? Do I put my registry on the invites/save-the-dates? Do I have a cash bar? A planner can answer all these questions and more based on expectations and wedding etiquette.
Connections to Amazing Vendors: We are connected to an amazing network of wedding industry professionals, and can provide recommendations to vendors that fit your needs so you don't have to start from scratch.
Value: We can help you find amazing vendors and decor that fit your budget and don't make you break the bank.
Mediation: We’ll help you figure out what things to keep and what things to throw away from people’s unsolicited wedding advice.
A Stress-free Wedding: We help take over the majority of the planning so that you can continue living your life instead of having to work, live, AND plan a wedding. We make the process as stress-free and FUN as possible!
Problem-Solving throughout the Process: Problems and issues are inevitable along the way. We help you solve problems and anticipate them so they don't even happen in the first place.
Execution of your Vision: We bring your dream wedding to life!
And more!
Why Should I Hire a Coordinator?
Maybe you don't quite have the budget for a full-service wedding planner, but still want someone to manage the Wedding Day. Maybe you are a planner at heart, but don't want to have to stress on the Wedding Day. Here's why you might want to get a wedding coordinator:
Stress-free Scheduling: We know how to schedule out your big day with buffer built in and all of the relevant information for the couple, vendors, and venue(s).
Managing the Wedding Timeline: If things start to run behind, we know how to get things moving, and if things are running ahead, we advocate for the couple on how best to use the time (maybe more photos, or HMU touchups, etc.).
Problem-Solving Wedding Day Issues: Similarly to Wedding Planners, we know how to anticipate and solve any issues that come up. Maybe Aunt Sally and her kids decided not to come and now you have an empty table. We will figure out how to move things around and make it work.
Less Stress on your Big Day: You're not running around all day trying to get things ready, so instead you can focus just on the FUN!
A Point of Contact for all Guests, Vendors, and Couple Questions: No couple wants guests and vendors running up to them with questions all day. Instead, they can go to the coordinator with any issues, questions, and concerns.
And more!
How Do I Get Started on My Wedding?
So, how do you start your wedding planning journey? Here's how I recommend starting:
Get an idea for your wedding vision: Do you want a small & intimate wedding, or a large and extravagant wedding? Do you want flowers everyone, or a more basic design? Think about how you want your wedding to look.
Figure out an estimated guest count: Your guest count guides everything else - venue, catering, decor needs, rentals, etc.. You need a general idea of how many guests you'll invite before everything else.
Set your general budget: How much money do you have for your wedding? Whether you have 5K or 50K, that's where you start. And then with the guest count, you can determine a how much you have for each budget category.
Get a planner: You will want a planner as soon as possible. Too many couples spend all of their money on a venue, and then have nothing left for all the other details. By hiring a planner before everything else, then you not only get the best value from the planner, but you also don't go venue-poor, as you have someone else assisting with budget and vendor/venue selection.
Figure out what date or time of year you want to get married: Do you have a specific date you HAVE to get married on (an anniversary, a holiday, etc.)? If not, at least determine what time of year or month you want to get married. Do you want an outdoor wedding in the fall? Maybe a September wedding. Do you want a winter wonderland wedding? Maybe December.
Find a venue: Once you and your planner know your budget, guest count, and when you generally want to get married, THEN you can find a venue and set your date!
Why Should I Hire Fantastical Adventures???
You've made it this far, and you may be asking yourself, what makes Fantastical Adventures any different than other planners, designers, and coordinators. I'm not just here to save you time & money, though of course I do that too! Here's just a taste of what I'm doing different:
Here at Fantastical Adventures, we specialize in crafting personalized, unique experiences tailored to the stories & fandoms you love. Every part of the process is made specifically for you. Are you a Lord of the Rings megafan? We'll find you a venue that fits that theme. Are you a Star Wars lover? We'll get you florals incased in a lightsaber.
Because my business is young, I offer low, affordable prices and meet clients where they're at. Can't afford my minimum? Let's discuss.
I am both a wedding planner AND designer, with a nerdy/fandom focus, which means I can provide both full-service planning AND nerdy themed design sourcing & building for ONE cost.
I am both a wedding planner AND travel planner/agent, which means I am uniquely fit to handle destination weddings, guest travel, honeymoons, and more in addition to my regular wedding planning services. Not to mention, my travel services are FREE!
Fantastical Adventures works 7 days a week, 365 days a year. I can do weddings and events any day of the week that I am not already booked!
Need some help with creating your dream wedding? Email me at jill@fantasticaladventuresbyjill.com or head to my Book Now page to get started!
-Jill
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