What Does a Wedding Planner Do?

If you’re recently engaged and in the throws of wedding planning, Pinterest boards aplenty, then perhaps it’s time to consider a wedding planner. Here, we delve into what wedding planners do, the value they can bring to creating a memorable wedding, and how much wedding planners cost.

A wedding planner coordinates the entire wedding; from planning the venue, guest list, and catering, to ensuring your wedding day goes smoothly from start to finish.

There are lots of different details that must be planned, and this can become overwhelming if you try to tackle it by yourself. A wedding planner can take away this extra stress, allowing you to focus on choosing your dream wedding ring and finding the perfect suit or dress.

With their wealth of expertise, a wedding planner can help you to find decorations that aren’t cliché, a personalised wedding invitation, and a menu that everyone will enjoy. They can also be on-hand on your wedding day, rounding up family and friends for photographs and dealing with any mishaps. While a wedding planner might not be necessary for an intimate or casual ceremony, traditionally large and grand affairs can undoubtedly benefit from a wedding planner's organisational and creative skills.

The need for a wedding planner depends on factors such as your budget, time and the overall complexity of the wedding. If you have a busy schedule, want a big, bold wedding, or just want to keep stress to a minimum, then we'd definitely recommend hiring a wedding planner. There are plenty of things to plan for a wedding:

• Wedding timeline & budget

• Venue selection & negotiation

• Wedding theme & style

• Wedding attire for the bride, groom, bridal, etc.

• Invitations

• Guest list & seating

• Food & drinks

• Vendors: photographers, videographers, caterers, florists, entertainment, bakers, etc.

• Reception details

• Self-care & honeymoon

• Budget management: Do you know that 54% of couples spent more than they’d planned – with an average of £5500? A skilled wedding planner can keep track of your spending and make sure everything is cost-effective.

A wedding planner can help save your time, reduce stress, supervise the logistics and creative vision. However, you might not necessarily need a wedding planner with:

• Small or simple wedding

• Supportive friends and family members

• Budget constraints

Most wedding planners will offer 3 options:

1. Full wedding planning, where they take on all creative and administrative responsibilities, sourcing everything from the perfect napkins for your taste to finding the venue and organising the legalities. They’ll run the schedule of the day, making sure the order of events runs smoothly.

2. Partial wedding planning, a slightly less hands-on approach. Perhaps you’ll have booked the venue and caterers but need an extra pair of hands for all the other details.

3. Wedding day management, where you’ll have sourced, booked and chosen the details yourself but need the management skills of a wedding planner to make sure your wedding schedule runs smoothly, so you can relax and enjoy your day.

When choosing a wedding planner, it’s important to look for certain qualities to ensure the process runs smoothly;

1. Organised and punctual: This may seem obvious, but it’s important to find someone prompt and organised to plan your day. They will need to manage multiple moving parts and chase vendors ahead of the wedding, so you need someone who can keep on top of everything.

2. Good with people: If you are hiring someone for full wedding management, they will need to speak to vendors regularly, as well as get along with you and your guests on the day. Find someone who is friendly - but can get people moving if needed!

3. Excellent communicator: You will need to speak to your wedding planner regularly, so they must be good on the phone and stay in touch via text message. You can get an idea of how they communicate when organising your initial consultation.

When searching for a wedding planner, it’s important to do your research. You can search online for local wedding planners in the area, visit wedding shows, and ask for recommendations from your married friends and family.

If you have already found a venue, you may be able to ask the venue manager for wedding planner recommendations from previous weddings. This way, they will already know the venue and be prepared on the day.

You can arrange to meet with any potential wedding planners for an initial consultation. You can look at previous examples of their work, gauge their personality, and test out some ideas. Reviews are important – be sure to read their client testimonials to get an idea of whether or not they are a match for you.

When meeting with your chosen wedding planner, bring along the following information and inspiration:

• Venue ideas (if not already booked) or venue information

• A date for the wedding

• Officiant preference

• Your budget

• An idea of aesthetic – Pinterest is good for this!

• Flower arrangement inspiration

• Catering or menu suggestions

• The draft guest list for both the service and evening party

The cost of wedding planners can vary hugely depending on location, expertise and experience. The level of service you’re after will also directly impact the cost of your wedding planner.

1. Full wedding planning: A good wedding planner will charge a minimum fee of 10-15% of your total budget.

2. Partial wedding planning: This will depend on the amount of organisation you’ve already done and what is left, but it would likely cost between £1,500 and £3,000.

3. Wedding day management: Again, this will depend somewhat on the scale and length of your wedding day, but you’d probably be looking at a lower fee, around £600 to £800.