The definition of a wedding planner
A wedding planner is the person in charge of organising your wedding, someone who supports the engaged couples and their relatives. So, ok, but this isn’t helping a lot, is it? In this article, I will therefore explain in details what my job – wedding planner in Bordeaux – is about, so that you can know the ins and outs of it.
The roles of a wedding planner
As someone told me so one day, it’s like being the conductor of a wedding. Being a wedding planner is not only a matter of finding the service providers and being there on your wedding day. There are plenty of other things to organise and various unmissable steps which remain invisible to the couples.
Of course, my main role is to be attentive to the engaged couple and their families, regarding the context (I have to know how to define the links and the familial atmosphere, in order to understand and prepare the wedding as well as possible). After meeting the couple, the wedding planner starts looking for the service providers, the ceremony location, the caterer, the photographer, the video maker, the music band, the DJ, and many others. But it doesn’t mean that I just make a few phone calls or send a few emails, and that’s it! No, the wedding planner ensures a proper monitoring of the appointments in order to explain in details the specifications of each provider, so that the couple can chose more easily, even without knowing them. The wedding planner visits all the ceremony locations beforehand, to sort out the most pertinent for the engaged couple. When the moment of the final decision comes, the latter will visit the chosen place.
The wedding planner is the link which connects everyone.
Simultaneously, a forecast budget is made, in accordance with the budget given at the beginning of the contract by the couple, and with the project.
The wedding planner takes care of the monitoring of this budget all along the preparations, and chooses the service providers according to it.
Payments of deposits and balances are carefully noted down, so that there is no surprises on the Big Day.
The reverse planning is also a good solution to follow the guiding principle from the preparations to the wedding day.
When the locations and service providers are approved, the wedding planner organises the technical visits alone with the providers, in order to confirm the equipment locations, the lighting effects…
A few weeks before the wedding, the wedding planner gives a D-Day schedule to all the participants, so that everyone knows when and where they are needed.
On the “Big Day”, the wedding planner checks and coordinates each step, managing all the participants like a conductor, just as I said previously. The wedding planners do their best to settle the problems which could happen on the wedding day, they guide the couple to respect the timing and keep an eye on the details the bride and groom don’t have time to see… The latter can therefore focus on their guests and enjoy every second of their Big Day, knowing that their wedding planner is here to deal with all the rest.
The wedding planner also spends time with the relatives to organise the animations, surprises, speeches… No loose ends; the wedding planner’s role is very special.
But this is also important to reassure the bride and groom when they have doubts about their weeding proceedings, and free communication is essential. I sometimes feel like a confidant, for the months we spend organizing together the most beautiful day of their lives are the opportunity for them to express their fears. But this gives us the strength and will to work body and soul to help them dream about their wedding day.
No more hesitation…
As you probably understand it now, the role of a wedding planner is essential! If you prefer to have the elements sorted-out, a direction to follow, a schedule which is already written, if you don’t want to be overwhelmed with emails or contacts from all the service providers, but if you do want the support of someone working by your side, then hire a wedding planner.
If you want to enjoy your Big Day, and your relatives to enjoy it as well, without having to deal with bad luck, which sometimes occurs at a wedding… then I’ll say it twice: hire a wedding planner.
Feel free to fix a first appointment, in order to define your project and see if you like what I have to offer. So, now that you know more about it, contact me !
Photo : Marine Monteils
