What Does a Wedding Planner Do?
So What Does a Wedding Planner Actually Do?
Let’s break it all down for you so you’ll know what to expect and can choose one that best fits your personality and needs. I’ll base this on Full Planning for an event.
Planning a wedding can be stressful. There is a lot of pressure to get the day “right” and it’s a lot of work. Vendors need booked, ideally in the right order. Designs need created and dreams of what the day will look like are heavy in the minds of those dreaming.
A wedding planner is the person on your side who wants it to go smoothly as much as you do. They are a helper, an advisor, and a counselor. They’ve seen a few things and they want to make the weight of the event easier for you.
Wedding planners help you decide and design the décor, theming, and colors of your event. They may help you choose vendors and advise you on which to use, such as venues, caterers, florists, DJs, musicians, officiants, and more. Some will tour venues with you.
Planners determine the logistics of your event with those spaces and the goals you have set. They help you set goals, communicate with your selected vendors for you, and work with you for the scheduling. Rehearsal Dinner and Wedding Day Timelines may be created by your planner. They will walk you through how it’s going to play out in real life and help you identify potential issues and create solutions to those potentially problematic items. They can help point out places where you could save money, time, or both.
On the day of your event, they are there to support you, manage the vendors, ensure everyone is where they should be at the time they should be. They will give your tips to vendors at the end of the night, pack up any gifts brought to the event and get them to your friend or family member, and will make certain those tablescapes have what they should have at each one for the reception.
Event planners provide The Big 4.
Planning
The overall strategy for the process. At EAE, we’re going to give you a calendar to follow over the course of your engagement. We’re going to talk to you about the milestones and what needs to happen at each. We’ll hold you accountable for getting those accomplished as well as take some of those tasks onto our own shoulders. We’re also going to talk to you about when each should happen and in what order.
You don’t need to do everything at once. Certain things come first and if done in the correct order, will make the tasks after that go smoother.
Your overall budget is a big deal. We’re going to keep track of this, help you plan it, and aid you in understanding if your budget is reasonable or if some things need to be reconsidered.
We love paperwork at EAE so you can bet there will be a spreadsheet (or 5) involved! It will be detailed and broken down by item and category.
We will facilitate meetings with your vendors and your planning team throughout the engagement. We will stay on top of communication sharing.
Design
Some planners are heavily involved in the aesthetics and some will only advise you on who to hire to obtain what you or someone else has planned. At EAE, we can fill either of those roles. Even someone who is only determining who to hire is still involved in the design, however, because deciding who to hire and what is needed greatly affects the overall look and feel of the entire event.
Your planner is the one who will execute the design. They will do the legwork to make it all happen. They will contact the vendors, discuss the florals and linens needed, prepare vendor proposals for approval, and submit those for payment.
You’re wanting a stack of vintage suitcases in a corner at your reception with old books on top? I know the vendor who rents those items. You’re envisioning Edison bulbs lighting the tents with florals hanging from the archways? I got you.
Planners have done the homework, gotten to know the vendors, and can prepare the resources available.
Production
This is the phase after you’ve approved the proposals, paid the deposits, and secured those vendors. Items are reserved for your dates and work is being done to create any custom builds. Things are being committed. You don’t want to make changes at this point. You may not even be able to depending on time until your event and the contracts signed.
Management
Your planner works with the vendors to execute before the event and the Day Of the event. They will dial into the details and create a truck manifest, will organize load in and load out schedules, and ensure everything is set up. Planners act as the manager of the crew you have hired.
They will go around and adjust décor as needed. Depending on the event, some will set up the tablescapes and other décor for you, set out personal items, and recover those items at the end of the event. Some events have florists and catering setting up these elements so it depends on the event but the planner is managing it all regardless of who is acting on the tasks.
The timeline on the Day Of needs event management as well. A planner will discuss the ceremony with your officiant and any announcements needed with your MC. They will discuss the pictures with the photographer to work out how much time they need for each group of pictures, when to best have them, and where to best get those shots.
Where everyone is getting dressed and what time, the schedule for pictures and where they will take place, the toasts, the processional, the Grand Entrance and Grand Exit, when the food is served, these are the finer details which are handled.
The details should be discussed with you in a final meeting. Surprises on the Day Of a wedding are rarely enjoyed by a couple, instead adding to anxiety. Our job is to alleviate anxiety for you.
At the final meeting, we’re going to go over the entire timeline and every facet of the details so you’re aware and can breathe in the relief. We’ll talk to the people you have involved in the details like your bridal party, your parents, close friends, and family and make sure they know what to expect and what’s expected of them.
A wedding is a huge investment of both time and money. A wedding planner helps you to make the most of that investment. The person you choose for this needs to be someone you trust, get along with, and who you feel can support you.