10 Tips For Working With Your Wedding Planner
Every couple dreams of the perfect wedding day - and who can blame them?! Couples put in hours of work planning their dream day, to only get one shot to make it happen. That’s a lot of pressure! Thankfully for us, wedding planners exist. Planners are pretty much a saving grace, especially for our couples that don’t particularly enjoy all the details of planning.
Depending on the package you choose, your wedding planner will create your timeline with you, think through every last detail, and execute a flawless wedding day. Can you imagine actually enjoying your wedding day instead of worrying about if your centerpieces will get set-up, or if your donut wall will arrive on time? What a dream that would be! Sometimes working with a planner can be overwhelming, so we’re sharing our 10 favorite tips for working with your wedding planner. These tips will help you set your planner up for success, ultimately giving you the best wedding day!
1. Know your package
Most wedding planners will offer several different packages (ranging from full service planning to day-of coordination). Bellagala offers 3 packages: day-of coordinator, day-of coordinator plus, and custom planning. Each package includes different things, so it’s important to know exactly what's all included in your wedding planning package. If you booked the day-of coordinator plus package, it will avoid putting your planner in a difficult spot if you know that design assistance is not included in your package.
2. Set your budget
Before you start working with your planner, set your budget. Once you have a set budget, they can help you prioritize different elements of your wedding so that you can have your dream wedding while staying within budget.
3. Create a Pinterest board
Oh, Pinterest...in the wedding industry, we have a love/hate relationship with this platform. We love it because couples can figure out their style, and show us their vision for their wedding. On the other hand, it can create some unrealistic expectations for couples. Despite this, creating a Pinterest board to share with your planner will be so helpful because they can get a feel for your overall design aesthetic, and any creative elements you may want to include on your wedding day. Overall, this board will give them much-needed insight into your wedding vision.
4. Schedule meetings in advance
One very simple thing you can do to help your wedding planner out is to schedule any meetings in advance. Doing this gives them time to prepare anything necessary, talk to other vendors if applicable, and block their schedules off to give you all of their attention. Giving them at least one week’s notice before appointments is fabulous!
5. Ask for advice
Your wedding planner has most likely done this once or twice before and is a great resource for any questions you have. Asking them for advice is one of the best things you can do because they probably have some tips they can give you - or suggestions from prior experience.
6. Communication is key
If this isn’t the truth! Communication with your wedding planner is so important. They are the one vendor that needs to be told every little detail about your big day - even surprise details like a choreographed dance. Ensuring that your planner has as much information about your event as possible will help them execute a flawless wedding day. Bonus tip: tell your wedding planner about any new ideas/wants you have too! Even if they don’t end up happening in the end, it’s still important for them to know.
7. Be honest with your opinions
Throughout the wedding planning process, your planner will make suggestions & throw new ideas your way. Share your honest thoughts & feedback with them! This is the only way they will be able to learn your unique preferences, and the only way they can create your dream wedding. Don’t worry, you won’t hurt their feelings if you dislike an idea!
8. Fill out your event details
When working with Bellagala, we will send you an event details document to fill out before the big day. Filling this out will give your planner all of the key information they need for your wedding. This is especially important if you have a day-of coordination package because they haven’t been planning every step of the way with you.
9. Trust & enjoy!
The biggest thing you can do to help your wedding planner is to trust them. They are the experts, and they know what they’re doing. Trust in them when they make a timeline suggestion, and trust in them to execute your wedding day. Doing this allows you to truly enjoy your wedding day & take in every moment for what it is. The wedding day flies by, and being able to truly be present in every moment is so special. Let your wedding planner worry about that donut wall!
10. Any Questions? Ask your planner!
The last tip we have for you to create a pleasant working relationship with your wedding planner is to ask them questions. Ask them if there's anything you can do to help make their job easier, or what other details they may need from you. Asking simple questions like this shows that you care about your planner and that you genuinely want to help them achieve their best results. Setting up an open environment like this for your wedding planner will encourage them to thrive, and allow everyone to have the best time on the wedding day! Is there anything better than that?
Looking for the perfect wedding planner? Bellagala offers several planning packages that will fit any need. Contact us today to learn more about our availability, pricing, and planners!
