Common Misconceptions about Wedding Planners

There are many misconceptions on event planners and coordinators, in particular wedding planners.Here are some of the top myths we are busting today!

Wedding planners will overtake the wedding and I won’t get any say…

There’s no truth in that (well there shouldn’t be!) A role of a wedding planner is to create YOUR wedding using YOUR ideas. They will certainly guide you, put forth their suggestions but at the end of the day it’s your wedding and you make the final call. Planning a wedding is not a solo job but a team one and planners love it when brides get excited and involved in the process.

Wedding planners are expensive…

A good wedding planner shouldn’t be expensive. It pays to do a bit of research to see what rates are reasonable for planners to charge, most will charge by percentage and that can be anywhere from 10-20%. You may think that it will still be too expensive and your budget doesn’t allow room to hire a planner but never assume. A good planner will have access to discounts of 5-25% with many vendors and will in fact save you money- hopefully enough to cover their fee.

My venue has an on-site coordinator- that’s all I need…

Venue coordinators are great but remember they are there as the venue coordinator not the wedding coordinator. They will make sure the doors are open at the time you need, that the kitchen is ready and the lights are on but they are not there to inform the mc that there’s a change in the schedule or to make sure the dj plays the right first dance song. Be careful not to expect that they will cover everything that a wedding coordinator will.

You only need a planner for large weddings…

Every wedding has the same moving parts, big or small there can still be a need for a planner. If you feel you have got all the planning under control, hire a day-of coordinator so you can sit back and enjoy your day.

Being a wedding planner is an easy job…

Not at all! Many people think you don’t need any skills to be a wedding planner and it’s just not true. Like any job there are skills you need such as organisation, creativity, negotiation, budgeting and time management. You need to have a likeable and soft nature at times but hard skin. The job is both physically and mentally demanding, we are often in front of a computer screen, on the phone constantly and on our feet for long periods.

Wedding planners only work a few hours a week…

Most wedding planners work 40 hours -80 hours a week, on a wedding day a planner can work for up to 16 hours straight. This of course all depends on how many events they take on and whether they employ an assistant or work in a team.

There is no difference between a wedding planner and a wedding coordinator…

While many planners perform both these positions they are very different roles. A planner will plan your wedding from start to finish (or whatever areas you discuss) and that includes every possible detail, usually as part of that service they will also coordinate your day. Coordinators oversee the actual event, make sure vendors and arrive on time and fulfil their duties as you have advised. They deal with any hiccups and make sure the event runs smoothly and on schedule.

My mother or maid of honour can help with vendors and problems on the day…

You should feel like a guest at your wedding, relaxing and enjoying the day, letting someone else deal with all the details and hiccups. This goes for your family members too, while they may have enjoyed making invitations and planning with you they want to sit back and enjoy your day without any hassles as much as you do. On the day there will be phone calls to field, vendors interrupting asking what goes where, what times dinner again, and worst case- one doesn’t turn up and send the wrong colour! Hiring a day-of coordinator is usually not very expensive and well worth it! 

We hope you found this useful, please visit our blog for more wedding inspiration and tips.

www.envyevents.co.nz

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