The joyous task of planning a wedding can quickly become overwhelming and stressful without the right resources. Couples looking to avoid added stress when planning their special day should consider consulting a professional wedding planner for help ensuring the event goes off without a hitch. At TISOH, we specialize in training wedding coordination and design pros.
According to CNN, the average cost of a wedding in 2015 came in just over $30,000. The growing costs of weddings in today’s landscape significantly increases the need for professional wedding planning services to ensure the money is well spent on a successful event. It is important to remember, however, that even with the most meticulous planning, unexpected challenges may arise making the need for an experienced wedding planner much more crucial.
An experienced wedding planner can offer you expert insights and advice on how to best achieve your dream wedding. There are basic universal elements to all wedding planning. Whether you are considering hiring a professional wedding planner or going at it alone, the following tips should help you better make important wedding decisions.
Control Costs
It is important to remember the primary goal of the day is to celebrate your love and devotion to your significant other. While you may want to go all out for your wedding day, it is important to be reasonable when considering expenses.
For the best chance of success, it is crucial to create a wedding budget and stick to it. Take the time to find what kind of items, amenities, and services can be scaled back to help you stay within budget. Budgetary considerations will prove to be especially important in regards to the bar. Making smart choices and sticking to your budget will help you avoid sticker shock when wedding bills arrive.
Find the Right Partners
If you have decided to work with a wedding planner, take the time to make sure they are the right person for the job. You should feel confident about the capabilities of the person you are hiring. Be sure to make note of the level of communication and organizational skills of your planner. Taking the time to vet your wedding planner will ensure you aren’t stuck with someone without the capabilities to get the job done. This applies to all vendors you plan on working with for your wedding.
Expect the Unexpected
It is likely that at some point throughout the planning process you will encounter an unexpected situation. The key is to remember that no amount of planning can account for these occurrences. Try to maintain some degree of flexibility to ensure you don’t over stress about these situations. A professional wedding planner can help you consider what types of situations may arise and can help you develop a contingency plan just in case.
Decide Early
During the early planning stages, you will want to decide whether to allow guests to bring children or a plus one. If guests are allowed to bring a plus one, you will have to factor that added cost into your budget. If you allow guests to bring children along, you may also want to consider arranging group child care at the venue.
You will also likely want to get an accurate head count for guests, plus ones, and children before booking a venue to ensure there is ample capacity for your needs.
Remember the Purpose
It is your wedding day. This means you are entitled to executive decision-making power. The entire day is about making a lifelong commitment to the person you love. Your day should happen exactly as you want it, so don’t be afraid to exercise your decision-making powers. Whether you want to pre-approve wedding speech content to avoid embarrassing stories, or simply want to move a guest to another table, the decision is yours.
Ask About Connections
Wedding planners are often very well connected and have business relationships with other wedding-related vendors. Be sure to tap into these connections by asking for specific vendor recommendations. The person you are ordering flowers from may know a harpist who plays weddings at a reasonable price. The harpist may know where to get a high-quality wedding photographer. Don’t be afraid to use the connections your wedding planner or another vendor has to get what you need for your special day.
Be Mindful of Seating
Nothing can cause wedding day stress like guests who are unhappy about the person they are seated by. Although you shouldn’t have to play referee to your wedding guests, this situation arises more often than not. Take the time to consider the relationships your guests may have with each other when deciding where they will sit. You may also want to have extra seating or another contingency plan in place for this situation.
The many moving parts of planning a wedding can quickly transform the process into organized chaos. An experienced and well-qualified wedding planner can help you better manage these moving parts for a truly memorable wedding day. Taking these tips into consideration can also help you avoid unnecessary stress on your special day.