hey run the entire production on the day of the wedding, and sometimes plan the entire event. So what could go wrong by picking the wrong planner? The stakes are very high with this vendor (event higher than for DJs and Photographers)
Compounding this problem is the low barrier to entry nature of the wedding planner business. Think about it, anyone can become a wedding planner at any moment.
What role does your planner play?
The duties of your planner will depend upon what duties you would like for them to perform, but at minimum will include coordinating the logistics of the event itself. Do you want them to plan every detail down to vendor selection and tabletop design? Or do you want them only to run the show that you've largely designed?
At our venues we require that every wedding have at least a month-of coordinator, and that the coordinator is available to our venues during this period before the wedding. Other venues will obviously have different requirements. In our view, if you don't have at least a month-of coordinator, your wedding will be, well, uncoordinated (a potential train wreck). Thirty days before the wedding, we lock down all of the event details - list of vendors, guest count, timeline and floor plan - with your coordinator. A tight ship is what you should demand of your wedding.
What is a planner and what is a coordinator? Many in the wedding industry will use the terms interchangeably, but we refer to a planner as someone who helps plan the event, from vendor selection to decor design. We refer to a coordinator as someone who coordinates the plan that has been designed, regardless of who created the design.
How some couples pick a coordinator
Couples often choose their planner for the wrong reasons. That's okay, we understand that couples don't plan weddings everyday. Some couples want to chose a coordinator who is a relative or friend. This is a huge mistake. But, any relative/ friend that's kind enough to offer to work your wedding should be attending, and not working, your wedding. And just because the planner is your relative/ friend does not mean that they are qualified to do the job. In fact, you'd likely not have picked this person if it wasn't for the bloodlines or the free service they're offering. Our venues require that the coordinator be at the venue the entire time anyone is onsite... working. They cannot attend the wedding as a guest. Since this is impossible for a family member or true friend, we do not allow planner-relatives or planner-friends, and no experienced venue will either.
Some couples may be tempted to choose a coordinator who may be just entering the planning business. A discount is always a key part of this selection. A new planner is likely to be inexperienced and will be going to school on you (and the venue). This experience factor is exacerbated if the planner has not worked at the venue before. There is no discount great enough to hire a novice planner. We think that the planner should be paying you for giving them experience.
A more frequent mistake couple make is when they search online for a planner and choose based upon a pretty website and a brief conversation.
How should you select a coordinator?
Regardless of the venue you've selected, choose a professional coordinator who has been to that venue several times. You can always ask the venue for planner recommendations. At Dragon Park, we publish a list of Approved Planners to expedite the process. You'll want to make sure that your planner provides the services that you require, can perform the scope of work within your budget, and is a good fit with your personality.
You don't have to use a planner from our list, however, the planner you choose must be a professional and, as with all vendors at our venues, carry business insurance (an annual policy).
When should you hire your planner?
Most planners would recommend that you hire them before selecting any other vendor, including the venue. It's human nature to want to tell people how to do things (after all, we're doing it here). We do find that many coordinators fall back on another human trait, doing the comfortable thing by repeating what they've done in the past, in this case sticking with the same few venues they always use. There are coordinators in Nashville who are known for going to just a couple of venues. We think that's a disservice to their clients who pay the planner to give them the best alternatives in every vendor category for their style and budget.
We think that you should select your planner after booking your venue. This way you decide your venue, not the planner. Of course, you need to pick wisely and that may be difficult for many couples who don't plan weddings everyday, but we discuss that through many articles related to picking your venue.
