Congratulations on your engagement and welcome to the world of wedding planning!  Planning your wedding will be one of the most exciting times in your life.  Unfortunately, it can also be full of stress and a never-ending list of things to do. Never fear there is help to be had – your knight in shinning armor is also known as a wedding consultant.   What is a wedding consultant?  How do you find one?  What do you ask once you have found a consultant?  Read on to find the answers to these concerns and more!

What is a wedding consultant? 

In the world of weddings, you will encounter many different terms for a wedding planner.  These include but are not limited to wedding consultant, wedding planner, wedding director, and wedding coordinator. There is a difference between a consultant and a coordinator, but most of the other titles fall in the same area as a coordinator or consultant.  A wedding consultant helps you asses the situation, and determine a plan, but they do not help you execute the plan.  A wedding coordinator helps you with the same things a consultant does, but then helps you plan the wedding and manage the big day.  Typically, most wedding consultants are also coordinators and you can hire them for either service.  For the remainder of this article we will use wedding consultant to cover both consultants and coordinators.

A wedding consultant assists you in digging through all the vendor options, keeping you on schedule, assisting with etiquette questions, serving as a neutral third party for disputes and guides you through the entire process so that you can enjoy the engagement and planning.   A wedding consultant also comes in the day of the wedding and manages the entire day, so that you can relax and enjoy your day without worrying about the cake being late and the musicians not being in the right spot.

There are two types of wedding consultants – independent consultants and those that work for vendors.  An independent wedding planner has no ties to specific vendors and can assist you in all aspects of your wedding plans.  A planner that works for a vendor is limited their area of expertise and how they can assist you in planning your wedding.  For example, a wedding “consultant” in a bridal gown shop may only be able to assist you with concerns over the dress and accessories.  In addition, venues that typically have “free” consultants make money by marking up the services they provide.  For example, the flowers will be the cost from the florist plus an additional percentage for the vendor.  Be careful that a specialist consultant is not mistaken for a consultant who deals with the entire wedding process – just because they say they are consultants does not mean they know anything about planning an entire wedding.

Why hire a wedding consultant?

Time is a commodity in today’s fast paced world.  A wedding takes time and energy to research and plan all the details.  Hiring a wedding planner can reduce some of the legwork required. The planner will act as the main contact between the vendors and you, so that you only have to deal with one contact.  This saves you time and reduces your stress level.  In addition, a bridal consultant has many contacts in the industry that may assist you in getting exactly what you want and sometimes at a reduced cost because of a consultants buying power.  Finally, a bridal consultant will plan multiple weddings a year and will have the industry knowledge and insight that you will not, hiring a consultant is buying her experience!

How do I find a wedding planner?

The best way to find a planner is to ask friends and relatives for recommendations.  If no one knows a planner check your local yellow pages.  You can also check with wedding planner associations such as the Association of Bridal Consultants or event planning associations such as ISES (International Society of Event Specialists).  Another way is to search wedding websites for vendors.  Sites such as the Knot, Wedding Details and Omaha Weddings can be a fantastic source.

www.bridalassn.com

www.theknot.com

www.weddingdetails.com

www.ises.com

www.omahaweddings.com

What questions do I need to ask?

Meet with planners before you make a final decision about who to hire.  During this consultation ask and watch for the following items:

1. Do you get along with the planner?  This person will become your best friend during your engagement – make sure you can work with them!
2. Is the planner interested in helping you obtain the wedding of YOUR dreams?  Be careful that the planner is not looking to do what they want.  Their roll is to guide you through the planning so that your wedding is what you dream!
3. How long has the planner been in business and/or the industry?
4. How many weddings has the planner coordinated?
5. Is the planner a member of any associations?
6. What does the planner charge?  Typical methods are flat fee, per hour or percentage of your budget.  What does that fee include?
7. Do they receive a kickback from vendors?  This is a perfectly legitimate practice; just make sure that you know when the consultant does receive a kickback so that you can make an educated decision.
8. Is the consultant full-time or part-time?
9. Is the consultant a full service planner, or does his or her expertises lay in one area – such as flowers?
10. Is the consultant scheduled to work on another wedding the same weekend?
11. Can you get references?

Good Luck and happy planning!