Great advice for Brides who don’t want their entire wedding Trashed- by Top Wedding Planner, Terrica Skaggs May 15, 2007

Terrica Skaggs owns Once Upon Your Wedding, a fabulous Wedding Planning Firm based in Georgia. She has been featured in numerous national publications, and is the co-founder of I-wed, The International Network of Wedding and Event Designers. We’ve asked her to share some advice on what you should look for in a Wedding Planner. I hope this information is helpful to our Brides. If it is, please drop Terrica a line! Enjoy!

Contributed by Terrica Skaggs, Once Upon Your Wedding.

I’ve been known as the Simon Cowell of wedding planning. Of course, I look more like Terri (Simon’s girlfriend) than Simon, so that does help alleviate the blows I’ve been known to dish out. It’s not in an effort to be rude, but merely to look out for your best interests. When couples hire a wedding planner, they do so to protect their investment and get expert advice. So look your gift horse in the mouth and ask what you want to know!

What exactly are you supposed to do when you’re looking for a wedding planner or a coordinator? Have no fear…Simon is here LOL—full of advice and rhetoric to help you get the planner you want and love.

1. The Ends Have To Justify the NEED. Really ask yourself if you want or need a wedding planner. A lot of recent clients were actually told by family and friends that they needed to get a wedding planner. Don’t get one if you feel like you don’t need one. I am all about saving money, Honey. So if there is an expense you can save on, then do it. And do it two more times. However, a wedding planner can clearly make up for your investment in her/him by saving you time, money and stress. If your family sees that you are overworked and going Bridezilla, you might just need some professional help. No pun intended. I hear a lot of brides complain; saying that they could never get a wedding planner because they like to be in control over their wedding. Your wedding planner should never take over anything or take anything away from you. We’ll touch more on this in a second…

2. Not All Planners Are Created Equal. Ok, so you’ve decided that you would really rather spend your wedding day doing something else besides laying out place cards in alphabetical order, tying chair sashes in the latest wrap, confirming and setting up vendors. Good for you! My colleagues and I call ourselves by many a name. So research the type of professional you want and need at your side. We have wedding planners—typically those who are with you throughout the planning process to the day of the wedding. It’s a pretty generic term for all of us. The wedding coordinator helps you at the rehearsal and the day of the wedding; mainly day of work. Wedding Designers can assist you with creating the overall feel and look of your event, creating an ambience and experience all within its own right. Some wedding designers and coordinators are also planners. Confused, yet? Bridal Consultants is somewhat of an obsolete term, and can be used interchangeably with Wedding Planner, although most are called Wedding Consultants. Remember to also research the type of service you want and need so that you can contact the right type of professional.

3. Can’t We All Just Get Along? I can’t stress this one enough. You and your planner have to get along. If you two don’t like each other, it will show and could possibly ruin your day. Why risk it? Meet with several—who makes you more comfortable? Who makes you feel secure that they won’t turn your wedding in to something seen on FOX Reality TV? Who gives you the impression (and validation) that they actually know what they are doing? Your planner should have personality and should make you feel like the BOSS and a partner. If there is too much ego, then excuse yourself and head for the nearest exit. There is only one diva, baby, and that is you. Look for little things like body language, jokes, etc. If there is anything that annoys you or bothers you, I guarantee you will hate them when you’re stressed during your wedding.

4. KEEP IT REAL. A good planner friend in Indiana says this all the time! And you really have to. I know this is your wedding, and I am just as excited as you are! But please don’t tell me I’ve got $10K to design a romantic, intimate evening wedding for your 250 guests for a four course meal, passed hors d’oeuvres and open bar. Ain’t gonna happen. Keep your expectations realistic and we can really get something beautiful together for you. But the more you fight the Reality Fairy, the harder she comes crashing down on you later. Also be real with what your wedding planner can do for you. I don’t know any magic tricks  As much as I would love to have your $200 centerpieces pop out of my hat, we have to work with what we’re given in the budget. Also know again, what scope of service you are receiving from your planner. If you hire a day of coordinator, a majority of her work will probably not start until about a month or so before the wedding. She is there simply to maintain the order of the day—executing and orchestrating all the key players to make your event run smoothly. If you want something more than that, expect to pay for it. That’s only fair.

5. Check Her Out! Ask for references; check with other vendors: florists, photographers, venues, etc. Have they worked with your planner before? Did they enjoy the experience? Did she make their job easier or harder? Was she in control? If they haven’t worked with the planner personally, what have they heard? Is the planner known in the community? Also ask to speak to other clients…both past and current. How are they “enjoying” the experience? Does she follow up well? Is she helpful? This is the “stuff” that might assist you in making a decision. What if she doesn’t have any references or has very few? Don’t count her out? Everyone had to get started somewhere. If she displays the capability to run and manage her business and your event, focus on what she can do for you. How creative is the planner? Do you like their ideas? Do they openly share stories about other weddings and ideas for your wedding? Or does she keep everything guarded like the DaVinci Code until you sign the dotted line? You want to at least get a glimpse into what you are getting.

Those are just a few of the things I suggest when looking for a planner. You really have to make sure that she can see your wedding vision and execute it accordingly. Price is all relative—remember, you get what you pay for. While you may think it’s an insane amount of money to spend on a person who can do the same thing your Aunt or Sister could do, remember you are paying for expertise, convenience, less stress and will possibly save you money in the end.