What Does an Event Planner do?
You may not realize what a help hiring a professional event planner could be!
A wedding or event planner is so much more than solely a day-of coordinator. Throughout your planning process, the need for professional assistance can become glaringly apparent. We’ve put together a sample list of just some of the tasks we perform for our clients during the planning process, and on the day-of. Having an experienced planner by your side can help save you money, time, and frustration along the way.
During Planning Process:
Wedding Finances
Your planner can help you develop a realistic wedding budget, and oversee it by advising on pricing and estimates. They can also keep track of when your deposits and other payments are due so no deadline ever gets missed. Since they’re experts on the final cost of weddings, they can be sure they are showing you the best and most original locations in the area, considering your wedding size, budget, and vision – and not maxing out your budget on the venue alone.
Schedule + Attend Your Wedding Meetings
Your planner will work with your schedule to fit in all your vendor meetings in times that work best for you. Because of their expertise, they will have no problems finding the top florists, photographers, caterers, bands, DJs and other vendors in your price range for you to meet with. Additionally, since planners bring a volume of clients to preferred vendors, it’s not uncommon for these best-of-the-best vendors to throw in extras or small discounts for their preferred planners clients. The benefit to having your planner along at these meetings is that they will go over all your vendor contracts to handle any negotiations and make sure everything is correct, and in your best interest before you sign.
Assist with Guest-Facing Information
Your planner knows what information is pertinent to your guests, and can ensure all their questions are answered before they need to ask. After they’ve helped you plan the guest experience from room blocks, transportation, and welcome bags, your planner will assist you in setting up your wedding website, picking your stationary suite, printing and stuffing your invites, sending out your invitations and tracking RSVPs. That’s right! They’re here to help relieve the time-consuming, stressful tasks from the months leading up to your big day.
Making a Master Plan
It is their specialty, after all. From helping with design elements, sourcing those must-have vases you saw on Pinterest, and developing your event color palette to creating a floor plan, assisting with your seating chart, and preparing detailed instructions for set-up vendors. Your planner will have all your little details mapped out, from vendor arrival times, to ceremony music, to the location of your cake cutting knife.
On The Big Day:
Creating a Timeline
You planner will have a day-of (or weekend-of) timeline that tells everyone involved when to do what. This includes schedules and instructions for you, your wedding party, vendors, set-up crew, etc.
Supervising Set Up + Managing the Day
Your planner will be the point of contact for all arriving vendors, deliveries, and even emergencies to ensure you can sit back and fully enjoy your day. They’ll oversee soundchecks to be sure even guests sitting at the back of the crowd can hear your vows. They’ll be your spokesperson on the day of – is the lighting too bright or music too quiet? They will handle it for you. They’ll even ask an unruly guest to step out if need be!
Sticking to Schedule
Remember those handy timelines? Your planner will ensure you are sticking to the schedule. From hair and makeup, through photos, to wedding party speeches and dinner serving times – they are there every step of the way.
