You know you need a wedding planner. Life is busy, work is busy, you know you want to enjoy this time and not be stressed out. Hiring a planner is a no – brainer and you can’t wait to bring them on board. Before you do, here are 4 things you should know, or at least have conversations about with your future spouse and wedding team.
1. What is your wedding budget?
I know talking about money isn’t always fun and can be awkward. However, having this conversation early can help you avoid a lot of frustration down the road. As your planner, we want to know what the absolute top end of your budget is, or your “no-no number.”
We hear a lot from couples and parents that they aren’t sure what their budget should be to get the wedding they want. And that is okay, we can help you get there. But to get started, we need to know how much you are comfortable with and willing to spend so we can guide you in the right direction. Our guess is you do have some kind of idea of what you’d like to spend whether that be what you have saved up over the years, or what the total comes to when adding up all the different contributors to your day. A range or absolute “no-no number” is helpful.
Knowing who is contributing to the budget is helpful as well. Is Grandma sending you a set amount? Does the groom’s family want to contribute to the bar? Have these open conversations with everyone involved so you have a clear understanding from the start, and no one’s feelings get hurt later. We will take it from there and create a budget blueprint so you can see exactly how we suggest breaking it down per vendor category to align with your priorities. This leads us to the next thing you need before hiring a wedding planner.
2. What are your top priorities (and low-end priorities)?
You and your fiance should share what is MOST important to you on your wedding day. Spoiler alert! You don’t have to agree! Just share and be open and receptive to understanding what the other person has to say.
You should also have this conversation with the people who are contributing financially to your wedding. If your parents are paying for the wedding, we suggest honoring them by hearing what they have to say is most important to them. We will take all these answers and make sure your budget dollars are prioritized in the same way.
We also suggest sharing anything you do NOT want on your wedding day. So later on when someone says this is important to them, it isn’t a shock, and again, feelings don’t get hurt. We want to make sure every aspect of your wedding is intentional, but we don’t want to allocate a large part of your budget to a category that isn’t as important to you.
3. What is your style? What type of venue are you wanting?
As your planner, we want to know if we are planning a formal evening or cocktail soiree. Using keywords like “timeless”, “elegant”, and “romantic” are okay, but we want to hear more about what that actually means to you. Closing your eyes and sharing what you picture in your head is really helpful. We suggest talking to your fiance and parents about this too.
Along with this comes the venue. What particular location do you have in mind? Downtown or outside of the city? Indoors or outdoors? Ceremony and reception in the same place or do you want to get married at a church and then head to a separate location for the party?
4. What is your ideal wedding date? (Or at least the time of year)
If you don’t have a particular date in mind, and that is okay, what season do you want to get married in? Oftentimes you will be less stressed if your actual wedding date is flexible because you will be more open when finding your dream venue.
You should also decide if you are open to having your wedding on a Friday or Sunday (or weekday!) or if a Saturday is essential.
Getting started in planning your wedding is so exciting, and we know it can feel overwhelming too. Grab some dinner (and definitely wine) and sit down with your fiance and family to discuss these 4 things, then reach out! We can’t wait to meet you and hear about your dream wedding!
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