Wedding Planner

by Rhonda
(Toronto)

My wedding is two months and a few weeks a way. Can I hire a wedding planner to help me with the last two months of planning?

Our Thoughts

You are definitely cutting it close, but there may be a couple things that a wedding planner can help with at this point.

First, you should have a very specific, detailed list of the tasks and items that require the help of a wedding planner. Do you need coordination on the day of the wedding? Help decorating your reception space? Locating a last minute wedding vendor?

If you haven’t already, call around and find out if there are any planners available on your wedding day. When you speak with them, be very specific about what you need help with.

A good planner should be able to tell you within a few minutes of talking whether they can help or not. Remember to always take the time and check references, even if you are working with a very short timeline.

To Your Wedding!
Danielle & Stephen

Thank You Gift For Wedding Planner

by Vanessa
(Toronto, Canada)

Does anyone have any suggestions for a thoughtful or appreciated thank-you gift for a wedding planner?

Our Thoughts

First, write a well thought out thank you note for your planner, and give it to her on the day of your wedding. Tell her (or him) how much you appreciate all the hard work and effort that went into making your big day special.

Second, offer to be a reference for future brides that she is trying to contract with. Doing these two things will mean more to your planner than any other type of gift.

If you have worked with your planner for a long time, you may already know what her interests and likes are. Does she drink wine? Does she like a certain type of food?

An engraved business card holder, a bottle of her favorite wine or other spirit and a gift certificate to her favorite spa or salon are all great gifts.

If you can’t decide on something to give her on your wedding day, wait until your honeymoon where you can do some island (or other exotic location) shopping. For example, many Caribbean islands are known for a certain type of stone that makes beautiful jewelry.

To Your Wedding!
Danielle & Stephen

Gift From Wedding Planner

by Beverley
(Cambridge, Ontario, Canada)

As the wedding coordinator, should you give the bridal couple a gift?

Our Thoughts

While it isn’t a requirement, it is a good idea to give your client a small gift. There are a few good reasons for doing this.

First, it shows that you appreciate their business. Word of mouth is huge in the wedding industry, and you want your happy couple to tell everyone how great your services are.

Second, it is an opportunity for you to establish your brand. Give a gift that has a custom label from your company on it.

You can’t go wrong with wine or chocolate. Give your gift to the couple during the wedding reception, or arrange to have it placed in their room for that night.

To Your Wedding!
Danielle & Stephen

Wedding Planner Gifts

Our wedding planner bought us thank you notes as a gift. What should we get her to thank her for planning our wedding?



Our Thoughts

The best gift you can give a wedding planner is a heartfelt thank you note. Let her/him know how thankful you are for all of their hard work.

Offering to be a reference for future brides they work with is also a great idea.

Like many of the other vendors you work with, gratuity is a common way to thank them. If you would rather give a gift, items like an engraved business card holder or a nice bottle of wine work well.

To your wedding!
Danielle & Stephen

Wedding Planner Gift

by Holly
(Hilliard, Ohio)

What is a good thank you gift to buy your wedding planner?







Our Thoughts

Dear Holly,

First, always start with a hand written thank you note telling your wedding planner how much she/he meant to you during the planning of your wedding. A heart-felt thank you is always appreciated by planners and any wedding vendor.

The safest gift is always monetary. Giving cash may seem impersonal, but it is always appreciated and is a sign that they did their job well.

It can be challenging to choose a gift if you do not personally know your planner or have a good idea about what she/he likes. If you do choose a gift, try to make it personal so that it means something and truly shows your appreciation.

For example, if your wedding planner enjoys drinking wine, buying her/him a nice bottle or two of their favorite wine is a nice touch.

Lastly, in addition to your gift consider offering to be a reference for your planner. If you were impressed with the service you received, your best gift to them is to pass the word on and help them get more business in the future.

Regards,
Danielle

Becoming a Wedding Planner

by Amanda
(Chicago )

Since I started planning my wedding I have become very interested in being a wedding planner and was wondering if you guys had any advice about getting into it as a career.

I have been researching online and have seen websites that offer classes and certifications. Do you need certifications and which websites are legit? And any other information that you are willing to share that would help me would be great!

Our Thoughts

Starting a wedding planning business can be a lot of fun, but it is also a lot of hard work. You need to have a very good personality, and you need business skills.

To be successful and taken seriously, you need to treat it like a business and not a hobby.

Marketing your business and learning how to sell your services is extremely important. Also, networking in the industry is something that you should start doing immediately.

The Association of Bridal Consultants is where you should start. They are the leading industry association, and they offer education and certifications.

Attend a few of their events and see if wedding planning is right for you. Having strong relationships with other vendors is vital to being successful, and the events offer a great opportunity to meet other industry professionals.

Good luck!

To Your Wedding!
Danielle & Stephen

Wedding Planner vs Hotel Wedding Planner

by Jenn
(Canada)

I am not getting married for another year and I definitely want to hire a wedding planner. The hotel that I wish to use for our wedding has a wedding planner.

I am curious if I have to use her as the wedding planner and if I choose another planner how this will effect my day?

Our Thoughts

Both roles can be very helpful when planning your wedding, but the first thing to understand is that they really are two different roles.

The wedding planner at a reception space is more of a reception coordinator. He or she will be there to help you plan your reception meal and to make sure things run smoothly once you arrive at your wedding reception.

The reception coordinator should ensure that the proper staff is in place to handle your event, and he or she can also help with decorating and coordinating vendors on the day of your event.

As you know, your wedding planning and your actual wedding day start long before your wedding reception. This is where your wedding planner becomes essential.

Your wedding planner can be there to help you choose your wedding invitations along with other aspects of your wedding like your dress, theme and wedding colors to name a few. They can even recommend wedding vendors and help with difficult etiquette questions.

The wedding planner you choose should be very familiar with working with the planner or coordinator at your reception space. They should be able to work together as a team to make your big day as seamless as possible.

When interviewing wedding planners, ask them about this and how well they have worked with reception space coordinators in the past and even the coordinator at your specific reception space.

In the end having both should make your wedding day that much better, and as you can see both can play an important role in your wedding.

For ideas about how a wedding planner can help you with your planning, visit our wedding planner page.

To Your Wedding!
Danielle & Stephen

How To Become a Wedding Planner

by Casey
(Sopchoppy, FL, USA)

Hi, my name is Casey, 19 yrs old, Sopchoppy Fl.

It has always been my life long passion of mine to be a wedding planner, I know it can be hard work but I also know I know I can handle it. I have excellent organization skills as well and an eye for detail. But before I start I wanted some advice from a actual wedding planner.

1) What Degree should I pursue, Business?
2) Where should I live, because of the economy and not to mention where I live there is not any business for this sort of thing. Although I do live in Florida which has some pretty awesome locations around the coast.
3)- How much on average would I make a year with the proper training that is required. I found that on average wedding planners make 40,000-50,000 a year but I'm not in it for the money I'm in it for the passion.

PLEASE RESPOND ASAP it would really help me out a lot.

Thanks
Your friend Casey xoxo-

Our Thoughts

A great wedding planner has very good people skills as well as a head for business. You have to be great at networking and making connections as having a solid list of wedding vendors to call on is essential.

You always have the option of starting your own wedding planning business, or you could opt to work for a company as a planner. Either option can offer a great career path.

A business degree would be a great start for wedding planning and many other careers, so you can’t really go wrong there. Also, some colleges offer degrees in event planning or certificate programs.

While in school try to find jobs in the industry to gain knowledge. Wedding/event planning companies, resorts, hotels, caterers and florists can offer great opportunities to get your feet wet.

Also, spend time online reading websites and trying to help brides. Sharing your knowledge is a great way to gain credibility.

Take a look at some of the questions that brides have submitted on our Ask The Wedding Planner page, and add your comments and ideas.

As far as location goes, Florida offers many great opportunities. Many couples choose Florida for destination weddings, so resort areas would work well. In general being closer to larger cities and resort areas offers the most opportunity.

The amount of money you can make can vary greatly based on location and services offered. The wedding industry continues to grow which is a very optimistic sign.

Good Luck!
Danielle & Stephen

Wedding Planner Tip

by Jackie
(Santa Fe, NM)

Do you tip your wedding planner cash or with a gift?

Our Thoughts

When it comes to gratuity, 99% of the time it should be given in the monetary form, regardless of the wedding vendor.

In general, you should tip wedding vendors that have provided excellent service and have gone above and beyond for you.

We have had clients in the past who we have gotten really close to that have given us a personalized gift which meant so much.

But, unless you have this close relationship with your wedding planner, tip them as you would tip the rest of your vendors on the day of your event. You can never go wrong with a cash tip.

To Your Wedding!
Danielle & Stephen