Second Marriages - Event Planner - opinion please

gillian76

Hello,

My name is Gillian and I am an event planner.  I am applying for a government grant to start my own business.  I intend to focus on second marriages.  I need to do some market research on my target market. 

Can I ask you to provide some feedback on the following?

Would you use an event planner to plan your second marriage?

Are you looking to have a small intimate gathering or large wedding?

The deciding factor in choosing an event planner?

Any comments you may think of - positive or negative.

Thank you - greatly appreciated.

Gillian

susie morc

I'm planning my second wedding.  We have decided to marry on a Thursday(working around our combined 5 kids schedules) and the only guest will be our 5 kids, my father with his girlfriend and my fiancee's mom, plus a photographer.  We are getting married at a City Park where we had our first date and utiizing a county magistrate.
We've decided to do a dinner at a popular local family owned restuarant and then a larger reception (with band and cocktails) at a later date.
I'm not sure I would spend the money fora planner when doing such a small affair.  However, I think there is a market for second weddings/vow renewal that are on a larger scale. 
Good Luck

Sue-n-Kevin

Gillian, I LOVE your name! (but then it's my daughter's name, with a "J" though)

I think it sometimes depends on whether BOTH potential spouses have been married before; my fiance has been married twice, but this is my first.

I am using a coordinator because I am doing a ton of DIY stuff which needs to be set out. The frequency of use would depend on the other arrangements the bridal couple has, because an "all inclusive" venue will already have event planners in place. We are using an historic village with a chapel and small banquet hall, and it's in a city park, city owned, and they don't provide anyone other than someone to make sure we don't do any damage to their facility during the event.

lindaloulubbock

Would you use an event planner to plan your second marriage?
I'm using a Day-of-Wedding Coordinator.

Are you looking to have a small intimate gathering or large wedding?

~150 guests.  It's my FIs first wedding, my 2nd. 

The deciding factor in choosing an event planner?

~I believe it was Sue who suggested it when I was panicking about how I would get the hall decorated in a very short time window during the time that I should be getting ready.

hsbstone

Would you use an event planner to plan your second marriage?Definitively I'd use at least a Day of Coordinator. I am planning my own wedding and I think that it happens with most of the second weddings. Are you looking to have a small intimate gathering or large wedding?A medium wedding with 70-80 people. The deciding factor in choosing an event planner?Detail oriented, tasteful, creative, flexible, affordable, reliable
Any comments you may think of - positive or negative.Go for it..there is market for both wedding planning and Day of Coordinator.

vexie

It is both of our second marriages and we are planning the entire thing on our own. (approx 75 guests). We will not be using a wedding planner however the manager of the venue we have selected for both our ceremony and reception will act as DOC. to ensure everything is set up properly for the reception as well as coordinating everyone at the ceremony.

I'm sure there are lots of gals that would love a wedding planner... it just wasn't in our budget and I'm not sure what they would have done as the planning is the fun part for me

mybooboos

It's a 2nd wedding for both of us, ~80 ppl, and we are using a wedding planner.

thealphabride

It was a second wedding for both of us. We had 95 guests and 5 vendors (to feed)
I enjoyed planning our wedding but I used a DOC because there were many vendors to coordinate, including linen, caterer, music, florals, venue, photog, videographer. She did all of the final arrangements and sent out timelines to all. She also set out all of my favors and set up my escort cards on my family table of 45 people according to my seating chart. She also came to the rehersal and worked with the officient on the ceremony. I knew I didn't want to deal with vendors on the day of the wedding or anything else, including packing gifts, food and cake at the end of the night. AND I didn't have to deal with any of it on our wedding day. We just showed up and had a wonderful day.
Everyone was busy setting up while we were doing pictures, then we got married and went straight into cocktails. She even told me when I needed a lipstick touch up and when my face was shiny.
I loved my DOC and would definitely recommend it to brides who don't want to deal with anything vendor related on the day of the wedding or the week leading up to the wedding. At the end of the planning I was so done with it all, I just burned out the last few weeks and that's when the DOC stepped in and took over.  

butterflyroy78

This is my second and we are not using a coordinator. If we could afford it, we might have, but I doubt it. I am very detail oriented and organized, so I feel as if I can handle this (although I do have to admit I have a friend helping out on the day of who is not in the wedding party, so maybe you could call her my DOC?).

IslandBeachBride

I'm using an event planner for my 2nd wedding - only because I live in one state & getting married in another.  If I were getting married at home I wouldn't use one. (eloping)  My planner is doing all the ceremony coordination; location, pictures, flowers, hotel.  I'm taking care of the open house/reception since it will be here at home.   

MikesAngie

We did not use a planner or coordinator.  We had 60 guests including the vendors to feed.  Had I been working that may have been a different story.

lindaloulubbock

I was shocked by how affordable it was to hire a DoC.  If I had known how reasonable prices would be, I would have hired one from the beginning.  The second I paid the deposit to her, I felt my stress level drop in half.  When we were looking at our budget and trying to decide if we should cut back, I mentioned cutting the DoC.  FI looked at me and said, "She is going to keep you sane.  She stays."  He'd give up the bar before seeing me go back to the bad place, lol!