Wedding Planner or no Wedding Planner?!?

tcm702

I am just recently engaged and I am starting to looking at all that goes into planning a wedding and I am getting a little overwhelmed. I was thinking about hiring a wedding planner to help me but I am not sure that it is possible with a budget under $10,000 for 50-75 people. Is this even possible??

I have been looking and I can't seem to find any place that has wedding packages that include everything from the ceramony, reception, cake, DJ and everything else.

Can anyone help me???

ckonidak

I love our venue (The Grand Willow Inn, Mt. Vernon) because they have an all-inclusive plan, I think it's called the Platinum Package. It includes all the set up, clean up, and decorations. It does not include Music/Cake/Flowers, but Connie, the owner, is amazing and her recommendations have helped my FI and I immensely. This has fit our budget perfectly because it takes all the guess work out of planning the costs for rentals, decorations, linens, etc.  If you call her, please tell her Casey sent you and she'll take good care of you.  

As for your question about a wedding planner, I'd say, honestly I don't think you need one. Unless you are 100% picky about every single detail, wedding planning is really only as difficult as you make it. FI and I got engaged in June, and we just booked the last of our vendors yesterday. We are having a guest list of about 155 people, and thanks to our fantastic venue, we have very little to do. I don't think a wedding planner would have been a good investment in our situation, but yours may be different. Just take some time to enjoy being engaged, start working on a precise budget and guest list, as these two things decide a million other factors about the big day, and you'll figure out if you need more help. I'd recommend just making a list of things that need done (you can also find these here on TK, or in bridal magazines, etc). Once you have a list, and start realizing that things just fall into place like dominos, it doesn't seem like such a challenge.

Congrats and good luck!  PS. Also, our local board can be a bit slow, so if you need ideas or help, check out the international boards (like DIY, Etiquette, and Ceremony/Reception. You can find lots of help out there!)

mgoss228

Wedding planning is definitely super intimidating at first, it's best to do one thing at a time, imo.

You might not need a full-on wedding planner with your budget, but a DOC might be a good idea.  Those range from $500 to $900 (or more).

nbrodie

I'm going with Blue Ribbon Cooking on Lake Union.  Their wedding package includes everything but DJ and photography.  So far, they have been amazing in their planning help.  In one meeting, we figured out the flowers and decor and I don't have to mess with any of the vendors.  And you have an assigned wedding planner.

And since they're a cooking school, the food is supposed to be delicious!  Our tasting is later this month.

Good luck!

westevents

Hi there,

I am a wedding planner and I am happy to help budget minded brides. I can do hourly sessions that get you organized or packages depending on your needs. If you're interested, please feel free to contact me. I'm running a little web special at the moment, so I'm sure we can work something out.

In my opinion, wedding planning is not for everyone. It's a big job with and can feel like a lot of pressure. Just as I could probably figure out how to change the oil in my car - I turn to a trained professional to help in order to avoid the headache. Same goes with planning a wedding.

DM me if you'd like. I'd be happy to help.

Take care,
Jenn West - West Events

kinmir30

Westevents -----Vendors or people advertising their services ARE NOT allowed on our boards! If you are here to plan your own wedding and would like advice, great, please feel free to stick around. If not, you are not allowed to be on here and you have been reported for posting services.

kinmir30

Tcm702 ----Welcome to the Seattle board and CONGRATS on getting engaged!!!! It is very overwhelming to plan a wedding!!! It will get easier though and you will start getting into the swing of things.

The only venue I know of that does all inclusive, tracy castle, has terrible reviews! Usually you do need to book everything seperately. A wedding planner can be helpful if you think you can't handle it all on your own. Most planners will tell you that you would really be paying them anything but they will end up saving you so much money of the rest of the vendors because a lot of planners have relationships and can get their clients discounts.

However, I don't think a full on planner is necessary, but I highly reccomend a  Day Of Coordinator. I am using Manette Gracie Events for my DOC. manettegracie.blogspot.com   She is very inexpensive and she is great and has tons of reccomendations with lots of advice.

ckonidak

I think its important to realize that this community can help you with almost anything you need. Answer questions, give advice, etc. Many girls here on this site all manage to plan their big or small wedding without any professional assistance. Some sites have a DOC (Day of Coordinator) included in the package if you book with them, but really, if you just make a list and take things day by day, you will be fine.

BTW, WestEvents, you have been reported. TK rules are very clear that vendors are not to solicit on these boards.

**Edit: My page didnt show they were already reported! Sorry for the mini-rant!**