Wedding Planners : Any Happy Endings or Horror Stories?

FutureMrsJT · September 2010

So I think I'm going to have to break down and hire a wedding coordinator to plan my Tampa wedding. Does anyone have any recommendations or warnings? Thanks ladies!!!

cjohnsen2010 · September 2010

There's a former Knottie who now has her own wedding planning business. She's the most organized and precise person I've ever heard about. Check out her website:

http://chicdesignsnfabulousevents.blogspot.com/

My friend says her showroom is breathtaking!!!!

Lizzys15 · September 2010

Curious if you think planners are worth it. I am thinking about at DOC, but another $1500 on top of everything we are spending seems crazy. What have you girls thoughrt about the experience. Thanks! Appreciate the advice.

This board has been so helpful!

NicoleB331 · September 2010

I finally broke down and got a DOC and I think it is one of the best decisions I've made. You spend so much money putting the whole day together and then hope that it goes smoothly. Your DOC will help in making sure things go the way you want them to. I have had a chance to meet my DOC, but my wedding has not happened yet so I can not give a full review. So far she seems very nice & helpful plus her prices are some of the most reasonable I've found. Her name is Meghan and she's with Day Dream Productions. http://www.dreamdayproductions.com/

dogluver315 · September 2010

I didn't hire anyone. I am a very organized person and had everything ready the week before the wedding. I was fortunate though because our church provided us with a coordinator so our ceremony was taken care of. The hotel where our reception was held also provided us with an event planner plus we had a banquet manager the night of. For me to spend an extra $1000 or more would have been a waste. The hotel did a fabulous job and it's 8 months since our wedding and our guests are still talking about how great it was.

I think hiring a planner depends on how much work you have to do to the venue (i.e. setting up) and if you feel comfortable with the people at your venues. I felt so relaxed the entire week of the wedding because I had everything done and when I had my final meeting with the hotel, I had boxes labeled with every item (i.e. favors, personalized menus for the tables) and went through how I wanted it layed out. The day of, I was totally relaxed and my girls and I had a great time being pampered in our suite. The wedding was perfect and I wouldn't have done one thing differently. HTH

jtritch · September 2010

We did hire a coordinator/planner because of our venue. But simply put, it's been worth the money we have spent. Originally, we wanted the knowledge that someone has everything organized for us, talks me down from the ledges at times, and dealing with our venue was enough. But the closer I get the happier I am that we did it because I know that we both can totally relax and enjoy the week/day instead of stressing about everything, and don't have to burden family or wedding party for any of it. We are using Beth with Flawless Occasions. www.flawlessoccasions.com

I agree with DogLuver315 about your comfort level with the extent of stuff you have to set up, how many vendors you have to get coordinated, the staff at the venue(s) etc. Just keep in mind how big a day this is, both emotion and excitement- if you can handle all that and the details, more power to you!

Good luck!

lisanunez73 · September 2010

I'm a firm believe that wedding planners and DOC are worth their weight in gold. You want to enjoy your day and give over the reins to someone you can trust. Someone who can make your vision a reality. Even if you're having your reception at a hotel the person assigned to you is there for the best interest of the venue. They aren't really concerned with your florist, bakery, photographer, and all the other vendors we use. How would that person know if the wrong linens are being displayed and when would you have time to check on that?

There are tons of amazing wedding planners in the Tampa Bay area so check a few out and see who you click with. Sometimes they pay for themselves by extending you their discounts on different vendors. GL!

cjohnsen2010 · September 2010

My friend is super organized and had everything done way ahead of time for her daughter's wedding - and I do mean everything. She's truly amazing. That said, the day of the wedding there were issues with the bus and limos and she had to stay back at the hotel instead of riding to the church with her daughter and bridesmaids to ensure the bus got there and all the hotel guests knew where to go and to get everyone on the bus.

As it turned out, the groom's limo was a no show (in another state) and she had to get cabs to get the groom and the groomsmen to the wedding. Also, there were a couple of very minor issues at the reception that she had to follow-up on (guest book and signs).

She told me she wished she'd had a DOC so she didn't have to deal with this. Hope this helps.

sarahcallie · September 2010

I usually lurk, but when I saw this, I had to post. I went back and forth on whether or not to hire a wedding planner, but saw how things went with my two best friends when they got married. One best friend hired a wedding planner to handle the whole wedding for her and she was so relaxed through the whole process and the day of her wedding, she was able to enjoy it, even when the sky turned black and her outdoor ceremony had to be moved indoors. My other friend planned her wedding herself and was a complete bridezilla. She would e-mail us bridesmaids weekly with updated itineraries that had tiny changes on it that we really didn't need to know about. I almost dreaded going to the wedding because of how crazy she got with that stuff.

Now that I'm getting married, I didn't know what to do. It seemed like a lot of money to spend on top of the expense of a wedding. BUT, with all of the work that wedding planners do and the fact that they can actually end up saving you so much money, more than you pay them, you can actually enjoy the wedding planning process instead of freaking out about stuff, they help you focus and put things into perspective and give you great ideas about what actually works. Instead of having to explain to the hotel coordinator what box goes where, you get to sit back and relax and let the wedding planner handle everything. I think wedding planners are completely worth it and then some! Yes, they can be pricey, but you will make that money back with how much they can save you elsewhere and then some, so they are worth every penny. Just my opinion!

jennifer80808 · September 2010

The best decision I ever made was to hire a Planner. I used Beth Carrick with Flawless Occasions and she was truly AMAZING. I could not have asked for more, and after nearly a year of working with her I feel like not only did she do a great job planning my wedding but like she became a friend. Her prices and packages are very reasonable.

FutureMrsJT · September 2010

Thanks for all of the help ladies! I would try to do it myself, but it's just going to be too difficult since I live on the opposite coast... I'll def contact the people that you mentioned! :-)

sarahcallie · September 2010

Btw, I am using Brooke Palmer at rsbp events, she's amazing!

Wedding Planners : Any Happy Endings or Horror Stories?

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