WEDDING PLANNER: hire or not to hire

IDO10611 · June 2010

Hi,

Is anyone using/have used a wedding planner? If so, what services do they actually provide & what is the cost?

Thanks!

allywilsonvt · June 2010

i would like to know the answer to this too! seems like there ar eso many options but how to pick a good one

IDO10611 · July 2010

ok here's a list of planners i got from reading other blogs

sarakateevents@gmail.com from Sara kate events

mybridalbudget.com

http://caitlinrussotti.com/

Christine from Esquisite Affairs - costs $650.

Events by Markz , check them outwww.markzandco.com

allywilsonvt · July 2010

Have you heard of Lauren Daversa Events?

nycbride11201 · July 2010

I hired Caitlin Russotti to plan my wedding and it has been so helpful! I don't know what I would do without her.

In terms of the services she provides: She has sent me time lines of what should be done and when it needs to be done by and makes sure that I am on track.

Helped me pick out vendors, meet and negotiate with them.

Helped me the with protocol/tradition of things.

My family doesn't live in the state and she has come to fittings with me, cake testings. Eveything.

She ordered my favors and put them together.

She is great. I couldn't have done this wedding without her.

sarahmcevins · July 2010

OMG! I just got engaged and hired Caitlin two days ago. Three of my friends used her for their weddings and I was a bridesmaid in all three and got to see the way she worked. Everything was perfect for the night of all my friends weddings and Caitlin made everything seem so easy and seamless.

I am so excited.

slbriz34 · July 2010

There are full-on planners and then just day-of or event week-of planners. I used a DOC, but she also got a lot of things organized in the weeks leading up to the wedding. This worked for me since I had done all the work myself (booked vendors, details, etc.), and I just needed someone to confirm things, get items to the venues, and then just manage folks the day-of. This is usually a flat fee that can be negotiated. I highly recommend this if you need some help but want to save money.

Many DOCs offer full planning as well - and full planning can vary. It can mean someone helping you with every detail (finding venue, booking vendors, helping you pick out a dress), which is the most expensive - usually a percentage of the total budger, sometimes a flat (but large) fee, or just helping find vendors and doing other tasks that you'll negotiate for ahead of time.

My DOC, who also does planning, was Fouzia Eldrissi of My Bridal Budget - she and her staff was great; we had two venues and everything went super smooth.

GL.

Roseinbloom2 · July 2010

I say def. hire one! I hired Katie from Sara Kate Events and so far she has been wonderful! I found her name on here from a bunch of other brides that previously worked with her. She is super nice and really helpful. I feel like I am constantly emailing or calling her with an idea or wanting her opinion on something and she is always available. Her email is: sarakateevents@gmail.com

Good luck!!

nina115 · July 2010

It all depends on your bridal needs. I hired Events by Markz as my planner for my wedding. Initially I hired her for Day of since I thought I had my stuff in order, but a few weeks after, I upgraded to partial planning. She was def a blessing in disguise and i actually slept...lol. She made great suggestions and my life easier. I'm one of those busy brides that did not have time for anything, so I knew I needed one. If you're still looking, she's great to work with, affordable and a vendor here.

Jane_Birkin · July 2010

whether you need one depends on how much help you need. lots of catering halls do basically everything you need on the day of, so you don't have to get someone to run the "show" on the night of, and you'll ahve fewer vendors to keep track of. i am pretty good at reading contracts and anticipating problems before they happen so i was able to think through what needed to be done. if i had used a loft where i had to bring everything in, i am not sure i would have been able to manage all the details and still work my crazy-busy fulltime job.

i have heard that the planners at Always a Bridesmaid offer a 10 hours for $1,000 service, and that seems like just the right amount of help, to me. the most overwhelming and most difficult part for me was finding the venue, and a planner could have cut down on the time i spent doing that.

IDO10611 · July 2010

thanks to everyone who answered my question.

I'm still unsure at this point. My wedding is next year in the fall so I have time. Believe it or not I already found my dress & a Back up dress! LOL. I know the color scheme, menu, signature drinks & even designed my own monogram. I'm still unsure about the venue. Since its a fall wedding I would love to get married outside (weather permitting). This I feel is the most difficult part: the venue & the food. After that everything is a piece of cake, literally

saylorandtoby · July 2010

It was the best thing we did! I am to busy with everything else and she totally helped keep me on track, find great vendors, and just make sure everything went right! We used heidi at entertain me events entertainme-de.com is the website! and don't wait to long, you have time, but the good ones book up quick!

AdamL · July 2010

I say hire one so you dont go crazy, it may also help you make sure that your vendors stay on task and hoenst. However, if you dont use one i say to give yourself enough time to plan your wedding. My sister's good friend is doing it herself and she took 2 years from engagemen to plan the wedding, making her work much easier along the way

IDO10611 · July 2010

UPDATE:: I may have narrowed down the venue to two possible places, depending upon who can execute my vision. I WILL HIRE A PLANNER definitely about 1 month before I get married so I can bring her up to speed on the days events. But with so many too choose from & everyone raving about their WP! what's a bride to do?

Lovenyc · August 2010

Best money we spent! Tara from Exquisite Affairs Productions was our DOC. I did all of the planning myself but she swooped in about a month before to help tie up loose ends & made our day flawless!!

marinazakry · August 2010

I Had a very bad experience working with Caitlin, Russotti and I'm writing this review because I don't want the same thing to happen to another bride.

I'm very busy at work so I thought hiring a planner would be ideal. But she ended up being more work then help, I ended up doing most of the work myself. She did not response to my e-mails in a timely manner, sometimes it would be days until I would hear back, I should've known better from the start. I think she is way too junior although swears herself she is a pro whose done many weddings. If I would be you I would save my $ on this one I don't want any other bride to go through what I did. But I did love all my other vendors. Also her negotiations was joke, I negotiated better then her, she didn't even try. she did not know my expenses never asked, I sent her everything and ended up doing all the contracts and correspondence myself. I was really unhappy with her and on my wedding day she showed up 3 hours late to my hotel where she says I did not need her, in flip flops and ended up doing almost nothing except being on the berry on the side. Even my other vendors were shocked she was supposed to be my planner and my family too. What a dissapointment and a big waste of time and $!!! I asked for a refund she said I don't do refunds, she sucked!!!

megandjay · September 2010

I would say at least a DOC is helpful, to take away that last minute and day of stress is really priceless!

However, do not wait until a month before your wedding to hire a DOC, all the good ones will be booked up.

We had a DOC and looking back I wish we had done full wedding palnning, as she could have actually saved us money on the overall expense! They often are able to get better bargains with vendors.

Caitrus · December 2010

In response to Marina:

I strive to make all of my clients happy.

This particular client hired me to give her my input and advice and when she didn't like it or didn't want to listen she blew me off and disregarded what I said. For example, her budget was tight and I told her she could spend no more than 1k on a dress, she came back with a dress for 5k.

Payments are not refundable after I have completely rendered my services. At the end of her wedding I got a thank you card and gift. The card said thank you for all of your help. I made sure that everything got from the hotel to the ceremony and reception and when someone left something behind, I got in the car and drove back. It wasn't until 4 days after her wedding that she told me that her sister in law stood in the wrong place and because of that she wanted her money back.

I didn't show up to the hotel while she was getting her hair and make up done because as she says in her post, she didn't need me then. I stayed for her entire wedding. I was with her from 12:30pm to 12am the day of.

Again, I strive and succeed in doing the best for my clients. Every once in a while you get one that over spends and tries to recoup some money by blaming a wedding planner because their services seem intangible in comparison to the photographer.

Lesson: If you feel like things are not working out with a particular vendor consider switching. I strive to make all of my clients happy. This particular client hired me to give her my input and advice and when she didn't like it or didn't want to listen she blew me off and disregarded what I said. For example, her budget was tight and I told her she could spend no more than 1k on a dress, she came back with a dress for 5k. Payments are not refundable after I have completely rendered my services. At the end of her wedding I got a thank you card and gift. The card said thank you for all of your help. I made sure that everything got from the hotel to the ceremony and reception and when someone left something behind, I got in the car and drove back. It wasn't until 4 days after her wedding that she told me that her sister in law stood in the wrong place and because of that she wanted her money back. I didn't show up to the hotel while she was getting her hair and make up done because as she says in her post, she didn't need me then. I stayed for her entire wedding. I was with her from 12:30pm to 12am the day of. Again, I strive and succeed in doing the best for my clients. Every once in a while you get one that over spends and tries to recoup some money by blaming a wedding planner because their services seem intangible in comparison to the photographer. Lesson: If you feel like things are not working out with a particular vendor consider switching.

WEDDING PLANNER: hire or not to hire

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