How to Hire a Wedding Coordinator

So you are getting married and you want to hire a Wedding Coordinator? This Article will show you what to look for in a wedding coordinator and how to avoid some of the pitfalls. Special Bonus how to make piece with your mother while having the wedding you want to have.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

• Phonebook
• Notebook and Pen
• Idea of what kind of wedding you want to have and a budget.

1. It all starts with the right Wedding Planner! First the most important thing to remember is that a Wedding Planner, Wedding Coordinator and a Bridal Consultant are all the same profession. Some will call their services one or the other trying to make it sound more acceptable. However, they all do the same thing. ***YOU SHOULD NOT PAY MORE BECAUSE OF A TITLE*** So What exactly is a Wedding Coordinator? It is a professional that will have contacts, expertise and training that will make planning your special day a bit easier for you, the bride. You should count on your Wedding Coordinator to help keep you within your budget, supervisor, coordinate, counsel, and mediate at times. The Wedding Coordinator is there to make your wedding as close to perfection as she/he can and allow you to relax and enjoy your special day. Many times you will have a hectic day, your wedding planner should be someone that can come in and set your mind at ease. She/he is quick thinking and has several ways to get the same result. A Excellent Wedding planner will know when to comprise to get a better result and when to stand firm for quality. The saying, "Never let them see you sweat" was written for the Wedding Coordinator.
2. Second, Let me tell you why you should hire a wedding Coordinator. It is less stressful when you have a professional who is looking out for your best interest working with you. In most cases you will have a caterer, a event planner at the reception Hall and even some churches will have a designated member that will handle the church contracting and give you the do's and do's for the church/hall. However this person is not going to help you get the flowers you want for your wedding or help you select the perfect wedding gown. She is not going to remind your mother that this is your wedding and her advice will be taken into consideration but the final decision is yours. Hiring a Personal wedding Coordinator will elevate some of the time and energy you will spend and in the end will save you money because of the suggestions and alternatives she can bring to light. The wedding planner is to carry out your vision. She helps you bear the load and keeps things from falling apart by assisting you in pointing out pitfalls and snags well in advance.
3. What you will pay may vary depending on the type of wedding you want to have and the Budget you have set aside for the wedding. However, commonly the Wedding Planner will charge a percentage 10% of the budget allowed. ***It is important to include this amount in your Budget but when you speak with the wedding coordinator to give the budget less the amount you have set aside for her/his payment.
4. What does a Wedding Coordinator actually do. Well in a simple straight to the point answer. they assist you in planning your day and reception. In most cases they will plan the bridal shower and rehearsal dinners also. It is make better to deal with one person than to deal with all the different contracted professionals you will deal with. All asking question of you and most of the professionals you will deal with are trying to make money and not trying to make sure your day is everything you dreamt it would be. A Wedding coordinator understands the emotions you are experiencing in trying to plan the perfect day. They can keep you calm and relax, while acting in your behalf with all contracted help and most important, they work to get you within your budget and try to save money whenever possible. It is their job to give you want you want at the lowest price possible. Without comprising quality and integrity. A wedding Planner should be a great negotiator. Remember it is their job to worry and attend to the tiniest detail in your wedding. They must pay attention to detail. Nothing should take a Wedding planner by surprise and even unexpected changes should be like water off a duck' s back.
5. Now you know what a Wedding Coordinator is, why you should hire one and what the one you hire should do and how much to pay for the services. Let's talk about how to choose one. First ask any bride you know that is getting married and friends that have been married, if they are using or used a wedding coordinator and if they would recommend a good one to you. Normally I see if any one name keeps coming up. If not I will take at least five names and call each of them. Then I would suggest that you get a phonebook and call at least three from there. You should pretty much have in mind what kind of wedding you want and know your budget before calling the first wedding coordinator. I would even have a set of standard questions that you would ask each one that you call. You are interview them just as you would if you were hiring someone to work in your company. You want the best coordinator for the Job. Remember this is the most important day of your life. You don't just want anyone handling it. Once you have talked to all the wedding coordinators give yourself a day to ponder their responses. I would even talk it over with the Groom or any friends that you would normally consultant with on a regular basis. Your Interview questions should be scenario based. For Example: What would you do if.... or How would you handle...? this will give you some working knowledge and personality characteristics. If every thing seems pretty much across the board then I would go with the one that made you feel the most at ease. Remember a professional should be able to answer scenarios questions. A Novice may have a lot of I would do... instead of I have handled that situation like this before. However do not disregard the novice or the wedding planner just starting out. they are ready to make a name for themselves so they will work harder than a professional that has done it for years. Remember this business is referral based so a novice wedding coordinator is eager to get the referrals. In most cases they are more aggressive in the negotiations with contractors because they are trying to impress you to get the referral and saving you more money is one way they can get the upper hand. During the interview ask to see prior work and reference letters.
6. Make sure once you have decided on the wedding coordinator that they write everything they will do for you and your wedding in their contract. Should any new items come up and the contract needs to be amended make sure the original contracts allows for that and amendment. Read the contract thoroughly and ask as many questions you deem necessary to get a clear understand. It is also important to make sure that the contract says what is expected should the wedding be called off due to unforeseeable circumstances. Also, make sure the time frames are included. When was a wedding coordinator I would give my brides a cancellation clause for terminating the contract with in so many days after we signed it. Although, none of my brides ever canceled they all said that made them trust me more. This clause was normally a seven day period and the contract would be cancel no questions asked and no payment required. Anything after the seven days it was based on the percentage of the budget spent. This was not the same as wedding cancellation. As a Wedding consultant I never had a contract cancelled but even so it was in the contract so the bride had all the information she needed to be in complete confidence with me and my services.
7. Backing up a moment. It is important that the wedding coordinator be flexible and able to see and understand your vision clearly. When describing your day, pay attention the body language and facial expressions of the wedding coordinator. They must be confident they can deliver what you are wanting. If this does not seem like the case, don't just dismiss them but rather see why they feel uncomfortable. It could be you are wanting something that will not be in season at the time of your wedding. If they just feel uncomfortable because of the vision you have. thank them for their time and RUN RUN RUN away. LOL!! Don't be a afraid to ask them if they are certified or not. Some may be and some may not be. A certified Consultant has a organization that is watching over them to make sure they are following rules and regulations of a wedding planner and gives you a mediator in the event that your wedding planner does not honor their contract and or does not work to your satisfaction.
8. As for as vendors, the wedding planner will use. some big wedding consultant agency will have vendors they use that will offer discounts. Some individuals may have a kick back in place with certain vendors. In most cases this works to your advantage in others this may defeat the purpose. they are a lot of thought process on this. I know this if the wedding planner that you have hired has a certain standard she operates at then all vendors she will hire will work at the same level. In some cases the vendors can get lazy and not do the best job intended however the Wedding Coordinator should be able to call them on it or hire another vendor and release the one in place.

Tips & Warnings

• Just because the wedding coordinator is a novice does not necessarily mean they will not be the best suited for the job
• Stick to the contract. Get everything in writing.
• Hire a professional and do not use someone who does it as a hobby.
• Interview each Coordinator with the same questions and scenarios, this will allow you to compare them better.
• If you are not sure do not hire the wedding coordinator.
• A Wedding coordinator should not add to your stress.
• If a wedding coordinator has been in business more than three years and has no references, there is a good and obvious reason why.
• Don't assume that the wedding planner will accept, check or credit card, ask before you sign the contract.