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Dealing With Vendors Discuss tips on dealing with wedding vendors.

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Old 12-07-2005, 02:46 AM
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Default Wedding Consultants

This is a thread that was started in our old BlissWeddings.com forums by Zeke on 7/31/04. Feel free to add your comments by pressing Post Reply.

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posted by Zeke

I am wondering how many people planning weddings are using a wedding consultant to help out or to coordinate most of the wedding? I have considered this but I am not sure that it won't just make things a bit more complex overall. Any thoughts?

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posted by HeatherR

I had thought about it, but decided against it. Even though planning the wedding was stressful at times to say the least, looking back, I'm glad I did everything myself.

I think the rollercoaster that you go through is just such an amazing experience, and I wouldn't change a thing...

Heather

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posted by gymrat

I did not even think about it and I planned my wedding in 2.5 months. Though, my background is in programming of recreational activities/special events so I used my education to help me plan.

I would say if you think that you do not have enough time and/or want some help that is an outsider (family and friends want things their way and many times push their ideas) then I would consider hiring a consultant.

My hubby was very involved in the planning of our wedding. We created a spreadsheet to help decide what we wanted (size, location, budget, etc) and discussed the areas we disagreed on. I could send you our list if you like but you would have to change the answer selections to fit your needs.

Smiles,
Lisa Marie

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posted by Marge129

I also did not use a wedding coordinator. What I did do was organize everything. Whenever I met with a vendor, they got a folder of stuff. I had a calender of when to get things done on the fridge. It was probably the most organized I've ever been in my life, and probably ever will be! lol

Margie

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posted by TheaterDiva1

No, I didn't have a coordinator. Not only did I not want to spend the money on something I thought I could do myself, I didn't feel comfortable giving up control over my wedding. I will have a maire'd helping out that day though.

-Maggie


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posted by feb-bride

I didn't hire a coordinator because I wanted complete control over my wedding planning process. However, I did designate someone (my step-mom) to be my "day-of" coordinator. Basically, she was the go-to person for the vendors and the wedding party. This way, I didn't have to worry about anything on my wedding day.

I highly recommend that you at least have someone to be your "go-to" person. If you don't have anyone RELIABLE, then you might want to think about hiring someone. My step-mom was a godsend and handled so many things that had I been forced to deal with them on the wedding day, I would have gone stark raving mad.

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posted by Zeke

I would not want someone who would control the whole wedding, of course--I was thinking a consultant would help facilitate the process..

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posted by HeatherR

They can help facilitate, they may think of things that you wouldn't- but any wedding book will tell you what you need to know.

I have friends getting married next year that are hiring a coordinator- but they both live in NYC, and the wedding is in Seattle. That's where I would see a coordinator coming in handy.

I think it's really a personal choice. I'm sure that you could have as much or as less control asy you wanted- you would be paying them after all.

Heather

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posted by Kanona

I'm not using a wedding coordinator. First, I've asked a very trustworthy, dependable person to me my MOH (that's very important). Second, I've asked people that I KNOW for sure will do what needs to be done without a lot of (I know there will be some), hemming and hawing. It can be a lot of fun planning a wedding if you have the right people supporting you...just make sure you do a lot of reading and research (there will be things that you will NEVER think of, that someone else, a book, or the internet will bring to your attention).

.....something that I've also learned is that there are some professional wedding/event planners that offer what is called "Same-Day Coordinating". Instead of them planning your entire wedding, they will just make sure that all persons, places, and things are in order on your big day. They will conduct the structure and flow of the day, and if there are any last minute malfunctions they are to handle it without bothering you and/or your family.

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posted by catina

My daughter and I did all the planning. The church has a co-ordinator included with the fee that is there on rehearsal night and the day of the wedding to make sure everyone is doing what they're suppose to do. The hall for the reception comes with a co-ordinator also, to make sure the reception runs smoothly. I hope it works!!

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posted by lilhoney1976

I think that hiring a planner just takes the fun out of planning.I also wouldn't want to put my wedding in the hands of a stranger, no matter how qualified they say they are,it's too risky. If I messed up, I want it to be my screw up and not someone else's,because the other person's screw up is guaranteed to be worse than yours(ours not being as bad because we brides tend to be more critical even with the small details). A friend of mine got married last year. We didn't become friends until after she was already married but she told me that she hired a wedding planner and the wedding planner helped her through the process but on the day of the wedding, she left right after the ceremony.She said she would be right back. She called and said she had got in a car accident and could not return.Mind you, my friend had already paid her. Come to find out, she had gone to do another wedding.She just about ruined the reception! I'm not saying that would happen because that was probably a rare instance but you can never be too careful.Also, there are so many wonderful books, magazines and manuals on the market today,that help a great deal with planning a wedding and they even include little ideas for special touches and added creativity. I don't think a bridal planner is necessary but that's just my opinion.
Good luck!

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posted by syringa

A good wedding coordinator doesn't take the fun out of the planning. Instead, she can help you make your plans happen. She knows the merchants in the community and she has the resources to help you create a beautiful day. If you want to do your own planning, you can hire a coordinator for the rehearsal and day of at a very reasonable rate. They take care of everything in the background so you don't have to worry whether the cake was delivered, where are the flowers, how will people get down the aisle and when, etc. etc. A good coordinator is well worth the cost.

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posted by lilhoney1976

I personally don't believe that they can find any more resources than you can yourself. There are so many resource books and bridal magazines, not to mention websites, that between all of those resources,you have access to millions of vendors countrywide.I do, however, agree with Syringa about having the planner for the rehearsal day and the day of.That I think is a pretty good idea.I wouldn't put everything solely in the planners hands though.It's just to risky for my taste. I would still make sure things are going okay.But, I think that having the planner there to organize the rehearsal,pick up times and helping to keep the schedule going as planned is a pretty good idea.By the way, how much would it be to do something like that.Not for the whole planning process but just for the day before and day of?

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posted by catina

Actually, I would think that a good wedding planner does have more resources than the typical bride. They have vendors that they deal with all the time and may even get some better deals than the normal person walking in from the street. They have a better idea of what type of work the vendor is capable of doing and not doing. If I had the money I would have gone for it! Saves a heck of a lot running around and second guessing myself! You would still have the final decision on the vendors and things you want, just that it narrows down your choices. It's especially good if your wedding is in one town and you're in another!
Funny, I thought it would be good to have one on the rehearsal day and wedding day, but as it turned out, the church came with a co-ordinator that was there the day of the rehearsal and the wedding day to line everyone up and the hotel had one, and the DJ was the actual personal to organize the wedding party entrance. Plus we had out MC. Between the three of them it worked out wonderfully! No need for the planner! Make sure you ask the church, the hall, the DJ just how much they do. You may be surprised!
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Old 12-07-2005, 02:46 AM
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posted by lilhoney1976

I guess I didn't look at it that way. They probably will know how to get special deals for you,sort of like a travel agent. Also regarding the church,I found out that my church has their own coordinator. How did that work out for your daughter? Was your daughter able to set things up the way she wanted and have the coordinator help everything be organized,run smoothly, and be less confusing. Or did she have to go by the churches guidelines regarding the processional?


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posted by syringa

Usually, a church coordinator has one way of doing things. The majority of people who get married have no idea what they should do or how, so the church coordinator decides for them. Unless you arrive for the rehearsal or a meeting with the coordinator with a written plan in hand showing how you want people to walk in and stand, you will get the same thing that occurred at the twenty weddings before yours and will occur at the next twenty weddings.

You may find that the church organist always plays the same music for every wedding as well. Some church coordinators take their cues from the organist rather than them cueing the organist. If you want to do things differently than every other wedding, be sure to provide a written plan in advance and either have your coordinator or a friend act as coordinator to help be sure that things go as you want.

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posted by hermom

We have decided to hire a day-of wedding coordinator. We will organize and hire the vendors, etc. but I need someone to run the show so we can just enjoy ourselves. The people we could have trusted with this have other roles in the wedding and it will be worth the money to make sure everything is taken care of. We are having a more informal reception and we don't need a coordintor for the whole planning process.

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posted by merecia

we are having a coordinator for the day and so far we are looking at 700 to 1000 for the 8 hour job plus meeting a few times to get things cleared up. She will look at our plans and ck for mistakes or improvements, thou I do not think there will be any.
She will collect the tux and return them.
Mail the annoucements the day after.
She will set up the misc for the ceremony like programs,runner, special candles etc.
She will provide the emergency kit, because she uses the same one and it is onee less thing I do not have to worrie about.
The ceremony and reception will both be at a hotel and they do provide for one, but not as personal.

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posted by mrsyarwood2b

I agree with almost everyone else that has posted that I would not want to give up control of what will be such a special day to anyone else. I was concerned about the day of the wedding, though, because I didn't want to be harried with all the details.

I got so lucky! We picked a quaint, rural building for the site of our wedding and reception. It's beautiful and very intimate (just the type of space we wanted). The woman who owns the building was an event planner in L.A. and is all about taking over all the "day of" details for me! Such a load off my shoulders!

Aimee "Yarwood"

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posted by brideliza

I so want to have a planner. I've looked at a few. We're still in the "figure out your budget" phase. My fiance says we can do it big, but we have to save for it. Of all the planners out there I think we will go with Sasha Souza Events http://www.sashasouzaevents.com . She seems really on top of it and has all the connections. And we want to have a really amazing destination wedding. I couldn't imagine doing all the planning for my wedding in an unfamilar place. So I think hiring a consultant is the way to go.
Best,
Tiffany

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posted by munchkin

Sasha used to be the Wediquette moderator on these boards....she was interesting to say the least.

~Kerry~

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posted by asyouwish

Wedding planers use there connections to get you special deals and put together your dream day. A good wedding planer does not take over and do it their way. A good wedding planer will negotiate to make sure it goes your way. You still get to taste 20 flavors of cakes at 3 bakeries; you don't call 20 bakeries to see who makes the flavor you want at a decent price.

If you love to negotiate with vendors, are very organized, have free time, and have no problems making decisions, and are good at finding solutions that make you, your mom, your fiancé, his mom, and your bridesmaids happy- do it yourself.

Of course you can plan the wedding of your dreams yourself. But you don't have to do it all yourself. Get help where you need it.


www.asyouwishwed.com

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posted by lilhoney1976

Since my last post on this particular topic, I have somewhat considered changing my mind about the whole wedding planner thing. Although I don't need someone to completely plan everything, I have done some research on this sort of thing and found that since they do repeat business with alot of these vendors, they can act as negotiator and get you significant discounts. They can also make sure everything is organized so you're not running around like a chicken with your head cut off and they have loads of package deals. So, I may change my mind. BUT, I won't turn the entire thing over to them. I'll just have them assist me.

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posted by syringa

That is as it should be. You should always have the final say in every decision. Otherwise, it becomes the planner's wedding, not yours.
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