HIRING A WEDDING PLANNER - YOU CAN SURELY AFFORD ONE!

Weddings are one of the grandest celebrations of your life. You would not only want it to be unique and picture perfect in every way, but also join in all the revelry. From the day you find your better half, till the day you say “I DO” so much needs to be planned, decided and executed.

A guide, a designer, a coordinator, a manager, your wedding planner can play all or as many roles as you choose. They are there to manage all the big and small details and ensure that everything is executed flawlessly. There are several types of professionals who come under the title of a “wedding planner”. Those who can be hired from start to finish to manage all of your wedding related needs, to those who can be hired to just manage and execute particular events and functions. They all come with different skills and specializations, and can offer a wide range of services as per your requirement.

Hiring a wedding planner does not increase your wedding cost. Depending on the scale of your wedding and the level of involvement you want from the planner you can choose a team most suitable for you. The wedding planners fee will depend on the number of services you hire them for and can easily be accommodated in an average wedding budget.

Here we present to you a list of all kinds of wedding planners and the services provided by them to help you decide what suits you best.

DAY OF COORDINATOR

They are there to make sure that everything is perfectly executed on your big day. They usually come into the picture a week or so before the wedding date to understand what is required to be done on the day of the event and to get details of all the vendors and teams hired by you so they can coordinate with them on the wedding day, and do not provide any services before that. All decisions involving selection of venues, vendors, decor, logistics is the responsibility of the client and the planner does not get involved in any way.

What do they do: Their responsibility is to supervise everything on the day of the event . They guide and direct the vendors, manage the decor, provide teams to attend to guest, and help with the post party clean up and management. They provide the clients with all they need on the wedding day, and ensure that everything is executed smoothly and as per schedule.

Choose if: You want to be actively involved in all planning and decision making prior to the wedding, but want someone to manage and execute the main event so your family and friends can be free to enjoy the celebrations.

What do you pay: They usually charge a flat fee which is pre decided. This is a good option if you have a fixed budget, and want to allocate a set amount to every aspect of the wedding cost.

VENUE CO-ORDINATOR

This is a planner provided by the venue you select for your events. The team is responsible to provide you with all your requirements for hosting that particular function from decor, to music to catering. The planner has a pre-selected list of vendors who collaborate together to put together the entire show. In this case you do not choose your planner, but can select from the various packages offered by them.

What do they do: Keeping in mind your budget and requirement they provide you with various packages showcasing a variety of decor themes and cuisine options. Once you select the most suitable one for you, they manage all the vendors and teams involved and are responsible for managing all the arrangements pre and post the function. On the final day they overlook the entire function and to ensure that all goes as planned.

Choose if: You have a set venue in mind and do not want to look at other options. Once the details regarding the packages are worked out, you are free from the hassle of managing the event and the planner looks into every aspect and delivers everything decided upon.

What do they charge: The planner designs packages as per your prerequisites and charges a flat fee depending on the theme and cuisine you opt for and the number of people to be catered to. This is a good option if you want a professional to manage all aspects of the event at a venue of your choosing.

A LA CARTE PLANNER

As the name suggest you can decide on how much or little you want the planner to be involved. You can break up all the wedding requirements and decide what you want to do on your own and what you need a professional to manage for you.

What do they do: They give you suggestions on themes and events, packages from hotels and venues, recommend vendors and logistics teams and you can choose a combination from the services they provide as per what suits you best. They provide you with a general outline of the wedding and you can choose what elements you want managed professionally and what you would like to attend to on your own.

Choose if: You want a more personalised approach to the wedding planning, allowing you to shape it as per your needs with professional help. The planner steps in when required and provides you their assistance while giving you freedom to manage the rest on your own.

What do they charge: They either charge an hourly rate or a flat fee for each service. This is a good option if there is little flexibility within your budget and you want more professional management of some parts of wedding only.

FULL SERVICE PLANNER OR ALL INCLUSIVE

If a fairy tale wedding, perfectly customised, designed and executed for you at the swish of a wand is what you desire then you have found your match. This wedding planner is by your side from start to finish. They give reality to your vision and make all your whims and fancies come true. From venue selection, to decor, to food to artist, you name it and they manage it all.

What do they do: Once you outline all your requirements in terms of the scale of the wedding, the destination, the theme, cuisine preference and the wedding budget, the planners work on putting together various package options for you to select from. Once all the preliminary decisions are made and the final package shortlisted the planner takes over all the wedding work from you and are then responsible for everything from planning to executing all the events.

Choose if: Your work or lifestyle does not give you all the time needed to plan such a big event, or you don't have enough helping hands to distribute the chores to. You may also find yourself unable to scout for the best vendors and teams to manage each event, or your wedding is at a third destination and you need someone to manage it on a local level. Whatever be the reason, if you want your wedding to be micromanaged hire a planner.

What do they charge: The planner designs a package clearly stating all inclusives as per your agreement and charges a flat fee for the same or some might charge you a percentage of what you are paying for the entire wedding. Since this covers almost all aspects of the wedding, you will be having clarity on what the cost would be and this is a great way to ensure that the budget is not over stepped.

To hire a fully inclusive planner does not inflate your wedding cost. The average wedding budget already accounts for payments to be made to various vendors etc. The wedding planner’s fee includes a service charge for managing the wedding, the rest of the money is distributed as payments. The planner spends your money on the following, just as you would:

Vendors: They are the lifelines of your wedding and cater to every aspect of the wedding.

Hotels: For hosting guest and events

Logistics: To provide transport to guest and movement of wedding materials.

Venues: To add a variety of backdrops for various events.

Artist: To add fanfare to the celebrations.

Photographer: To capture every beautiful moment of your celebration.

You can choose how much or little you want to delegate to a planner while you manage the rest. Whatever be your need or budget you can find the right kind of planner to provide you with the assistance you need to execute the big fat Indian wedding.