Planning a wedding can be SO FUN but as you start thinking about all the details, decisions, and research involved, it can quickly become overwhelming. With a full-time job or other commitments, finding time and energy to plan can be challenging, even with a helpful family member. But what happens when a family member’s opinions become too much or the wedding weekend arrives and they want to enjoy the fun? This is where a wedding planner can step in and alleviate the stress, guide you through the decision-making process, and ensure that you and your family/friends can be fully present by your side.
Wedding planners are industry experts who can offer invaluable resources to create a personalized, beautiful, and seamless event while respecting your budget. A planner allows you, and anyone else involved in the planning process, the chance to focus on the overall details and what most consider the “fun” parts of the planning process (menu tasting, design, etc.) while they handle the logistics and back and forth details with the vendors involved.
Many planning companies, like SunRae Planning offer a variety of packages ranging from wedding management and full service planning. These packages may vary between planning companies, however, at the core of what all these packages include is ensuring the wedding day runs smoothly. Sounds simple, right? The reality is your planner will spend anywhere from 30-40 hours on an event management package and 150+ hours for a full-service package -and around an average of 10 hours straight on your wedding day alone! Let’s briefly break down the high-level difference between an event management package and a full-service package, and what a planner might be responsible for in each of these offerings:
Event Management:
This package is great for people who have a grasp on wedding planning but want a professional to help tie it together with a pretty bow! These clients have the time and energy to secure all of their vendors and make major decisions but could use a little guidance along the way!
Examples:
Provide guidance through the planning process from day 1 while you do all the leg work.
Assists in communicating final details and logistics with vendors you selected
Creates a comprehensive wedding weekend timeline to share with vendors as well as you and your wedding party
Is onsite on the wedding day directing vendors and ensuring the timeline is being followed and the day runs smoothly
Full-Service:
This is for our busy professionals!! If your life is crazy and you’re dreaming of a beautiful wedding but don’t have the time or don’t love making decisions, this is the package for you! We help with pretty much every part of the planning process from design boards to reaching out to vendors to day-of coordination! While you still have to make the decisions, we do all the heavy lifting so that you don’t have to!
Examples:
We are with you from the beginning, sometimes even before you have selected a date and location
Assists in establishing a vision and realistic budget
Connects you with professional vendors to bring your vision to life and will review all contracts
Communicates all details and logistics with vendors throughout the entire planning process
Helps create a cohesive design based on your vision and budget
Is there to guide you during the planning, providing etiquette guidance on aspects such as invitations, family situations, and wedding day flow
Creates a comprehensive wedding weekend timeline to share with vendors as well as you and your wedding party
Is onsite on the wedding day directing vendors and ensuring the timeline is being followed and the day runs smoothly
While planning packages offer many essential services, there are countless other tasks that your planner can do to ensure a stress-free and enjoyable experience for you and your loved ones. Our team has been nicknamed “The Wedding Ninjas” by a local photography team because these kinds of tasks magically happen without anyone ever seeing them! Here are some examples:
Fashions a bustle out of safety pins and thread underneath your dress when yours breaks
Wipes down your ceremony chairs after unexpected rain shower
Makes sure you get appetizers, dinner, and your favorite beverage in hand all night
Magically gets all your personal items packed up and where they need to go post-event
Makes sure there is a plate and forks by your cake before you cut it so that your ceremonial slice has a place to go
Makes sure that champagne toast is actually poured by the caterer before the DJ announces it’s time for toasts
Gives you and your partner (and wedding party) breath mints and tissues before walking down the aisle
Handles all big family/friend personalities and gives them jobs if you need space from them
Brings a portable fan to fan you between pictures when it’s hot outside (also has water and your drink of choice on standby to take sips from between pictures!)
Helps out photographer/videographer to get the perfect shot (throws veil in air for wind blown shot, holds extra lights, crouches behind you holding dress so it doesn’t get dirty, etc.)
Ultimately, a wedding planner is an essential investment that brings expertise, experience, and peace of mind to your special day. Trust your planner and know that they are YOUR advocate!! They have one sole responsibility and that is to make sure your vision comes together beautifully and that you have the time of your life!
Realizing a planner sounds good right about now? We cannot WAIT to chat and answer any questions you might have about hiring a planner.
Happy Planning, Lovers!
Jacqueline