Planners advertise "planning packages" because the packages generally cover the requirements of the majority of weddings. The package description makes it easier for the bride to understand the steps involved in planning a wedding. The package also stream lines the implementation of the planning process for the planner, ultimately, making the process less expensive for the bride. It is less time-consuming and less expensive to address the elements of a wedding in the package format rather than handling all of the elements separately.
However, for brides who really want specialized planning, planners will offer their services in a combination of packages. Some planners will also custom design a package around the bride and her special needs and desires. When a package is customized by adding or subtracting from the initial package, the price of the package will change depending on how much more or less work is involved for the planner and the planning team. Some planners charge more when a bride requests the planner to work on separate items instead of bundling all the services together in a package. For example, it is more expensive to hire a planner for hourly assistance, which requires preparation and follow-up, than to obtain the same service and information as part of a package.
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Brides have the option to choose full packages, partial packages and day-of-wedding only services. Every planner and planning company offers different packages. Most planners publicize their packages on their websites so prospective clients can see the items included in each package. However, most brides are not aware of what is actually involved in the wedding planning process. Following is a step-by-step outline of the process:
Pre-Planning
• Initial Get Acquainted Meeting (1-2 hours) The initial meeting is a consultation, session during which the bride and the planner determine whether they will work together well.
• Guest List Spreadsheet Template Many brides are not familiar with this important tool. It is a spreadsheet and template in which the bride enters all of the guest information. The spreadsheet enables the bride to keep track of the current head count, any special food requests and the guests' choice of entrée. It assists the bride in counting out-of-town guests to determine the number of welcome packages that must be assembled and delivered to the hotel. Many planners offer this service online.
• Expert consultation and guidance on wedding etiquette (1-2 hours) Rules of etiquette change very quickly in this age of technology. It is necessary to have a knowledgeable person with their "finger on the pulse" to ensure the wedding experience is perfect.
Planning
• Unlimited consultations in person, via telephone, text message and email. This is a very important service. As the wedding quickly approaches, things that seemed so minor or were overlooked by the bride may pop up at unexpected times. A good planner will be available and prepared to answer any questions and address issues at any time.
• Unlimited access to the head planner and assistant when you need them. Make sure this is included in the package. Some planners to not offer this bonus to their clients
• Attend the required meetings of the church or ceremony location to make sure that all deadlines are met and materials are turned in on time. This is not included in every package. The number of visits will vary by location. Some locations will require as many as five visits.
• Final vendor confirmations/follow-up three weeks before the wedding Most planners will include this service in every package. It is important that the vendors are instructed where to be, at what time, and given a timeline of services to be provided for the day.
• Vendor Selection from only the best and brilliant professionals for your style, personality and budget. Vendor selection will vary from client to client. A good planner has a team of wedding professionals from which to refer depending upon the client's needs, desires and budget. For example, if the client is on a limited budget and wants a great band, but is not as concerned about the quality of food, the planner will recommend a fantastic band at a higher cost and good, but not exceptional, food at a reasonable cost. In addition, a good planner will only recommend vendors with good track records. A good planner will offer vendors in three price ranges. In order to serve a wide-range of clients, a planner must offer vendors at low, medium and high price points. In addition, a planner should have a number of vendors at each price point to insure the best blend with a client's personality. A good planner will recommend a group of vendors best suited for the client's personality, style, budget and desired outcome.
• Schedule and facilitate vendor appointments around your availability. In full planning packages, and in some partial planning packages, the planner will attend the vendor appointments with the client to insure that the planner is aware of any changes the client and the vendor make. The planner will also make sure that everything is going smoothly between the client and the vendor and intercede when necessary. Since the planner is ultimately responsible to make sure that your wedding day is all you envisioned, the planner must be aware of any and all changes, however minor.
• Review and negotiate vendor contracts. Once the client and the vendor have reached an agreement, a good planner will review the agreement to make sure there are no provisions harmful to the client. The planner will ensure that everything agreed to between the client and the vendor is addressed in the agreement. The planner will make note of the correct dates and amounts of payment so no mistakes are made which could cause problems for the bride.
• Attire selection (if desired) Many brides request assistance with choosing attire for the wedding. Not all planners offer this service.
• Guest Accommodations- Many brides arrange hotel accommodations for out of town guests. This service is usually included in full planning packages. The planner will negotiate and arrange a room block for the guests. Typically, either you as the couple or the parents of the bride and groom pay for a room block so the guests can reserve rooms less expensively, or the guests pay the going rate and the hotel blocks off rooms that aren't sold to others until approx a month prior to the wedding.
• Create guest amenities. Include welcome bags, favors, programs, in addition to other requests The planner performs these services after you have a final head count. The planner delivers the assembled welcome packages to the hotel to be provided to the guests at check in. The client may also opt to pay a small fee to the hotel to arrange for the package to be placed in the guest's room by the hotel staff. This option really depends upon the hotel and its practices. The planner will also assemble the favors and deliver them to the reception location to be set out at each place setting or on a table to be taken as guests leave.
• Guest and Bridal Party Transportation. Guest transportation involves transporting guest's to/from the airport to the hotel. It also involves transporting guests from the hotel to the wedding ceremony and reception then back to the hotel. The Bridal party must be transported to the ceremony, reception and then to two different hotel locations, as most couples opt to spend their wedding night at a different location than their guests.
• Menu and Beverage Selection and Tastings, as needed. Usually, only one tasting for food and beverage is required. The caterer prepares several small portions of items that the couple requested. Upon occasion, a second tasting is needed for a last decision.
• On-going vendor maintenance. Vendors ask questions throughout the planning process and especially on the day of the wedding. Depending upon the planning package chosen, either the planner or the client will respond to vendor questions. It is more expensive to have the planner handle vendor issues, but it makes it much easier for the bride. The planner will work closely with the vendors to make sure that all aspects of the wedding day will flow perfectly. This service includes making deposits and payments to vendors at the scheduled times.
• Schedule Salon and Spa Services. The morning of a wedding day can be very stressful to both the bride and her mother. A good planner will strongly recommend to a bride that the wedding party distress at a spa with a massage and soak before the wedding, if it is at all possible in the wedding budget. It is great bonding time, and many spas have hair and make-up services available. The planner will schedule these services.
• Itemize and include all subcontracted vendors on one invoice from the planner. The planner will maintain deposits and payments to all vendors from your payments. The monthly invoice details the several hours the planner and the team worked on your special occasion. The invoice will also reflect vendor payments made on your behalf and will include a total to date.
• Make reservation for Bride and Groom for wedding night. Most planners, depending upon the package chosen, will reserve the wedding night hotel room. Some planners include the decoration of the bridal suite in the package or as a surprise for the couple.
• Assist with Honeymoon planning. Depending upon the package you chosen, some planners will assist with honeymoon planning. This planning could include choice of location, researching travel packages, assisting with passport issues and airport transportation. If the package does not include this service, the planner will recommend a travel agent to assist the client with honeymoon planning. It is important to work with a reputable travel agent so that all honeymoon issues go smoothly.
Timeline
• Create a detailed and informative itinerary for the wedding day and related activities. This service is priceless! There are at least three important timelines. In many cases, brides plan surprises for parents or the wedding party. There has to be a separate timeline for these events that only the bride and the vendors have. There is a timeline for the planners staff that includes everything that happens from the time the bride gets up the morning of the wedding until after the reception site closes down that night. There is also a timeline for the wedding party that addresses the needs and requirements of the wedding party without the information required by the vendors and staff.
• Time-line distribution to all vendors and location(s) a month prior to the wedding. It is important to provide vendors and locations with timelines and any revisions to timelines at least a month prior to the wedding.
• Confirm all Vendors and details. It is key to confirm all vendors and details prior to the preparation of the timeline.
Wow Factor
Designer Decor & Floral Design
Not all planners become involved in decor and floral design. Many will refer the client to an outside vendor to handle these elements of the wedding. Some planners represent that they can handle these issues, but they really not qualified. It is important to research the planner and ask for pictures of prior work.
• Unlimited design time devoted to you. Design time is the time required to develop, design and pre-assemble the vision that you and the planner have discussed for decor and floral arrangements. The bride should see the pictures and the elements in advance of the wedding.
• Create your custom designed wedding floral arrangement The floral arrangement will be completely infused with creative concepts of the bride's vision of color scheme and/or theme. The bride will approve the design. The floral design is often incorporated into the decor. The bride may not be able to see the actual flowers in entirety before the wedding, unless she would like to pay double for a preview of the entire order. However, most of the time, there should be enough kept in the budget to bring in a small amount, so the bride can see the color, design, shape and flow of a few pieces for approval.
• Create unique decor design the decor design will be created from the bride's desires and vision with creative concepts of color scheme and/or theme. This is a combination of decor and floral arrangements custom designed to the bride's vision in the color scheme or theme that the bride has chosen for her special occasion. The bride has final approval of the design.
• Custom design your Wedding Stationery and assist you with selection. The wedding stationery will be designed in the bride's color scheme and theme of the wedding. The invitation will set the theme and feeling of the wedding.
• Develop event enhancements Event enhancements include atmospheric lighting, custom furnishings and decor. The purposed is to enhance the feeling of the location and the mood that the bride would like to set for the wedding. The bride approves all enhancements.
Rehearsal
• Final consultation (up to 2 hours) A final consultation is necessary to decide the order of service for your wedding day based upon the church or ceremony location's requirements. The final consultation concerning the site ensures that the bride and the planner are both aware of any final adjustments prior to the wedding day.
• Rehearsal Coordination and Direction some locations have an on-site coordinator. The on-site coordinator and planner work together to make sure that the wedding party knows what to expect the next day. The on-site coordinator is typically there to help with the coordination of staff, set up, clean up and service order. The planner's role is to arrange for the line-up, the items of the wedding party, the bubble exit or biodegradable wedding rice, the outside music and rental set up.
• Rehearsal coordination and direction (up to one and one-half hours) see above.
• Attend final walk through at location(s) the planner attends the last-minute meetings with the site(s) for the wedding day to ensure that all details have been attended to, and that the outside rentals have arrived. The planner will inform the site of any last-minute changes, decide upon room layout and handle any issues or new matters that may arise at rehearsal.
Wedding Day
• Oversee and Manage wedding day installation the installation is the set up of the reception room by the staff of the reception site. The planner will make sure that the tables, staging, bars, etc. are set up in the correct places and that there are enough chairs for each table. The planner will make sure that place settings aren't missing major elements. For example, if a champagne toast was requested there must be champagne glasses at each place, and if there are children at a table, there should not be champagne glasses there. The planner will check to see that vendors are arriving and are at the proper locations.
• Oversee, manage and trouble-shoot each element of the wedding day installation the planner will deal with any issue that arises during the wedding day installation.
• Unlimited onsite Wedding Day Management, including at least one assistant the planner and an assistant will be on site on the wedding day to help the bridal party and families of the bride and groom. In addition, the planner will manage the staff over the course of the day.
• Coordinate, Manage, and Trouble-shoot on your Wedding Day the planner will do everything necessary to create the Simply Sensational Wedding of your Dreams. The planner makes advance plans anticipating any problems that may arise. Occasionally two or three additional plans may be required for the day and application. The planner will coordinate all of the vendors, the planner's staff and the wedding party, to ensure that the day runs smoothly.
• the planner will put out place cards, set up the guest book, confirm that there is a cake knife and champagne for cake cutting and set out favors. The planner also arranges for additional items, if required, such as fabric ceilings, choppers, major decor pieces, intricate or elaborate centerpieces, extra specialty linens and backdrops. These are all elements of decor, and typically, there is an additional fee for installation and labor for decor elements.
• Confirm that the photographer and musicians have their list of photos/ music list requested. Additional copies of these pieces are made and brought by the planner.
• Coordinate at ceremony site the planner will coördinate the attendees, bridal party, families and officiate for the ceremony. The planner will line up the bridal party and ready them for walking down the aisle, make sure the boutonniere is pinned and bouquets in hand, confirm distribution of programs, and make sure that the vendors and family are in place.
• During the reception the planner will work with any on-site event managers concerning the timing of the food, cake and first dance, etc.
• Complimentary use of Bridal Emergency Bag. The bridal emergency bag includes items that sometimes are urgently needed during the day. This is an important piece as most bustles do pull out at some time during the reception. Lip-gloss is needed constantly due to the smiling.
• Team with location and vendors to ensure the wedding is all that the bride envisioned. The key to a successful wedding is that all of the vendors, the planner and the site all know in advance what is to happen, and when and where. They must be able to read cues given by the bride and the planner concerning when to speed things up or down so the bride will have the day/night she has envisioned.
• Pay all of the vendors with pre-arranged checks at the end of the reception.
• Collect all of the presents and bride's personal items so that the bride and her family can enjoy the entire night and not worry about any details. All gifts and personal items will be delivered to the bride the next day, or when convenient for the bride.
• Decorate the bridal suite. A Memory Lane Event does this for all brides, but not all planners do.
• And much, much more! Literally, the list is endless.
Post Wedding Day
• Set up Bridal Brunch and drop off gifts The planner will assist with the set up of brunch the next day. The planner will prepare the gifts for easy opening, bring paper and pens so your maid of honor can keep a list of gifts, including a name and address, if possible, to facilitate the writing of thank you notes. Depending upon the site, the planner may stay to clean up.
• Pick up tuxedoes and shoes from Bridal Brunch and return to rental shop. The men in the wedding party do not have to return their rented items. They must make sure that everything they rented is in the proper bag. The planner will handle the return so that the wedding party can have some extra time relaxing after the festivities.
• Return any and all rentals to other vendors/suppliers.
• Confirm honeymoon plans. So when it's time to leave, the bride and groom can leave and not worry about the reservations.
No planner has the same package and planners charge their time and fees based upon their expertise, so a bride really can't compare planners solely based upon packages and price. A bride should to take into account the planner's experience, personality, and then, the packages.
Why Planning Packages Are a Better Deal Then Al a Carte
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