Planning a wedding can be an exciting journey, but it can quickly become overwhelming as you start thinking about all the details, decisions, and research involved. 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 you and your loved ones can fully enjoy the day. 

Wedding planners are industry experts who can offer invaluable resources to create a personalized, beautiful, 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.). At the same time, they handle the logistics and back-and-forth details with the vendors involved. 

Wedding Planning Services

Many planning companies, like Charlotte based Purposely Designed Event Planning, offer a variety of packages ranging from Event Management (a.k.a. Month of Coordination) to Full-Service planning. These packages may vary between planning companies; however, ensuring the wedding day runs smoothly is the core of these packages. Sounds simple, right? The reality is your planner will spend anywhere from 30-40 hours on an event management package and 150+ hours on a full-service package -and around an average of 12 hours 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:

• 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:

• 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 onsite on the wedding day directing vendors and ensuring the timeline is being followed and the day runs smoothly

Wedding Planner Duties

While planning packages offer many essential services, there are countless other tasks your planner can do to ensure a stress-free and enjoyable experience for you and your loved ones. Some of these unknown services are:

1. Fashions a bustle out of safety pins and thread underneath your dress when yours breaks
2. Wipes down your ceremony chairs after an unexpected rain shower
3. Makes sure you get appetizers, dinner, and your favorite beverage in hand all night
4. Magically gets all your personal items packed up and where they need to go post-event
5. Calls 911 discreetly when one of your guests has a medical emergency
6. Gives you and your partner (and wedding party) breath mints and tissues before walking down the aisle
7. Calls Uber for intoxicated guests
8. Handles all big family/friend personalities and gives them jobs if you need space from them
9. Stays behind after the ceremony to help call out all your extended family to ensure they are around for pictures
10. Helps out photographer/videographer to get the perfect shot (throws veil in the air for a 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 have your best interests at heart.

Comment below on something you didn’t realize a planner would handle. Also, follow us @purposely_designed_events for new blog announcements and more helpful information about your wedding planning journey!