Wedding planning consultant

Most people that plan to get married strive to set aside sufficient funds to spend on that special day, but they are so busy working that they don't always have time to spend planning their own wedding. This is where a wedding consultant proves to be a godsend. A wedding planner assists the bride and groom plan the day they so look forward to.

A wedding consultant or wedding planner is a facilitator and a mediator. A good wedding consultant remains calm in the face of disaster. The planner must be affable and a good mediator. In addition to their interpersonal skills, a wedding planner must possess impressive business skills. A wedding consultant must have a good sense of fashion. Planning a wedding can get frustrating and so the wedding planner acts as a therapist to calm frazzled nerves. First hand knowledge of various religions is also imperative, since religious weddings are very common. To keep up with the latest trends, a bridal consultant must spend a lot of time reading bridal magazines. Networking is very important to a consultant, as establishing good connections ensure good deals.

Duties and advantages

Throughout the wedding planning process, the planner assesses the couple's needs. Factors like what kind of wedding they want to have, how many people will attend and the overall budget all have to be taken into consideration. The planner provides the couple with connections to professionals such as photographers, bands and florists.

The planner helps the couple pick a style for their wedding and begins the search for the venue immediately. The site of the wedding and reception is the most important decision to make and is also the most time consuming. The planner makes sure that the chosen venues are available. The consultant is also the wedding organizer. It is the duty of the planner to assist the couple with the decisions they have to make. It is the planner who reminds the couple to provide the final head count to the caterer or to mail the invitations on a specific date. The couple saves a lot of time because the planner keeps track of all those little things that might get lost in the confusion. A good wedding planner will be able to assist in organizing, budgeting and purchasing services for the wedding. Part of the reason why clients hire wedding consultants is to save money and their fees should be viewed as part of the wedding budget and not an extra expense.

Disadvantages

Sometimes an overconfident wedding planner can try to convince the couple into having a wedding that they're not ready for yet. Ultimately, it is the wedding planners who are in charge of the weddings, so a careless planner can ruin the entire ceremony. There are a lot of scam artists out there, people who boast of organizing and conducting a lot of weddings when they haven't done any. Hiring such a person would spell disaster. It is crucial to conduct a thorough research on the planner's references. A wedding planner can also cost you money. Expect their fee to be anywhere from 5% to 20 % of the total wedding budget.