When the Planner Plans: Hiring a Wedding Coordinator
Monday, January 12, 2009
Monday, January 12, 2009 At Thursday's Enchanted Brides bridal show, I ran into Kristin, a Nashville bride-to-be and owner of Simply Stunning Events. While we email often, it's always great to see a person in person. Of course when she tapped me on my shoulder, I was running my mouth with Amy of Photo Booth Nashville. That's a funny story that I will share in a few weeks. But anyway, it gave me time to catch up with Amy and Kristin. Last month, Kristin shared the first step in wedding planning - selecting a wedding date. If you are newly engaged and haven't selected a date, be sure to read that article first. Now, Kristin has chosen a wedding coordinator to help with her wedding day (exciting!) and is back to share her experience and process in hiring a coordinator for her big day with us. Why does she need a planner when she's a planner? Because Kristin understands what I try to stress to brides - everyone needs a planner. In fact, every bride tells me (after her wedding) that she really wishes that she'd hired a planner vs trying to do everything on her own.
Guest Post: Kristin of Simply Stunning Events is a Nashville, TN-based wedding and event planner who is currently engaged to Brian Kaplan, a Nashville wedding photographer. Once you've picked the date, it's time to get organized! The first vendor you should book is of course your wedding coordinator since she or he can assist you in finding venues, choosing vendors, creating a budget, and much more. Start by checking local wedding websites such as AshleysBrideGuide.com and pick 2-3 coordinators in your budget to sit down with. I highly recommend meeting a planner before you book her/him since you will be working with this person closely for the next year or more and you want to be sure she or he has a great personality and will be a good fit. To help, here is a list of questions you should ask before hiring a wedding coordinator!
1) How long have you been a wedding coordinator?
2) Is this your full-time job or part-time job?
3) What type of formal training have you had?
4) Are you a member of any major bridal or wedding/special event trade associations (ABC, ACPWC, June Wedding, Inc, ISES)?
5) What if you become ill or cannot come to the wedding? Who will stand in for you?
6) Do you accept commissions, kickbacks or professional discounts from any vendors you refer?
7) What is your coordination fee?
8) Will you help design the overall theme, decor and flow of the wedding ceremony & reception?
9) Will you provide me with a detailed budget outline?
10) Are you familiar with the best florists, photographers, caterers, bands, and DJs in my price range?
11) Will you read over the vendor contracts? What are some common traps to look out for?
12) Can you counsel me on etiquette matters and alert me to hot trends on the wedding horizon?
13) Will you create a timeline that tells everyone involved in the planning process what to do and when to do it?
14) For the day of the wedding, will you be willing to oversee the entire event by supervising vendors, troubleshooting emergencies, and soothing nerves? Can you share any anecdotes that required performing above and beyond the call of duty?
Lastly, ask for references, both past clients and other vendors. You want to be sure this isn't someone who decided last week she'd like to try planning weddings since she just planned her own and it was so much fun! (Trust me, planning one's own wedding is very different than running a successful event business).
So are you wondering now whether I hired a coordinator for my own wedding? You bet! Even though I am doing all the planning myself, when it comes to my wedding day I do not want to be worrying whether everything was set up properly, or if the vendors are on time. And it might be tough to cue the processional from the back of the line as the bride. So I hired the wonderful Corinne of Weddings with Reese. I definitely needed someone I could trust to execute my vision, handle any emergencies, keep my-type-A-self from obsessing over all the details. See, even wedding coordinators hire wedding coordinators since we know how valuable they are!
Visit Kristin at Simply Stunning Events Visit Corrine at Weddings with Reese
About the Author:
Ashley of Ashley's Bride Guide
Hey - I'm Ashley! I started AshleysBrideGuide.com to give Nashville brides, or folks planning a Nashville wedding, a local resource for inspiration and resources. Hope to see you at a bridal show soon! Happy Planning.
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Posted on January 12, 2009 |
Filed under: Advice & Planning, Real Nashville Brides, Wedding Planners & Coordinators
