Things to Know Before Hiring a Wedding Planner

You would’ve daydreamed about a perfect Bollywood style wedding, but organising such a large event is not a piece of cake. This is where a good wedding planner steps in to save your big day and there are certain things that must be taken into consideration before hiring one. Read the checklist below to learn the quick tips beforehand. 

1. Envision a layout of your wedding 

What does your dream wedding look like? Draw a clear picture of your venue, setup, attires and how they would look during Indian bridal photography. Other things that could be considered while making a basic layout are a guest list, a venue in London that would suit your Indian aesthetic, ceremonies, and most importantly your budget.

1. What responsibilities would your planner take up 

According to the Industry expert Valerie Gernhauser, these are the tasks your wedding planner must perform : 

• Planning an overall strategy using a planning calendar and a budget spreadsheet to know certain item-by-item milestones and benchmarks throughout the process. This would speed up the booking process of vendor venue, caterer, photographers, videographers and your entertainment. 
• Designing the overall experience that your guests are going to have depends on the artistic creativity of your planner, but your planner doesn’t need to always know the creative designing part. So, they can also advise good vendors and designers that they trust. The cakes, decor, linens, flowers,  bouquets, etc are all included in this designing process. 
• All your vision comes alive during the production process, where the planner would start employing staff, booking reservations, stocking inventories and custom items with all the creative team members 
• Event management is the core responsibility that they would perform where they would communicate with you, the vendors, the venue, the caterers, and the creative team to make the event a big hit.

1. Discuss your budget and requirements 

You must lay out a budget and discuss the requirements with your partner. A fixed budget would allow you to shortlist suitable planners that fit your paying capacity and also offer the services you require. A detailed discussion about the cost and the events can help you in creating a basic plan for your wedding, which you can further discuss with your wedding planner. 

1. Use your social network to explore 

You should explore your social circles, advertisements, social media, and friends and inquire about the perfect wedding planner for your wedding. You should consider all your options before deciding on one, and you must ensure that your preferences and demands align with the services they provide.

1. Meet different planners and understand their services 

You must meet different wedding planners and brainstorm with them. It will help you decide what type of vibe you would like for the wedding. You are going to be spending a lot of time engaging and planning with your planner, so your views and ideas need to align so you can trust their vision and be comfortable with them. You can judge their communication style and work ethic to know if they would be the right pick. 

1. Match your preferences and ideas 

Before finalising the planner you must discuss your preferences and ideas with them. You can exchange creative ideas and decide the aesthetic of your wedding. The dream vision that you have must be catered to by their creative expertise. Go over the wedding ceremonies and rituals that require special arrangements and also ask if they can create the Indian aesthetic in London. This can help you stay under budget and still plan a beautiful wedding. Imagine the decorations and setups for your wedding that must look exquisite when your Asian wedding photographer captures them.

1. Inquire about the previous wedding planners at the venue 

You can also ask your venue if they have any preference for a wedding planner. It would let you save time and energy if they have a tie-up with a certain planner who usually knows the place. You can ask the venue to show the previous weddings they have planned and you can decide accordingly. 

1. Deciding the package

Every wedding planner offers unique packages for you to choose from.  Look at the previous works the wedding planner has done for their past clients and decide if they have created something close to your vision and if the quality level matches your expectations and preferences. This can help you to know if they fit your aesthetic demands and you can also decide it according to your budget.

1. Questions you must ask your wedding planner 

According to industry experts, these are the questions that you are advised to ask your wedding planner to know more about the services they provide:

• Number of meetings included in their fee
• Number of people that will be assisting the wedding planner 
• If they include rehearsals in their package
• If you can customise the package and include certain upgrades if you require, like budget tracking
• Distinctive services that make them stand out 
• Ask about their connections with vendors and venues based in London, UK 
• Ask if they will be just coordinating the ceremony or providing a full-service plan 
• Ask about their experiences and familiarity with the vendors in the UK.