Hiring a Wedding Planner
If you’re recently engaged and in the early days of wedding planning, you might find that the reality of trying to bring your dream Scottish wedding to life can often be a little overwhelming! It’s no wonder, with the average wedding taking over 100 hours to plan and often involving an intimidating to do list. If it all starts to feel too much for you, it may well be worth considering hiring a wedding planner. While many people dismiss hiring a planner as an unnecessary luxury given the price tag attached, there are plenty of others who find that it’s an expense worth paying. This might be particularly true if you don’t haven’t previous experience of planning an event, and the thought of dealing with on the day emergencies fills you with a sense of dread…
Should I hire a Wedding Planner?
If you’re living a particularly busy life (as most of us are these days!), then one of the key advantages to having a wedding planner is that they’ll save you a lot of time. Not only will they take responsibilities off your plate by arranging viewings, trials and rehearsals, they can also save you time on research, as they’ll be familiar with a wide range of suppliers and know those best placed to suit your requirements. They’ll also be able to help with budgeting and scheduling, and may even help save you money. As your wedding planner will have relationships with florists, caterers, bands and any other service provider you may need for your wedding, they may be able to source special discounts and pass the savings to you.
One common misconception is that wedding planners will take over the whole process, limiting the control you’ll have over your big day. This shouldn't be the case though - a good planner will make suggestions and arrangements, but the final decisions will all be yours! Many planners will offer a range of options that will indicate how much involvement they’ll have in your wedding, from day-of or month-of assistance to full-service wedding coordination.
How do I pick a Wedding Planner?
Once you and your partner have decided on the kind of wedding you’d like to have, it’s time to do your research! Look up local wedding planners online and view photos from weddings they’ve worked on. Do they look like the kind of wedding you’d want to have? If you’d like a small and intimate celebration, then numerous photos of large, flashy weddings are a good indicator that it may not be the right planner for you! If you find you have a few favourites, contact them to confirm the services they offer and whether they have your date available. It’s also a good idea to ask what the cost of the average wedding they plan is. If their answers suit your own budget and vision, then schedule an appointment to meet them in person.
Meeting in person is essential - if you’re opting for full service wedding coordination, you’ll have to work closely with this person for a number of months, so it’s important that you get along! Even if you’re opting for on-the-day coordination only, this person will play an important role in your wedding, so make sure you’re comfortable with them before confirming your booking. Tell them about your initial ideas for the wedding – they should respond enthusiastically, and be able to suggest ways in which they would bring those ideas to life.
What are the next steps?
A wedding planner’s website will showcase their best work, so it’s a good idea to take up references prior to booking, just to be sure that all is as it seems. Key questions to ask the referees include how closely the planner stuck to their budget; how well they felt their ideas were interpreted; if the wedding style was what they wanted, and which specific aspects of the wedding the planner looked after. It’s also worth asking if the couple are willing to share some photos from their wedding with you. The planner’s portfolio will include the very best shots, so a wider selection will give a better overall impression of their work. Lastly, it’s important to ask whether everything went smoothly, and if there were any issues that the planner handled.
Once you’ve gathered all of the relevant information, it’s worth taking a little time to reflect before making a final decision. However, if there is one planner you’ve got your heart set on then it’s worth confirming the booking with them sooner rather than later, as the schedules of popular planners fill up quickly! Ask them to send over a contract, and once you’re happy with what it contains, pay a deposit and seal the deal.
The team at The National Piping Centre are experts in event design, and all weddings here are guaranteed full professional wedding co-ordination. We are happy for you to create your own unique wedding - nothing is too much trouble to ensure you have the perfect day!
If you'd like to find out more about getting married at The National Piping Centre, contact us on 0141 353 5551 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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