As couples begin thinking about their wedding, they are often confused over how much to spend, where to obtain specialized services, and how to choose vendors. These worries often mount as quickly as the cost of the wedding. After the euphoria wears off and the reality settles in, it’s shocking to discover how much preparation is involved. Couples are faced with decisions about everything from invitation wording to planning their honeymoon. Couples often find they want experienced professional help.
Not long ago, a wedding designer was thought of as a luxury, only used by the wealthy. Now a designer is an essential element of a well-planned affair. It is no longer "trendy" to engage someone to handle the details. Being experienced in negotiating contracts with caterers, florists, photographers, and other suppliers, the wedding designer saves you valuable time and money. The designer can take advantage of discounts not available to private parties and avoid costly mistakes, while turning your dreams into reality.
The average wedding can take more than two hundred and fifty hours to plan. With today’s hectic lifestyles, you may not have time to compare all the options, making sure you get the best deal, and making sure all the details are in place.
Designers are not here to make decisions for you, but to guide and assist you in making informed decisions. Our training, knowledge, and experience will turn your dreams and expectations into reality. We want you to host a beautiful and distinctive event with no worries. Remember you should enjoy your wedding and remember it always as one of the greatest events of your life
HIRING YOUR DESIGNER
The art of wedding design is often appreciated and celebrated in magazines, books and at the events we attend and love. Now that you are looking into a wedding designer for your event, it’s important to learn as much as you can. For peace of mind, for creating your dream wedding and for cost-saving know-how, wedding designers can make your event worry-free, perfectly unique and utterly gorgeous. A good designer will save you time and enable you to get the most for your money. A wedding designer can serve in numerous capacities, from concierge to coordinator. They can even act as the family counselor for apprehensive brides and mothers, often becoming as close as your best friend.
But how do you know you’re hiring the right wedding designer? It comes down to trust.
Trust is important in any relationship. You should feel completely comfortable with the designer and feel assured that he or she completely understands your needs. Your personalities should match.
Also, be sure to look for members of professional event design organizations. These organizations have a code of ethics that the consultant must follow in order to be a member. This ensures that your designer knows how to make your wedding a flawless event to cherish.
WEDDING DESIGNER VS WEDDING VENDOR
Often when you are looking for wedding vendors who suit your needs, you will run across a vendor that advertises that they also will coordinate your wedding - FREE! These people generally do not have the extensive training or association memberships that professional wedding designers or bridal consultants have. Be aware that there are different types of vendors who offer wedding coordination services:
Concierge Service
There are concierge services that also do wedding coordination. While they are running errands for executives (scheduling lunches, picking up laundry, buying gifts) they are also planning your wedding. Wouldn’t you feel better to choose a company who caters strictly to event planning — not wrapping packages while trying to find your site?
Free Wedding Coordination Services
You must ask yourself how these companies stay in business if they aren’t charging you for their services! Simple. They are provided with an incentive payment (usually a percentage of the package you purchase) from the vendor that they refer to you. Since the vendor will raise their prices to cover the amount going to the "free service", you could actually end up paying much more in commissions for what is supposed to be a "free" service to the bride. One important note is that a lot of the more reputable vendors will not subscribe to a service like this, so you could really be missing out on a vendor who matches your style and has extensive skill and talent.
Ceremony Site Coordinator
Often hired by the church/ synagogue /wedding site to make sure that their rules are followed — such as no lights on the video camera, no throwing of rice or birdseed, who can and cannot stand on the altar. Professional wedding coordinators always work with these people to ensure that your ceremony is as individual as you are, while still following the guidelines set up by the church/synagogue/site.
Reception Site Coordinator
This person is usually a salesperson who works in the catering or sales office of the site. Typically, they are NOT trained wedding coordinators. It is their job to make sure that the right linens are on the table and that everything seems to be running smoothly. If you ask for vendor referrals, you will usually get a list of companies who have done weddings at their site before. They do not check references of these companies and may have only worked with them once or twice.
Florist
Again, this person is trained in how to do fabulous floral arrangements for your wedding day. If you ask for wedding coordination, you will receive a list of vendors who have used their services in the past and references will not be checked.
Caterer
Caterers are a wonderful addition to your wedding. They create imaginative menus best suited to your wedding style and budget. However, caterers are not wedding coordinators. Situations have come up where a caterer has told a bride not to waste her money on a wedding designer. When the day came, details were not complete and one of the suggested vendors did not show up. They also do not help you with complicated questions on wedding etiquette and they aren’t at the church to make sure that all the details are completed.
A True Wedding Designer Works For You On Every Level
Let your vendors do what they are best at. Spreading themselves too thin can, in the end, can cause you to not get the wedding you hoped for. When you are choosing your designer, make sure that they belong to a reputable organization and that you feel comfortable with the services that they are offering you. They should only have your best interests in mind!
The above information should simply reinforce the fact that a Professional Wedding Designer has your personal interests at heart, not their own. Invest wisely in your wedding and make sure that you are being taken care of so you can relax and create wonderful memories.
