Wedding Planning FAQ's
As a wedding planner I get asked lots of different questions about the wedding planning process, the role of a wedding planner and just general questions about weddings! Therefore I decided to ask on Instagram for any questions that people would like answers to about any of the above topics! Here are the top 10 questions I was asked.
Will I still be in control of my wedding if I book a wedding planner
Absolutely! 100%! The wedding is all about you as a couple, it is a reflection of your personalities that your guests will look back on for the years to come. You put a great deal of emotion, time and money into creating the day you have always dreamed of, a wedding planner is simply there to listen to all of your ideas and desires and work alongside you to help these things happen. A good wedding planner will advise you and be open and honest about their opinion if things wont work or aren’t possible but we will always have your best interest at heart. We are there to ease your planning burden and make the planning process enjoyable for you both.
I’m recently engaged, where do I begin to look for my venue?
Your venue search is the most time consuming yet important areas of your wedding planning. There are so many options out there now it can be difficult to know where to start.
It would be a good idea to decide on a location and guest numbers before starting the search as this can cut our venues straight away and reduce your shortlist. Also decide where you would like the ceremony to take place, does your reception venue need to be near a church, allow for civil ceremonies on site or would you like to get married outside?
Once you have decided on a location and guest numbers make a list of your non negotiable and important factors to you that you want your venue to have. Do you want a grand ballroom or a blank canvas that you can make your own?
Once you have your shortlist make sure to give the venue a call to check availability before booking a viewing. There is nothing worse than having your heart set on a venue then turning up for a viewing and the dates you want are already booked!
How to find your perfect wedding venue
Do you charge for an initial consultation?
No! No matter which service you are interested in your consultation will always be no obligation and complimentary. I don’t believe in charging for this service as this time allows us to get to know each other better and to make sure that I can deliver your expectations.
When should I send out my invites?
I would always suggest to send out your save the dates as soon as possible after booking the venue to let your guests know the date of your wedding. However I would say invites should be sent out 6 months prior to the event date with a deadline of 5 weeks before the wedding to have RSVP’d that then allows you a bit of time to chase anyone before confirming numbers with suppliers.
How do I work out my wedding budget?
I have a great blog post on this that gives you a step by step guide that allows you to find out how much you realistically are able to spend on your wedding. Check it out here.
How do I know who the best suppliers are for my wedding? I have heard about people being scammed.
Research, research and more research. Your suppliers are the dream team that are going to help make your wedding vision reality. These are people you need to trust and rely on so it is imperative that you do your research and make sure you are booking the best. If you have a wedding planner we will be able to give you lots of recommendations and do in depth searches for you to save you having any problems with suppliers. I also have a blog post on this topic you can read here.
Do we need to provide favours for guests?
No not at all! If it fits into your budget it is nice to give your guests a little thank you gift for attending, but this doesn’t need to be extravagant this could be an edible gift like a macaroon or something homemade. Or you can go a bit bigger with candles or alcohol. The choice is yours!
My venue has a coordinator why would I need a planner
Having worked as both I would always suggest having a wedding planner as well as a venue coordinator as they both offer different jobs. The venue coordinator employed by the venue so is making sure the venue side is running correctly but a planner is employed by you and is working for you and making sure everything else is in place and correct. Read more about this in my blog post
Should we take out wedding insurance?
Without a doubt, the sooner the better! Wedding insurance is very important, you will be spending lots of money on this event and as with anything you spend a lot of money on insurance is vital. This could save you money in the long run if something unfortunately does go wrong. There are lots of providers who can offer this.
If you a burning question that hasn't been answered feel free to contact me on oneoake@outlook.com
