How to Choose Your Wedding Planner

Choosing your wedding planner is one of the most important decisions you’ll make ahead of your wedding day. Each couple has different requirements and expectations when it comes to choosing a wedding planner, but it’s important to understand how to find a wedding planner that will work to exceed your expectations for your big day. Today we’re going to share a complete guide to finding a wedding planner who will work to make your wedding day one of the most special days of your life. 

One of the first things to consider when it comes to how to choose your wedding planner is when in the planning process you should hire the planner. We recommend doing this as soon as possible so that you have a good amount of time to plan every aspect of your wedding day together. It’s best to have a wedding planner booked at least 12 months ahead of your wedding day, especially if you plan a grand celebration with numerous guests. This will give you enough time to find the perfect venue and plan your dream wedding together. For small weddings, you can start looking for a wedding planner six months in advance. Keep in mind that you’ll need time to communicate with different planners before making your choice and beginning the planning process with your selected team.

Every couple will have their own unique expectations for their wedding day. It’s important to remember as well that you’ll want to find a wedding planner who you find it easy to communicate with and matches your personality and planning style. The good news is that there are planners to fit every type of couple, but it’s a case of taking the time to contact a few planners and discuss your requirements to find the right fit. Take your time during this part of the process to ensure you make the right decision as it will have a huge impact on your wedding day.

One of the basic factors you definitely should consider while choosing a wedding planner is experience. Ask if they can provide a comprehensive portfolio showcasing their past work. Reviews and testimonials from previous couples are the next crucial factor to help you assess their reliability and client satisfaction. Pay attention to the communication style of the wedding planner. A planner who responds promptly and understands your needs ensures that every detail of your wedding is meticulously planned and executed according to your vision. Additionally, high-quality presentation materials and accurate estimates are important aspects of a wedding planner’s work, reflecting their professionalism.

By choosing Ori Wedding Agency, you can be confident that your wedding will be managed by experienced professionals. Our extensive portfolio highlights the quality of our services, and the appreciating reviews from happy couples who have trusted us with their special day demonstrate our dedication to exceptional service. We get in touch with couples promptly and provide detailed estimates within one day.

If you haven’t chosen your venue yet, try to find an experienced wedding planner who knows the best locations in the country you’re considering. Ori Wedding Agency is renowned for crafting exceptional weddings in Georgia, Cyprus, and Greece, as well as in various European countries. Another wedding agency you might consider is Mandarini Wedding, our partner agency which organizes premium events. Let us help you find the perfect venue for your dream wedding. Dreaming of a wedding in France, the land of romance and charm? Or perhaps a wedding in Portugal, with its stunning coastal landscapes? Maybe an elegant wedding in Italy is what you’re looking for? No matter which European country you choose, our experienced wedding planners will turn your dream into reality. Visit our website to learn more about the most enchanting wedding venues in Europe. 

Don’t forget that you can learn a lot about a wedding agency and planners by looking through their social media pages. Facebook and Instagram are great resources for wedding planners and the photos and videos shared on these social media platforms can give you a good idea about what you can expect when working with a wedding planner. Check out our Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Pinterest pages to see the latest updates and inspiring examples from our work.

Having a good line of communication with your wedding planner is critical when it comes to planning a successful wedding. From your initial conversations with a wedding planner you’ll start to get a good idea of whether they will fit your personal communication style. Ask what method of communication they’ll use primarily, whether that’s phone calls, emails, or messaging. Make sure you have a good idea of your expectations before you have this conversation so that you can immediately decide if someone is right for you. Some wedding planners take on a lot of clients and may be more restricted in their communication. If you are planning a huge wedding, you’ll want to ensure you find a wedding planner who has the time and energy to dedicate to your big day.

Before you start approaching wedding planners about working together, you need to have a clear vision in mind for your big day. This should include the type of venue and style of wedding and reception you would like, as well as the amount of catering, vendors, and added extras you’d like to incorporate into the day. However, don’t be frustrated if you have a vague vision of your wedding or feel puzzled about which kind of venue to choose; our wedding planners are here to help. An experienced wedding planner will be able to give you a much clearer idea of the financial commitment from the start when your vision is clear and you’ll be able to tell whether they will be able to help make your dream wedding a reality. You can quickly tell how enthusiastic and knowledgeable someone is about the ideas you have and whether they’ll be a good match for you.

Your wedding planner should take the lead in most aspects of your wedding planning once you start working together. That being said, it’s important you also offer them all of the support they need to make your wedding day a success. During your initial conversations, make sure you ask them what they require from you to fully understand your ideas. They might ask you to create a wedding vision board or send photos from social media that you are inspired by. We encourage you to still get involved in the wedding process as much as possible so that you remain on the same page from your initial planning meetings through to the big day.

One of the biggest considerations when choosing a wedding planner will be your budget. Every couple has a different budget for their wedding day and you need to be aware of how much a wedding planner costs and factor that into your budget. Some couples decide that a wedding coordinator is a better option when working on a strict budget or wishing to take more control over their planning process. A wedding coordinator will mainly support you during your wedding day itself instead of offering full planning services like a wedding planner would. If you decide to choose the wedding coordinator’s service, contact us and coordinators from our Sami Wedding department get in touch with you soon. To learn more about wedding coordinator services, check out our article on The Difference Between Wedding Coordination and Wedding Planning.

During your first conversation with your wedding planner, you should have an open discussion about the cost of working with them. Ask how many hours the wedding planner would work with you throughout the process and what you can expect to receive for that cost. You may be able to get a rough idea through a wedding planner’s website or social media ahead of the first meeting but never be afraid to ask about the cost to avoid wasting your time at the beginning of the process. On our website, you can calculate the approximate cost of your preferred wedding package, including the organization by a wedding planner.

If your wedding isn’t for another year, you might be wondering how and when you’ll need to pay your wedding planner. Make sure you ask about a wedding planner’s expectations for how often you pay them and how you pay your vendors. This will help to make budgeting for this expense simpler and ensure you are on the same page from day one about the payment process. At Ori, we offer flexible payment terms based on the scale of your event, the type of services provided, and the options chosen for your wedding day. Our payment structure is designed to be convenient and flexible, divided into three phases: the first payment is due upon signing the agreement, the second payment is due midway through the planning process, and the final payment is due one month before the wedding. We offer a personal approach to each couple and are ready to discuss adjustments to the payment schedule to fit your needs. Learn more about our payment system here.

At the start of the interview process for a wedding planner, you’ll want to make sure that you have a list of questions ready to ask them. These are a few of the key questions you should ask any planner you speak to:

• Do you have the date of our wedding free in your diary?
• What is the most challenging wedding that you’ve planned and how did you overcome these challenges?
• How will we primarily communicate about the wedding planning process?
• How many years have you been working as a wedding planner for?
• How many weddings do you plan each year or how many clients do you take on at one time?

These questions are a good way to learn more about the wedding planner and their experience level. Of course, a more experienced wedding planner is naturally going to command a higher fee. A newer wedding planner may be able to dedicate much more time and energy to planning your wedding as they will be looking to build up their portfolio, but ensure they have the contacts and resources to make your wedding day a success. Note that our wedding planners have a wide list of reliable contractors and providers with whom we have extensive experience working for years.

If you are looking to plan a destination wedding or a wedding celebrating a specific religion or culture, then it may be worth looking for a wedding planner who specializes in this type of wedding. They’ll have a much better idea about the expectations for the style of wedding you are looking to plan and will also have the contacts ready to make your wedding a success. You can usually get an idea about the types of weddings that someone has planned in the past from their business website or social media accounts. If you are planning a wedding outside of your home country, it’s worth having a local expert who will be able to plan everything while you are back at home.

As you can see, there are a lot of elements that go into choosing the perfect wedding planner for your big day. Each couple has their own expectations when working with a wedding planner and it’s important to choose someone who fits well with your personality and planning style. Take the time to ask potential wedding planners all of the questions you have upfront to ensure that you find someone who you will really enjoy working with over the upcoming months. Choosing a wedding planner can take a huge amount of stress and pressure away from your big day and with the right match, you’ll find it’s one of the best investments you make for your wedding day.