Tips on Choosing a Wedding Consultant or Coordinator

While wedding planning is a great deal of fun, it’s also a great deal of work. Unless you have the luxury of unlimited spare time, hiring a wedding consultant should be the first item on your to-do list. Here are some tips to help you find the coordinator best for you.

First, good planning requires an expert wedding consultant. That person will be a combination of drill sergeant and best friend. They attend to all your planning needs and develop a schedule, then keep you and everyone involved in your wedding on it.

You’ll be spending a lot of time with your wedding consultant, so be sure the one you choose is one you feel comfortable with.

Next, one of the great things about having a wedding consultant is that they can be objective. This can come in very handy if your mother and his mother have different opinions on some aspect of your ceremony. A good wedding consultant is used to being a moderator and can offer suggestions and alternatives in a calm, soothing manner. When you’re interviewing your planner, ask for examples of how they’ve handled disputes in past situations. This will tell you what to expect if, heaven forbid, any should come up during your own planning.

Now, experience is another of the most important reasons to hire a wedding consultant—they know all the ropes. This can save you tons of time and hundreds of headaches. More important, having a consultant to help with your planning makes it possible for you to relax and have a delightful pre-wedding experience. So where do you go to find one? The Yellow Pages in your local phone book are an excellent place to start. You can also find them online at practically any wedding website. And ask your friends who they’ve used and would recommend.

Once you’ve narrowed down your choices for your consultant to a couple, you’ll want to interview them. During the interview, get references and follow through by contacting them. Ask the references if they were pleased with the person’s services, if they delivered what they promised, was professional, and if the person was easy to work with. These are important questions you’ll want answers to before making your final decision. Because the whole point of having a coordinator is to make planning your marriage easy and fun!

Last of all, if you’re worried about the expense involved in hiring a professional to do your planning. Don’t be! Hiring a professional can actually save you money. Especially if the one you choose is an expert. They know where to go for the best prices on everything from cake cutters to gowns. And they can do this more quickly than you can by yourself. Often vendors like caterers will have discount prices for coordinators that send a lot of work their way.

So what are you waiting for? Start looking for your now. You won’t believe how much better you’ll feel once you have one you can rely on!