Why a wedding planner?

If you are engaged or in the process of planning the wedding of your dreams, an experienced wedding planner can help in taking the worry and stress out of organizing your special day, thereby allowing you the ability to enjoy the time with your guests. An experienced wedding planner has the expertise to take care of everything from the most important details to the smallest incidentals, and if requested, is there the day of your wedding to ensure absolute perfection.

It is never too late to meet with a wedding planner, and consultations are generally complimentary. Laurie Robinson, a wedding planner and owner of Event Planning Specialists, LLC, recommends that the best time to begin the planning process is soon after becoming engaged or as soon as the date is set. According to Robinson, most wedding planners can save couples significant dollars on the costs associated with a wedding, which in most cases will offset the fee for this service. “We’re pretty affordable,” she said. “Our average prices range from $1,000 to $1,500. We negotiate on your behalf, and we get a discount and pass it on to the wedding couple.

Robinson stated that many of today’s wedding couples are more settled in their lives and careers, and often already own or rent a home/apartment. She said that the traditional model whereby the bride’s family is chiefly responsible for planning and paying for the wedding is rare today, and many of the couples she meets with are planning and paying for their own wedding.

Establishing a budget is a critical component in wedding planning. In most cases, Robinson assists in identifying a realistic budget and helping wedding couples/families to stay within the budget.

The planning process begins with identifying the date/time of the ceremony and establishing a timeline for the reception which includes the cocktail hour, luncheon or dinner and any other related activities prior to or succeeding the wedding (i.e., out of town guest dinner, Sunday brunch, etc.).

Robinson advises to make appointments nine to twelve months before the date of the wedding with potential venues, caterers, photographers, videographers, DJ or band, entertainers, florists, bridal shops (wedding gown, bridesmaid’s dresses, tuxedos), transportation companies to ensure availability. It is at this stage in the process that a wedding planner would be most beneficial in assisting with the appointment setting and in positioning the negotiation process to achieve better-than retail pricing.

Creating a preliminary guest list early will help in determining the venue as well as the budget. Once the guest list is determined, Robinson advises sending out a “Save the Date” to the guests that will definitely be invited. This is especially important to allow out of state guests the opportunity to make appropriate travel arrangements. It is wise to establish a hotel room block to include with the “Save the Date.” Robinson advises sending out the “Save the Date” at least twelve months prior but no less than six months before.

At least six to eight months before, the invitation should be selected and printed to allow enough time to be addressed and mailed. Ideally wedding invitations should be mailed at least eight weeks before the event takes place.

Once the key components of the wedding preparation are in place, you will be able to focus on honeymoon planning and some of the more creative details such as themes, decorating, linens, uplighting, favors, etc.

Robinson stresses the importance of hiring established professionals versus inexperienced and less costly, freelance professionals. She said that from a reliability standpoint, it is important to hire experienced resources with a proven track record of references and success that can be verified.

It can be difficult for a bride and groom to focus on being the coordinator of their own wedding, and with a wedding planner, the couple can rely on that individual to take care of all of the logistics and details. Robinson said that her job is to choreograph the perfectly memorable wedding.

Note: Event Planning Specialists, LLC, which includes Robinson and two additional staff people, was formed in 2000. Before that, and beginning in 1993, Robinson worked independently in the field under her own name. Contact Event Planning Specialists, LLC, in East Greenwich, at 523-5107 or www.epspecialists.com.