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Planning a wedding can be an exciting journey, but as you start thinking about all the details, decisions, and research involved, it can quickly become overwhelming without a wedding planner. With a full-time job or other commitments, finding time and energy to plan can be challenging, even with a helpful family member.
But what happens when a family member’s opinions become too much or the wedding weekend arrives and they want to enjoy the fun? This is where a wedding planner can step in and alleviate the stress, guide you through the decision-making process, and ensure that you and your loved ones can fully enjoy the day.
Wedding planners are industry experts who can offer invaluable resources to create a personalised, beautiful, and seamless event while respecting your budget and vision. A planner allows you, and anyone else involved in the planning process, the chance to focus on the overall details and what most consider the “fun” parts of the planning process (menu tasting, design, etc.) while they handle the logistics and back and forth details with the suppliers involved.
Many planning companies, like us, With Akilah and Co, offer a variety of packages ranging from monthly wedding planning sessions to full planning services. These packages may vary between planning companies, however, at the core of what all these packages include is ensuring the wedding day runs smoothly (we hope).
Sounds simple, right?
The reality is your planner will spend anywhere from 30-50 hours on an on the day service and 150+ hours for a full-service package -and around an average of 12 hours straight on your wedding day alone! Let’s briefly break down the high-level difference between an on the day coordinator and a full-service planner, and what a planner might be responsible for in each of these offerings:
On The Day Coordination:
Starts helping you with the planning process around 8 - 12 weeks prior to the wedding
Assists in communicating final details and logistics with your dream team of suppliers you handpicked
Creates a comprehensive personal wedding timeline to share with your team as well as you and your wedding party
Is onsite on the wedding day directing suppliers and ensuring the timeline is being followed and the day runs smoothly
Partial Planning Service:
You have most likely started your plans and have become a little overwhelmed. A partial wedding planner will step in to help support you with the parts you dislike the most.
Tailor your wedding planning journey to support you like a full wedding planner would, just part way through.
Can help with design and styling or just planning, the best part about this service is its your choice.
Creates a comprehensive wedding timeline to share with suppliers as well as you and your wedding party
Is onsite on the wedding day directing vendors and ensuring the timeline is being followed and the day runs smoothly
Full Planning Service:
Is with you from the beginning, sometimes even before you have selected a date and location
Assists in establishing a vision and realistic budget
Connects you with trusted modern and fun suppliers to bring your vision to life and will review all contracts
Communicates all details and logistics with the team throughout the entire planning process
Helps create a cohesive design based on your vision and budget
Is there to guide you during the planning, providing etiquette guidance on aspects such as invitations, family situations, and wedding day flow
Creates a comprehensive wedding timeline to share with suppliers as well as you and your wedding party
Is onsite on the wedding day directing vendors and ensuring the timeline is being followed and the day runs smoothly
While planning packages offer many essential services, there are countless other tasks that your planner can do to ensure a stress-free and enjoyable experience for you and your loved ones.
Some of these unknown services are:
Wipes down your ceremony chairs after unexpected rain shower
Makes sure you get canapes, dinner, and your favorite drinks in hand all night and day
Magically gets all your personal items packed up and where they need to go post-event
Makes sure there is a plate and forks by your cake before you cut it so that your ceremonial slice has a place to go
Makes sure that champagne toast is actually poured by the caterer before the DJ announces it’s time for toasts
Pops plasters on those annoying blisters
Stops the band from warming up/doing sound check during your ceremony (if reception is close by)
Handles all big family/friend personalities and gives them jobs if you need space from them
Helps out photographer/videographer to get the perfect shot (throws veil in air for wind blown shot, holds extra lights, crouches behind you holding dress so it doesn’t get dirty, etc.)
Ultimately, a wedding planner is an essential investment that brings expertise, experience, and peace of mind to your wedding day.
Trust your planner and know that they have your best interests at heart.
Realisng a planner sounds good right about now? We’d love to chat and answer any questions you might have about hiring a planner. Use this form to contact us today xo
Photos of our real couple at Morden Hall Weddings, South London by Wolf & Co.