You're Engaged! YAY!
Now
you get to finally put all of your dreams since you were a little girl
to work. You whip out your binder and Pinterest page you've been
secretly putting ideas in since before you met the man of your dreams.
Glancing at all of the pictures of dresses, hairstyles, cakes, color
schemes, etc... you dream of your wedding gracing the pages of the REAL
WEDDINGS section of a bridal magazine. You cannot wait to have the most
amazing wedding of all of your friends. Cheers to you!
Except
there's one problem, you're not a Wedding Professional. How do you know
what you should be paying for catering, your wedding venue, a
photographer, or the beautifully elevated quilted fondant cake you want
displayed with spot lights ? Your fiance thinks you just open the phone
book and hire the first person that falls into the budget. How do you
explain to him you don;t know the best and most affordable cake
designer, or the florist that creates the wild flower bouquet with
draping orchids that you want for the best price?
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| Picture By Life Moments Media. How Do You Convince? |
That's
why you need a wedding planner and designer! Wedding Planners and
Designers' first job is to create vendor relationships and be in the
know of what are the trusted vendors to produce every facet of your
wedding and also know what each vendors work is worth as well. Well
before you pick up the phone to call a planner ( a good seasoned planner
...like you know who) that planner has a inventory list of what TRUSTED
vendors can produce what you are lookking for and in the budget you
want to do it in. My vendor list is forever changing and growing
according to new trends in the industry and new vendors emerging every
day.
How does a planner decifer cost of their services?
In every wedding even the most unique there is a basic outline. There's a ceremony and a reception.
It's how you want to get to those basic items that effect the cost of a planner's services.
As
explained above a planners work starts way before you ever contact
them. Also when you think of the time a planner spends with you it's a
great deal and much more than any other vendor for your wedding.
For
example, From the time you book with me I am available for calls and
questions. Whether I'm booked for a "Day of" planning service or a Full
Service Design and Planning Package. In a full service package I am
with my clients for the duration of the planning process. Attending
vendor meetings, additional plannning meetings with a client, walk
throughs of a venue, the wedding rehearsal, the wedding day ( with
additional help) and after the wedding for more follow ups. This entire
process can be 3 months or 2 years depending on bride. No matter what
either a planner is rushing to make your vision happen or holding your
hand over the extended process. When you look at what all of the other
vendors you will attain for your wedding cost, what a planner offers is
usually at a bargain!
Why shouldn't I just go ahead and use the vendors my sister or her friends used and have my bff do the planning or day of work?
Don't you want your BFF, mom, sister, aunt, etc.. to have a good time at the wedding?
These
days in the fast paced world your family and friends probably don't get
the opportunity to see eachother often. Yes you will be basquing in the
glow of marriage at the reception but do you really want your mom or
friend picking up catering dishes or cutting wedding cake in their
formal gowns instead of dancing with you on the dance floor? The song by
Billy Idol "Dancing by Myself" comes to mind.
While
you may take some vendor recommendations from friends and family on
ideas or vendors. Do you want a carbon copy of your sisters wedding or
your best friends wedding? Planners treat each wedding uniquely.
Different vendors offering unique and fun services come about every
year!
A planner will
streamline your options so that you make decisions that fit into your
true vision. I usually can pinpoint my clients vision with 3 vendor
options or less. Typically what those vendors offer are in three
different price ranges but also each price range offers something
slightly different.
Let's take a look at average costs for wedding services in MN.
Average cost of photography for 8 hours of coverage and engagement photos: $3500
Average cost of cake feeding 150: $600
Average cost of catering a plated dinner for 150: $6500
(assuming venue provides china, flatware, glassware, basic linens- does not include liquor or beverages)
Average cost of rentals at indoor wedding: $2500
( assuming venue has tables and chairs)
Average cost of rentals for outdoor wedding: $10,000
Average cost of officiant: $800
Average cost of wedding venue (ceremony and reception): $3500
Average cost of wedding florals for indoor wedding (total of 10 in bridal party): $4200
Average cost of FULL SERVICE wedding planner & designer services for wedding of 150 people: $2595- $4000
Hopefully you now have enough back up evidence to convince your fiance you need a wedding planner.
Cheers!
By Kat Minks
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