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What are the Duties of a Wedding Planner?

Uttara Manohar Sep 29, 2018
Planning a wedding is an incredible responsibility. It takes planning, organizing, and coordinating a plethora of arrangements to get things working smoothly. Let's find out here the duties of a wedding planner.
A wedding planner's job may sound fun, but it is one hell of a task. It requires not just your valued resources to make the bride and groom happy, but also your time and efficiency.
Things cannot be done in your own sweet time; deadlines have to be met and follow-ups have to be consistent and executed as scheduled.
The bride and groom decide what part of your service they want. Some cultures have several events as part of weddings. Christians don't have multiple ceremonies, but it is wise to sit with the couple and discuss what is needed.

Important Duties of a Wedding Planner
Depending on the wedding traditions of each culture, speak to the couple and understand what is involved, or provide services to certain cultures. If you want to cover all kinds of weddings, then extensive research is needed. Let's take a look at what you need to do from start to finish.
Meet and explain the couple everything in detail. Note down things or keep a recorder handy. Highlight points that needs extensive research. Non-Christian weddings can have a different approach to wedding ceremonies. Ask questions because as a wedding planner, you're entitled to do so.
The most important part of the wedding affair, is the budget. Once everything is discussed and finalized, find out how much the couple is willing to spend so that you know how to handle their expenses without going overboard.
Look out for flower shops for reasonably priced flowers. Find hall for the reception that fit the budget criteria, or a caterer that provides catering if you book their hall.
Break down the budget. If it is too less, then don't hesitate to suggest something to the couple that wouldn't overshoot their budget to a great extent.
Make sure to mention as part of your services, that you need to be contacted at least six months before the big day. Booking things in advance is financially wiser than booking closer to the wedding date. The later you book for reception halls/open spaces, the more expensive it becomes.
You can't be in two places at a time, so have a helping hand when planning a wedding. An assistant can be given jobs like researching on halls or open-air venues to find something idyllic for the couple, including flower shops, catering companies, cake designers, wedding dress stores etc.
You can both visit venues separately and evaluate based on the couple's criteria. Take the bride along wherever important choices need to be made like the theme colors, the bridesmaids dresses, the groomsmen suits, the wedding cake design, the flowers etc.
Give the couple a chance to choose what their wedding invitations should look like by providing them with varied options that they can browse through before making a final decision.
The cards should be sent out four-five months before the wedding date, so that invitees have a chance to RSVP and plan their departure if not in the same country/state, to make it for the wedding.
Some couples may want more than just a band or a renowned DJ to play at their wedding, they might want a wacky entertainment slot in between the reception, or something special should play out secretly from either party, or both. Booking the band/DJ/miscellaneous act well in advance would be ideal.
Someone needs to be booked who can guide the entire event from when it begins to when it ends. Have the couple meet a series of MCs who are well worth their needs, who can pull off a fun, well-scripted event without fumbling up or proving to be an amateur at what he/she does.
Meet with the best there is in the MC business, by interviewing them yourself before you present them to the couple. Once a choice has been made, the MC can then take over to help the couple decide on how the entire reception unfolds. That part is not important to you, unless the MC needs you to arrange for anything in particular that may need your services.
Not every company is efficient in giving you what you want in the said frame of time, so it is important to constantly follow up on what is happening. It is key to have everything in order so that no mishaps or blunders take place close to the wedding day.
Make sure the bridesmaids have gone for multiple fittings and groomsmen have finalized their suits. The bride's dress has to be flawless at least two weeks before the wedding, so that changes can be done within this time gap.
Invite the couple to the places that you'll be taste testing at. They should be happy with the buffet even if it means trying a ton of dishes. Have the testing sessions spread over the course of a week or even a few days before they make up their minds on which caterer suits their tastes best.
Also remember to ask the couple if any foods are kosher as part of their culture/religion, so that you do not make a mistake when taking them to test out food.
On the wedding day, you'll need to check up on everything right from, if the venue is arranged perfectly, where the vows will exchanged, to the transportation that will bring both parties to the venue.
You'll need to make an appearance at the bride's and groom's places respectively to see if there is anything that they need at the last minute.
It takes time and patience to plan a wedding, but when you see the fruits of your labor take form, it is a sight for sore eyes. Keeping the above pointers in mind, you'll have no trouble in coordinating the details that need to be overseen as part of the wedding.
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