Services Provided By A Wedding Planner

A wedding planner can offer a range of services – from a complete service to planning just part of the wedding, depending on the client’s needs.

A complete wedding planning service

Some couples choose to employ a wedding planner to handle all aspects of the planning and coordination of the wedding. Typical services include:

• Initial consultation with the bride and groom
• Ongoing consultation and advice (i.e. on wedding etiquette) as required
• Preparing a budget
• Preparing a schedule/timeline and checklists
• Assisting with selection and booking of ceremony and reception venues
• Assisting with selecting and booking an officiant (celebrant, priest, minister etc.) for the wedding
• Assisting with selecting a color scheme, theme and style for the wedding
• Assisting with the design, printing and mailing out of the invitations
• Tracking RSVPs and who will be attending
• Assisting with selection of wedding attire and accessories
• Finding, negotiating with and booking suitable vendors (i.e. caterer, florist, wedding cake maker, photographer, videographer, musicians, transportation etc.)
• Reviewing vendor’s contracts and coordinating vendors
• Ceremony planning
• Preparing itineraries and organizing guests
• Attending and overseeing the rehearsal (up to two hours)
• Instructing attendants about their duties
• Reception planning
• Coordinating the collection of gifts received on the wedding day
• Wedding day coordination (up to 10 hours)
• Providing a stress-free day for the bride and groom.

Additional services (for which you might charge additional fees) might include:

• Announcing the engagement in the newspaper and/or sending out announcements
• Coordinating an engagement party
• Assisting with booking accommodations for out-of-town guests
• Preparing a unique ceremony and vows
• Assisting with planning the wedding shower and/or get-together for the groomsmen.
• Purchasing gifts for the bridal party
• Planning a rehearsal dinner/party
• Honeymoon planning
• Sending out thank you cards
• Assisting with change of address paperwork

Partial wedding planning services

Some couples may wish to plan and coordinate some parts of their own wedding, and hand over responsibility for other parts to you. You could be asked to undertake a combination of the tasks listed above. Often couples want help with ‘comparison shopping’ so that they can compare services and prices for vendors, and they will ask you to do this for them, and give them a short list of recommended vendors.

Rehearsal and wedding day services only

Some couples prefer to plan most aspects of their wedding, but may wish to have an outside professional to direct everyone at the rehearsal, and to oversee and supervise everything on the wedding day to ensure it all runs smoothly.