Planners, Coordinators, Decorators....oh my!

Planners are plentiful these days. It seems like everyday someone else has decided to get into the wedding/event planning business. I've even considered it over the last few years. With so many options to choose from, how does a Bride decide?
Let me walk you through my journey....
I'm getting married! Yay!! Now the big question is...what theme have you chosen? What are your colors? What are you wanting for that day?
So many important questions and decisions to make.

Some Brides choose the wedding planner route. Think Jennifer Lopez in the Wedding Planner. You choose a planner have a few meetings to get to know each other and then this person is entrusted to plan and execute one of the most important days of your life. A planner to handle the entire event, which means that they're calling around to vendors and choosing items for you to make the final call on can cost anywhere from $1500 - $6000 (depending on wedding size and budget).

Some Brides know what they want, know how to get it, are incredibly organized (and probably a little OCD/anal retentive) and don't really need a lot of help planning. They will however need a coordinator for that day. A coordinator can cost anywhere from $400 - $1000 (depending on wedding size and budget).

Some Brides are total DIY. They don't need a coordinator or a consultant or a decorator. They're probably baking the cake themselves because they may not trust someone else to get it perfect. Going it alone is free...although the therapy you'll need afterward may be costly.

I fall in the middle. I'm a do-over Bride (term recently borrowed from Neicy Nash). I've walked down the aisle before and I've planned a wedding before. I know what I want and what I don't want. I'm organized and sticking to a schedule. I will however need help on that day with coordinating vendors and the logistics of the ceremony/reception. So, I begin to look for a coordinator.

Now...that's not an easy task. You may think that it would be. All I need is someone to be there, hand out envelopes to vendors, tell someone else to place a chair here and a table there and cue the musicians when its time. To find a person that can handle this isn't easy. There are family members that will tell you "girl...I can do it! Just tell me what you need me to do" that might be okay, but you know that this person isn't the most reliable person in the world. Or you have a friend that plans parties/events/etc...that says "girl...I can do it! Just tell me what you need me to do" and that might be okay but you know from their events that you two have different tastes and that she's never on time for anything. That could be a big problem.

So you begin to look elsewhere. Internet, local bridal magazines, bridal shows, facebook, twitter, church...anywhere.

Once you find a listing of coordinators, interview them. Don't just choose someone based off of a referral. Ask to see pictures of events that they have done. Ask them what they can offer you. Ask them what events have not gone according to plan and how did they handle it. For myself, I'm having an outdoor, evening wedding. Its important to me that whoever coordinates my event has some experience in dealing with the elements.
Its also important to me to have a connection with a person and feel like they "get" my vision and they're excited for me.

I've got a few coordinators that i'm interviewing and hope to make a decision by the end of the week.

Stay tuned for the announcement!