Photo by Ted Albracht
View Amy's Intern Blog!
Photo by Lisa Sheppard
Austin Bridal Secrets has done a
video interview with Amy!
View Video!
Make a Payment
|
Discover the Many Benefits Offered by a Wedding-Wise Consultant
You're getting married! Is it going to be a formal, semi-formal or informal event? Have you decided where to hold your reception? What vendors (caterers, bands, photographers, Videographer and florists) will you be working with? Will you serve cocktails and hors d'oeuvres, a buffet or a sit-down dinner? Don't Panic. You don't have to spend months researching sites and vendors. Not when a wedding coordinator can do it all for you. An experienced coordinator has these resources readily available, based on detailed study courses and a hands-on apprenticeship covering every aspect of wedding planning and directing. But what does a wedding coordinator actually do for you? And how much will it cost? Consultants in 12 states were surveyed to find the answers to the most asked questions people have about their services. The following is a summary of the survey.
Services Wedding Consultants Provide
A Wedding Consultant usually specializes in the planning, consulting, coordinating and vendor selection involved in the event. Some also offer retail services, such as decorating or selling items like invitations, wedding mementos or attendant's gifts. A Wedding Consultant is "someone who assists the bride and groom from start to finish -- in the selection of merchants, scheduling appointments, keeping track of the budget, troubleshooting and negotiating prices. The consultant makes suggestions for decorating, planning the order of the services, selection of music, etc. She/he is someone who minimizes stress." A key feature in hiring a wedding consultant is that you can determine what services you want and pay only for those. In order to provide just the right amount of help needed, wedding consultants offer different levels of packages of service.
Initial Consultation
The bride can meet with a wedding consultant just once, usually for one to three hours, to streamline choices, start planning, get advice on vendors or any other aspect of the wedding process that is of particular concern. This initial consultation can also be the preliminary meeting for more advanced services.
Planning and Coordinating
In addition to an initial consultation for planning purposes (and possibly one to two other planning sessions), a consultant also can act as the director for the wedding.
Comprehensive Services
In this level of services --the most expensive package offered -- the consultant provides time and expert advice on all aspects of the wedding: planning sessions, budget control, directing the ceremony and reception, and any other service required by the couple. This could involve contracting the chosen vendors, making sure they arrived as planned, running last minute errands and providing detailed "To Do" lists and schedules for all members of the wedding party. Wedding consultant s can provide a brochure or list of the levels of services they offer and what each entails. The bride, the groom and the wedding consultant sign a written agreement, which itemizes the services to be provided. "A client should get an itemized list as to what the consultant is to provide. When it is written down, you both can double check to assure there are no misunderstandings."
How Much Will It Cost?
Wedding consultants charge for their services in three ways: a percentage of the total expense, an hourly fee, or flat rate. In some cases, a combination may be used. The best way to determine the cost for a wedding consultant in your area is to call several and ask about their fees. For the couple on a limited budget, a wedding consultant may seem like an unnecessary additional cost. This is not true! Wedding consultants can save you money. Due to the amount of repeat business that wedding consultants do with vendors, they have the ability to negotiate better prices for their customers. Couples on a restricted budget need a coordinator the most. One of the services provided by the wedding consultant is planning the event the bride and groom want while conscientiously keeping within a predetermined budget. But why would a consultant negotiate for lower prices if they were getting a percentage of the total expense? A professional bridal consultant is committed to providing the best possible wedding for the lowest possible cost. A satisfied bride is the consultant's best advertisement.
|
