The Q: I’m recently engaged and live in the Boston area with my boyfriend.  My family does not.  We’re looking to have our wedding up here in New England (where we met) and I’m thinking about hiring a planner. The thing is, I’m not 100% sure what to look for?  Any tips?  Are event designers the same as a planner?

The A: This is a GREAT question and I think for anyone really looking into spending the money on professional wedding help, you should be asking yourself this.  First, not everyone who plans designs, and not everyone who designs “plans” all aspects of the day.  You should ask the individual to clarify what it is that they do.

However, more importantly, before you start looking, ask yourself “WHY am I hiring someone?”  Because the truth is the barrier to entry to becoming a “wedding planner” is so low these days that the term is broad and WHAT one person does as a planner is totally different from what someone else does who has the same technical job title.  Think of it like the title “Engineer”… some people build bridges and dams, other people manage a sound board, etc.  And the difference in fees between “types” of planners is great. So step one is WHY you want someone on board.

The Logistician:

Some people want a planner because they are completely overwhelmed by the process and want someone to hold their hand on the day itself.  This person is looking to hiring a logistician. Someone who is thorough, detail oriented, works off tons of checklists and sees the forest for the trees.  Their background should be in something organization oriented and you should expect to pay a modest fee.  Because they are mainly logisticians, you should expect that they have a high volume of clients, so ask them about their work load and their staffing on the day of and the number of weddings a weekend.   If this is what you are looking for, I’m sure you can find someone who is getting started or who perhaps has a background in other kinds of event production and management and is seeking to break into weddings.

The Negotiator

Other people higher a planner because, in addition to the qualities of a logistician,  they want someone to insure that their “investment” in their wedding is going to pay off- by guiding their spending and leading them to the right people at the best price.    If you are this couple, you are looking for someone with some experience. They may or may not be a designer, but you want someone who has been in the business for some time who has the relationships to deliver on your desired results. Someone who joined the Association of Bridal Consultants and hung a shingle 5 months after their own wedding isn’t going to be able to leverage relationships (or have the volume of business) to help you get the best prices or even to help you find the BEST FIT for you.  In addition to bringing experience to the table, they also should be a bit of a match maker of sorts and be able to read personalities to create a “team” of professionals that will best suit who YOU both are as a couple.  Someone with experience shouldn’t be cheap and if you want someone to manage your spending, you should be willing to INVEST in them.  Ask them about their vendor roster and their experience with various venues.  Are they recommended at a venur or by a vendor?  Vendors and venues can often be better judges of performance than past brides.  I wouldn’t be too weirded out if they haven’t worked in your particular venue before if they are experienced, as a good event professional with experience should be able to learn/ manage nearly any venue.

The Experience Designer

Finally, some people want a planner because in addition to all of the above they want their wedding to be a unique, memorable and positive experience for their guests from start to finish and they want a hand in helping them to craft that experience.  This couple typically knows who they are and what they like and dislike, but they need someone to assist them in tranlating and executing that into “wedding language”.  At this level, you aren’t looking for just a “planner” you are looking for someone to help you create an experience. So in addition to portfolios and examples of their past weddings, ask yourself when meeting prospective candidates (or in reviewing websites) “What does this person bring to the table (in addition to experience) that I DON’T have?”  Perhaps its a culinary or hospitality background, perhaps its training in interior design, perhaps its a specialty in a cultural or religious style of wedding or a mastery of destination weddings or a particular geographic region.  Ideally it’s a combination of all of the above.

When you meet with the “experience designer” you will know. They will start by asking you questions about your vision and your take on entertaining and about who you are.  They may or may not be an event designer in addition, but they will immediately bring imagination to the table because they “dream” in events.    With this type of “planner”, the logistics and the negotiation are inherent to them being able to experience design, and in a lot of ways you are judging them MORE on their unique skills, personality, past work AND degree of comfort.  You SHOULD expect to pay a lot more for this person as they are a specialist and are doing more than guiding you through a checklist.  You SHOULD also expect to get a high degree of attention for your fee and an enormous amount of bang for your buck in the end.

Ultimately, your planner should fit your needs and personality, but shopping and deciding will get easier if you make an honest assessment of what you need and what each candidate brings to the table!