iDoGifts Blog

Getting started…

So you just said I Do, what’s next?  You need to decide if you want to have an expert help you plan your big day.  Sometimes the difficulty is deciding how much help you will need and how much it will cost.  Wedding planners sometimes get confused with wedding coordinators.  Wedding planners are the whole enchilada.  They will help you decide and implement the entire strategy around the: location, wedding dress, photographer, invitations, music, transportation floral arrangement etc.  Sometimes wedding planners will start meeting with a couple 1 year in advance depending on their needs.

Wedding planners have a list of vendors that they have worked with for years.  This is a huge plus because if a vendor really messes up at a wedding they are never asked to work again… so essentially wedding planners are working with the A-Team of wedding vendors.

Wedding coordinators are more specifically tasked.  Their biggest task is usually to manage the vendors and make sure everyone is on point the day of the wedding.  This is where the biggest risk comes in.  The bride or someone else may have set up all the relationships with the vendors.  Most likely the wedding coordinator will not have worked with them in the past.  Timing is also important here as Lea Mathewson from Simply Sparkling Events sums it up “I’ve had couples come to me three weeks before a wedding asking for help, and I have turned them down.”  She recommends at least three months advance for a wedding coordinator to get involved. If you hire a wedding coordinator make sure they have a checklist.  This should include timelines and review of the contracts from the vendors.  A lot of times vendors get lost going to the wedding, someone needs to be giving them directions.  This sounds basic but happens all the time.  “You need to make sure they have directions,” says, Lea.  This is just one small example of many that can lead a wedding off track.

What can you cut back on?

Ideally everyone would have a wedding planner or a coordinator but they are not free and the good ones are worth every penny.  It’s tough to cut anything from your big wedding day but here are two things that couples can cut costs around.  The first is the wedding cake.  For a nice cake you may be quoted around $8.50 a guest. If you have 200 guests attending that can be a big chunk of your budget…or $1,700. 

You may want to consider taking this out and doing a dessert table or having dessert with the entrée. 

The second thing is invitations.  Couples can see huge cost savings by leveraging websites like:  www.tinyprints.com/, and www.etsy.com for their invitations.

Your very own secret agent

A wedding coordinator or planner is very much like a secret agent because the audience only sees the mistakes. 

When the wedding goes off without a hitch it’s because someone is working behind the scenes to ensure it’s smooth.  Lea says “I've saved the day so many times behind the scenes and brides have no idea.” 

Hey, so how much is it already?

Wedding Coordinators should be in the $2,500 range. A full wedding planner can range from $6,000 to $10,000.  You should interview as many as possible before making a decision.  You will be working closely with whomever you choose on some very important decisions.

Aric Martinez

Co-Founder & CEO

aric@idogifts.com