5 Tips for Picking the Perfect Wedding Planner


5 Tips for Picking the Perfect Wedding Planner


Weddings take a lot of organising.

  Honestly? Sometimes the planning sucks.

Negotiating with vendors isn’t fun.  You will not have a good time figuring out who sits where.  Finalising the running order of the speeches doesn’t make for an exciting morning’s work.  

Picking the perfect wedding planner can help alleviate some of the stress and boredom that comes with planning a wedding.  Find the right one and they are absolutely worth their weight in gold.

Meet in person


You have to have a connection with your wedding planner.  If they don’t click with you and your partner, then it’s not going to work.

This is particularly important for same-sex couples.

Of course, wedding planners should be accepting and open-minded towards everyone, but, as you probably already know, there are narrow-minded people in every profession.  Fortunately, these individuals are rarely subtle and are often easily sniffed out during a face-to-face meeting. Move on and find someone else. 

A face-to-face meeting in a relaxing setting will give you the chance to see what the planner is about and vice-versa.

You have to be able to trust this person. There’s no point if you’re going to end up micro-managing them because then you might as well do it all yourself.

You can’t always get a good read on someone via emails or on a phone call. If you can't meet face-to-face, then try to schedule a Skype appointment

If you can’t meet face-to-face, then a Skype call can be just as useful. 


Meet With an Idea of What You Want


It’s helpful to go to the meeting with some idea of what you want.

Knowing an estimate of your budget, the size of your guest list as well as a rough date and time can be enormously helpful.

You’ll probably have a lot to say to the planner but pay attention to what questions they’re asking you.  They should be enthusiastic and interested and it shouldn’t be a one-way conversation.

Do Your Research


The internet is a great tool for spying on potential candidates.

Check their social media presence and any websites they feature on as well as finding genuine testimonials or real-life weddings featured on their platforms.  

Some wedding planners are generalists but others have quite niche specialities: destination weddings, outdoor ceremonies, themed receptions etc.  It’ll be easier working with a planner who has experience delivering the kind of vision that you have in mind.  

But don’t discount a planner with a more varied portfolio.  Many wedding planners are adaptable and if you have a good connection that should overcome any concern over a perceived lack of experience.  

And anyway, you want someone who can deliver your vision but who’s still able to surprise you with something you hadn’t thought of.

Your research should include finding out what sort of planner a person is.  Some are all-in and for everything; they will book the venue, give styling advice, and help organise the honeymoon...  Others will take a more logistical approach to things arranging numbers and managing invoices.  Think about what you need from the planner and then go from there.  Obviously, the more they do for you, the more you’ll pay.   



Contact Previous Clients
Some planners will happily put you in touch with previous clients but if you’re trying to be a bit ninja in your research then you should find some clues on their social media pages and website.

A quick friendly email asking for a brief account of that couple’s experience should be enough to gauge what a planner is like.  You mainly want to know what the couple thought of them in general but also whether or not they went over budget, how well the planner fixed problems and how proactive they were with arranging things.

Previous clients are a resource worth tapping because they could save you making a bad choice.  Once the wedding is done a client has no vested interest in that planner so answers will (largely) be honest.

Check Response Times

Your wedding won’t be the only thing happening in the world that year BUT it will sometimes feel that way to you. Before picking your wedding planner, it’s worth taking into account how long it takes them to reply to your messages or return your calls.

Obviously, you shouldn’t always expect an instantaneous reply but the time between messages should be reasonable.  It’s very possible that they can’t always answer your questions there or then but an acknowledgement and a promise to reply in a few days (and then followed through) is more than reasonable.  If they’re frequently incommunicado, then it’s probably best to take them off your list.


Pink Wedding Days lists LGBTQ-friendly wedding venues and service providers from across the UK.  Visit the website and start your wedding planning today. 





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