One of our past couples wanted to share their experience working with us and wrote this lovely post. I hope it helps you understand the importance of how a wedding planner can allow you to enjoy your day and what makes us stand out. Enjoy!
Written by Meaghan & Justin Williams
All images courtesy of their {fabulous, amazingly talented} photographer, Callan Photo
What made you choose to look for a wedding planner?
We didn’t start this process thinking we would need a wedding planner. We were confident and even excited to do all the planning on our own, so whenever the idea of a wedding planner came up we more or less brushed it off as an unnecessary expense. In addition, our venue came with a wedding coordinator, so we felt like we were well supported in terms of planning.
What we learned, however, is that wedding planners – or at least Tracy – provide so much more than just “planning.” Tracy describes herself as a Wedding Fairy Godmother, but what she doesn’t say is that she is a Fairy Godmother, therapist, friend, confidant, peacemaker, strategist, and event planner extraordinaire.
We initially reached out to Tracy after spending a weekend talking through the details of the wedding. We had all the big pieces down – the vendors were hired, the venue set, the colors chosen, but it suddenly occurred to us that there were a million little details that built off of each other and tied the larger pieces together and someone had to be responsible for being the glue that held them all in place. We wanted to enjoy our day, not be worried about orchestrating it – so that’s when we started looking.
But if you already had a venue coordinator, why do you need a wedding planner?
Our venue coordinator ended up not being there on the day of our wedding, which, as it turns out, is a common situation at venues. If we hadn’t had Tracy with us, we would have been trusting the biggest day of our lives to someone whom we had never met. Hiring a wedding planner ensures that you have a consistent point of contact throughout the process – no matter what!
In addition, our venue coordinator’s priority was making sure that catering, bar, tent, tables and chairs were all in place. Tracy prioritized these things too, but her main priority was us. Our meetings with her were always full of personal details and she truly took the time to listen to our feelings and concerns and helped us build the best wedding for us. Tracy also has experience with multiple venues and vendors, so she isn’t stuck in the bubble of one venue and was able to provide suggestions that she had seen from multiple venues.
What were the most important factors to you when you were looking for a wedding planner?
Budget and availability were the initial eliminating factors, but most important to us was the reviews from prior clients, which we found via The Knot and Wedding Wire, and the initial interaction we had with them. We wanted someone who could empathize with the excitement and the nerves, while still being calm and in control of the big day. If you read Tracy’s reviews, you’ll see glowing after glowing review of the impact she has had on her couples and we can only echo those!
How did you decide on a wedding planner?
We reached out to a total of six planners and talked to four of them. We found that every wedding planner had a different personality and way of introducing themselves to us. What stood out to us about Tracy amongst all the others was how personalized her response was to us. Where other coordinators had an automated email response with pricing, Tracy had clearly written a personalized message in response to our inquiry. In addition, she was extremely transparent about her services and pricing and wanted to schedule a consultation call and meeting with us before either of us made a decision to move forward.
On our initial consultation call, Tracy truly took the time to just listen to us. She wasn’t interested in pushing our plans in any particular direction, she just wanted to know what our needs were, why were we reaching out, what we wanted to feel like on our wedding day and why. She explained her services but never pressured us and was the only wedding planner that made us feel like we were hiring a person – a person who could understand, listen, empathize, negotiate, and consult – and not just a “service” that would make sure the flowers were in place on the big day.
After our call, we agreed to meet Tracy for a drink to discuss further details. We were shocked when we got there to see that Tracy had a binder already made for us with every detail we had mentioned on our call. What we really loved, however, was that our meeting was a conversation. It was clear that Tracy knew what she was doing, she asked questions that we never would have thought of – and she truly listened to our answers. She didn’t run us through a checklist of standard questions, she took the time to let us tell our story and ramble about little things that we were anxious about, all the while taking notes on everything from what kind of water we like to drink to our plans for the honeymoon.
So you hired her?
Heck yes we hired her! We weren’t pressured or sold into her services – but rather by the time we were done with our in-person meeting with her, we were basically begging her to work with us. Since the day we hired her, she’s truly become our go-to when it comes to wedding planning and moreover, she’s become an incredible, thoughtful friend.
How often do you meet with Tracy?
Ultimately we will have five in-person meetings before the big day. However, we can’t even begin to count the emails and texts that have taken place in between those meetings. Our communication ranges from long, planning focused emails to quick panic texts “I can’t remember if I told you this, but…” Our communication with Tracy allowed us to sleep at night knowing that every detail was being managed by an expert.
What advice do you have for other couples in the planning stages?
Well, first, obviously hire Tracy – you’ll thank us later! Secondly, be willing to admit how you’re feeling and know that it’s okay to ask for help. Do you really want to spend an extra thousand dollars on chairs? Do it. Do you not care about flowers? Don’t have them. Are you stuck between two songs for your entrance? That’s okay! Tracy has made us realize that there are no rules, just plans. No matter how absurd our ideas have gotten, Tracy takes them in stride and works them into the plan. When we’re stuck on an idea, we email her and ask for her opinion because we know that it will be honest, unbiased, and coming from someone with experience.
How do you think the planning process has changed now that you have a wedding planner?
It’s so much more enjoyable! Knowing that we have Tracy on our team allows us to let go of fretting over every detail and wondering if we’ve forgotten something. Tracy keeps us in check and reminds us what we still need to do and when we need to do it by. Having someone take the reins on the logistical pieces has allowed us to focus on the more meaningful pieces – we can think about writing our vows and practicing our first dance rather than trying to figure out a backup plan if we’re running late and it starts raining during the first look.
In addition, Tracy has provided multiple recommendations, she makes us laugh when we’re panicking, she keeps us organized, and she’s really been a neutral voice of reason that has helped us stay grounded during the planning process. Tracy is more than willing to help us incorporate anything into our wedding, but she’s also ready to give her honest opinion and the pros and cons of an idea when we ask her. We trust her judgment and experience more than anyone else in this process and she has yet to steer us wrong!
How do your vendors feel about having a wedding planner involved?
Everyone we’ve ever met that has worked with Tracy loves her. One of our vendors even emailed us to thank us for introducing him to Tracy because she’s been so great to work with. Ultimately, working with Tracy means that all of the vendors receive the same coordinated, perfected timeline, they all have a point of contact that is guaranteed not to be emotional that day, and they all have the opportunity to work with a professional, which allows them to focus on doing their best work as well.
What does a wedding planner do on the day of the wedding?
Apparently everything, but the most important thing that Tracy did was allow us to enjoy ourselves. Tracy was on site by the time we woke up making sure everything was in place. She unpacked our car, set up the décor, checked in with all of our vendors, made sure the venue looked exactly the way we envisioned, managed the timeline, kept our wedding party on schedule, and, most importantly, kept us calm! Throughout the wedding, she was remembered every small detail and managed every curve ball that came her way. When we wanted to make a change last minute, we simply told Tracy and she communicated with the rest of the vendors to make it happen so that we could get back to enjoying our day.
Are wedding planners really worth the money?
We literally laugh every time we hear this question. What’s the price you would pay to feel calm on your wedding day? How much would you spend to hear someone tell you, “you don’t need to wear a watch on your wedding day?” How much is your sleep worth? We can’t speak for every wedding planner, but we can speak for Tracy. She has made our engagement enjoyable, organized, and stress-free; that is worth every penny and so much more.
Thank you Meaghan & Justin for this heartfelt & informative post from your perspective on how I helped you enjoy your wedding. I truly put so much time, love & work into all my couples wedding day. This made me blush when I read how much it helped you both really enjoy your day and the months leading up to it. I was honored to be part of it and so happy to witness your love and the next chapter of your lives, but especially can now call you both friends.