Your wedding planner in Greece; the questions to ask when hiring one
Hiring a wedding planner to support with your wedding planning as a very important decision. Planning your wedding is one of the most personal and meaningful events you will ever plan, therefore having by your side the right professionals will give you the flexibility to be yourself and plan your wedding as relaxed and stress free as possible.
We at Exclusive Wedding Tales know exactly what the most important things for a couple are (we’ve been there ourselves!), and just because we value our couples and their needs, we have put together some questions that you absolutely need to ask your potential wedding planner.
These questions will give you a clear idea of how does the wedding planner work, therefore you need to make sure that you are fully prepared with these questions during the hiring process!
ARE YOU AVAILABLE FOR MY DATE?
The very first question you need to ask the wedding planner is whether they are available for your date. This is essential as it will save you precious time from going through the discussion in depth and then realize that they are not available on the date. If however the chemistry with the planner is real, and both sides are flexible with the date to review the possibilities! This could eventually be a match made in heaven!
Photo credits Despina Kouloglou
HOW MANY WEDDINGS HAVE YOU DONE, AND IF REFERENCES CAN BE PROVIDED.
Another important information that will set the tone is the number of weddings that the planner has done throughout their operation. Although the number is objective, it could give you an idea of the experience and expertise of the planner. If the planner has been operating for the last 10 years and has planned 10 weddings in total, then you could re evaluate your options. It could also be the case to ask for references from previous couples as well, although many wedding planners have their couples’ feedback on their websites.
Photo credits Vasilis Kouroupis
ARE YOU EXPERIENCED IN THE AREA OF MY CHOICE?
The more experienced in the are of your selection the better the flexibility for potential changes. We all know that changes can happen even at last minute. Having a wedding planner that is familiar with the area of your selection it gives the flexibility to resolve issues that might come up at all times. Whether this is a broken zipper that needs to be fixed, or a last minute booking at a barber shop, your wedding planner can figure things out much easier and stress free than you.
Photo credits Despina Kouloglou
DO YOU WORK WITH A PARTICULAR VENDORS LIST?
A good wedding planner owns part of its success to the good vendors that works with. Many wedding planners have a particular list of vendors that work with, not necessarily exclusive, but they are on the top of the suggested list. When a wedding planner works often with specific vendors it means that their collaboration is successful. It is extremely important for a wedding planner to have a team alongside that can count on, trust and guarantee that the service provided by the vendor is exceptional. A good wedding planner though should also be flexible to work with new vendors just as long as the references have the quality expected.
Photo credits Vasilis Kouroupis
WHAT DO YOUR SERVICES INCLUDE?
Each wedding planner values its work differently, therefore they might offer a variety of services. Some of the crucial services your potential planner should offer are the vendors’ referral, legal document support (if a legal marriage is involved), coordination on the day of the event, detailed itinerary of the event, and budget analysis. These are essential services that most wedding planners offer, and are important to have during the planning process. You need to remember though that the wedding planner will be sharing their professional opinion on several matters (buffet or served menu, tents or parasols etc) however the couple is the one that takes the final decision.
Photo credits Despina Kouloglou
WHAT HAPPENS IF FOR ANY REASON MY WEDDING PLANNER IS UNABLE TO BE THERE THE DAY OF THE WEDDING
Once committed, a wedding planner will do anything to be at the event. If however there are emergency reasons that one can not be there, then another planner should be assigned to attend and assist at your wedding. A good wedding planner should always have a backup plan. You can always ask the potential planner what the plan B is in such case.
Photo credits Despina Kouloglou
WHAT SETS YOU APART AND DIFFERENTIATES YOUR COMPANY FROM OTHERS?
This is a huge question to ask. There are numerous wedding planners that will respond to your emails immediately, or will have experience to the venue of your selection. These things show a service level, while you should also seek for the deeper appreciation. It’s the connection that is created with the couples and their families. It is the real reasoning of planning a wedding and wanting to be a part of the love celebration, and the value and significance of marriage throughout life.
Photo credits Thanos Asfis
WHAT WILL THE PLANNING PROCESS WILL LOOK LIKE? HOW MANY MEETINGS WILL WE HAVE AND HOW OFTEN?
While the planning process seems to be demanding, the planner is the one that will take on the lead for the majority of the work. There is no really right or wrong way of facilitating the things to do. Some planners would ask to have monthly meetings and will de brief you with things all at once, while other may want to keep it more personal and remain in touch with you on a daily basis, to touch down to the little details while having a bi-weekly meeting to wrap up and move on. The frequency of meetings is something that should be agreed between the couple and their planner
Photo credits Thanos Asfis
DO YOU HANDLE RENTALS? WILL YOU COORDINATE ARRIVALS, DELIVERIES AND SET UP?
It is expected that whenever rental services are involved the wedding planner is responsible for the good delivery, arrival and set up of goods. In case there are issues (delay on deliveries, broken or forgotten items) the wedding planner is the one responsible to liaise with the vendors and find a solution
Photo credits Vasilis Kouroupis
DO YOU CREATE A TIMELINE OF THE WEDDING AND COORDINATE ALL VENDORS INVOLVED?
A wedding planner that is committed for the planning, coordination and design of your wedding is responsible for the creation of the wedding’s timeline, and to make sure that vendors know what to do and when to do it. The planner though, is also there to manage and assist your friends and family, which isn’t as easy as you might think! The timeline of the wedding is shared with all vendors involved as well as the couple well beforehand just in order to make any amendments if necessary on time.
Photo credits Thanos Asfis
There are several other questions that you might want to ask your potential wedding planner. What you always need to remember is to listen to your gut.
From our expertise, a couple and a planner can identify whether there is a chemistry between them from the very beginning of the first meet up, so keep that in mind! It is extremely important that both sides are on the same page and there is no uncertainty when it comes to the collaboraation and relationship.
If you are a 2024 couple, that has just started looking for a wedding planner in Greece we would love to hear from you, and share our experience and love for love with you!