WEDDING PLANNER vs. EVENT MANAGEMENT: WHAT’S RIGHT FOR YOUR BIG DAY
As you start the wedding planning process, you may find yourself overwhelmed by the number of things you need to plan and prepare for.
If that’s the case, know there are professionals who can help you bring your wedding vision to life!
Wedding planners and event management services guide you as you walk through the process.
But the two are different in what they offer. We’ll chat about wedding planning and event management here. Plus, I’ll help you determine what choice is best for your needs.
What is a Wedding Planner?
A wedding planner helps you throughout the wedding planning process. From the engagement through the entire wedding day itself, your planner will walk with you every step of the way.
When it comes to finding the right planner for you, do plenty of research. You want to make sure you can trust your planner to handle the process appropriately and professionally. This way you can have the least amount of stress possible!
Find one who is WPIC (Wedding Planners Institute of Canada) certified. They’ll have completed education on how to professionally plan a wedding from the first step through the last. You may also want to check their website and portfolio! It will give you a great idea of the weddings the particular planner has successfully completed. And it will give you a better sense of their wedding planning style.
What do wedding planner duties include for your Niagara wedding?
Your wedding planner does a lot when it comes to putting together your wedding day!
While every planner has different packages which include a multitude of services, here’s what you can generally expect for wedding planning duties:
Helps you determine your wedding vision, mood, and personal style
Helps you determine a custom budget and helps you stick to it
Provides you with vendor referrals, schedules and attends all vendor meetings, and becomes your point person for all communication among your vendors
Brings details together throughout the planning process to create a cohesive design
Builds timelines and floor plans for your big day
Manages the rehearsal
Oversees and manages everything on the wedding day
Is a Niagara wedding planner right for you and your wedding?
When you start the beginning stages of planning, it can be overwhelming to decide what you do and don’t need to invest in to bring your wedding together.
So how do you know if a Niagara wedding planner is right for you and your big day?
If any of the following resonate with you, heavily consider investing in a wedding planner:
You’re busy and can’t devote too much time to planning
Wedding planning is a long and involved process. It typically takes months of coming up with ideas and bringing them to fruition.
If you work full time or your schedule is otherwise jam packed, you may not have the time necessary to devote to planning your Niagara wedding. That’s the perfect time to delegate. Let a wedding planner take the reins!
You don’t like the idea of planning and organising an entire event
Maybe planning and organising an event is not your idea of fun. Or maybe it’s just not your area of expertise, and you’d rather let someone else do it.
Fortunately, a wedding planner loves doing just that! Which is exactly why they’re in business. A Niagara wedding planner will make sure your wedding vision is fulfilled. And then they’ll make sure it runs perfectly on the big day.
You want the least amount of stress possible
Whether you’re busy with a packed calendar or not, planning a wedding is stressful. Since you’ve been dreaming of this since you were a child, you will only plan this dream day once!
If you’re not keen on stress, a wedding planner is the perfect option for you. They’ll work with you to determine your wedding vision. And then, they’ll take the lead in the organising and preparing of your day. No stress needed!
You have great ideas but you don’t know where to start when it comes to putting it together
With Pinterest and Instagram, coming up with ideas is easier than ever before! But bringing your ideas to life is difficult if you’ve never done it.
Your wedding planner will have planned and coordinated many weddings countless times! They’ll take your ideas and put everything together to design the wedding you’ve dreamed of.
You have the budget for a Full-Service Wedding Planner
If you have the budget, you absolutely should consider investing in a planner for your Niagara wedding. Whether you enjoy organising and planning or not, preparing for a wedding is a major task to handle.
Having a professional who’s done it many times over can make a huge difference in the entire process. They’ll help you find the perfect vendors. They’ll create a design that matches exactly what you’re dreaming of. And they’ll make sure the day flows smoothly.
What is Event Management?
Another popular option for your wedding day is Event Management or wedding coordination, also commonly known as Month of Coordination.
Plenty of people use wedding planners and coordinators interchangeably, but the two have major differences.
With an Event Management experience, a wedding coordinator steps into the planning process around a month before the big day. At Lindsay Plank Events, you get instant access to my Wedding Planning Document bundle and access to me via email throughout your planning process.
They’ll sit with you to learn more of the wedding vision you’ve created. They’ll work with you the month leading up to your wedding to make sure no details are missed. And they’ll manage the entire wedding day for you. You can sit back and enjoy your day with family and friends while sipping on a glass of champagne!
What do Event Management duties include for your Niagara wedding?
Much like wedding planning experiences, event management packages differ between businesses.
Usually, Event Management duties include:
Meetings with you a month before your Niagara wedding date
Addresses overlooked planning details
Creates a thorough timeline and floor plan for your day
Reviews signed vendor contracts and communicates with vendors about the timeline and flow of the event
Completes a final walkthrough with you
Manages the rehearsal
Oversees your wedding day
Is Niagara Event Management right for you and your wedding?
How do you know event management is the better choice for you instead of wedding planning?
It comes down to what you have time for, what you have a budget for, where your strengths lie, and what you hope to have on the wedding day itself.
If any of these resonate with you, consider event management for your Niagara wedding:
You love everything DIY
There’s a lot to do when it comes to planning a wedding. Tasks like communicating with your vendors, creating your own design plan, and managing your budget.
But for many people, planning a wedding is as much a part of having a wedding as the actual day!
So if you enjoy the planning process, and you have time for it, then event management or month of coordination is perfect for you.
Event management can step in during the last month and make sure all of the details are settled before the big day comes.
You want the full experience of planning your wedding
Many just love the experience of planning all the details themselves. If that’s you, then perfect! Enjoy the full season of your engagement through planning your day.
A Niagara wedding coordinator can help you put the finishing touches on everything.
You’re organised and detailed
A large part of wedding planning is staying organised and paying attention to details. If you know these are some of your strengths, you’ll probably love putting together your wedding vision!
You want someone to handle the management of the day so you can enjoy it stress-free
I can’t stress this enough. Allow yourself to be fully present and enjoy your big day. It’s only one day! You don’t want to miss out on a second of it having to worry about little things.
A wedding coordinator will oversee the entire wedding day so you can do exactly that. You’ll feel more relaxed and attentive to the celebration around you if you’re not having to worry about everything else.
You don’t have the budget for a full-service wedding planner
If a wedding planner isn’t in your budget, then consider event management! A wedding coordinator can step in the last month of the planning process to help pull everything together.
They’ll help you create the timeline and take over your vendor communication so you know everything will run smoothly. They’ll check for any overlooked details and address those with you. And they’ll communicate with your vendors to make sure everyone is on the same page.
You’ll feel way less stressed in the final month before your Niagara wedding. And that means you’ll feel so much better on the day itself!
Whether it’s wedding planning or event management, having someone to help you during the planning process can do wonders for your day and your experience of it.
If you’re looking for professional guidance for your Niagara wedding, I want to serve you!
View Lindsay Plank Events’ Services!
