9 Signs That You've Hired the Right Wedding Planner

Hiring a wedding planner can make the time leading up to the wedding, as well as the big day itself, feel so much less stressful. But you need to find a planner that will be the right fit for you as a person, but how do you know that you've hired the right planner?

Here are 9 ways to identify if you've hired the wedding planner that's perfect for you:

1. Your wedding planner has at least three references

Being able to ask other, former clients questions about how they experienced various aspects of the service will go a long way to help you find the wedding planner for your celebration.

At I Do by Impressario, most of our wedding clients come from word of mouth recommendations. We’ve even handled three weddings from the same family!

2. You like spending time with your wedding planner

Do you look forward to seeing and talking to your wedding planner? You will be spending a lot of time together leading up to the wedding, so it's essential that you enjoy each other's company. If you start dreading messages from your wedding planner, chances are there's a better match out there for you.

3. Your wedding planner listens to you

Wedding planners usually have preferred vendors they like to work with, but they should still listen if your preferences are different from theirs.

Most of the designs we come up with at I Do by Impressario are actually inputs from the clients themselves. We try to get into their headspace to understand the look and feel they're going for, then enhance their ideas with our thematic décor concepts.

4. Your wedding planner has a clear budget

Weddings are not cheap, and nobody wants surprises as they go along. That's why you want to work with a wedding planner in Singapore that will be upfront about any and all expenses.

Communication is very important to us. At the beginning of every meeting with a new client, we ask them about their overall budget before we start recommending anything. We use a very systematic template to allocate budgets for different aspects depending based on our experience on what should be the priority.

5. Your wedding planner offers to review contracts

Contracts can be tricky to read especially when you don't know what to look for. Your wedding planner should offer to look through all paperwork from vendors and businesses before you sign it.

As long as we are part of the client’s events, be it a part or as a whole, we always try to get them to send us their contracts with other vendors and carefully vet these documents on their behalf. Being in the business for many years, we understand market pricings and we advise clients based on the knowledge we have. We point them to better quality vendors, cost-efficient alternatives, and best value for money items whenever possible.

6. Your wedding planner is organised

Your planner needs to keep track of schedules, records, and details from your meetings or conversations. You can't work with a wedding planner in Singapore that isn't organised.

Each wedding that I Do by Impressario handles is different. There is no cookie-cutter way of planning a wedding with us. We customise timelines which we share with the clients, we give them progressive updates on each item we are handling and we call for meetings where necessary, at the client’s or couple's convenience.

7. Your wedding planner should take charge

Make sure your wedding planner knows to stand their ground when dealing with the details of your wedding. You want someone who will be in your corner against vendors, even when there is pushback.

We did a wedding where we had to change some items at 3 a.m. to give the client the aesthetic feel they were going for. We even made an executive decision to bear the additional cost to make this change should the client be unhappy with the final result. In the end, the client was very pleased and was amazed we pulled off such an amazing change at such a last minute.

8. Your wedding planner needs to keep calm

Weddings and wedding planning is stressful, but your planner should not be stressed. You don't want a stressed-out planner ruining the vibe at your wedding.

After years of being in this business, we know when to pen down delays, and we forewarn clients for them to know not to panic. We have experienced drastic changes that occur at the last moment, but everything is handled with a “no problem, don’t worry” kind of attitude (even if we're panicking inside!).

We had a groom who wanted to do his walk-in using a boat, however, after the whole entourage had gathered, waiting for him, we were informed that traditionally that was not permitted for this ritual ceremony. In a flash, we changed the plans. We had no time to panic, we gave the clients our word to leave it to us, and when they did, it was executed smoothly.

9. Your wedding planner should be professional

Planning your wedding may feel a lot like hanging out with a friend, but in the end, your planner is a professional and needs to act like that at all times.

No doubt we have clients who become like friends, especially since weddings are very personal. However, we keep our professionalism in check at all times. Although there are times when boundaries can be crossed, we always check ourselves and inform all staff working with us to be aware of the dos and don’ts. Many times, clients offer us alcohol, ask for us to take part in their ceremonies, and even invite us to their homes! We appreciate all the warmth, but we graciously take a step back and handle things as a hired vendor.

Find the Right Wedding Planner

Finding the right wedding planner like I Do by Impressario, will help you relax and enjoy your big day, so don't give up until you find the right fit.