When building your dream home, you would never do so without first hiring an experienced project manager to work with you and manage the entire process. You trust them to manage your budget, select and coordinate a trustworthy team of outside contractors, and oversee the design of your home such that it meets and exceeds all your expectations. A project manager is your guide throughout the entire design, planning, and building process and is critical to protecting your investment.
When it comes to wedding planning, a full-service planner is no different. Choosing your wedding planner wisely is the first important step in your journey to the aisle. At HauteFêtes, we are the wedding professionals you hire to guide you through the entire wedding planning process, deliver on your vision, and exceed all of your expectations.
Just as your dream home is a financial commitment, so, too, is your dream wedding day. It deserves careful planning and detailed consideration before spending thousands of dollars.
Whether you are a bride that has no idea where to start or one that lives and breathes event planning, as you look to your big day, consider why the money spent on hiring your wedding planner is truly worth the investment.
By understanding what a full-service wedding planner does, how they compare to partial or “day of” wedding coordinators, and the immense benefits of investing in a design, planning, and production team you can be confident in your decision to hire a full-service wedding planner.
What Does a Full-Service Wedding Planner Do, Exactly?
First, let’s level set! While we may not carry the credentials of regulated industries like law or medicine, a full-service wedding planner is nonetheless a professional consultant and plays an important role in, arguably, one of the most important times in your (and your family’s) life. Accordingly, we are invested in your wedding from the start in these fours ways:
- A full-service wedding planner manages your financial investment
Your wedding is likely to be the biggest party you’ve ever thrown, and a full-service wedding planner is vital to ensuring it is the best party, too.
At HauteFêtes, in addition to educating our couples on what things really cost, we help you develop your budget, manage your payment schedule, and protect your investment. Small decisions such as upgrading your flatware and china but using the stemware from your venue can add up to big savings.
You will benefit from our relationships with trusted industry partners by receiving discounts in full and minimizing hidden costs. These can be as simple as organizing vendor delivery the day prior to your wedding to avoid “on-time delivery” fees or negotiating complimentary extras such as additional LED lighting. Through our connections, we will enhance your wedding experience and outcome by only working with partners who share our standard for excellence and service.
Moreover, we negotiate all partner and vendor contracts and review the fine print to ensure you are legally protected. For example, building in flexible rescheduling and the ability to carry over deposits are increasingly important in the age of COVID-19.
- A full-service wedding planner provides expert advice
Designing a wedding is no easy task even for the most design-minded of brides. Finding a balance between creating your style and staying within your budget can be a challenge. In addition to advice on budgeting, a full-service wedding planner with design in their repertoire brings design elements together while creating a cohesive look across spaces and details.
A full-service wedding planner stays focused on ensuring all the details that make your day so special are flawlessly executed. From the table setting designs to the music played and the stationery each guest receives, each detail is vital to the overall wedding experience.
When you partner with HauteFêtes from the start, we get to know your vision and have our hands on every aspect of your wedding. From advice on etiquette, such as how to convey an ‘adult only’ wedding, to what’s appropriate for each family to pay for, we ensure your celebration is tasteful, timeless and a memorable experience for you, your family, and your guests.
- A full-service wedding planner develops a stress-free plan leading up to your wedding day
Beyond your wedding design, a full-service planner is responsible for managing the wedding planning process from start to finish. This includes developing the schedules of everything from invitation production to vendor load in and out times to overseeing guest transportation and room blocks for all of your wedding guests.
At HauteFêtes, we work directly with partners and vendors to avoid burdening you with logistical questions, keeping things streamlined and stress-free. As the big day gets closer, we work with our team to iron out last-minute details, identifying pitfalls to help you avoid costly mistakes or etiquette faux pas.
- A full-service wedding planner is focused on your vision and executes your wedding day to perfection
Unlike other vendors who may have more than one wedding in a day or weekend, a full-service wedding planner will be solely focused on you and your vision to ensure that everything goes according to your unique plan.
When an issue arises, a full-service wedding planner’s complete responsibility is to troubleshoot and provide solutions regardless of the issue so that you can remain in the moment and focused on enjoying your day.
At HauteFêtes, we carry out all the important details–press linens, oversee adequate lighting, ensure guests are comfortable with appropriate heating or cooling, review seating arrangements, and more!
After months of planning, design, and production discussions, your wedding is the culmination of all the thought and attention you’ve put into your dream day. Like an orchestra that has rehearsed with a conductor for months, a flawless wedding day experience comes down to your partnership with a full-service wedding planner.
What Do Partial and Day-of Wedding Coordinators Offer?
In contrast, partial coordination or day-of coordination options only include a fraction of the services provided by a full-service wedding planner.
A partial wedding coordinator typically enters the picture within a month of your wedding. With little to no insight into your vision, they step in once you have completed the majority of the design and planning. They offer no advice on vendors and rentals, the wording of your stationery, explanations on how rooms blocks work, or other important details. They help execute the “day of” timeline and implement the floor plans and design you’ve already developed but don’t have any insider information as to how the plan was created or the vision behind the entire wedding experience.
Day-of wedding planners are responsible for keeping a schedule on your wedding day. Rather than visionaries, they are simply “order takers” who work behind the scenes. Without insight into the vision behind a couple’s dream wedding day, partial wedding planners can only provide a surface level of support without the expertise or insight to pull together a high-end wedding.
Whether you’ve been dreaming of your wedding for years and know every detail, or you have no clue where to start, only a full-service wedding planner who has become your partner throughout the wedding planning journey understands your vision for your dream wedding and can be trusted to design, build, and execute every element of your wedding accordingly.
HauteFêtes Provides a Full-Service Wedding Planning Experience
Full-service wedding planners create a wedding experience, not just a wedding day. With expertise in investment management, event design and styling, and planning and execution, a full-service wedding planner saves you time and resources while ensuring your guest experience is unique and your celebration is unforgettable. At HauteFêtes, we would be honored to collaborate with you on all aspects of your wedding design and planning. As your full-service wedding planner, we invite you to be as hands-on as you would like as you trust us to bring your wedding vision to life. As your wedding partner, we ensure that your wedding day journey will be the best possible experience it can be for both you and your family and friends. Please contact HauteFêtes today to start your wedding planning journey, and let us create your experience of a lifetime.