Do I Need a Wedding Consultant...?

Not long ago wedding consultants were thought of as a luxury to be used mainly by the elite. Not so any more. According to Modern Bride Magazine, over 50% of all couples who married in 1999 used the services of wedding consultants, also commonly referred to as wedding coordinators, bridal consultants, or wedding planners.

So what exactly is a wedding consultant? She (or he) is a specialist who plans weddings, or assists in the planning of weddings, on a professional basis. She is part Martha Stewart, part Miss Manners, plus a whole lot of other things!

A professional wedding consultant is a wealth of creative ideas and insider's know-how. She's got connections with the best vendors in town and has learned to become an ace negotiator to get you the best value or 'deal' for your money. She's got the answers on etiquette, and she knows the tips and tricks to avoid trouble - but she also knows how to trouble-shoot when the need does arise. She knows what needs to be done when, and she knows the "whos" and "hows" to make it all happen. She's an organized, people person with a penchant for detail and a superb sense of style. She is the bride's advocate and adviser, her counsellor, and her buddy, all rolled into one.

Ask anyone who has been involved in planning a wedding and they will tell you that it can be very much like a full time job. So much to do, so much to learn, and so little time to do it all! Few brides-to-be are experienced in orchestrating an event as large and important as a wedding - this is why so many wedding day disaster stories abound. There are endless details to arrange, many logistics to organize, large numbers of vendors and service providers to hire, contracts to negotiate, prices to compare, and as a result, so much room for oversights to occur and for things to go wrong. Additionally, in truth, few couples have the levels of time in their schedules required to successfully plan, manage, and execute such an event; however, unfortunately many couples don't realize or acknowledge this until it is too late, when parts of their wedding dream have already disintegrated into disappointment.

Many brides and grooms run themselves ragged in the months leading up to the wedding. Equal numbers of couples tell tales of a wedding day that went by in a blur because there was still so much for them to tend to and worry about that they had little time to relax and enjoy the moment. The wedding coordinator can help alleviate these situations by being on hand to take care of time consuming tasks and trouble shoot for you when required, making it all so much easier and more enjoyable for you.

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In a recent survey conducted by SuperWeddings.com and the International Institute of Weddings, 72% of recently married brides who did not use a wedding coordinator for their weddings said that based on their experience, if they had to do it over again, they would hire a wedding coordinator to assist with the planning process, or at least to be on hand to supervise the wedding day itself. 49% reported that if they could only change one thing about the entire wedding, this would be the thing they would do differently!

Wedding coordinators provide a wide range of services which can save the bride time, worry, and often money as well. The role of the coordinator is to make the planning process - and wedding day itself - go more smoothly, and often to offer the expertise which will result in a wedding day which will be more spectacular and unforgettable than the bride would have been able to produce on her own. The coordinator can be involved to which ever extent the bride desires - as much or as little as is required.

A consultant does not take over the planning of your wedding for you, but rather, she/he advises you and assists you so that you have the all the information you need for the most spectacular wedding possible on a budget you can afford, and then she lets you make all the final decisions so you end up with what is truly right for you.

Couples today will find that fees for coordinators/consultants are very affordable. Often the money a consultant can save a couple due to her/his connections and contacts in the industry - and through her/his expertise and knowledge of the "tricks of the trade" - far surpasses the cost of the service. As a result, the bride and groom experience much less stress, have more time to enjoy the months leading up to the wedding, less worry and work on the day itself, and are often able to avoid costly, miserable mistakes.

When asked whether there were problems with her wedding, one bride who used a wedding consultant replied, "I don't even know whether there were any problems at my wedding - and that's precisely how I wanted it. That's the way everyone's wedding day should be. That's why I hired my consultant".

With the trend towards using wedding coordinators / consultants growing at a rapid rate, it is predicted that within ten years the professional wedding consultant will be a standard service provider at almost every wedding.

Most consultants offer couples a free initial consultation so the bride and groom can learn how the consultant can make their wedding better. After meeting with the consultant initially, the bride and groom can then decide whether hiring a consultant is right for them.

You only get one shot at the biggest day of your life; why gamble with disappointment? Talk to a professional wedding consultant to learn more about putting your wedding plans in the hands of a competent professional.

The International Institute of Weddings provides some of the most in-depth training in the industry to wedding consultants all over the world. Consultants who have gone through our training program and who are members of our professional association are required to adhere to our Standards of Professional Conduct and to abide by our Code of Ethics. All of this helps to ensure that you get the very best for your wedding. If you would like to talk to a professional wedding consultant in your area, use our free referral service. May your wedding be as wonderful as everything you have ever envisioned!