We have been meeting with couples who potentially want to use our services for their wedding day. It was quite a surprise to hear their stories when meeting with other wedding planners and what they experienced. While meeting with these planners, they were told their wedding vision was ‘rubbish’ and to do it ‘the planners’ way. We found this was a mix of people who are new and also experienced wedding planners. Today we are going to look at the difference between professional wedding planners and unprofessional wedding planners.
Professional Wedding Planners VS Unprofessional Wedding Planners
While there is no strict right or wrong way to do things, we thought it would be a good idea for newly engaged couples to know what to look for and expect when dealing with wedding planners. The experience should be easy, seamless and enjoyable.
Your Vision
It’s your wedding, and you should have it any way you see fit. We had a couple advise us recently that while they were looking for a wedding planner, she had an experience that made our jaws drop. The planner very directly advised that the couple’s ideas were “not good” and to do it “the planners way”. Each person has their own unique style and taste. Just because you personally do not like a style/trend does not mean they should do it your way.
Your Vision: Example
An excellent example is one of our staff used to work for a top-rated beverage company. This staff member does not like the taste of lemon flavoured drinks, and the company they worked for came out with a lemon flavoured energy drink. They still tried the drink to understand how it tasted. When he spoke to his clients about it, they asked for his opinion. He was honest, consulted based on their clientele and the drink it sold well in his region. He did not let personal taste get in the way of what would work well for the client. A professional wedding planner should treat you the same and give you the same level of respect and give you experienced advised based on what you are looking for.
A professional wedding planner is supposed to take your ideas and bring them to life. Sometimes an idea may need a professional touch and to give guidance but to tell a couple it can’t be done, or a bad idea is just plain wrong.
Communication
Professional wedding planners should be able to get back to you within a reasonable time frame. The basic rule for couples looking to find wedding suppliers is to give them at least two business days to reply. The reason why I say business days is that we often get calls/emails to get a quote or meet in person and many of them are on the weekend. However, on weekends, we are generally busy with weddings/events that are currently taking place. Imagine if it was your wedding day and your wedding planner was focusing on sending quote’s to ‘other people’ when they should be giving you their undivided attention. We provide the same level of respect/service to all our clients.
At Pink Caviar Events, our goal is to communicate to you within one business day. If a wedding planner has not made contact in 1 week, then that’s a big warning sign. If they take a week to get back to you during the quotation stage, image how the communication will be over the months leading up to your wedding day, imagine having to chase your planner for updates consistently over a 6 – 18 month period. It will not be pleasant but a nightmare.
Pushing Agendas
There is never any problem with a planner promoting other services. The way we see it, we would rather the couple know of all possibilities/options than not advise them of what’s out there. An unprofessional wedding planner would always push their other products and services on you even though you have said no. It shows that their focus is on the bottom line and not your wedding. You do not want to be with anyone who continually pushes products you just don’t want.
Pushing Agendas: Example
We have an open-air photo booth affectionately known as Photo Thingy (check out some of the photos 🙂 Some couples want the photo booth, some do not. If a couple has said no to us about it, then we do not mention it again.
A great example was recently we needed some IT assistance. We had received a few quotes and narrowed it down to 2 people. Both were equally qualified and understood our issue that needed to be resolved. One was a little more cost-effective but was very pushy. He would always push his other services even when we said no. The other who was a little more expensive did recommend other services, but when we said no, he stopped and focused on what we wanted. We ended up going with the one that cost a little more purely because we did not want to be sold to continuously to while working with him. Had the cheaper IT person not been so pushy we would have gone with him. It goes to show that not everything is about price/knowledge but also how you act and treat your customers.
On a side note, if a couple chooses a different photo booth, we are okay with that. We will work with the couple and their chosen supplier. It simply comes down to personal choice and taste. Some couples want a booth that is a particular colour, specific feature or a different design entirely. In some cases, they simply see a photo booth at an expo and book them early before meeting us. We will never badmouth another supplier in the industry.
In Conclusion
A professional wedding planner has your best interest at heart. They make your vision a reality, communicate openly/often with you. An unprofessional wedding planner has poor communication skills; won’t make your vision a reality and always push agendas that you have no need or want for. If you are in talks with a wedding planner and they are showing these signs (amongst others) then its time to rethink if they are right for you. If you are looking for professional wedding planners, check us out.
What has your experience when looking for professional wedding planners? Have you ever had any experiences with unprofessional wedding planners? Join the discussion and let us know in the comments below 🙂
Stephanie Cassimatis is the founder and head stylist of Pink Caviar Events, a corporate event management and styling company based in Sydney, Australia. With over a decade of experience in the industry, Stephanie is known for her impeccable taste and attention to detail, as well as her ability to bring her client’s visions to life. In addition, she is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP), a credential that reflects her commitment to delivering high-quality events on time and within budget. Stephanie is also a respected speaker and educator, sharing her expertise and insights with aspiring event planners and designers through workshops and conferences.