Wedding planners are…
Wedding planners are trained to see to the every need of the couple from the planning process to the last dance and can become the right hand throughout the engagement period. Since a wedding generally takes 250+ hours to plan, the wedding planner should have a thorough understanding of the couples visions and tastes and be able to assist in planning their wedding on their budget. Wedding planners can suggest reputable vendors in the industry that are available to the couple in their target budget range. They always keep the couple’s interest in mind and offer advice so that the couple can make an informed decision.
The chosen wedding planner is hired for the simple reason that they know the ins and outs of weddings -- the etiquette, the right people to work with, and the ways to manage within any budget. A certified professional wedding planner is an experienced, organized, detail-oriented, imaginative, people-person, possessing mature judgment, patience and the expertise to orchestrate this special day.
Today’s couples are busier than ever, with highly demanding professions and often not a lot of time to spend on the details of a wedding. A wedding planner can help with the legwork and guide the couple in making their decisions.
If you needed legal advice, you would consult a licensed lawyer. If you needed medical advice, you would see a licensed medical physician. Besides a home, a car, a wedding is a considerable expense. So when you are planning a wedding, you really should hire a certified wedding planner.
What can Weddings By Wendy do for you?
Planning a wedding is not like planning a birthday/anniversary party. It is not like planning a corporate function either. A wedding is something that is wrapped up with a lot of time selecting the right vendors, care in how decisions are finalized and implemented, emotions, dreams and anticipations. Our aim is to minimize wedding planning stress and help make the entire experience memorable and enjoyable.
No two couples are alike, and this is why all our services can be geared to suit and tailored to your specific needs. Wendy’s attention to detail, her professional integrity and honesty is something that all her clients appreciate and rely on. When you hire us, Wendy is always the lead planner/coordinator. All of her assistants are certified as well.
Can a Wedding Planner really save me money? I don’t think that I can afford one.
Most wedding planners have preferred vendors that they use. By having an established relationship with these vendors, better pricing on their services are often obtained. Weddings By Wendy does not accept kickbacks, finder’s fees or commissions. This is clearly stated in all of our contracts. Therefore you can be reassured that the vendors we recommend are based on their products and services – pure and simple. If you hire us, we are to work in your best interests alone. Any savings we are able to obtain on your behalf belongs to you.
Let us take wedding favours as an example. Most retail items are marked up 50% to 100%. We have access to many suppliers, so if you were able to save 50% and our charges were based on a percentage, say 10% - you would still be saving 40% off retail pricing. Your savings would even be greater if the mark up was 100% - you would save 90%. Perhaps the question should really be - can you afford not to have a wedding planner?
Although attaining savings is one way to save money, we can also help track and assist with the allocation of your precious financial resources. Again, this will help minimize overspending and keeping things within budget.
Saving you time, is also saving you money. Ask anyone who has ever been involved in planning a wedding and they will let you know that this task is time consuming. The average wedding take over 250+ hours to plan. We can help with the legwork by providing guidance and help you make an informed decision about products and services. Freeing up some time means enjoying your engagement period a little more, or it could translate into more time to get your new home ready. Or it might mean helping you to breathe a little easier with less stress because your job is quite demanding. Whatever the case might be, we are here to help you.
What do your services include?
It really depends on the service you select. For a brief summary of our services, please refer to our services link. Should you have any further questions about any of our services, please email us at WeddingsByWendy@sympatico.ca.
Should you be seeking service(s) besides what has already been described, please feel to contact us and we can always put together an a la cart package for you.
How do you set your fees?
There are a few different ways in which our rates are applied. It might be an hourly rate, a flat rate and/or based on a percentage of the expenses. After an initial consultation, a quote based on your needs will be given. To guarantee our availability, a signed contract with a non-refundable, non-transferable retainer fee is required. The balance of payment will be set out in a schedule depending on the contracted services. Final payment is always due 14 days prior to the wedding date.
What do Wedding Planners do when I have hired some or all of my vendors?
Since we only recommend vendors and do not accept kickbacks, working with vendors that you have already selected is never an issue. Who you decide to hire is your decision. We simply continue on from where you have left off.
How do I find the right Wedding Planner for me?
The following are not listed in any particular order, and some clients place more weight on certain things than others. Experience, past referrals, and credentials are some of the more obvious things to consider. Perhaps the one item that is most difficult to quantify is – the wedding planner’s working relationship with you.
When a client signs on with us, they are going to be working with Wendy directly. When issues arise during the planning stages, Wendy is upfront and tries to resolved things immediately or as soon as it is feasible. All of our clients appreciate Wendy’s honesty and professional integrity.
Wendy’s background is quite diverse. She has designed and created wedding gowns, bridesmaids’ attire, mothers’ dresses, flower girl dresses, and groomsmen’s vests. She has hands on training in floral design. She has help mediate and sort out family conflict when it arises. She has created custom stationary for previous clients that included foiling, flat ink printing, dye cutting, embossing, debossing, etc. One couple even joked that she did everything except marry them!
Wendy is a certified professional wedding planner through the Wedding Planners Institute of Canada. She believes that this is important for clients to know. There are certified professionals wedding planners out there.
If you needed legal advice, you would consult a licensed lawyer. If you needed medical advice, you would see a licensed doctor. So since a wedding is a once in a lifetime affair, why not choose a certified professional wedding planner when one is available?
Does hiring a Wedding Planner mean giving up control of my wedding?
We help with the legwork, but you will ultimately choose the services and products you desire. We offer suggestions and help save time by doing the research for you. A true certified professional wedding planner is there to be your right hand – your eyes and ears throughout the planning process. It is your vision that you have been dreaming about that gets implemented. The wedding planner is there to guide you through the many steps along the way.