What does a wedding planner actually do?

Wiley Putnam Photography

Planning a wedding can be an exciting journey, but as you start thinking about all the details, decisions, and research involved, it can quickly become overwhelming. With a full-time job or other commitments, finding time and energy to plan your most special day can be challenging, even with a helpful family member or killer wedding party. But what happens when a family member’s opinions become too much or the wedding weekend arrives and they want to enjoy the fun? This is where a professional, seasoned wedding planner can step in and alleviate the stress, guide you through the decision-making process, and ensure that you and your loved ones can fully enjoy the day - and the entire engagement process. 

Wedding planners are industry experts who can offer invaluable resources to create a personalized, curated, beautiful, and seamless event while respecting your unique budget. A planner allows you, and anyone else involved in the planning process, the chance to focus on the overall details and what most consider the “fun” parts of the planning process (menu tasting, eating lots of cake, design, etc.) while they handle the logistics and back and forth details with the vendors involved. ​

Blue Rose Photography

Blue Rose Photography

Many planning companies, like Luth Weddings and Events, offer a variety of packages ranging from Event Management to Full Wedding Planning and Floral/Event Design. These packages may vary between planning companies, however, at the core of what all these packages include is ensuring the wedding day runs smoothly. Sounds simple, right? The reality is your planner will spend anywhere from 30-40+ hours on an event management package and 150+ hours for a full-service package -and around an average of 14 hours straight on your wedding day alone! Let’s briefly break down the high-level difference between an event management package and a full-service package, and what a planner might be responsible for in each of these offerings:

Event Management:

• Examples of included services: 
  • Starts helping you with the planning process around 1-2 months prior to the wedding
  • Assists in communicating final details and logistics with vendors you selected
  • Creates a comprehensive, minute-by-minute wedding timeline to share with vendors as well as you, your family, VIPs, and wedding party
  • Is onsite on the wedding day directing vendors and ensuring the timeline is being followed and the day runs smoothly

Full-Service:

• Examples of included services: 
  • Is with you from the beginning, sometimes even before you have selected a date and location
  • Assists in establishing a vision and realistic budget 
  • Connects you with professional vendors to bring your vision to life and will review all contracts
  • Communicates all details and logistics with vendors throughout the entire planning process
  • Helps you to create and execute a cohesive design based on your vision and budget
  • Is there to guide you during the planning, providing etiquette guidance on aspects such as invitations, family situations, and wedding day flow
  • Creates a comprehensive, minute-by-minute wedding timeline to share with vendors as well as you, your family, VIPs, and wedding party
  • Is onsite from the beginning to the end of the wedding day directing vendors and ensuring the timeline is being followed and the day runs smoothly​
  • Sends out all of your save the dates and tracks those RSVPs so you can keep track of your guest list
    
  • Helps create your seating chart so that challenging personality issues are handled with ease and tact
  • Handles all of those vendor meetings so you can be as involved as you'd like - want to be in the driver's seat? We got you! Want to let us drive - we're happy to present you with options and just get your approval to move forward
    
  • Joins you for those in-person pre-wedding events that help make your day cohesive and special to you - from catering tastings to rental showroom visits to select the perfect chairs, we're by your side

Cameron Zegers Photography

While planning packages offer many essential services, there are countless other tasks that your planner can do to ensure a stress-free and enjoyable experience for you and your loved ones. Some of these unknown services are:

1. Sews back the groomsmen’s broken bowtie or broken bridesmaids dress
2. Makes an extra boutonniere when one breaks (yay for having a planner that is also a florist!!!) 
3. Fashions a bustle out of safety pins and thread underneath your dress when yours breaks
4. Wipes down your ceremony chairs after unexpected rain shower
5. Helps you pee
6. Makes sure you and your honey get appetizers, dinner, and your favorite beverage in hand all night
7. Magically gets all your personal items packed up and where they need to go post-event
8. Makes sure there is a plate, napkin, and forks by your cake before you cut it so that your ceremonial slice has a place to go
9. Makes sure that champagne toast is actually poured by the caterer before the DJ announces it’s time for toasts
10. Stops drunk guests or unplanned guests from getting on the mic to give a toast or speech
11. Handles all big family/friend personalities and gives them jobs if you need space from them 
12. Helps out photographer/videographer to get the perfect shot (throws veil in air for wind blown shot, holds extra lights, crouches behind you holding dress so it doesn’t get dirty, etc.)
13. Is always on hand with a Tide pen or a Band-aid
14. Is there for moral support and a vent sesh when things feel overwhelming

Alante Photography

Mathias Fast Photography

Stefan and Audrey Photography

Ultimately, a wedding planner is an essential investment that brings expertise, experience, and peace of mind to your special day.  Trust your planner and know that they have your best interests at heart.

Want to know more?!

• Follow us @luthweddingsandevents on Instagram for more helpful information about your wedding planning journey
• Comment below on something you didn’t realize a planner would handle
• Realizing a planner sounds good right about now? We’d love to chat and answer any questions you might have about hiring a planner! Contact us here, shoot us an email at [email protected], or check out our calendar to schedule a time to chat!

Can't wait to hear from you!!

XO,
Candice and Christopher

Kielen Elizabeth Photography

Alante Photography