Ten rules of choosing a wedding planner In Nigeria

Just before you decide on the wedding planner you want to choose for your wedding, an expert in handling weddings and who will be instrumental in making sure goes according to your expectations and dreams .

This list informs you in detail, the ten characteristics to look out for in your wedding planner before you choose her ;



1. Easy to contact and readily accessible:



She must be able to return calls/reply messages/send mails promptly , responsive to your needs and have contact details that she can be easily reached in case she is not available. It does not make sense for an event planner to be responding to message weeks after an inquiry has been sent.

A professional wedding planner should have Active phone number/email address/ social media pages and a website .





2. Well organised and detailed :

She must be coordinated, have well laid out plans, alternate or backup plans in case the first option plans fails. She must be capable of paying attention to details, budgets, designs, costs, images, styles, color codes, . The little details make up the most important parts of the events . So every tiny,little point counts including the color of the serviettes.

Forget an event planner who is prone to distractions, loses focus easily, can not keep track of orders, unable to control or handle difficult situations, not calm or seem to have a control of her emotions.



3. She Can Multitask:

She should be creative, innovative, be flexible and can take on different roles as deemed appropriate.

Different situations calls for different approaches, various problems require various pragmatic solutions, Surprisingly there are wedding planners who have been known to act as usher/waiter/caterer/makeup artists/ Personal assistant/shopper/ hair stylist/ photographer/ gift wrapper/Dj/social media manager as the occasion demands for it.

Not necessarily that a wedding planner should have all these skills or be professionally trained in them. However she must be ready and willing to learn to become equipped for roles she must take on in order for the event to go on smoothly and avoid disappointments.





4. Has good taste and style :

A good wedding planner should have acquired taste and style for good things, she is a refection of what your wedding will be like. Although the wedding is about you, but your wedding planner should be up to date on the latest trends in wedding themes, styles, designs, decorations, know the most compatible types of weddings suited to her clients' purposes.

It is a common belief that wedding planners are perfectionists, however a wedding planner should also have a fun side , weddings are meant to be funny, classy, lovely and exquisite with each guest and the couple having good memories of the day.

A good wedding planner makes a well planned wedding look flawless, each event seamlessly flowing into another without no one noticing how much is going on behind the scenes in order to achieve such perfection.



5. Has a great sphere of Influence:

A professional wedding planer worth her salt understands that the wedding /event industry thrives on building a connection of the right contacts, networking with other wedding planers, wedding and reception venues , wedding suppliers, wedding vendors and event professionals . The need for creating and maintaining relationships with other wedding practitioners is not only for exposure , learning and keeping up with wedding trends but it is also to get better discounts and deals for clients .

It is advisable to beware of wedding planers who insist on their own vendors just because for the kickbacks they will get , you must also be convinced of the vendors they will be recommending and that they are qualified for the job. However , getting a wedding planner to handle the sourcing of vendors is easier and cheaper on the long run , she can help you secure great and better deals, arrange for refunds in case of disappointment, no show up or poor service delivery.




6. Well balanced , Has a listening hear and understanding :

She must not be imposing or commanding, she has a listening ear, listens to all sides carefully before making an informed decision, be attuned to her clients' needs, she can advice, suggest and also recommend but allows you freedom of choice and a final say in all decisions taken.







7. Good negotiation skills :


In choosing your wedding planner, choose a person who has good communication skills, can calm frayed nerves, acts as a go between between vendors and clients, parents , family members, friends, negotiate for good prices, get good deals and effectively manage her resources to achieve great results.

Your wedding planner must understand all the legalities involved in getting married in Nigeria, can advise you on getting a marriage license, prepare contracts with vendors and wedding suppliers , negotiate agreements , arrange security and plan well ahead for any eventuality .


8. Financially prudent :

A skilled wedding planner should be able to work according to budget , not o be extravagant , get carried away with high dreams, her feet must be firmly planted on the ground, know the prevalent market prices, service cost . She must be able to prepare budgets, cost analysis for events and stick with it . Her goal should be not to make maximum profit, but to give the best services to the client without going overboard, give remunerations for workers according to event industry rates and standards , ensure vendors are well paid for their services without anyone feeling shortchanged , cheated or duped.



9 . Comes highly recommended or referred by a trusted source;

In case you are still confused on which wedding planner to settle for, ask for recommendations from trusted sources , better still ask the potential wedding planner to show her previous works (catalogs, social media pages, picture albums, videos ) , give referrals (previous clients or colleagues) that you can call or contact, ask to be invited to her next events /jobs , so you can see how she and her team handle live events .

Typically , friends and family members can be biased as to which wedding planner they will recommend to you, so ask from those who you will give you a professional opinion.


10. Trust your Instincts :

Most importantly, trust your heart, wedding planning is a huge responsibility, it comes with the expectation of a high level of trust and working together, so it is of good advantage to hire a wedding planner you feel comfortable working within relating to and trust to handle your fiances and your special day . There must be a connection and a common purpose of making sure your wedding urns out right and perfect.



Note :

A wedding planner is not gender specific role, a male or female who are professionally trained are suitable for the position, but for the purpose of this post. I have used "She" , it can also be a "He" .

20 Duties of a wedding coordinator before , during and after a wedding are highlighted as follow

1. Find you that reception venue with the perfect view, or the one caterer who will work with small budgets.
2. Source for vendors, arrange meetings with suppliers and deliveries, and handling any no-shows.
3. Solving last-minute emergencies
4. Scheduling and running the rehearsal: She’will carry out your wishes for the ceremony from organizing the order of procession, music timing , tutoring ushers on how to greet guests and where to seat them. Remind you to have your marriage license in handy for next day celebrations , make sure you get enough rests as well as answer any last minute questions you might have.
5 Setting up the ceremony and reception spaces;
Once it’s time for the ceremony to begin, she will signal the Dj/music artiste/band , the officiant, and everyone involved in the processional. She will be there to help if any last minute issues arise.
6. Making sure that the wedding party is on time and in the right places.
7. Coordinating the reception and wedding timeline, ensuring everyone keeps to time .
8. Wedding planners can act as peace makers and use their negotiating skills to create peace
9. In conjunction with security agents, deal with wedding crashers and unruly guests. She can have a printed list of guests that security officers can use to check guests in against their names to avoid unwanted guests.
10. Ensuring that the space is left clean and that deposits are refunded.
11. Collecting personal items and wedding gifts on behalf of the bride and groom, making sure they get back to them safely.
12. Returning rentals and borrowed items.
13. Pull in favors to get discounts or freebies.
14. Wedding coordinators can acts as wedding stylists , Give you ideas, and tell you about current wedding fashion and trends.
15. Create balance, unified theme and prevent any disjointed elements in the wedding look.

16. Go over previous arrangements and add details you might have missed.
17. Coordinate the florist, caterer, printers, invitation companies, graphic designers and any other aesthetic vendors
18. Design seating arrangements, stage setup, your tables, lighting and other visual details.
19. Find coordinating and stylish favors/gifts/souvenirs .
20. She will be the first in at the venue to ensure all arrangements are in place, the last out to ensure all details are taken care of and perform every other as role assigned to her.
A wedding coordinator should Expect the unexpected and deal with it!

Copyright 2017
Adegbaju Christina
Nigerian Event planner