Choosing a wedding planner is not an easy task for most brides. But it’s one of the most important decisions you can make, soon after you get engaged. Just ask Houston fashion and lifestyle blogger Esmeralda Estrada of popular Houston blog Dessert For Brunch, who made hiring a wedding planner a priority after saying “Yes!” to her fiancé Henry this past October. In this guest post—the first in a series from Esmerelda as she makes her way toward “I do” in 2020, the bride-to-be explains how and why she chose her wedding planner, including her Number One deciding factor.
“Planning a wedding is a lot of work. And it can be especially difficult to do if you don’t have a lot of free time. Which is where a professional wedding planner comes in. Many of you might be wondering, “Where do I find the best Houston wedding planner for my wedding?” “How do I know whom to choose to organize and plan my wedding?” Trust me, I was there, too. Today I am here to tell you about my experience with choosing a wedding planner, and how I went about it.
First things first: Know how much you can spend on a wedding planner.
The scope of what a wedding planner does for you will determine the price you will pay for their services. It was very important for me to stick to my wedding budget, so I always made sure to ask for their pricing early in the conversation. I’d suggest that you know your budget before speaking to potential Houston wedding planners, because, let’s be honest, at the end of a great conversation, it’s going to depend on if you can afford them or not.
The second thing I did was research.
There are so many great websites that can help you find wedding planners and see actual weddings they have coordinated. For me, my primary resource was Weddings in Houston. After making a list of wedding planners who caught my eye, I started to check out their work, look at testimonials and photos, and the process began! I emailed each Houston wedding planner with brief info about my big day, and then I got on the phone. When choosing a wedding planner, I highly recommend speaking to potential planners on the phone. Remember, you’re going to be spending a lot of time with this person, so it’s important to feel comfortable around them.
After narrowing my list down to three experienced Houston wedding planners, it was time to meet in person.
My fiancé, my mom and I met them each, individually, for coffee, so we could really get to know one another. Meeting face to face was so important, because, after all, the person we chose was going to be the one handling a situation like having to find a seat for someone who didn’t RSVP, or assuring us that we’d made the right decision about what color flowers we’d chosen. Getting along well and making sure they understood my vision and could answer any questions I had was key. I wanted to know I could trust them with such a special time in my life. There are so many wedding planners who have 10+ years of experience, have done X number of weddings or are well known in the industry, but if you don’t feel comfortable spending the next 6+ months with this person, is it worth it?
Finally, after meeting with them all, I took the time to reflect on each individual.
As a final step in choosing a wedding planner I compared prices, impressions and proposals. This is a huge decision to make and the first step toward a stress-free and successful wedding day. I wanted to make it the right way. Another tip for you brides-to-be is to not allow any vendor, including a wedding planner, to rush you into making a decision. That is how I was able to narrow my list down even more. After a while, it was clear to me whom I should choose. I chose a wedding planner who was just as enthusiastic and excited about my wedding as I am, and who knows how to keep it professional while still making the whole process fun. But, most importantly, I chose my wedding planner because of how comfortable and confident I feel when speaking to her.”
Find your Houston wedding planner, and stay tuned to next month’s installment from Esmeralda as she makes her way toward her special day…and brings us on the journey with her!
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