New to the “Wedding & Event Planning” world? Recently engaged or planning for that party and feeling overwhelmed? Not sure what a Wedding or Event Planner does?
We at Made by Connie Designs want you to be event/wedding-wise about all things related to the coordination process. We are specialists in this industry and have a few helpful tips for you to think through!
GENERAL WEDDING & EVENT PLANNING QUESTIONS:
Why should I hire a Wedding or Event Planner?
Statistics show that the average wedding takes approximately 540 hours to plan! In a survey of 2000 UK brides-to-be, 40% of ladies polled said organizing their wedding felt like taking on a second job. The Wedding Planning process is now more time-consuming than ever before!
Whether it is a Wedding or a Special Event — a Planner can save you time spent on researching and planning. A Planner can also help you prioritize your vendors, get your budget in order, provide qualified vendor referrals, accompany you to vendor/site meetings and know what questions to ask, review contracts and negotiate on your behalf, and save you money! A good Planner also provides creative décor and design ideas. The final month before your event is crucial and a Planner will be there to dot every “i” and cross every “t” to make sure that you, your family, and friends enjoy a totally stress-free day!
My venue already provides a Catering Manager / Venue Manager.
Why do I need to hire a Planner & Coordinator?
Typically, Catering Managers and Venue Managers at hotels or venues have the job of overseeing event details that are directly related to the venue and food/beverage. They are in charge of fulfilling contractual obligations to the venue, and are often not there for the duration of your event due to other commitments around the property. It is not in their job description to confirm your vendors, run your rehearsals, oversee the vendors on your Special Day, cue you down the aisle at your Ceremony, and make sure all of the Day’s events are running according to schedule.
As professional Coordinators, we are your biggest advocate and you are our first priority. We work with Catering and Venue managers to ensure smooth execution of your event. Our services supplement the services offered by your Catering Manager, Banquet Manager & Staff, and other vendors!
A Wedding / Event Planner is expensive; can’t my friends or family help out?
In our (humble) opinion, hiring a Planner is one of the most important decisions you will make in the Wedding and Event Planning process!
A Planner is an investment in making sure your Event or Wedding Day is beautiful and flawless - while also relieving you and your family of the stress and duties that come with planning an event. Just like you, your friends & family want to enjoy the day and celebrate with you, rather than working your event for you! :)
How early should I start hunting for a Wedding Planner?
Anywhere from 9-12 months prior to the Wedding date and 3-4 months prior to the Special Event date is a good time to start the hunt. According to an old Chinese proverb and subsequently, the best financial advice ever: “The best time to start was yesterday, the second best time is today.”
However, it is never too late to sign one on!
Like we mentioned earlier, a Planner / Coordinator is an investment in your future Event or Wedding Day. It is always better to have an advocate on your side sooner rather than later.
Additionally, we would not want you to wait until the last minute and feel overwhelmed! Hiring your Coordinator right away, even for the “Partial Planning Package”, ensures that we are available for your date. Oftentimes, dates get booked up more than a year in advance!
QUESTIONS FOR MADE BY CONNIE DESIGNS:
Are you a registered business?
How long have you been in business?
Do you have liability insurance?
Yes! We are a registered business within the city of San Jose - which means we pay our taxes ;)
We have been around since 2016!
Yes, we have liability insurance coverage and are happy to provide this, should your venue or vendors require.
What precautions (if any) are you implementing for COVID safety?
Love is not canceled! Out of the protection and safety for our families and your family & guests, here are the precautions we will be taking:
Our team is fully vaccinated and boosted
Wearing a face mask at all times
Disinfecting our hands before and after setting up Wedding and Event materials
Social distancing at all times
Yes, we can! In fact, about half of our clients do not live in Bay Area – they live all over the country. We are very comfortable with out-of-city/state/country clients and communicating via phone, e-mail, FaceTime, and/or Google.
I am planning a wedding in the Bay Area, but I (and/or my fiance) live in another city/state/country, can you still help me?
How many weddings and events do you do a year?
By choice, we take on a limited number of clients a year – this includes a combination of Full Service, Month-Of, and Custom Event Coordination clients.
This often results to no more than 2 or 3 events a month. We are firm believers in not over-committing ourselves and manage our workloads in such a way that our clients get the quality time and 100% of our attention that they deserve!
Do you offer additional services other than Planning & Coordination?
Yes we do! Please check out our Portfolio dropdown menu for more details.
Unfortunately, “Day-of” service is a misnomer!
There is no such thing as “Day-of”. A Coordinator cannot just show up to your Wedding or Event Day without any context into the planning that’s already been done. Too many things can go wrong!
Your Event Planner should still meet with you many times prior to the actual day to gather information and details. This allows us to truly be the point person for you, ensuring that everything goes smoothly as well as be able to properly execute your vision and run a successful event.
As such, for Weddings & Events — we offer a “Partial Planning Package” because we meet with our clients ~3 months prior. We are able to really get to know our clients’ personalities (likes and dislikes, what makes them excited, what to watch out for, etc.), gather all of their information & details for the big day, plan out all logistics, flag and/or call out potential risks, confirm times with all vendors, and create a timelines and layouts. We are always available for you and provide constant communication with unlimited meetings during this time.
You might have done a chunk of the planning yourself, but you would be surprised how many things come up within the last few months of Wedding and Event planning! This is where we would come in and help you get organized for everything!
Why don’t you have a “Day-Of” Only Package?
There are so many great Wedding Planners & Coordinators out there! I’m so blessed to have worked alongside and befriended a few of them over the last few years, and I trust these gals with my own events!
As a prospective Client, you should definitely look for someone who has experience and highly attentive to detail. All the operational and tactical things aside, what I believe is most important in your Planner is personality. Find someone that you trust (or will come to trust in the coming months of working together!) and jive well with. Consider how you found this person - does their portfolio reveal real Wedding and Event experience? Does this person not only have all the specifics, but also knows your goals, desires, and needs for your Wedding or Special Event? Do you trust that this person not only understands you, but also has your back? When push comes to shove, will this person go out of his or her way to protect your Special Day? Do you like this person? Does this person communicate clearly and humbly?
At the end of the day — your Wedding & Event Planner will likely be your closest vendor, ally, and (hopefully) friend! Whether or not you end up signing on with us, we hope that you end up finding someone who not only can execute beautifully on your special day, but is also your biggest advocate! That is our greatest wish for you!
