Top Five Questions You Should Ask When Choosing A Bridal Consultant
Top Five Questions You Should Ask When Choosing a Bridal Consultant
Your bridal consultant should be your best benefit and asset in planning a stress free wedding. All the details that you may not be aware of, or have time to deal with, this person will help you with. If you are dealing with family trying to change and request things, your consultant will be the one to handle them to keep them off your back. You can have the wedding of your dreams, but not have to deal with half the hassle of all the small tedious details. A bridal consultant is also very handy for planning out of town weddings or coordinating where out of town guests can stay for a good cost. They do all the legwork and set up all the venues so all you have to do is show up and look great. They are there to help save you money and cut your cost, not add to them. This person should listen to what you like and be your advocate.
There are a few things you will want to know about this person before putting your big day in their hands. You need to know if you can work with this person and if they are willing to only listen to what you want. This person should give you advice on where and how to save money but not pressure you in anyway to a particular style. Here are a few things you should ask your prospective consultant before you hire them.
Will the consultant commit to your budget and not push you in the direction of things you simply can't afford? Your consultant should be able to name a few of the best and original places in your area that are within your budget and wedding type. He or she should know the best florists, photographers, caterers, bands, and DJs in your price range off the top of his or her head. This will give you the confidence that this person has experience and you can trust them to know what to do. He or she should be able to tell you some things about themselves that would make you want them over anyone else for the job. They should be knowledgeable and passionate about what you want and making your day special.
Can the consultant score you some discounts with any vendors? He or she should know which vendors will give them the best prices and throw in freebies. They work with these vendors all the time. Make sure making the contract is on their to-do-list. You should have to be there to sign for every little thing, that is this person's job. This consultant should be a willing advocate to tell vendors what you want and how much you are willing to spend, so you don't have to deal with it. Make sure they know the common traps and how to avoid them. The whole point of hiring this person is to make your life easier.
Can the consultant create a timeline that tells everyone involved in the planning process, vendors, members of the wedding party, bride/groom, and families, what to do and when to do it? Have them deal with all the invitations and planning of who sits where and how. Provide any details necessary but this person should be able to coordinate what is supposed to happen. They can have direct contact with people in your wedding party to plan when they will be trying on their attire and all those details. This will help you stay stress free and know when to show up places when need be.
Will the consultant coordinate delivery, arrival, and setup times with photographer, florist, musicians, caterer/banquet manager, and anyone else? This person is being hired to take care of those small details so you do not have to worry. No one wants to be wondering on their wedding day if the photographer is going to show and when or did the food get delivered on time. You should be able to just show up and have it all there waiting for you as planned and envisioned. He or she needs to be willing to deal with major details and when people or things need to be at a certain place.
For the day of the wedding, will the consultant be willing to oversee the entire event by supervising vendors, troubleshooting emergencies, and soothing nerves? This person needs to be willing to go above and beyond the call of duty. This will help keep everyone calm and if something arises he or she will be there with a back up plan to fix it quick and quiet. This should not be something for the bride and groom to have to deal with.
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