Consider wedding planner also

If you believe weddings are fun, you probably haven’t had a hand in planning it. A wedding can be a logistic nightmare; between setting a budget, sticking to it, arranging for the venue, and catering, guests’ accommodation and gifts, it’s not surprising that the ceremony is marked more with stress than merriment.

If, however, you are willing to shed tradition-worn inhibitions and a bit of moolah, you can be a part of the wedding as you are meant to—shorn of worries. How? Simply outsource the arrangements to a wedding planner.

“He can deal with the planning and execution so that the family members can enjoy the experience instead of being preoccupied with the ceremonies,” says Farida Venkateshwara, who runs Amante Wedding Planner in Mumbai. Adds Anita Singh, another Delhi-based wedding planner: “A wedding is now an expression of a person’s wealth and social standing. This is why people don’t hesitate to spend.”

It’s also the reason wedding planners are making a beeline to get a share of the

marriage mart pie, which, according to some estimates, is worth a humungous Rs 1,90,000 crore to Rs 2,25,000 crore. Here’s all that you need to know about wedding planners:

How to hire a wedding planner:

The directory and online research will help you find a host of planners in your city, but according to experts, the best way to choose one is on the recommendation of friends or relatives. Once you have prepared a shortlist, go through the DVDs, CDs and photographs of the previous functions organised by the planners. What can really help is attending some ceremonies arranged by the planner.

A quick 15-20 minute check about how things are being coordinated backstage will help you know how smoothly the wedding planner can organise work.

What it can cost you:

The planners usually charge 15-20% of the total wedding budget as management fee. If you approach a wedding consultant who has recently set up his business, you may need to pay only 10%. However, if you have finalised the dates late, you may have to pay more.

The logic is that the closer you are to the wedding date, the greater the rush, and hence, higher the charges. Ideally, you should hire a wedding manager two months before the event. If you are still scouting for locations, hiring a planner even five to six months in advance will be beneficial as they can also help with the selection of the venue.

Don’t worry if you have a tight budget. Scouting the market can give you many reasonable options because planners are also becoming a part of small-scale weddings. Lloyd Dsouza of Lloyd Creation, says, “People with budgets as low as Rs 3 lakh have been engaging planners, though the number of people invited to these weddings is usually as low as 50.”

Says Venkateshwara: “Hiring a planner graduates from being a luxury to a need when both the bride and the groom are working and are unable to take time out for making arrangements. People also consult planners in case of cross-culture marriages as they can make sure that the wedding has flavours of both cultures. For destination and theme weddings, a planner is virtually indispensable.”

Services offered:

Though the cost of hiring a planner may seem exorbitant, it is usually compensated by the number of services they offer. A planner can be your organiser, stylist, consultant, coordinator, manager, negotiator and mediator, all rolled into one.

As Nirav Parikh of The Wedding Story, a Mumbai-based wedding planning firm, says, “Our work spans across various verticals—operations, financials, management and logistics. A planner can take care of everything, from designing your invitation card to planning your honeymoon.”

Another important role played by a wedding manager is that of an accountant. In their enthusiasm to make it an affair to remember, most families forget to keep a tab on their spending. Planners not only take care of your finances but can also help keep a check on expenses. Says Mumbai-based Ekta Dalal, who hired a planner at her own wedding: “He offered us tempting options but once the budget was clearly defined, he adhered to it and also made sure that there was no spillover.”

Your wedding manager can also don the hat of a shopping guide. “A planner has better negotiating power as he knows the market well. He can guide you to products that offer value for money,” says Lloyd. Agrees Parikh: “A planner has a better rapport with vendors and can get deals at wholesale rates. He could also get some freebies along with the deal.”

However, before you approach a planner, list out your requirements and budget under different spending categories. So, even if the planner tempts you with luxurious options, you know when to say no. Don’t get carried away and exceed your budget.

A word of caution:

It’s likely that a planner may receive a commission for directing you to a particular shop. So, don’t trust him blindly. Do a quick survey of the rates for the services that the planner is offering you. This isn’t usually a problem as you’ll find everybody, and their aunties, willing to talk about how a wedding was planned and how much was spent. As Shan Khanna, event manager and wedding consultant, says, “Make sure that you are present during the negotiations with vendors and that all billings are done in front of you.”

Source: Economic Times