If you’re considering hiring a UK wedding planner to help plan the wedding of your dreams – where do you start? And how do you ensure you find the perfect fit for you? Here’s my top wedding planning advice on what to look for before you make this big decision!

Hiring a UK wedding planner.

First and foremost, (and yes, I know this one sounds obvious!) when meeting a potential wedding planning partner, do you LIKE them? After all, this person will be working very closely alongside you to plan the most important day of your life, so it’s essential that you can see yourselves getting along (and having fun!) throughout the planning process.

As a UK wedding planner, I work closely in partnership with my couples which means I’ll meet you regularly and be communicating at frequent intervals whilst I bring your wedding vision to life. I’ll be right there with you through the fun times and the not so fun times (family politics, seating plan hell etc – you get the drift!) and act as your trusted confidant for the duration.

So, from the first contact with the wedding planner, do they inspire trust and confidence that your big day is in safe hands, but also, that they have the capability to turn your dream into a reality?

Are they asking questions and do they seem enthusiastic about your ideas? As wedding planners, we’re just as enthusiastic about your wedding as you are and fully invest ourselves in delivering the best wedding ever for you!

What style of wedding does the wedding planner specialise in?

Ever heard the phrase “different horses, for different courses”? It’s no different for wedding planners – we all have our niche and speciality of the style of wedding that we plan.

At One Curious Dream, I specialise in planning beautifully relaxed, design-led, marquee/tipi, dry-hire and weekend weddings across the UK. I specialise in planning dry-hire weddings (where you get to choose all of your suppliers) or weddings on private estates/family land (for marquee weddings and tipi weddings) and don’t offer destination planning services overseas.

Similarly, lots of destination wedding planning professionals won’t have experience planning marquee/tipi, weekend or dry-hire weddings and will only work in more traditional wedding venues.

When hiring a wedding planner, do ensure that you take a good look at their wedding portfolio and don’t be afraid to ask them about the usual style of wedding that they plan.

Which UK wedding suppliers do they work with and how often are they working?

Again, a good, reputable wedding planner will have access to a whole range of brilliant wedding suppliers to help bring your vision to life. Take a look at their social media profiles so you can get a feel for the quality and type of supplier they usually work with – are they wedding companies that you could see yourselves choosing?

Whilst taking a look at their social media profiles, do check that they are busy and working with a range of couples. Also, be wary if their entire feed is full of styled shoots – styling scenes for a photo shoot is very different to running a wedding in the real world!

What do their reviews say? A decent wedding planner will be in demand as in the wedding industry, word of mouth and recommendations from previous couples will provide a planner with a steady source of couples to work with!

How much does a wedding planner cost?

Urgh! I know it might feel a bit uncomfortable BUT it’s so important to discuss not only fees but your budget at the earliest possible stage. With wedding planners, you really do get what you pay for.

We’ve all seen the adverts where people offer to plan your wedding for £1,000 or less – but ask yourself, does this offer a quality service with a day that’s so important and if something does go wrong, will this style of wedding planner even have insurance to cover them?

Always be open and honest about your budget from the outset. Not only will this help your wedding planner determine what they can do to help you with planning your wedding, but it will also enable them to immediately understand the wedding venues and suppliers that they can consider to deliver your day within your budget.

As an award-winning wedding planner, I plan amazing weddings across the UK. As a truly independent wedding planner, I am not tied to using particular venues or suppliers, which means you get to pick from the best of the best! I don’t accept commission or referral fees from wedding venues or suppliers either, so you can always be sure that my recommendations are made with your very best interests at heart.

If you’re thinking of hiring a wedding planner and would like to chat through the ideas and plans for your big day, why not get in touch to arrange a free, no-obligation consultation? I‘d love to hear from you!

You can reach me on 0800 772 0765 or [email protected] or book a wedding consultation here.