The Wedding Planner

Considering that the average wedding takes between 200 and 300 hours to plan its no surprise that brides are using the services of Wedding Coordinators more and more these days. When it comes to Destination Weddings the services of a local expert can save you countless wasted hours and dollars as well as acting as your eyes, ears and go between on the day.

But when it comes to hiring the services of Wedding Coordinators, what exactly are you letting yourself in for? is it truly possible to trust the services of a third party when it comes to the detailed planning of the most important day of your life? And what are the loop holes and problems that folks experience? We are here to forewarn you of the problems whilst also helping you to make the most of your wedding planner and to enjoy the experience from the start.
Word of Mouth

Once your chosen your island destination to get married, join local wedding message boards to find out which planners have a good reputation. Word of mouth is the only recommendation when it comes to �real� details.
Talk to prospective planners on the phone

Email is great, its inexpensive and it allows you to ask all sorts of questions that you might feel awkward asking in person, however, there is nothing like face to face contact, or voice interaction to get a feel for a person and to gauge wether you will be able to work together. We advise that you call your shortlist of wedding planners and feel out the best.
Be specific about pricing and choices

Once you�ve shortlisted your choices, be specific about what you want for your wedding and get written quotes. Even though these might be ball park figures at this stage it will help you to analyze the virtues of each planner before making a final decision
Get written contracts

So you�ve now chosen the wedding planner you want to work with...make sure you nail down the contract and leave nothing open to speculation. if there is a cake included in your package, how big is the cake, how many guests will it feed, what is the frosting...these are the types of details that you need to iron out from the start.
Fees

Coordinators usually charge one of three ways:

* by the hour - $50 and up
* by a percentage of total wedding costs - 10 - 15% of overall wedding budget
* by a flat fee - ie. $1500 plus 15% of vendor services
* by fee based upon number of guests
* by fee based upon package or work required

Check on the planners relationship with vendors

Some wedding planners get kick back commissions from vendors on services they sign up, this can sway their advice on the use of vendors in certain categories and you might not be getting what YOU want, but what the planner is getting the best deal for themselves on.
How long will the planner be available on the day?

You need to know if your planner will be there to coordinate photographs, cake cutting, the first dances etc. If he/she will only be around on your day for a specific amount of time, specify when and to.
Make sure you have undivided attention

The only way to do this is to ensure that your planner has only ONE booking on the day of your wedding.
Have a back up plan

Ask your coordinator what happens in the event that he/she is sick on your wedding day?
Hire an �internet friendly� coordinator

Plan to stay in touch with your coordinator via email and check that they are computer literate, check emails daily. Some Caribbean countries are internet challenged and it would be good to discuss this at the outset so as not to get frustrated between emails.