Are you shopping around for a wedding planner? You have your work cut out for you. Wedding planners are known for organization and efficiency. It will be hard to identify what particularly special trait will make a planner just the right person to organize your wedding. The best way for you to see which of your prospects is the most suitable is by studying their portfolio.

Checking out a Planner’s Portfolio

A wedding planner’s portfolio is her great tool for showcasing what she has to offer. As a potential client, you should ideally know what you want so that you can recognize it when you see it.

Looking at a portfolio, what are you supposed to seek out and study?

1.Past Events

You can get a good idea just how good a planner’s taste is and how talented she is from pictures of her past work. You’ll be able to gauge just how much experience she has and how much she has improved through the years. Her expertise will shine in her gallery of pictures.

Look out for variety. If the pictures don’t show this, the implication is that the planner ends up insinuating her own preference into the events she works on. On the other hand, if that particular style cottons to you, then it works well for both yourself and the planner.

2.  Samples

It shows a great deal of insight for a planner to include samples of timeline, expenses, and event designs.

·         Timeline

Oftentimes, the client doesn’t really know what to expect. By providing a sample timeline, the planner is helping you understand what kind of work goes into planning, preparing, and executing a wedding event. This is especially useful since expectations are usually a far cry from reality.

Usually vis-à-vis with the sample timeline is a list of services. You can mentally compare and contrast one list with another you’ve already seen. It’s nice to spot some extras, but you also have to regard them with your specific needs in mind.

·         Expenses

Seeing different sets of expenses, depending on the scale of the wedding, shows how versatile and resourceful the planner is. Different cost estimations demonstrate a willingness to accommodate you no matter how simple or grand you want your wedding to be.

·         Designs

Sample design boards will give you further insight on how versatile a planner is and how flawless her taste really is, no matter how wide-ranging the different styles featured may be. You don’t want a one-trick pony with design boards very similar to each other.

3. Catalog of Rental Services

You want a well-connected planner with a broad network of related services. Her portfolio should show every possible contact that could provide whatever your wedding might need, from photographers and makeup artists to tuxedo rentals and florists.

4.  References

Make sure to check out reviews and testimonials that previous clients provided. If contact information is furnished, you might want to note them down so you can call and ask your own specific questions.

5. Recognition and Accolades

A planner’s portfolio should detail her certificates and other professional designations. It should include her affiliations, indicating that she’s a member of the recognized governing bodies of her profession. Definitely, she should include any press or awards she has gotten to help you better see her mettle.

6.Contract Template

It’s a good idea to go over what’s involved in agreeing to hire your prospective planner. Most contracts are pretty standard, so watch out for the terms and conditions that you are most concerned with.

Making an Informed Decision

Your choice of a wedding planner can spell the difference between realizing your dream day and being underwhelmed or even downright disappointed. There’s no way to guarantee your full satisfaction, but by closely studying planner portfolios, you can work out the odds so you end up making a very informed decision.

AUTHOR BIO

Masha Cain is a founder and a managing director of Fabulous Day Weddings & Events. Masha’s idea of having a wedding planning agency came from having a wedding planner at her own wedding. Now, 5 years later, there are over 100 successful weddings designed and planned by Masha and her team.