Have You Budgeted For Wedding Planners In San Francisco?

By James Schmidt


The cost of today's average marriage ceremony has gotten so high; you might think that the application of the word "budget" doesn't apply. Of course, you would be wrong. No matter the amount of money you are spending, you still need a budget. A budget isn't necessarily an attempt to incur less expenditure. It's a plan for where you'll spend the money you do spend, regardless of the amount. The most important part of your budget is wedding planners in San Francisco.

Do Marriage ceremony Planners Cost or Save? Of course, professional marriage ceremony planners have to be paid, so in that way they obviously cost you. However, an argument can be made (and is made, both by marriage ceremony planners themselves and by brides who've been happy with their professional planners) that having a professional wedding planner can save you money in other areas.

A full-service planner can actually assist the bride from literally the beginning to the end of her planning. From the moment the groom pops the question the bride comes into the planner's office to begin the journey. This bride is often new to the area, gets overwhelmed quickly, doesn't like to make decisions, or is very busy in her career or education.

The main responsibilities of a full-service planner include: Finding reception/ceremony location, Setting budget (and adhering to it throughout the planning process), Booking vendors (videographer, photographer, florist, entertainment), Creating personal decor style for bride/groom, Negotiating pricing for all vendors involved, Attending all meetings, Creating vendor timeline/bridal party timeline and Orchestrating the rehearsal and wedding day.

Do they have a variety of ways to plan, such as full-service (best for most brides), a weekend off and hourly? Are they reachable during most business hours and some after hours? Don't abuse it and call at 3 am in a panic but expect that they will get back to you promptly when you have burning issues. Planners live on their smartphones, so text and email as well. They are super organized!

The question for you to answer is whether you have more time or more money to invest in your marriage ceremony. Only you can answer that. Marriage ceremony planners can charge you in any of three ways: An hourly charge, a percentage of the total cost of your marriage ceremony, A flat fee per specific services. Although it's the least common, look for vendors who use a flat fee for certain services. The problem with the percentage charge is that it creates an incredible conflict of interest for the planner.

In essence, the more your marriage ceremony costs you, the more the planner gets paid. That's the opposite of how it should work, in my opinion! Most organizers are ethical, and they operate based on recommendations, so they are unlikely to exaggerate your expenses just to increase their margin, but at some degree of consciousness, it is just not encouraging them to watch every penny in the way that you, personally, would like.

Negotiate with a wedding organizer just as you would with any other vendor. Remember that you're hiring them. They are your hired help. If you don't like their terms, you can find a different marriage ceremony planner to contract with. You're the one holding all the cards. Play them.




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