Expert Advice From Mennat Al Hammami: How To Choose A Wedding Planner You Can Trust
Written by on June 3, 2017.
Tagged under: Cloud 9 Weddings & Events, Wedding Planners: The Professionals vs the Amateurs, Wedding planning advice
How To Choose A Wedding Planner You Can Trust
This month, our expert panel member and Founder of Cloud 9 Weddings & Events, Mennat Al Hammami, offers her advice to our readers who may be in the process of searching for a wedding planner. As with many industries, standards of wedding planner vary considerably across the UAE, and it is important for your stress levels and your finances, that you choose carefully.
Below, Mennat explains how to choose a planner who you can trust to help create the perfect wedding day. Enjoy!
At first sight, the title of this month’s feature can come across, to some, as immodest. However, it is truly an attempt at elaborating on the practice, and what it takes to do it successfully. After all, weddings are significant events in couples’ lives and it’s a planner’s job to ensure that their weddings are well-organised and flawless, to say the least. Many planners claim the title yet end up upsetting the couple. So what makes a wedding professional professional?
Step one. As a couple on the hunt for a planner, there is a range of experts who fall under the title in the UAE. Please know that they each have different skill sets and backgrounds. For instance, not all planners offer design services, and not all planners handle logistics. Some are more vision oriented, while others specialise in scheduling and production. Please ask about the type of services they offer to make sure you’re going to receive all the support you’re expecting. If the role of the person you are speaking to cannot be clearly outlined, then you are off to a bad start. Clarity and transparency will help you determine in the early stages whether you are dealing with a professional in their line of work.
Aside from gaining official expertise and know-how of the industry, practical experience really is key. The knowledge a planner gains when working on real weddings is immeasurable. Working with real brides, coordinating vendors, and keeping the paperwork in order and maintaining other clients, cannot be taught in any course material. Moreover, having a list of previous clients’ testimonials and positive feedback about their weddings goes a long way. This is not to say that your planner has to share a certification, but just to pinpoint that experience should be held in high regard.
Wedding boards and associations exist partially to determine and promote the work of industry professionals who are committed to conducting good service. If your planner is part of a board or network, such as Bride Club, you can rest assured that this conveys a commitment to what is known as ‘a code of conduct’, designed to set and maintain the highest of standards in the industry. Your planner will not be likely to breach a contract, hide information or suddenly not return your calls. They will probably even have positive feedback from vendors and couples they have worked with in the past.
Wouldn’t you feel like you can trust your planner a lot more if you read about ten satisfied couples under their portfolio? Not to mention a full-time event planner who has dealt with many of the local vendors and will more than likely have a preferred network of top quality vendors?
What makes a good planner above everything else is their ability to show you the value of their expertise and service. Through good use of communication and organization skills, a professional will easily portray confidence and good intuition in decision-making, allowing you to trust them. They exude a passion for serving your needs and producing the best wedding.
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