How to choose a wedding planner who would be a good fit for you? I get asked the question a lot. Finding the right person for your wedding, someone professional, who can provide the best service for your unique needs, reassure you, and also be a great fit for you personally is not easy. 

When I put myself in your shoes and imagine having to trust someone I never met, who is miles away, in a foreign country, I see how overwhelming it might feel. This is why I wanted to share my insight and knowledge with you, so you can find a wedding planner and/or wedding designer who could be the best fit for your priorities, needs, and expectations. 

Check the reviews (and the actual weddings!)

When you see those dozens of visually appealing websites with excellent photos, it is easy to feel overwhelmed. How do you choose the right wedding planner for one of the most important events of your life? First of all, check if those photos come from real weddings!

A well-hidden secret in the wedding industry is that some of those amazing portfolio pictures can come from photoshoots. Wedding professionals organize them to update their profiles with new photos, to try to appeal to their ideal clients, to help couples find their inspiration, or to teach aspiring wedding photographers or videographers. 

How can you tell if the wedding is real? From the reviews. Check them on Facebook or Google. The actual reviews from happy brides are not a dry “very professional wedding planner” phrase but enthusiastic, detailed stories that tell how that precise professional solved the problems they faced during the path, how she reassured the couple and helped them make their special day carefree and truly unique. Trust me, you’ll be able to tell the difference as you read them.

Ask the wedding planner if you can contact other brides. An experienced one has a list of happy couples who authorize others to contact them because they want to spread a word of how amazing their wedding was. Why wouldn’t you want to share with the world something that made you so happy?

Define your priorities (and let the wedding planner know them!)

When it comes to organizing a destination wedding in Italy, you might want to focus on different priorities and your choice of the wedding planner will depend on them. The most important ones usually are:

Budget 

When you have to prioritize the budget, the personal relationship with the wedding planner doesn’t matter that much. Consider the value for money though and compare different offers. Ask the planner if she is new to the business or if she offers a limited list of services for this price. 

If you just want things to be done, this could be the right option for you. Saving money might have some downsides, like less experience or less personalized service, but if this is what makes the difference, you will find the right wedding organizer for you! 

Easy process

If you feel like you need personalization, reassurance, and a more boutique, luxury service, you should say so to the wedding planner and see if you are a fit. Ask for a video call and try your best to discover who is behind that screen.

Will the wedding planner take care of all the procedures? Do you like this person? You will have to spend time with her in the next year or two. Does she inspire trust? Is it someone you feel you’d like to befriend? If the answer is yes, this is your person.

Important note: check if this wedding planner has worked with people from your country before or if she is aware of the cultural differences. They matter a lot and a good wedding planner will always take them into consideration.

Experience

You are the kind of person who needs to have everything under control? You usually worry a lot before dinner at your place or birthday party, let alone this kind of once-in-a-lifetime event? You might want to prioritize experience. 

Professional wedding planners are people who have studied a lot to have those skills, but the mastery is sharpened by a trial and error process and your mental sanity can’t afford any slightest mistake! Choose someone who is in the business for a decade or more, to be sure your wedding will go smoothly with a perfect outcome. In this case, the service might be more expensive but you choose the know-how and, trust me, it pays.

Service 

Whatever your priorities are, there are some questions about the service you have to ask. How many weddings a year does the wedding planner do? Does she do packages? Here in Italy we usually do a full service, where we do take care of everything, but this might not be what you have in mind. 

Connect with your wedding planner and let the heart choose

The main advice I can give is to listen to your heart! Be sure you find someone who makes you want to say “yes”, just like your dress and the amazing person you are about to marry!

 Of course, don’t send any deposit before you sign a contract and make sure the wedding planner is a real professional. 

Did you find the wedding planner who made you say “she’s the one” yet? Contact me and let’s get to know each other to see if we are a good fit!