Congratulations on your engagement! We are so happy to hear that you found your forever and are ready to embark in the wedding planning process. Although you may be more than capable of planning your own wedding, a great way to remain as stress-free as possible in the months leading up to your special day is to hire a wedding planner. But wait–what is a wedding planner? A wedding planner is someone who has been hired by a couple to aid in the design, management, and execution of their wedding day! While the motive to hire a wedding planner varies by couple, the entirety of their role can be defined by two words–stress alleviation.
A big question that we hear in the industry is, “Do I need to hire a wedding planner?” As much as we would love to lie to you and profit off of planning your wedding, the answer is no! You do not need to hire a wedding planner to have a successful wedding, however, almost every hit of a wedding day has been curated by one. Hiring a planner can be thought of as an investment to your future self, rather than another one of those pesky wedding-day costs. If you’re simply too busy or don’t wish to orchestrate the many facets of your day, then hiring a wedding coordinator may be in your best interest! Just check out our reviews, they speak for themselves Posh Planning & Event Co. Reviews.
What does a wedding planner even do? While the tasks associated with the title of, “wedding planner,” may seem easy-peasy, the list is more complicated than you’d imagine. However, the hidden truth to the job at hand depends on your package selection. We offer three different packages at Posh Planning & Event Co. with customizable options to set the needs of any wedding venture. Between Wedding Management, Partial Planning, and Full Planning, we dedicate ourselves to help eliminate any of those wedding scaries. If you would like to learn more about the variety of our services, you should visit our wedding and event planning packages page.
Wedding Budget Analysis
Ah, the root behind making your wedding happen–your budget. Trust us, we’ve seen it all. From couples who are willing to spend a pretty penny to those who wish to have a more simple wedding. Regardless of where you fall on the scale, your wedding planner should be able to aid in the execution of affording your dream wedding. Some major things to consider when idealizing your special day include venue, vendors, decor, attire, and travel. Your venue and vendors will inevitably make up the majority of your wedding day costs, as it is the place where the whole day is held and includes the cost of those who will make it happen for you! If you find yourself a bit overstretched within your budget, we are more than happy to help you correct it. For example, if you are $3,000 over your budget but are unsure of how to mediate this struggle, we will work with you to help contain any unnecessary expenses. However, the goal is to stay within the boundary that you have preset. With our budget tracking software and solid communication, we should be able to narrow down every cost contributed to your wedding day. We will even develop an online, editable spreadsheet that clearly distinguishes all of your expenses, payments, and future due dates, just for your reference. The best part is that you can even elect for digital reminders, so that when you have an upcoming payment due, it will notify you! A lot of the time, our couples will ask for us to provide them with a general estimate of what the total average cost of a Lake Havasu wedding is. To be honest with you, the number does fluctuate depending on your guest count, when and where you are to be wed, and what you decide to include as part of your wedding budget. If you are looking for a general idea of how much your wedding will cost at our wedding venue on Lake Havasu, definitely check out our blog, “Average Cost of a Havasu Springs Resort Wedding.”
Remaining in Contact
Communication is the key to any successful venture! The same goes for wedding planning. From the beginning details of design, to vendor selection, and execution on the day-of, we remain in constant communication with our couples. This level of correspondence ensures that you receive the wedding you’ve always envisioned. Available via phone or email, your wedding planner should be able to answer any questions or concerns you may have. Between the several meetings to be held, countless emails, and varied phone calls, we hope to do our best to limit any stress that our couples may have surrounding their wedding day. It is also beneficial to keep in touch with your wedding planning team about any changes surrounding your wedding. Honesty and transparency is always necessary when pursuing the planning process. Do you want to change your color palette? That’s perfectly fine! Did you have a family emergency and now you need to change the wedding date? Okay, let’s figure it out. Keeping a nice base of contact will only benefit your wedding planning journey and will ultimately result in the beautiful wedding you deserve!
Your Design Board
You’ve spent your entire life envisioning everything that you’ve wanted for your dream wedding, but it's always useful to have a visual guide. Although we wish that every great idea were an original one, oftentimes, wedding trends rely on inspiration from other successful events! The best way to visualize what you are thinking for your wedding is a design board. A design board is simply a collage of inspiration images that can help you brainstorm what you’re thinking for design. Through exploration of websites like Pinterest or Instagram, you can begin to get an idea of what your wedding style is and what you may not like. Maintaining openness and honesty with your wedding planner about what you envision for wedding decor, bridesmaid and groomsmen attire, tablescapes, or a seating chart will help them better understand what you want for your wedding! The design board can be used as a visual guide and reminder of the vibe that you would like your wedding to encompass. However, nothing is ever final in the planning process and anything can be changed at your request!
Attire Selection
Yay! You’ve selected your colors and have a general idea of the style you would like to pursue. If you’re having a hard time deciding on what your bridal party should wear, then we would love to help! Attire is a major part of your wedding because if you look your best, then you feel your best. Achieving a look that is coherent with the design of your wedding is crucial, but the journey in doing so may be a little difficult. When meeting with our couples who haven’t considered attire, we like to evaluate the colors and textures incorporated into the design of the reception. Comfortability should also be a consideration, as fabrics that constrict heat can be rather unfavorable in warmer weather. With your style and wedding date in mind, we’d certainly help find the perfect fits for your bridal party.
Scheduling Your Special Day
I don’t want to say this, but it's the truth. The easiest way to ensure you’ll have a good wedding day is to create a good timeline. What is a wedding timeline? A wedding timeline is a detailed agenda, curated with the intention of organizing the day’s events. To guarantee that your special day operates in a timely and accurate manner, our venue at Havasu Springs Resort requires that all couples provide a timeline at least one week prior to saying, “I do!” A timeline serves as a backing to the wedding planner’s role on the day-of, as it is noted where everybody is supposed to be and when they need to be there! If you choose to hire a wedding planner for your special day, then it is common practice for them to construct a detailed timeline unique to your bridal party and wishes for the day-of! It can be a bit tricky to master a cohesive yet direct timeline of a wedding day, especially if you’re unfamiliar with customary wedding day events. If you find yourself needing help in constructing your timeline, you should definitely check out Havasu Springs Resort’s blog, “How to Create a Wedding Timeline” !
Wedding Music Selection
Although it should go without saying, music can make or break the vibes of your wedding. The last thing you want is to be on the dance floor, dancing to some modern hip-hop and then the DJ decides to “switch things up” with heavy rock. While your DJ should be more than happy to provide you with music suggestions, there’s always the possibility for disconnect or disagreement. If you find yourself in the predicament of song selection, your wedding planner should be more than happy to help. Although we can’t pick your wedding day songs for you, we have a designated song list with all of the classic wedding bops for our couples who find themselves in this bind!
Perfecting Your Reception
Nobody ever says it, but we’re all thinking it–the best part of a wedding is hands-down the reception! What’s better than celebrating two of your favorite newlyweds?! As a wedding planner, this is definitely where we get to work our magic! In the beginning of the design process, we consider color palettes and textures that we want incorporated throughout the space. Wedding planners will then prompt you to consider what table shape you prefer, the color of the linens, type of napkins, and whether you wish to have chargers or table runners. Together, we then can ponder creative displays for your seating chart, dessert display, or whether you’d like to customize a lounge. Here at Posh Planning & Event Co., we even provide you with a labeled and drawn nearly to scale floor plan! In providing our couples with a visual representation of their reception space, they can start to get an idea of what they’re wedding will look like! At The Harbor Room inside Havasu Springs Resort, we have direct access to the reception hall and can explore whatever creative avenues that peak your interest.
During the early week of your wedding, the setup and execution of what we had discussed in previous meetings will finally become a reality. The day before the wedding, we welcome our couples to deliver any decor that they’ve brought with them to the reception hall. In which, we as the wedding planners can begin set-up of the decor! Meanwhile, our couples can enjoy some time with their family and friends and get rid of those pre-wedding jitters. By the end of the day and before your wedding rehearsal, we have 90% of the reception set up and ready to go!
On the day of your wedding, we spend a majority of our morning ensuring that the venue is perfect. From straightening silverware, to confirming that all of our displays are accurately positioned, we devote ourselves to the little details that surely elevate your reception. Who doesn’t love a rooftop view of infinite water coupled with a classy reception space?
At the end of the night when the party begins to settle and a majority of your people have made their way home for the evening, you’ll still be soaking in the magic of your wedding day. As a part of our wedding planning services, we will happily pack any decorations that you have brought to decorate your reception. With discretion and speed in mind, we quickly and quietly box up your signage, guest book, extra favors, and any other decor that you may have brought for your wedding! We’ve come to the realization that a majority of our couples prefer not to be responsible for their belongings at the end of the night and we do not blame them! After what may literally be one of the longest and most exciting days of your life, would you really want to load up your vehicle with boxes of decor? To avoid this stress, we are always sure to ask who is a good point person to haul out anything brought in. In doing so, you will be able to enjoy the final minutes of your wedding day with your lifelong partner, without the hassle of cleaning up!
Ceremony Rehearsal
Ceremony rehearsal is the perfect time to ask questions and practice your stride down the aisle. Worried about the order you’ll walk in? Don’t sweat it. This is when you will want to iron out all of those pesky details. However, it is always preferred that you prepare your ceremony notes before rehearsal. Your notes should include the order in which your bridal party will walk during the ceremony, any special events that you would like to take place, and any particular traditions you wish to honor. As the wedding planners, we will be there to ensure that everything looks natural and operates without a hiccup. At your ceremony rehearsal, we will direct and orchestrate the way in which everyone should be posed, where they should be standing, and what should be said. At this time we will even offer some tips and tricks of the trade, because let's be honest, we’ve seen hundreds of weddings.
Vendor Management
Cheers to those who will make your wedding happen–vendors! A part of the wedding planners duties entail aid in the selection of the perfect vendors to complete your vision. Our preferred vendors list helps eliminate the potential of wasted time in evaluating credibility and experience of local vendors. Additionally, your wedding planner will help with any correspondence or meetings with your vendors, to ensure that everybody is on the same page!
When it comes to vendor management, the real action occurs on the day-of your wedding! Wedding days have a gnarly habit of becoming chaotic due to the intersection of responsibilities between vendors. That’s where wedding planners come in handy! With the help of a trusty timeline, your wedding planner can help keep your vendors on schedule and on task. For example, your time for photos will be kind of limited and we want to ensure that you receive every photo you desire on the day-of. In this case, we help direct photographers through encouraging them to get a variety of photos in a variety of locations. We also aid photographers in guiding your friends and family in and out of images. As the wedding planner, we serve almost as an alarm clock to guarantee the entire operation is conducted on time, per the timeline. This helps maximize your wedding day through prioritizing time and intentions.
Distribution of Final Payments & Gratuities
As wedding planners, it is our job to ensure that your day is as stress-free as possible and that you are able to spend as much time with family or friends that you can. As a team, we will manage your budget and keep track of all payments, however, most vendors do require final payment in the days leading up to the event or even on the day of. As it is your wedding day and our job is to limit any stress that may cross your path, we are more than happy to distribute any remaining payments that you have for your vendors. Although you are never required to tip your vendors, it is a great way to show your appreciation and satisfaction with the services provided. If you have any gratuities that you wish to be given to your vendors, it is normal practice to entrust your wedding planner with distributing them. When preparing your tips, it is always good to make sure they are in a sealed envelope and labeled with the recipient's name. This ensures that there’s no confusion on the night of and allows for you to party with your friends carefree!
Final Thoughts
Trust us, we know that planning a wedding can be overwhelming and definitely understand the stress that comes with it. Consider hiring us as an investment and gift to yourself! While we’ve done our best to deliver a generalized structure of the responsibilities wedding planners tackle, there is always more that’s unsaid! If you find yourself debating whether or not to hire some help, feel free to reach out for a free consultation. We would love to help you make your Lake Havasu wedding dreams a reality!
XOXO
Posh Planning & Event Co.
