More Unexpected Things A Planner Can Do For You

Having happy wedding guests starts with good communication. Photo by Becca Heuer Photography.

I always say that the things a planner can do for you are not limited to the ones you think of readily.  Yes, sure, I can recommend excellent caterers and steer you clear of all sorts of pitfalls.  Yes, I can likely save you money and time.  But it’s the unexpected things I can do that are (in my opinion) my real value (See this post and this one for some of my previous thoughts on this subject.)

And I would say that one of the most valuable things I bring to the table is my ability to improve communications.  I’ll give you a few examples.

A couple I was working with were interested in seeing a particular venue.  Since I was doing only partial planning for them, it was their responsibility to contact the venue to arrange for a tour.  They emailed the venue but never heard back.  I was able to reach my contact at the venue and make an introduction after it became clear that the original message had gotten lost in transit.

Another time, a photographer I had recommended missed a message that had come in on a busy weekend and didn’t know that a couple was interested in hiring him.  After a quick message from me, he noticed the missing message and was able to get back to them.

And, of course, a lot of what I do is to facilitate communication among the various vendors on any project.  Since we all have to work together–and our work is all dependent on one another–much of my planning time is spent making sure that the caterer, the DJ, and the photographer all agree on the timeline for the event.  I also facilitate communication among the caterer, the bakery, and the beverage supplier.  And between the venue and the florist–and so many other things.

In many ways, the job of the planner is all about communication.  Everyone needs to know what is going on, and someone has to make sure that they do.  This isn’t something you’ll ever see, but it is one of the most important parts of planning any event.  And it’s something a good planner can make sure always happens so that your wedding or other event goes off as planned.