Monday Morning Thoughts: Sometimes What is Cheap is Expensive

"Cheap is expensive in the long run. Why buy twice when you can buy once? Commit to quality and it commits to you." - C&D’s Manifesto of Style

Every now and then, I hear stories about planners receiving panic phone calls from brides because the bride's current planner just isn’t up to par.

You see, the planner the bride initially hired was a lot less expensive than the planner the bride called in a panic.  She figured she could go with a less expensive planner and have extra money for the other wedding items she wanted to purchase.

Unfortunately, she ended up severing her agreement with the initial planner and starting an agreement with the new planner less than two months prior to her wedding.

As a result, she spent almost twice the amount planned because she paid for the services of a wedding planner twice.  In other words, this young lady went for short-term savings and increased her long-term costs.

When you are in the market for a professional wedding planner (or any other wedding vendor for that matter), price is important.  But you should also consider the following points –

· Number of Years in the Business

· Experience as a Wedding Planner

· Experience with Your Preferred Venue

· Wedding Portfolio/Examples of Past Work

· Business Practices (licenses, insurance)

· Chemistry (do you feel comfortable with this vendor)

· Referrals from Recent Brides and Grooms

· The Planner’s Ability to Carry Out Your Wedding Needs

Like the C&D Manifesto of Style says, “ . . . It’s better to have fewer quality things, than low grade quantity.”

And take it from me, you don’t want low grade quantity on your wedding day.

Love & Soul Always, Kay

Comments

[Rosanna]

I hear you! As a wedding planner (and bride-to-be) I've experienced first hand what it means to have a wedding planner and have to change her. I've already changed two, simply because they won't perform no matter how much money you throw at them. And my requests are far from being "too much": color matching and a little thinking out of the box. Sometimes I wonder... is wedding planning all about canned "all included" packages, pre-chosen vendors, staged pictures and tacky decor? As a professional in the field, I know not to be the case so they can't fool me ;)