F.A.Q Bride Interview with Angelique.

Q. I noticed that your title is one of consultant, wedding & event planner? What's the difference between someone that provides consulting, wedding & event planning services, verses someone who specilizes in wedding planning or special event planning services only?

A. The wedding & event planning industry, has many different career certification programs, that provide their own professional titles upon completion of their progams.

 And within the wedding and special event industy as a whole, titles include Wedding Planner, Wedding Coordinator, Bridal Consultant, Wedding Facility Coordinator. Wedding & Event Planner, Event Specialist, Event Planner, Event Director and Event Coordinator.

As a Consultant, Wedding & Event planner, my job is to be knowledgeable in all aspects of special event planning, whether it's planning spectacular weddings or parties, or planning Fund Raisers, Grand Openings, Community & Corporate events and everything above and in between.

 As a result, my vendor list is quite naturally a lot more extensive than a planner who might  specializes in one area of planning only, whether it be Weddings or Events.

 That being said, regardless of specialty, a good planner should be able to create memorable events, regardless of their primary planning focus, and also be able to broaden their specialty to include other areas of planning if needed.

Q. My wedding reception venue, has a on site Wedding Facility Coordinator who says that he/she can help me to plan my wedding.  So why should I hire another planner?

A. More times than not, Facility Coordiators wear multiple hats, and are considered part of the sales team, as well as banquet managers. They are there to sell the facility they represent, and to create a package that includes services provided by the facility.

   Presentations, normally consist of tours of the facility and informaton about the available amenities that can be provided, e.g.  rooms/floor plans, ground usage available, the types of tables and chairs on the premises, any special lighting and sound equipment available,  menu options and service plan inclusions, e.g bar service, ice sculptures, chocolate fountains, etc.

The facility might also be able to provide you with a list of vendors that are known to the facility as preferred vendors because they are vendors who repeatedly return to the venue.

In some instances, the Facility Coordinator, may be available to over see set up of the ceremony and or reception site, prior to your arrival and on rare occasions be a visible part in over seeing the logistics within the facility from start to finish.

However, don't be surprised if outside of the services that will be executed within the facility, you find yourself having to plan all of the other details needed to create a unique wedding without the help of the Facility Coordinator, since he or she might not be in a position to attend vendor appointments or recommend the right vendor for you regardless of the facilities preferred vendors list.

He or she may not be able to help you to create your vision in a way that represents your style. within your available budget. They may not be able to attend bridal/groom attire fittings, or attend cake tastings with you so that they can help you with your selections. They might not be able to help you to select the right invitations,  or accept your phone calls past the close of business day. They might not be able to format a budget or track additional expenses, out side of those required by the facility or provide you wit ha time line to structure the events of the day.

More than likely they will not be in a position to look over contracts and negoiate prices that could save you anywhere from 10 - 20 % in some cases.  And they also might not be creative in their approach or be able to assist you in creating great tablescapes, or in setting the ambience through decor,  they also might not be able to provide etiquette training,  stress management  or to attend rehersals, the list goes on and on all of which clearly indicate many reasons why it's a worth while investment, to hire a wedding or event planner. 

  As a wedding and event planner, I do however work with Facility Coordinators and I am quite happy to do so, since they are knowledgeable about the facility that they represent, and over time have built strong working relationships with the vendors who they prefer and will ultimately refer to my clients, some of whom may also be on my preferred vendors list. However, even with vendors referred to you by the facility coordinator please be informed that it doesnot mean that they are the best match for you, even if they are well known to the venue.

However, my recommendation to you would be to get a complete break down as to the type of service that Facility Coordinator is able to provide, so that you can be aware of their position as a Facility Coordinator, and ultimately be informed about what they can and cannot do to help you.

However, since the Facilty Coordinator fee is normally included in packages, I would encourage my clients to accept the help offered by the Facilty Coordinator, but to retain the services of a Independant planner, who would then work with the Facility Coordinator and pick up on all of the areas that the Facility Coordinator will not be able to, because of their bounderies. 

A.   I'm not sure if I need to hire a wedding planner, but I would love to arrange to meet you in a consultation appointment, yet, at the same time don't want to feel any pressure to retain your services, so, what can I expect from a consultation with you?

A. One of the first things that you can expect, is to feel comfortable and relaxed during your Visionary Consultation appointment with me. The second thing, is to rest assured that at no time during our meeting will you ever feel pressured to retain my services, even though it would be a great honor for me to help you to plan your wedding or other special event.

With that said, as my potential client(s), my responsibility to you begins immediately, as I focus on your feelings and the needs that you have as a bride and the vision that you and the groom have as a couple. (Or other special event client.)  

It is also my obligation to you, to be completely honest with you about the degree of planning that will be best suited to your needs, and to recommend a service plan that will address the level of planning that will help you to have the day that you have always dreamed of, within a budget that you can afford.

We'll determin, how many guest will attend your wedding, and what to do if your guest list is out of control.

We'll determin your wedding budget and how to ulitize other options to save you money.

We'll discuss vendors, and the roles that family and friends want to or will  take, in the planning your wedding, and your feelings with regards to those areas.

We'll also discuss your time and management of your time when it comes to how it is  spent researching vendors and venues and scheduling appointments etc. Since, on average, In the case of planning a weddding, there are approximately 18 key players, who will make up the wedding team and who will become the foundation on which your wedding day dreams  depend  upon.

* Wedding Planner 

*HAPPY BRIDE        * HAPPY GROOM

* Ceremony Venue         * Reception Venue

* Officiate/Notary,   *Caterer/Wait Staff   * Bar Staff,    * Baker,    * Florist,

* Wedding Stationer/Calligrapher,   * Entertainment/DJ/Musicians,  

* Photographer, * Videographer,

* Transportation,  * Hotel Accommodations/Travel Agent.

* Hair & Makeup Artists, * Bridal & Tuxedo Shops, * Jewelers * Rental Company,

Drapery/Lighting/Tents.

As your Planner, it would be my responsibility to bring all the key players together so that the end result is an spectacular day, that is filled with the kind of happiness that will create beautiful memories, that will last for a life time.

Q. How will I know what service plan to choose?

A. I have designed service plans that address wedding and special event planning needs and services, all of which focus on various levels in planning, and more importanly with attention to every budget in mind, From Blue Print Consultation & Guidance plans , to service plans that address issues that second time or more brides face when planning their wedding. 

All of the service plans can be customized to suit your needs, allowing you total  freedom to express the vision that you have in mind or through our expertise create one based or your personality and style. 

Q. How do you charge for services, because I've read that it takes over 400 hours to plan a great wedding, thats 10. 40 hours weeks or more. I'm not sure If I can afford to hire a planner or can I? 

A. It does take a lot of time to plan a wedding, in fact it can almost seem like a full time job, which can become stressful if you already have a full time job that doesn't permit you to have the freedom to focus on your wedding in the way that you would like to.

That being said, if you've left your decison to plan your until the very last moment, or have tried to plan your wedding but realize that nothing is coming together and you've made little or no progress, or things are going wrong, and you find yourself  with a couple of months or less to work plan your wedding. In that case 400 hours crammed into a couple of monthly means that,  your "Down to the wire." and without a doubt you will need a wedding or event planner to help you

Q. I'm not sure that I can afford a wedding planner, and wouldn't the money spent on hiring on be better spent on other areas of my wedding?

Along with a lot of different planners, I will say that when it comes to planning your wedding, the question should be can you really afford not to hire a planner?

And the answer is without a doubt no. Now please don't get me wrong, I'll be the first to agree that almost anyone can plan their wedding, but when you ask them if they would do it again without a planner the answer is almost always no,  because it ending up costing them much more than they anticipated in the long run, as well as all of the stress and headaches that I had to go through.

Planners, can save you money, anywhere from 10 to 20% on vendors, that's a lot of money that can be spent else where, including towards your honey moon or new home.

And if you don't have the hours to devote to your wedding due to working a full time job a planner is extremely valuable especially during situations that call for immediate attention during your working hours.

My fees are therefore based on many factors, all of which enable me to offer flexibility in payment options, when time permits, as well as fee's that depend on the time, level and degree of planning involved. My fees are billed in one of three ways, 1.) A percentage of the total wedding budget.    2.) A flat rate fee assesment.  3.) Billing on an hourly bases.

Percentages range from 10% 15% or 20% of the total budget again depending on the package selected and other factors that will ulimately determin the fee that will be charged.

However, often times hourly and flat rate charges are not applicabl, because they will not be cost effective during planning that involves longer periods of time.

When restriction on budget apply I am also proud to offer my "Champagne Tastes, Beer Budget Pockets" Plan, which is a plan that makes wedding & special event planning  totally affordable for those working with an extremely tight budget.

I also provide flexable payment plan options where time permits, and accept all major credit cards, checks, money orders and cash and of course I accept Redeemable Angelique's Consulting Gift Certificates.

Billing is sent by email or by mail depending on the client's preference. 

But the most important thing to bear in mind is that wedding or event planning package that is right for you, will be the one that is always recommended.

Q. Are you insured, and can you provide, Vendor & Client References?

A. Yes, I am fully licensed, insured and bonded.

And will be more than happy to provide you with client and vendor referrences, as well as  proof of Designer Awards, Newspaper Recogonition, and my listing as a Top Rated service Provider, all of which will support my credibilty.

Q.How many weddings or events do you do in one day?

Althought I'd love to say that I'm super women, and could easily do at least  2 to 3  weddings or other events in a day, I was definately at the back of the line when they were handing out the super woman trait.  So my clients benefit by receiving 100% of my attention on their day. And never are they made to feel that they are competing against other brides for time or attention from me.

Unlike some planners who might book two weddings or more in a day, because they do not stay to the end of the event, because they leave their assistants to manage the logistics,  I only book one wedding or event per day and make it my point of duty to stay until the very end, unless my clients request other wise.

I hope that the questions and answers provided, will help you in your decision to schedule a consultation appointment.

I look forward to meeting you.

Angelique

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