Wedding planner: all the pros and cons. Advice for couples from PEOPLETALK columnist Anna Gorodzhey, founder of the wedding agency SVADBERRY

Anna Gorodzhaya is the owner and founder of the Event Gorod Group of Companies and the wedding agency Svadberry, is the author of the book “Wedding Without Marriage”, PeopleTalk columnist.

Planning a wedding is an event that requires extreme preparation and attention to detail. For many couples, this process can become a source of stress and anxiety because you want everything to go at its best.

Wedding planners (professionals who can take care of preparing for the most important day of your life) can help you organize the perfect wedding. The best of them can not only make the wedding truly beautiful and unforgettable, but also save the newlyweds from many troubles. I want every couple to have a perfect wedding celebration, because this holiday cannot be repeated a second time.

It is believed that the wedding season is a subjective concept and only newlyweds can decide when is the ideal time to celebrate this event. Spring is the flowering and awakening of nature and tender feelings. Summer is warm and sunny weather, which allows you to organize outdoor events. Autumn is the harvest period in Russia, when weddings always take place, and winter is a special romance with its unique atmosphere.

The real excitement in the wedding industry in Russia occurs in the summer months. According to our data, the demand for private wedding organizations increased by 55% in 2023. Many couples wonder how to organize a wedding on their own or where to find a reliable wedding planner? Newlyweds do not know where to start, how to organize the preparation process, and often the services of an experienced wedding planner are the solution to all problems and a guarantee of an excellent celebration. A team of professionals have many years of experience in organizing weddings, they know exactly all the pitfalls and nuances, as they have unique experience in organizing wedding events.

To help you make an informed choice more enjoyable and easier when preparing for a wedding, I will tell you about the intricacies of self-organization and choosing a professional wedding planner.

Saving time and effort

A professional wedding planner handles all tasks involved in preparing and arranging a wedding, from finding venues to selecting and coordinating suppliers and performers. This allows couples to significantly save time and resources without worrying about thousands of little things. It is especially important for the organizer to assist the newlyweds with the preparations during a busy schedule during the wedding season.

In this case, on the big day, the couple will only need their passport, ring and phone number, and all other issues will be decided by the wedding planner.

For those who want to organize on their own, you will need to take into account many different details and nuances. For example, the bride will need to remember to take wet and paper napkins, needles and threads, a power bank, a first aid kit, sunglasses, comfortable shoes and even hair clips. And this is just the beginning. The list goes on and on. By working with a wedding planner, you can easily delegate all your worries and concerns to the experts and enjoy your celebration to the maximum.

However, if you want to fully immerse yourself in this process and are afraid to trust professionals, it is also possible to prepare for the wedding yourself. Note that this is additional labor cost and a lot of stress. The last weeks before the wedding are the most difficult and stressful, which can negatively affect the couple’s relationship, disagreements may arise on the most trivial issues.

Experience and professionalism

Good organizers have extensive experience of organizing truly stylish weddings and have established connections with reliable contractors. Their professionalism helps to avoid many mistakes and unforeseen situations, organize a wedding day without difficult surprises and difficulties.

But some couples are afraid to transfer all responsibilities to the organizer because it is difficult to delegate tasks to a stranger and be sure that everything will be done the way you want.

Let me give you an example from a couple who involved not only the newlyweds but also their parents in the wedding planning process. Preparations began 3.5 months in advance, and most of the time the couple and their parents were on vacation, business trips and travelling. The team and I coordinated a lot of things remotely, but this did not affect the preparation process. This fruitful interaction resulted in a beautiful, light concept called “Flying”, reflecting the couple’s youth and love.

In this case, the question arises: To whom do you delegate the organization of the event? To dispel all doubts, pay attention to the company’s experience and cases.

individual approach

The task of each specialist is to carefully listen to all the wishes of the couple and help their dreams come true as much as possible under the proposed conditions. Before voicing your ideas, you need to understand the couple what inspires them, what they are guided by, and how they feel about their own wedding.

Taking into account all the details, from the style and theme of the wedding to the small nuances of the decor, professionals create a unique and unforgettable atmosphere for both the couple and their guests.

It is worth remembering that organizing a turnkey wedding requires constant communication with the organizer to discuss details. In this case, you will be able to agree on all disputes and take into account all the nuances. Differences in style and priorities can cause tension between the couple and the organizer. Therefore, before transferring all the preparations to such a specialist, it is useful to hold one or more preliminary meetings to make sure that there is the necessary connection and mutual understanding between you.

Our customers often contact me directly. One day my fiancé called me, introduced herself only as Maria and made an appointment for me in a cozy cafe on Novy Arbat. When I arrived, I immediately recognized her – she was the future wife of the popular artist Mota. Initially, the kids wanted to holiday in Santorini, Greece. It took us a few months to get organized. We found the perfect location for the wedding, and as soon as we started sending out Save the Date, we realized that not many people would be able to come because the celebration was scheduled for the artists’ busiest month. So the wedding was “moved” from Santorini to Moscow, retaining notes of Greece in its concept.

Control of unforeseen situations

Various unforeseen situations may arise on the day of the celebration, from delays in the delivery of flowers and products to unpleasant weather changes. A professional coordinator knows how to organize a wedding even in difficult conditions, is ready for any difficulties and knows how to quickly find optimal solutions, ensuring that the event takes place without deviating from plans.

However, in some cases, expectations from the wedding planner’s work may not coincide with reality. If he does not cope with the assigned tasks at the appropriate level, this can lead to disappointment on the wedding day and a spoiled impression of the celebration.

Our agency is a team of real professionals with over 14 years of experience who are not afraid of challenges and surprises. We are able to solve the most incredible problems to make our customers’ dreams come true.

I’ll share a story with you: On April 16, heavy rains hit Dubai and flooded the city. Preparations were being made there to organize various events for a customer of ours. The team did not expect such a natural disaster, it arrived 1.5 weeks before the celebration. Potential sites were flooded and could not be viewed. The team was denied equipment installation. You are never immune from such disasters and situations. What matters is how you behave under certain circumstances.

The central street and the building next to the Burj Khalifa skyscraper were chosen as the location for the first celebration, and an oasis in the desert was chosen for the second celebration. In Dubai, we experienced all the emotions and endured the yoke of the weather conditions. While the area was being prepared for the event, first a downpour and then a sandstorm caused the structures to collapse and be urgently repaired an hour before the guests arrived.

We achieved this and organized everything on time. We have managed to gather a pool of contractors right on site who help organize bright and unforgettable events.

We also placed an urgent order for printing, which will be flown from Moscow to Dubai along with the costumes on the eve of the celebration.

The holiday took place despite all the difficulties, because with the appropriate experience nothing is impossible for the organizer.

Budget optimization

A professional organizer knows how to effectively manage the budget, striking a balance between the desires of the newlyweds and their financial capabilities. They know where they can save money and where they should invest to get the best results without extra cost.

The services of an organizer require, on the one hand, additional financial investments, expressed in 10-15% of the fee that the agency receives from the wedding budget. At the same time, couples receive the best prices and the highest service thanks to the partners and friends of the organizer industry. On the other hand, it turns out that couples significantly save and spend less money on organizing a wedding than if they organize the celebration on their own, since they do not have agreements with contractors at a discounted price on cooperation on unique terms.

Established connections

Wedding planners often have access to special offers and discounts from suppliers, which can significantly reduce overall costs. Thanks to their connections, they are able to offer their customers suitable conditions and quality service for a beautiful wedding.

If the bride and groom have special preferences or want something out of the ordinary, they should make sure that an expert is ready to find the right contractors and make the dream a reality.

Choosing a wedding planner is an important decision that requires a balanced approach. The services of professionals can make the preparation process much easier and ensure you have the perfect wedding day, but they also come with certain risks and costs.

I would like to note that behind the beautiful picture of the daily life of the organizers is always hidden a lot of hard work, the volume of which many cannot even imagine. When preparing a wedding, remember that there will be no one like it. It is important to consider all the pros and cons to make the choice that best suits your expectations and abilities. Try to listen to your heart and live in harmony, filling every day with happiness.