There is quite a bit of confusion when it comes to the responsibility of an event planner, as a result, most people don't know where to draw the line. Many planners are flexible with what they are willing to do but here are a few things you shouldn't expect from your planner.
Tip #1 - Read your mind
No planner wants an unhappy or unfulfilled client, especially in a service-related industry where we sell fantasies. If your planner doesn't know what is important to you or what you like, this can be a recipe for disaster. You can expect your planner to ask lots of questions to try and determine what you may like. This can be face-to-face a questionnaire or through images. Planning is a partnership on both sides, and you will need to work with your planner to achieve your desired results.
Tip #2 - Cut your Cake or Serve Guests
Your planner will make sure every table is served and has a place setting etc. but your planner isn't responsible for physically serving your guests. Sometimes this can be an issue for uncatered events many guests still expect the same level of service as a catered event. To avoid paying a cake-cutting fee, some clients ask their planners to cut the cake. Slicing a cake is messy and time-consuming. If your event is catered your caterer will handle this task for you. Sometimes there is no charge for this service either way it's worth it. I know that I would butcher a cake if I was responsible for slicing it up.
Tip #3 - Take on the Responsibility of Other Vendors
Many times, a couple may be unaware of the responsibilities of a planner and may ask them to take on roles that don't fall under the wedding planning category. The most popular requests that I receive that are not usually the responsibility of a planner are creating playlists or using our personal devices for music or entertainment, providing microphones, speakers, and cleaning requests. (Just to be clear I will accommodate these requests when it makes sense.) The responsibility of your planner is to assist with sourcing vendors for your event however, it would be extremely difficult to execute a successful event if we did everything ourselves.
Tip #4 - Get Involved in Family Disputes
Wedding planning can be tense, and emotions can sometimes run high. Your planner will have your best interest in mind by default but what happens when the parents are the financiers who will have the final say? Often, overbearing parents or "negative Nancy" siblings make wedding planning a nightmare for the couple. We can try our best to make suggestions to avoid conflict between the two parties but going back and forth because A is not speaking to B is where most planners will draw the line. (Please let me know when you decided on table linens, talk to you later.)
Tip #5 - Work for Free
Most times your planner has already done a bit of free work without complaint because most planners are passionate and want you to have the best possible outcome. So where do we draw the line? If you know you are asking for additional services that were not included in your original agreement it shouldn't come as a surprise for your planner to discuss additional service-related fees.
For example, asking for rehearsal dinner services or planning the next day's brunch activities.
I am sure we can all be guilty of any of these behaviors at times. Now that you understand some of the tasks you shouldn't expect your planner to do, we will discuss some of the awesome things you can expect your planner to do for you next week.