As New York wedding photographers, we cannot emphasize enough the importance of hiring a wedding planner. A wedding planner can act as the messenger to resolve issues before they get out of hand, which will lead to fewer headaches, tears, and unneeded stress for all involved parties. They work to make your big day as stress-free as possible.

What is the difference between a wedding planner and coordinator?

A wedding coordinator is the person who executes the final touches before and the day of the wedding, while a wedding planner focuses more on the planning process. Many planners also act as coordinators when it comes to the day of. So, both help with planning and execution of the big day. However, planners are focused on the big picture for your special celebrations.

How wedding planners work on your big day

With wedding planners in New York, they will organize the venue, flowers, catering, wedding cake, New York wedding photographers, and overall schedule. They will be on hand on your wedding day to help with smaller details like arranging the wedding dress train and transporting wedding decor. They will also assist wedding photographers in finding the perfect wedding photo locations.

What to expect when hiring a wedding planner

Planners usually come up with great ideas and add creative touches throughout the planning process, while coordinators deal more with logistics when it comes to wedding days. This includes making sure that everything runs smoothly on the day of your wedding.

What does a wedding planner do?

Wedding planners in the wedding industry, are typically wedding professionals who help couples prepare for and plan weddings. A wedding planner can help with determining wedding themes, wedding colors, wedding venues, wedding caterers and wedding flowers. They also help with negotiating with venues to determine costs and availability. Wedding planners can offer guidance on what location might be most suitable for a wedding reception or ceremony taking into account the desired ambience and guest count.

Working with a wedding planner in Manhattan or Brooklyn

A wedding planner can act as an intermediary between you (the client), your vendors and staff to make sure that your day goes smoothly from start to end. They can provide referrals for additional services such as entertainment or floral needs. In addition, many planners offer consulting services where they work with young couples throughout their engagement to plan their wedding ceremony & reception from start to finish from booking a venue through receiving a marriage license at city hall.

De-stressing your wedding with a planner in New York

To sum it up, wedding planners in New York help to take the stress out of wedding planning and planning a wedding by taking care of all or some of the tasks you would do on your own. Most wedding planners work on a retainer basis where they invoice either per month or for an agreed upon amount of hours and services received and provide their coordinating and event management services (which also includes the use of vendors) until your wedding day.

Where should you look for a wedding planner?

You can look for wedding planners in New York through wedding planning forums and wedding planning social media groups. Wedding planning blogs are also another great place to find wedding planners and wedding vendors. You can also hire wedding planners in New York directly from their website, too! As New York wedding photographers, we have tons of planner friends to recommend who can make your day a success.

How much does a wedding planner cost?

The cost of wedding planners mainly depends on the package that you opt for, but expect to spend anywhere between $3000 – $15,000 depending on how thorough your planning wedding will be. Most wedding arrangements take at least 12 months to plan properly, so creating a budget beforehand is really important for this very reason.

What to expect from wedding planners in the city

As with everything else in life, you get what you pay for when it comes to wedding services. Vendors who work with wedding planners are more likely to have higher standards when it comes to wedding photography, wedding videography, wedding catering & wedding cake. So, if you want a five star wedding experience, hire a wedding planner that works with the best vendors in New York City.

How does having a planner help your New York wedding photography experience?

wedding planner can help your wedding photography experience immensely. Wedding planners in New York are like wedding photographers in the sense that they tend to be extremely well-organized. They know where things are, how long it’ll take them to get there and what needs to happen when it comes time for your wedding day.

Working with a wedding planner and a New York wedding photographer

When you’re hired as wedding photographers for a wedding, you depend on the wedding planners (and couple) to deliver everything that was agreed upon by the final payment deadline, since there will come a point in which you won’t have any contact with them. So, if you want your wedding photography to go smoothly without any hiccups or surprises, hiring an organized wedding planner is definitely recommended!

Handling tips for vendors

If you’re hiring New York wedding photographers or other vendors, wedding planners will usually handle the gratuity at the end of the night. Chat with your planner directly about the best process for tipping. As wedding photographers in New York, we don’t always receive tips directly from couples because they’re too busy celebrating. Instead, a wedding planner will deal with this. Tips are paid to wedding vendors at the end of your wedding day.

Should you hire a planner if you have a venue coordinator?

There is no wedding planner New York wedding photography rule that states whether or not you need to hire a wedding planner if you have wedding venue coordinator, but hiring wedding planners in New York will take the pressure off of your shoulders. Wedding planners deal with all wedding vendors and coordinating details big & small, so there’ll be less things for you to worry about on your wedding day.

Venue Coordinators vs Wedding Planners: The Difference

Wedding venue coordinators, on the other hand, are focusing on the venue. They do not come to the bridal suite with you at the beginning of the day, or return your decor at night. They are the ally of the venue and not of the couple. It’s important to remember that your venue coordinator is focused on the best possible day at your New York wedding venue, not fixing your hair and dress before you walk down the aisle. So wedding planners help wedding photographers with wedding venues since they make wedding coordination much easier.

Wedding vendors to book with your planner

There are many wedding planners who also offer their services for couples looking for wedding photographers in New York, wedding videographers, DJ or wedding cake designers. So if you’re looking to hire wedding planners themselves, that is an option too! Many New York wedding planners offer several different wedding planning services, so it depends on how much you’re willing to pay. If you want the entire package (catering included), expect to spend upwards of $15k depending on where you live and what kind of service you’d like them to provide.

How to choose the best wedding planner for you

As wedding photographers in New York, we know that couples have their own individual styles. Whether they’re more laid back or Type-A personalities, finding someone to work with personality type is a big deal. Doing wedding photography for people who are not your friends can be challenging, but wedding planners can help alot if you’re struggling with this. Wedding planners are there to understand the needs of the couple and then match them to wedding vendors that fit those needs. Wedding planners will also schedule meetings with wedding vendors so that the wedding photographer has time to prepare for lighting and other technical stuff.

Finding a wedding planner for your New York City wedding

Choose the planner that fits your needs best. Hop on a call ahead of time to ensure that you both vibe with each other. You’ll want to be sure that everything about your wedding day speaks to you as a couple. That also includes the New York wedding photographers and wedding planners that you hire. If you’re looking for a wedding planner in the city, let us know. We have tons of recommendations and want to help you find the best planner for the big day.