How to Choose the Best Wedding Planners in DC

Tips on how to find the best wedding planners in DC.

Let's unpack some helpful tips for engaged couples to consider when searching for their wedding planner. This is by far one the of the most if not THE MOST important decision couples make as they navigate the wedding planning process, which for some, can be very overwhelming. Rest assured, I'll list key things to look for that cover the following points:

• What to look for in a planner

• Questions to ask before hiring

• Budget considerations

• Why local experience matters

3 key things to look for in a planner are: attention to detail, personality, professionalism. As you meet with different planners and essentially test the waters via consultation, notice how the planner interacts with you. Do you feel heard by them? Do your personalities match and align with you and your future spouse? Can you tell early on that they give a professional demeanor and that they're trustworthy with supporting your big day? These are questions to reflect on as you may encounter different planners.

Questions to ask before hiring: what's specific services are included in your package(s)? This sets clear expectations on how your wedding needs will be supported and also allows your prospective planner to elaborate on details that clarify what they will deliver while working with you. How many other clients do you have during our event month? This gives a prospective a chance to share their current workload based on the month of your wedding date. This also allows you both to discuss schedules, set deadlines as needed that align with both parties schedules. How frequently will we communicate and what is your preferred method (email, text, calls)? This questions sets expectations for communication, timeliness and opens up dialogue to assess what works for both parties to help avoid miscommunication down the line. Now onto the budget, depending on the type of service you're looking for whether it's full service planning, partial planning and/or day-of coordination, it's important to know how your budget will be handled. Two questions that are helpful to ask during the consultation would be: What is the payment schedule and are there additional fees for things like credit cards? What is your process for handling budgets and payments? Now onto location of your prospective planner. Do your research. Look at their websites, browse their wedding gallery photos and social media profiles to see what venues they've worked at before, what locations are they more familiar with? This gives you a visual reference into where your planner has appeared, give insight into where they're based and also give you a deeper look into different venue styles within their portfolio and overall aesthetic that's visible on their digital profiles.

I hope these tips help engaged couples as they consider who they want to book with for planning and/or coordination services. Rest assured, while wedding planning involves A LOT of decision-making, having the best planner on your side makes the world of a difference!

Yours truly,

Bianca Kersellius

Owner | Kersellius Kreations