The first day of the rest of your life is slowly starting to unravel. Yes, the very thought of living with the man or woman of your dreams and possibly raising a family is exciting, but there's a lot to do before you even get near that stage. 

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There's the place you will be married, the reception, the cars, the photographer, the cake, designer, the florist; the list goes on and on. So, where do you begin?

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For the majority of couples this will be the first time and no matter how many books or articles you read, or how many brides you listened to, you can't beat experience. This experience comes in the form of wedding co-ordinators or wedding planners. 

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So whats the difference between two names? Well, wedding co-ordinators are generally employees of the venue where you are having your reception and come as a 'part of the package'. The bonus is that they are costed into the total price of the wedding, but rarely appear on the big day itself. Having been there with them since you booked, everything is handed on to someone else. if this is the case , ask if you can meet this 'other person' before the wedding. This way you will know who he/she is and be able to discuss, to a certain extent, your plans with them. Also, as employees, they will have to keep an eye on the whole proceedings, including the organising of the staff and therefore not always be able to be with you at your wedding party.

 

Wedding planners or Wedding consultants, on the other hand, are usually freelance and come with a price tag. Most will at least give you an estimate, but some will know an average time spent throughout the whole planning and give you a guaranteed figure. Armed with this you can set up the rest of your budget. If you and your partner are busy career people, or if you live away and don't have time to get things organised, then the spend could well be worth it. The planner will usually arrange as much or as little as as you feel you need. You may be happy with a certain photographer, or have your own thoughts and ideas on flowers, so you can cope with those, but the other services may be a bit alien to you and this is where professional help is invaluable. You are looking for someone who not only has experience in the wedding field, but has probably worked with the majority of services that come into your price bracket. The planner will, generally, be with you, your bridal party and guests for the wedding day itself. This should be a great comfort to you because she has been with you since day one and knows exactly what you want and how things should proceed. As well as you, your husband or wife and parents, she will keep an eye on things and be at your call should you want for anything. So unlike the co-ordinator, the wedding planners 'all yours'!

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One very important point - whatever is agreed between you, your planner and the venue make sure you get it in writing. Also, once everything has been discussed with the venue they should send copies of the discussion to both you and your planner. This way everyone is 'singing from the same hymn sheet'and everyone knows what is going on.You can relax and enjoy the whole day without worrying about who's doing what and when.

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