You certainly don't want those beautiful memories to clouded by things like the band that played music you absolutely hated at your reception, or the caterer that served cold food because the timing of events was off or the florist that delivered the wrong flowers to the wedding venue.



At any event, even the best planned one, things always don't go exactly as planned no matter how well coordinated they are. The planner can check and double check every item on your event agenda but things happen that are sometimes out of your control. The florist truck breaks down on the way to the wedding chapel, the wrong tent is delivered for the outdoor reception although the planner has the order form in hand that states the right tent was ordered and so it goes …

Blunders or oversights by others can of course damage the flow and outcome of an event, things happen errors and mistakes are made and no amount of hard work and planning can prevent some things from going wrong. You simply can't control everything and the event may suffer as a result.

Fortunately the things you can't control in planning and producing an event are few.

For the most part with careful planning and making the right choices you control how you event will turn out.

And one of the most important choices you make affecting the success of your event is in choosing the right wedding planner for you and when I say the right planner I'm not talking just about the planner's experience or their skills.

I'm not saying a planner's experience and skills are not important. Far from it.

When hiring a Wedding Planner you need to make sure that they have the level of experience and expertise needed to properly plan and manage your event. After all this is one of the most important events of your life.

But what I also think is also extremely important to THE DAY and its success

is a good working relationship between you and your planner.

When deciding on a planner we sometimes see the planner as just a businessperson and your relationship with them as simply a business arrangement.

What you should also be mindful of is that the businessperson you're considering hiring for this extremely important job is a person, an individual with a distinct personality. And that although the planner is a businessperson all business people do not see things the same way, or do a job the same way, communicate with others in the same way or handle stress in the same way.

For example although I'm a very responsible, organized, detail oriented person who likes to make sure whatever project I'm working on more than meets the clients expectations doesn't mean that don't like to have fun when I'm working. I also want to enjoy the company of the person I'm doing business with. And just because I like to laugh doesn't mean I don't take my work seriously. That's me.

Clients as well as planners are individuals with their own personalities. And while all clients and planners want of course to see their event turn out exactly as planned we all have our own individual way of making that happen.

Some of us want to have a bit of fun and laugh while working on a project; some of us have a more serious or more no-nonsense approach to working on a project.

Some of us are more verbal and can communicate our ideas well some of us are more reserved perhaps needing someone else to verbalize and communicate our ideas. Some of us are more visually oriented needing to see things drawn or written to better understand a plan or concept.

Agreeing that we are all individuals and have different ways of relating to and working with others it would seem then to make sense that working with a planner whose working style and personality compliment yours would lead to the development of a good working relationship and to the successful production of an event.

It would also follow that if you're comfortable with your wedding planner, find it easy to talk to them you'll be better able to communicate your vision for your wedding day. And the long and sometimes complicated process of planning your wedding day will likely go much more smoothly which in turn will then likely result in a wonderful day for you and your guests.

For example let's say you're an easy going person who likes to see the humor in most situations; a planner who is also easy going and laughs easily might make the planning process more bearable for you. You may also find sharing your wants and needs with them easier than say a more serious minded planner who takes a more no-nonsense approach to getting a job done.

I am not saying that your personalities should be the same but rather they should complement each other in such a way that you work and communicate so well so that the job gets done more easily and to both your satisfaction. For example say you're a bit shy or have a difficult time verbalizing your needs to others; a planner with a similar personality might not be the best working partner for you. Since neither of you are big talkers the vision for your wedding day may not be as realized as it might be if you chose a planner who is a little more talkative and one with whom you can easily talk.

Choosing a planner you're not compatible can easily lead to conflicts and clashes, which can affect your working relationship and negatively impact the end product of all your work…the event itself.

For example you may feel uneasy when working with someone who seems a little too laid back because you feel they might not take their job seriously enough and this causes you to worry they won't do the job as well as say by someone who is more exacting. Or you may be someone who feels that a sense of humor and a bit of lightheartedness makes the whole working experience a much more enjoyable process and contributes to your productiveness but your planner is the more serious controlling type and laughter and fun just don't fit into their plan.

While I'm oversimplifying the issue of personality and work ethics and how it can impact your business partnership the idea here is to understand that we are in fact all very different people and we each approach accomplishing tasks in different ways. This doesn't mean that one personality type is better to work with than another or that one type of person does a better job than another. What I am saying is we all have a way of doing a job its just we choose different ways of getting it done.

So when interviewing a Wedding planner don't hire them based on just their experience and expertise alone but also on how you feel about them when you're with them and talking with them.

Do you find it easy to talk to them? Do they seem to understand what you want?

Do you feel comfortable and at ease with them? Do they seem a little too controlling?

Do they talk all the time and never listen? Do they only want to talk about their ideas and not yours? Do they explain themselves well? Do you feel you can trust them?

Can you see yourself enjoying a business partnership with them?

Planning a wedding can be a long and stressful process so working with someone you're compatible with I think is extremely important to keeping you sane and happy during this period in your life.

So just keep this in mind when hiring a wedding planner… find someone who is skilled and has the experience the do the job but also someone who you feel you can trust be comfortable with and enjoy working with and most importantly

someone who understands your vision and can work with to make your dream a reality.