Hiring a wedding coordinator or wedding planner isn’t something intuitive or obvious to many couples in Singapore. These professionals are often left out when couples are planning for their wedding and it is easy to understand why – easily accessible resources, well-rounded all-in-one venue and boutique packages have made planning seem like something you can handle on your own. If you can manage and plan a wedding by yourself, why should you spend the money on hiring a planner/coordinator?
Yet, it is also often the case we hear from many couples who have been there that the best decision they made was hiring a wedding planner or coordinator. (If you’re unfamiliar with what they do, this article explains their role and services covered!) It is also not difficult to understand why although the reasons may seem less obvious.
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If you’re considering getting a coordinator or planner on board the planning but is still unconvinced, here are some reasons why they might be the best investment you will make, especially in Covid-19 times.
1. Overseeing the Ever-Changing COVID-19 Measures and Rules
Remember back in April 2020 when we were given a few days heads up before the Circuit Breaker kicked in and we all started venturing into all sorts of hobbies? Well, imagine the rush and changes couples who were planning their wedding then needed to cope with! Perhaps you were one of them and on the verge of having a bridal meltdown!
As you can imagine, it takes a lot of work to be adapting to the ever-changing Covid-19 measures and rules. With Phase 1, 2 and 3 being announced subsequently, couples were just perpetually planning, re-planning, and re–re-planning again. Apart from having to re-work said plans, couples are also often faced with questions from friends and families about, well, their plans. It gets frustrating and exhausting if you’re handling it on your own. With a planner and/or coordinator, they will be the knight in your chess board, gathering the information, arranging, and advising on the next steps you should take.
2. There Are More Things to Be Done Now
- Grouping your guests in groups of 8s and in zones.
- Informing guests on current social distancing measures when they are attending a wedding.
- Informing guests about their allocated seats in advance.
- Keeping in mind to prepare masks and sanitisers
- Setting up virtual livestream for guests who can’t join in the celebration physically.
- Filling up forms for contact tracing purposes.
These are just several of the new tasks Covid-19 has added to the wedding checklist for Singaporeans. While these additional steps are put in place to ensure everyone’s safety, we can’t deny it has added on to the workload of pandemic couples.
With a planner and/or coordinator, they will ensure you do not miss out on any of the rules you are required to cover and any additional tasks you need to keep in mind. If you’re unsure of current regulations, head on to this site for the latest updates.
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3. Guest Flow Management
Like every other Covid-19 measure, the main concern is with managing guest size and flow. Just like how Covid-19 caught the world by surprise, venues and properties were not built with social distancing in mind. Hence, temporary changes in entrances, exits and venues have to be made.
Making changes to permanent structures are not easy, but a planner and coordinator can work closely with the venue manager to cover all aspects of guest flow to ensure that Covid-19 measures are being adhered to accordingly, and everyone can enjoy the day with ease.
4. Relieving Time and Stress on Actual Wedding Day
One of the major reasons why a couple would opt for a planner or coordinator is to remove the stress on the actual day not only for the wedding couple themselves, but also their bridal party and family.
Furthermore, with social distancing rules being implemented, many opportunities for the couple and guests to truly celebrate the occasion have been taken away. Programs such as cocktails and after-parties are not allowed, and the iconic farewell line to appreciate guests as they are leaving is currently not allowed too.
The reason and motivation to engage a planner or coordinator is much more enhanced now. Time is limited on the actual day so having a planner coordinate with the vendors and guests involved would allow more time for the couple, family and bridal party to truly enjoy the moments.
5. Budgeting and Postponing
Talk to any of the couples who had to go through postponing their wedding themselves and they will talk about the difficulty of coordinating everyone’s availability. If you have quite a number of vendors booked, it is important to note that there are only 104 weekend dates a year. Vendors may be booked on dates you’re looking at, especially if those dates are auspicious.
A planner will be able to sort out all of your vendors availability to a list of shortlisted dates you can choose from, if you ever decide on the need to postpone the wedding.
There might also be additional costs with postponing, such as penalties or postponement costs. Having someone to be on top of these things such as additional expenses that you might need to fork out, will leave you with more brain power for other important wedding tasks.
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6. Having Someone on Your Side Along the Way to Share the Burden With
Your partner is with you every step of the wedding plan, but sometimes having a planner or coordinator with more knowledge and experience on how things work might be a comfort for some couples.
Having someone on your side along the way allows you to share your burdens, making this planning journey slightly easier! A truth many may have to accept is that no one is truly as invested in your wedding day as you are, except your planner or coordinator. After all, ensuring your day goes smoothly and wonderfully is what they do for a living. Besides, it might be difficult to unload all your planning woes to someone in the bridal party. So that is when having a planner or coordinator can help bring professional solutions to the challenges you face.
We hope these have given you ample reasons why a planner or coordinator deserve a line item on your wedding budget.
Covid-19 has made an impact on all of our lives, and may have made us feel even more alone. The Wed Mag is here for all of our readers, and to reassure you that there are couples facing the same difficult decisions as you, and how they have managed their wedding plans.
If you have any questions about your wedding plans, drop us a message and the team will be able to bring you the best answers from professionals!
All the best in your wedding planning journey!
Feature image – Photo courtesy of Noel & Nadia