Do I “Need” a Wedding Planner or Day of Coordinator for my Northern Colorado Wedding?

It depends. In our experience, yes, they can help save you time, help manage your budget, assist with logistics and help on issues that can come up that day. On the flip side, couples say they can be expensive, shift the transfer of “control” to somebody else leading to the mis-alignment of your vision. Sometimes there can be personality conflicts, and it may put unnecessary pressure with choices and vendors based on that other person’s hidden agenda (ie are other vendor being referred paying the planner or day of coordinator a “kick back” or “referral fee,” or are they “expected” to refer a specific vendor only because they are part of a club, clique or association based on group bi-laws, or an understood but unwritten quid pro quo…aka “I refer you only if you refer me.”) Yes, all of this really does happen – which artificially inflates the price of weddings and may restrict  you in getting the vendor(s) you really want or are the best for your vision. (More on that in an upcoming post.) So, the answer…it depends.

There are quality and competent Day of Coordinators (DOCs) and full Planners that service Estes Park weddings, but…please understand that the price one charges isn’t the sole factor to be considered. Just because somebody is “expensive” doesn’t mean they are good…and just because somebody is “cheap” doesn’t mean they are bad. We have seen the full range with prices in-between!

DISCLAIMER: Before going any further, please know that we have no agenda, nothing to sell, nor get paid or a “kick back” fee OF ANY KIND to refer anyone – EVER! We will always tell the truth to our couples, with no hidden motive. We only want the very best for your wedding!

For DOCs…. with 1,940 documented weddings personally performed in Estes Park, Fort Collins, Loveland, Vail and throughout the State, we tend work with DOCs a lot more since more and more venues now “require” a bride hire an outside DOC (ie weddings at the Stanley Hotel, and Spruce Mountain Ranch, etc). A few DOCs and Planners are fantastic; most are average at best, and some are dreadfully bad. These are usually because they don’t have the experience, knowledge or understanding to assess and read a situation. The bad ones usually don’t know how to manage the emotion of a room or be aware of a situation and know exactly what guests are thinking and feeling (ie. if dinner is done at 6:20pm; then let’s move the toast up rather than “my timeline says we wait until 7pm.” Guests will get bored. When they get bored, they will leave early.)  These “bad” ones tend to only look at times to check off for the event off of her clipboard or i-pad.

IF I SPEND MORE, DOES THAT MEAN THEY ARE GOOD?

No. When it comes do DOCs and Planners… “cost does not equal value.” We have worked with many who charge in the upper range, have great websites and a slick sales pitch, come with an assistant or two, but are really bad and not easy to work with. One who’s pricing started at $5K+ a day… sure, she had two assistants, but was horrible! (YEP – we did a wedding that was featured on the TV show “Say Yes to the Dress” for the host Randy’s very own niece in Steamboat. She was terrible.) So, don’t let price determine quality or value.

A COMMON TACTIC USED:

We see quite commonly, brides who book a Planner or DOC (from XYZ company) and unfortunately believe (or have been told) that the lead wedding planner they have been communicating with will be there on the wedding day…only to get a “bad bait and switch 22 year old “intern” sorority girl” that day with an attitude and clipboard or i-pad in hand on an authority trip doing her third wedding as she attempts to boss much more experienced vendors around so she can stick to a detailed punch-list order of times. (It’s these exact ones all vendors dread because they don’t understand the natural flow of a wedding, specific vendors roles, a teamwork mindset, nor the experience on how to assess a situation or how to read a room). So, our advice is very simple: whomever you hire IF YOU THINK YOU NEED ONE, please do lots of vetting, review and understand their specific process before hiring, chat with the venue and other professionals who regularly work with them personally, and get the Planner / DOC’s name on the actual contract that will be guaranteed to be there for the full duration (including set up and tear down) on your day.

THE BIGGEST TIP:

Please hire experienced wedding vendors (ie caterers, photographers, Amore’ as your DJ, etc) and trust the vendors to do what we do best. This simple tip yields the smoothest weddings by far!

ANOTHER TIP:

IF you opt to hire a Planner or DOC, make sure you fully review the venue’s policy and vendor requirements before hiring. If not, you could find yourself under contract with somebody that may not be able to work there on your day because they may not have the venue’s required insurance, specific insurance riders/limits necessary, or hasn’t gone through the venue’s vetting process (some of which take 30 days to complete before the wedding.)

All that to say…do you “need” a Planner or DOC when you hire Amore DJ Entertainment?

Nope! Absolutely not. Our past brides continue to say they feel “isn’t needed” with our extensive 125 page planning book and our thorough Amore’ Planning process…unless your Colorado wedding venue requires you hire one. (See our 500+ cumulative reviews on Google, Facebook, and just about everywhere!) If so, call us. I’ll tell you who the good ones are.

When it comes to anyone or literally anything else for your wedding (ie an outside day of coordinator or other referrals like: a florist, bakery/desserts, caterer, dance instructor, officiant, photographer, videographer, rental facility, transportation, etc), please ask Matt. We eat their food, taste the cake, see their flowers, work with the Officiant and caterer, etc. We know how they really are to work with. There really isn’t anything you can ask for that would surprise me. IF you need help, I’d be happy to point you in a direction for what you may be looking for …because I probably know who I would use for my own daughter’s wedding, where to get it, or how to make it : )

So, let’s….

Make a statement or tell your story.
Showcase your own style.
Brand your wedding.
CREATE memories together!

Submitted by:
Matt Martindale aka “The Estes Park Weddings DJ”

Amore’ DJ Entertainment, Wedding Lighting & Décor, Interactive Photo Booth
*Professional Wedding MC / 22 Time Award Winning Colorado Wedding DJ Expert™

“The top rated Colorado wedding DJ for Estes Park, Fort Collins, Boulder, Denver, Vail, Colorado Springs and beyond!”