"I’m worried I’m behind in my planning and missing out on suppliers"
We’re taking this question straight out of the La Lista Facebook group this week. It’s complicated and it’s a question we get almost every week through our social channels. So let’s work it through.
The planning of Italian weddings works in a cycle. Almost all planners plan weddings from October to May (or thereabouts) and spend the wedding season focusing on the weddings they’re delivering. This is something that should be communicated to you before you sign a contract with a planner so as to manage your expectations about when things will get done. Even better than that, you may share a timeline with your planner that visually displays this and tracks it for you as you navigate through planning. Each of us is different in how much communication we need - so pick a planner that works in a way that best suits you.
Wedding planner: Mose &
Planning a wedding is project management and as we all know, projects don’t always stay on track. This could be down to a slower supplier reply than expected (perhaps due to a holiday or other factors), or even you (the clients) slower replies due to a busy workload or a holiday yourself.
In recent years we’ve noticed 3 things happening:
Demand is rising, with suppliers getting booked up earlier and more quickly
Suppliers are busier through wedding season, often unable to think about future years
Couples want to have things booked very far in advance to rest safe in knowledge and lock in ‘good’ prices
The solution? It’s all about communication. BEFORE you book a planner be open and honest about what you want and the planner should be open and honest about how they work. When these things align = magic; you’ve probably found the right planner for you! So many issues come when it’s not talked about or just assumed that everyone works in the same way as you expect.
Questions to ask might be:
- What’s the planning timeline?
- How do you track this and what happens when things fall behind?
- Do I have to work with your recommended supplier list?
- How does commission work within your business?
- Can I reach out to my own suppliers?
Planners often work with their recommended suppliers first. Tried, tested and trusted. It’s not because they are cutting deals or choosing the easy route (as can commonly be believed), it’s because they know for a fact that these suppliers will deliver for you on your needs and be an all round ace team to have as part of your wedding team.
Planners often want to control the communication between suppliers, as when clients go directly it can get complicated. There can be multiple lines of comms and confusion around what’s being asked. If you want to reach out to certain suppliers, ask your planner to do this for you. They are experienced at this and will know the whole host of criteria to question the supplier about to ensure they qualify for the role.
Note that it can sometimes take longer for a planner to reach out because they are having a conversation and building a rapport. It’s not always a quick in and out job to get a quote. They’re also gathering various pieces of information from various suppliers at the same time, analysing everything from their central view and bringing it together for you. Forwarding on a quote is not the role nor the expertise you have hired them for.
Wedding planner: Scelta di Classe
What happens if you’ve done all of the above and are still finding yourself concerned you’re ‘behind’ on your planning schedule?
Having FOMO on a supplier booking, questioning your planner’s timeline, struggling to get a response from them? Please just tell your planner! Respectfully bring this to their attention: ‘I’m concerned we do not have a caterer and the wedding is 9 months away’. The planner may have locked in caterers and pencilled you in their diaries, or have quotes that you’ve not yet seen. By being open and honest they can reassure you and tell you what they have in place.
If you’re not getting the answers you want, planning is truly behind the schedule set out initially by the planner and you see real risks to your wedding and budget, do try and agree a new timeline together. If you know for a fact that a supplier you want is booked up already, or has limited dates left, bring this information to your planner to work with.
La Lista founder and Wiskow & White wedding planner Lucy White works to a timeline of having all suppliers booked or held approx 12 months before the wedding. “That’s down to how my business works and functions well and based on the type of planning clients I work with. It’s not always possible, but I have been able to build a team which means we continue to lightly plan future weddings throughout wedding season for our own peace of mind.”
Your planner has likely planned many, many weddings and has been here before. Keep talking to them, tell them any concerns you have and allow for their response.
Wedding Planner: Rebecca Marie
Get next level organised and download our Wedding Timeline. This baby will help keep you on track for those big decisions you need to make whilst keeping you calm and collected.
