Wedding Planner in Washington DC

Hello! Julie Park here from Birch Event & Design.

Overview

What Does a Wedding Planner Do?

At Birch Event & Design we are inspired by great design, find joy in life’s little details, and love event planning. Whether it is creating meaningful details or sorting through the many logistics, we delight in being a tailored resource for each of our clients.

I’m here to tell you one thing even if you don’t hire me for your planning PLEASE do yourself a favor and hire someone to help you! Even if you cannot afford a full time planner having help for at least the month of your wedding is worth every penny! Hiring a professional provides a great deal of value to everyone involved in the planning process. After reading the list below, you’ll see that it’s no wonder why!

How Much Does a Wedding Planner in DC cost?

You'll definitely save money! As a DC based wedding planner, I have many firmly established relationships with many local wedding vendors, have some leverage in negotiating with them and know the going rates of what you should pay for things like catering, venues, entertainment, transportation, etc. Brides without a planner spend countless hours researching what planners already have at the end of their fingertips. As a planner, I'll be able to negotiate better pricing for you, which in turn will offset the cost you’re paying for the planning services!

Reduced Stress

For the couples who don’t hire a planner they are often mentally exhausted from stress, emotions, and the constant process of making countless decisions that by the time their wedding rolls around, they are ready for it to be over. When it comes to the day of your wedding, the most important thing is that you are able to relax and enjoy it. You are getting married!!! You don’t want to end up being the point person for issues and questions that will inevitably arise. Hiring a planner frees you and everyone you love to live in the moment on your wedding day.

You Will Save Time

We plan events for a living and while you may know a thing or two about planning weddings, you will probably still spend a lot of time and effort getting up to speed, not to mention the effort required to manage all of the details. By hiring a a pro, you’ll free up your time and turn everything over to an expert who will get the job done in a fraction of time it would take you.

The Job Will Get Done Right

When you try to take on a big project that is beyond your area of expertise, there is always the fear of overlooking an important step, which leads to a snowball of problems…and you’re probably right. Hiring a planner will give you the peace of mind that the job will get done right and that the wedding is the hands of someone who is very capable of making your dream day come true.

Glitch Prevention

Every couple wants there day to be perfect and glitch-free. While there are always a few issues with every event, hiring a wedding planner will help ensure there are minimum issues and when an issue arises, the planner will know how to resolve them promptly. Planners have seen it all and know the tips and tricks for avoiding mistakes and slipups.

Vendor Recommendations

In addition to possessing a wealth of knowledge, planners have been in the industry long enough to know which vendors can be trusted, who has the best business practices and who provides the most value. They know from experience if the quality of someone’s work matches the price tag that comes along with it. This in turn will help you get the most out of every dollar you spend.

Vendor Coordination

Your wedding day will involve numerous vendors who need to work together to insure that the day goes smoothly. A planner understands how each vendor relies on the others and serves as the team captain who coordinates the complexities of the timeline with all its moving parts.

Mediator

A good planner serves as a buffer in tricky relational situations. It’s a known fact that it’s impossible to make everyone happy when planning a wedding. A planner is a safe neutral person to point to for direction. It’s easier to tell your future mother-in-law, “My planner thinks we need to…” instead of “I think we should…”

Inspiration to Reality

Planners with a creative edge and eye for design provide an invaluable asset to the success of turning your vision into reality. They’ll inspire you with ideas that will make your wedding unique and provide your guests with a memorable experience.

Professional Planner vs. “Venue Coordinator”

For some venues, part of their selling strategy is to tell you you’ll have a “wedding coordinator” on the day of your event. One thing that they probably won’t clarify is that this person is actually the venue’s catering manager and their job is to make sure that everything relating to the venue runs smoothly. While they are helpful, they do not cover the scope of what an independent planner does, which will leave the couple and their families feeling overwhelmed throughout the planning process with the many decisions that do not involve the venue (etiquette, budgeting, itineraries, timelines, design, coordination between the vendors, etc.). The venue’s “wedding coordinator” may also juggle more than one wedding on a given day and several events in a week that are just as important to them as yours. A professional wedding planner will only take a limited number of weddings each month so that they can make sure to give you the attention and time you deserve, which will make the entire experience less stressful and more enjoyable.

You Can Focus on Important Matters

Couples have enough on their plates between work, family, friends and social commitments. Throw in managing a handful of vendors and thousands of intricate details for planning one of the most important days of your life and you’ll find it hard to balance the emotions that come along with it. Your planning experience should be filled with bliss and enjoyment and hiring a professional planner will allow you to relax and enjoy every moment.

Hiring a Specialist!

Millions of people hire specialist every day to take care of jobs beyond their expertise (i.e. auto repair, home construction, accounting, etc.) or don’t have the time to do themselves (i.e. housecleaning). Planning a wedding is a big job, especially for someone who doesn’t regularly plan events. There is little margin for error so it makes the most sense to hand it over to someone who is the expert.

FYI! Julie is also featured in my 22 Best Wedding Vendors in DC post! If you need a DC event planner, please reach out to Julie!

My mission is to capture bold, modern, and distinctive photos for unconventional couples. I want to make you look epic, awesome, amazing, beautiful, and dapper – all the things you like and none of the things you don’t. Most importantly, I want to capture what makes you you.

If this sounds like you and your partner, I’d love to hear more about your dream wedding! Please reach out to me regarding availably and pricing. You can also e-mail me at chris@chrisferenzi.com or use the super convenient form below : )