HAVE YOU FOUND THE IDEAL WEDDING PLANNER? HERE ARE 6 CLUES TO TELL!

 

The search may be over, but now a new (and elaborate one) begins! How do I find the perfect wedding planner? Top tips to select a wedding planner... the variations of this quest seem endless, and deciding how to choose a wedding planner is quite the feat. While every couple certainly wants a planner who’s experienced and professional, it is also majorly important to identify the one you personally click with from moment one. Finding the right pro who fits all of the above might feel a little overwhelming but following these cues will give you the confidence to say yes.

 

1. GETTING TO KNOW YOU WEDDING PLANNER

Finding out more about the creator behind your Big Day scheme is key, even before you complete the contact form and inquire about their availability and rates. Every wedding planner's vision is evident when you get to explore their website, media and how they voice their work. Style is important of course, but if you get to identify with this creative, you will also be able to establish a connection, which translates into: someone who speaks your language and therefore understands what you need without you needing to explain absolutely everything.

 

2. CAN YOU EASILY NAVIGATE THEIR SITE AND LISTS?

Chances are the way your wedding planner has organized everything the same way they will be working on your wedding. Do they offer a clean least of services with several explanations on each stage? This is huge as very few brides-to-be are veterans. The majority of people getting wed are doing so for the first time in their lives and therefore will require several hours of guidance in order to switch on "wedding planning mode". If everything about your wedding planner gives you the feeling of comfort, warmth (this is actually the first feel to receive) and professionalism, you're on the right track.

 

3. THE PERFECT REPLY

So you completed the form of communication and you're waiting for your wedding planner's reply. How long is it? On peak seasons this should not be over 48 hours, while on a low season no less than 24. Punctuality is important with everything you're about to do. What you receive is next. Was it simply a plain document of services and prices ? What did the presentation feel like? Are they offering you a checklist, or a piece of detailed services? Does the layout appeal to your aesthetics? Don't underestimate the feeling you get from someone who looks too busy to clarify, or too unwilling to negotiate and discuss the lovely things you are there to share. Don't underestimate the feeling you get from someone who always engages, cares what you have to say, considers no question silly and provides clear answers when you need to know. Your ideal planner's approach will go way beyond making you feel "at home". A wedding planner who cares will well... care for everything, including the most minute detail in their reply back. Which brings us to the next…

 

4. THE ONE FOR YOU CARES FOR YOU

Hiring a wedding planner comes with a cost, but the ideal wedding planner will take it upon them to save you funds instead of having you splurge (unless you expressly say so). They will assist you with vendor negotiations and high-cost vendors that require your attention. The venue is one serious cost, with the catering and floral budget following. Your ideal planner will not simply connect you but will insist on letting you know the limitations and "little secrets" acting as your advocate and mediator. They will explain "the process" from A to Z and always leave you with the feeling you are in loving, capable hands. In other words, your ideal wedding planner will be your “numero uno” stress-reliever.

 

5. THE 3" S" IN OTHER WORDS, SPECIALIZATION - SKILLS - AND ONE HECK OF A STYLE

Here's a question for you: are they eager to handle everything so that you don't end up doing the work yourself? Are they ready to cover every aspect of your wedding? Are your wedding professionals qualified in monitoring every detail of the wedding so you can gain true insight about each of your events? Will they offer you undivided attention and be present throughout your festivities? There will likely be weeks where nothing wedding-related happens, but will they consider it important to keep the check-ins on the calendar so you can discuss whether either of you is struggling with any upcoming tasks? And finally do they come with one heck of a style when doing all that? Doing things sleek is a wedding planner's job and when your wedding professionals are calm and collected you will be too.

 

6. WHAT ARE THEIR VENDOR TACTICS & RAPPORT

Your ideal wedding planner will keep you both informed on vendor emails and have you generally in the know everything that happens during the planning process. They should be team players and wish to collaborate with your vendors and if there is something they don't like (or know) about someone you're thinking of booking, let you know in advance. At the same time your ideal wedding planner should have a comprehensive list of approved vendors to share with you, people they can absolutely vouch for, vendors who have been tried and tested.

Wish to find out more about how InEventive weddings work? We are always happy to hear from you.
Connect with Maria Maroulidou here.

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KIND WORDS

 

  • Maria worked around the clock with us to make our dream island wedding come true! We had a tight budget, a few cultural twists in our ceremony, some complicated logistics (and an anxious bride 2 hours before the wedding) and yet nothing was impossible. Forever grateful for Maria's dedication, hard work and organisation :) Highly recommended! Thank you so so much (and to your lovely ladies who were amazing throughout the whole weekend). Will miss working with you xxx

    Rebecca Simon

  • The best person to trust for this special day! I cannot recommend Maria and her team highly enough. Her expertise, support, attention to the detail, organization skills and taste allowed us to enjoy our day to the fullest. Thank you!

    Lily

     
  • Planning a wedding is hard. Planning a wedding in Greece when you live in California is even harder. Unless  of course, you work with Maria and her incredible team at InEventive. My husband Chris and I used Maria to plan our wedding on the island of Paros this past August, and honestly - it was the best decision we ever made. She worked tirelessly with us over the course of 10 months to take our hopes and dreams and bring them to life. The absolute best photographers, videographers, dj’s in the business? Maria is friends with and works with them all. Florists that can take a minimalistic venue and have it dripping like the Garden of Eden? Table stakes. Ideas for how to take something ordinary and make it extraordinarily? She’s got hundreds. Want to take a boat from the church to your venue? No problem! Fireworks? Obviously...Handling the annoying things like paperwork and forms? She’ll hold your hand the whole way through. More importantly, Maria and her team go into absolute beast mode on the day of. Every single detail is covered, down to the smallest piece of minutia, so all you have to do is show up. Thanks to Maria, our wedding blew all of our expectations and our guests expectations out of the water. People are still talking to me about how it was hands down the most amazing wedding they had ever been to! If you’re thinking about working with her - take my word and just do it. You won’t regret it for a second. Maria - thank you SO MUCH, from the bottom of our hearts. You made the first day of the rest of our lives more beautiful and unforgettable than we could have ever dreamed. We are so grateful to have worked with you and your team!!
     

    Dimitra

  • The best wedding planner anyone can ask for. Excellent work and attention to details. Thank you Maria for everything you have done for us!

    Maya

     

  • Best wedding planner/event designer!! 5/5!! She really understood our ideas and she has been extremely engaged and helpful! Would highly recommend to anyone planning an event and would definitely use again in future events!

    Carolina

  • I don't even know where to begin! Eternally grateful are the words that come to mind though. When a friend of mine started her wedding planning, I searched through instagram to help find her a wedding planner, which is how I came across Maria's page. The photos were absolutely stunning and I loved her style. Fast forward a few months and not only had I recommended Maria, purely based on photos to one friend, but I then chose to work with her for our own wedding and was very eager to share her with yet another friend of mine. That resulted in Maria planning 3 weddings within a 2 month time frame for 3 friends with very similar guest lists! I know I speak for all 3 of us when I say how happy we were with Maria's support. Each wedding was unique and perfectly reflected our styles and preferences. Maria was extremely responsive & supportive throughout the whole process. On top of that, I felt like she and her colleagues were more like family and I truly hope to stay in touch with them. I think the saddest part once the weddings were all over was having to say goodbye to them!
     

    Rena

  • Excellent company!! World class!!

    Anita

  • Planning for a destination wedding is very stressful unless you have a trustful planner. Maria is the best. We were very lucky to find her for our destination wedding. She planned everything for us, and she followed all our ideas. The main reason I chose her beside her amazing taste was because I found her very honest. She sent me all the details of the job and made everything very clear from the first time I talked to her. She was always available during the whole year before our wedding; answering our questions, following our requests, and giving us useful recommendations. Also, she has many connections and works with the best in the industry.
    We will be grateful forever to work with her and we highly recommend her to everyone.
    Thank you Maria to make my big day so beautiful.

    Jila

  • Maria helped make our dream wedding come true! We live in the States and wanted our wedding in Athens given my husband’s connection to Greece. Maria was great at taking care of everything remotely. Through many many emails (she was always responsive) and a few Skype calls, she managed to translate our vision into reality. My husband and I had the best night of our lives. Everything was beautiful and unforgettable. We would recommend her to anyone who is looking to plan their big day. Thanks Maria for your professionalism and creative eye!

    Jing

  • I recommend Maria and her team to anyone who is planning a wedding, or party! I live in D.C. and planned to have our wedding in Athens - Island Private House. Maria made the process so much less stressful and smooth! She was very flexible in scheduling Skype calls, and was able to work around my busy work schedule. She listened to what I wanted the wedding to look like, and delivered! The decor was perfect! The day of the wedding was hectic, and it is clear that Maria is a very busy person, however, she did her best to make sure I was able to enjoy the day. I highly recommend InEventive and Maria to anyone, particularly if you are planning from abroad! 

    Sahar

  • I wanted to let you know how great of a job you did on our wedding day! And in fact it’s hard to know where to start: First of all Thank you for helping us out with all the little details on the wedding weekend and for being present on all three evenings. I could probably write a book about what good of a job everybody did on this weekend but in the end, YOU put it all in place and made sure everything turned out perfectly!! And most important you took all the pressure off my shoulders and tried being patient with that German girl that is having a Greek wedding. I cannot thank you enough for the great job you did!!! Nicholas and I wish you all the best for your future as the most professional wedding planner!

    Eva

  • Dear Maria, we are back in New York after our honeymoon and wanted to send you a note and thank you for helping us put together such a wonderful event! We loved working with you and really enjoyed meeting you and getting to know you. We certainly hope that we will have the opportunity to return to Athens and hope to work again with you if we are putting together another celebration in Greece.

    Vassi

  • Maria, I just wanted to express my appreciation again for all your amazing work that you did for Nicholas’ and Eva’s wedding. The wedding day and all the pre- celebration  events were absolutely perfect and will always be an unforgettable and memorable time for all of us!! Working with you was once again a pleasure. I wish you all the best and hopefully our roads will cross again in the near future.

    Aris

     

  • I would just like to take this opportunity to thank you for all your hard work and effort that you put into making our baby girl’s christening such a special event. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend your fantastic services to all my friends and look forward to any potential events planned for the future. Thank you so much :):)

    Ariana

  • Imagination, preparation, attention to detail and superior creative skills define Maria's work. Every event, personal or corporate, is executed with proper due diligence in Greece and abroad! Whether it’s a destination wedding, a corporate function or a lavish affair Maria Maroulidou and InEventive Creative Experience will ensure that every aspect of your event will be managed and delivered to perfection! Highly recommended!

    Dean

  • High class event organizing company, one of the best in the Mediterranean.
    Success is always guaranteed.

    Kimon

  • Within my 20 years experience of djing in high level social and private events I have never met such a professional, gifted and inspiring event planner. Congrats Maria, you are top. Apart from the business, you are a wonderful person, keep on rising!

    Nikos

  • Highly recommended for all private, social and professional events!!!

    Bruno