5 questions for wedding planners

Question

1.Who is responsible for paying for the fees up front, such as tent rental, clean up crew, table linen, all the accessories for the wedding, runner?

2. When normally do event planners collect this money (if they do) or do the bride/groom pay for it and the planner takes them to where the merchandise is.

3. Who keeps the rented merchandise until the day of the event?

4. When does a planner get paid for they're services..Day of event? a week before? ???

(sigh)

Last question

5. Is the wedding planner responsible for any fees or cost that accrue from the other parties event?

Thank you to all who answer....Your Great!

Answer 1

I'm not a wedding planner, but am a bridal consultant, and as such, work with quite a few planners.  I'll do my best with your questions.  Bear in mind though, each planner does things his/her own way, so there's really no 1 answer to any of your questions.  

1.  The bride/groom are responsible for paying all fees for rentals, period.  Depending on the contract you have with your planner, some will have you write them (the planner) a check, others will have you write the check directly to the vendor, with the planner delivering it.  Generally, if the planner has you writing the checks to him/her, they're probably doing a full scale coordination for you, and they're charging you a percentage of the total expenses for the wedding.  

2.  No sane planner would pay any expenses out of his/her own pocket, especially for services and rentals.  Those are non-tangible goods, and that's giving credit for nothing you can get back.  There's no recourse the planner has against the bride/groom if they never pay him/her.

3.  Generally, the vendors will keep all the rental equipment until the day of.  If the coordinator needs to, he/she will accept delivery the day before.  Sometimes this can be stored at the venue, sometimes not.  It really depends on space issues.  

4.  A sane planner, and one who handles his/her business like a business (not all do) will insist on being paid in full for his/her services prior to the wedding.  This is negotiated in the contract you should sign with the coordinator.  

5.  The wedding planner is NOT generally liable for any extra fees/expenses that accure, unless the fees are due to the planner's negligence.  This is again, something that needs to be stipulated very clearly in a contract.  

Your best bet is to sit down with the planner/coordinator you're considering hiring, and ask him/her these questions.  Make certain you've covered every eventuality.  Read over every contract with every vendor carefully--in the end, YOU'RE the one responsible for paying them, not the planner.  Also, look into insurance, yes, there is wedding insurance.  Policies vary, and the laws vary state to state, but you can get it, and it can cover several unforeseen circumstances.  

I wish you all the best!

Answer 2

5 questions for wedding planners

1.Who is responsible for paying for the fees up front, such as tent rental, clean up crew, table linen, all the accessories for the wedding, runner?

It all depends on who's paying for the wedding, from the Bride's parents to the actual couple.  That is somwething the families have to sit down and discuss.

2. When normally do event planners collect this money (if they do) or do the bride/groom pay for it and the planner takes them to where the merchandise is.

You can pay directly to the planner, deposit up front for services or pay the rental servie yourself.  It depends how the contract is laid out.

3. Who keeps the rented merchandise until the day of the event?

You can hold it at someones home, the planner may have a storage facilty, or the rental company could do a drop of the morning of.  

Also, some venues allow it to be stored for a night.

4. When does a planner get paid for they're services..Day of event? a week before? ???

Generally planners collect fees the morning of the wedding or after the day is done.  

Also, some people opt for only a-la-carte services like help with only certain things, which can be billed up front.

Either way a deposit is paid in the beginning.

5. Is the wedding planner responsible for any fees or cost that accrue from the other parties event?

The persons hiring the planner are responsible for all fees.  If a see is overlooked or something occurns that the planner did not intend then they would pay that fee.