I do not know about you but in the time that I have spent planning weddings, the 12 month planning timeline has not worked for me, especially not in Nigeria.
People just don't seem to understand how to start planning a year before their wedding date. Yet, at wedding seminars and trainings, it is been taught to follow the 12 months planning timeline.
So how does this work when your client comes 6 months, 3 months or even a month to their wedding date, expecting a miracle he or she believes only a planner can perform?
We advise that couples should start planning early but not everyone would understand this and not all couples plan ahead and sometimes, some couples want to but do not have the financial capability to start early (which is the case 70% of the time).
I for one, feel that we should all learn to apply what works best for you. Having in mind that someone somewhere created the 12 month planning timeline because it worked for him or her.
I have had clients who actually intended to start a year before and had it all planned out, only for us to end up starting 6 months to their wedding date.
Another thing I must say is that, it is not everything you read online that you must apply. The truth is, it may be a guide but it does not necessarily mean that it is the right guide for you.
There are a whole lot of reasons as to why the 12 month plan may not work and I will list one or two reasons here.
One, financial restraints. You probably thought you would have some money to start with the planning by a certain time and along the line, some things came up and the money you had thought you would have, somehow got delayed.
Two, change of date. For whatsoever reason, your initial wedding date picked can change for several reasons. It can be pushed forward or backwards depending on the circumstances.
Three, your preferred vendor may not want to get paid far in advance, as this was not the case before. Vendors used to prefer getting paid far in advance but it is not the case anymore and we cannot blame them, especially not with the economic state of the country.
Things are changing and the country is changing as well. It is difficult explaining to a client why the initial agreed price wont work anymore after receiving a deposit payment, due to flunctuation in exchange rate or any other economic crises at that.
As a planner, only you can determine which planning system works for you. If a client stays true to a plan, then you can follow up with the plan but do not force yourself to plan a wedding using a timeline that will not work for you or your client or a vendor.
In a few weeks, I will be holding a training for those who aspire to be wedding planners and would like to learn how to make a name for their brand in the highly competitive market.
The good part is that I would be sharing secret tips on how to move up the competitive wedding planning industry ladder and get your brand recognized in no time.
The sad part is that we have only 6 slots available. So stay tuned!
Olamide~ The Heiress
