This has been a sensitive topic for me to talk about. For one reason, I am a wedding planner and I wouldn't want to put other planners on blast. After much thought, I have decided to damn the consequences.
If you didn't know, the same way clients have expectations is the same way planners have expectations. I have talked about Client's Budget VS Client's Expectation. Today, I will be talking about Planners Expectations VS Client's Budget.
Every planner wants that jaw dropping moment for every event they plan but not all clients can afford these jaw dropping moments. Some clients just want to get married and get it over with, while the planner has a different game plan for the event and end up forcing their clients to use their preferred vendor to create the jaw dropping moment they so much desire. And this may cost a fortune.
Recently, the stories I hear from clients and vendors are quite heartbreaking. So before brides start to think that all planners are the same way, it would be safe to talk about this and express my disapproval of this new method of planning adopted by some planners.
A planner is meant to ease off your stress; not just mental and physical stress but also financial stress. A planner should not make you incur more debt.
A client called me recently and told me she was cancelling her contract with another planner she had already contracted her wedding to. Her reason was that, the planner was forcing expensive vendors on her and also charging her 10% service fee and 5% vat on each of these expensive vendors. This planner also asked her to increase her budget to N10 million from N6.5 million which was her initial wedding budget (for 600 guests minus the hall expenses).
She went further to say that she no longer reads her emails because it meant more money and she was already feeling pressurized and she did not like it.
This is unacceptable. As a planner, you cannot force a particular vendor on a client, just because you want perfect pictures for social media pages or because of the 10% you demand from these vendors.
Different planners have different terms of service that work for them and we cannot question it or say what you charge for your services is unreasonable but please do NOT force your preferred vendors on your clients. Your main aim is to make your client happy and stress free on their wedding day. You can make suggestions and allow your client decide on what she wants.
Please brides-to-be, do not get carried away by the pictures you see; feel free to say NO when you are being forced against your will. You have the right to say no, after all it is your money here and not theirs.
A good planner should be able to work with any vendor irrespective of their class or 'status' in the events industry and should help their client save money and not incur more wedding cost.
More so, any planner that demands 10% from vendors, can only achieve one or two things. One, the vendor would most likely compromise in service delivery and two, the vendor will only charge higher, so as not to run at a loss after paying the kickback. This simply shoots the wedding budget up and incurs more cost for the client. Imagine collecting 10% from a small-chops vendor.
Brides out there, please do not allow yourself to be forced into doing what you cannot afford. And dear planners, do NOT force your clients to use your preferred vendor just because... (whatever your reason is).
Olamide ~ The Heiress
