With the Hilton Head/Bluffton Wedding Expo scheduled this month, I feel compelled to update my post ‘Value vs. Price’ written March 27, 2017, to ‘Am I Worth My Fee?’ If you are planning to attend the Expo, please keep in mind my comments and the comments noted from Jean from WeddingsFromTheHeart.net. I am worth my fee and here is why…
As of January, 2018, I booked my 100th wedding; a milestone for myself and my business. The 100 wedding couples selected me for a reason. I’m not the most expensive nor am I the cheapest. The destination and local clients place their trust in my Preferred Vendor List and are confident in my ability to get the job done.
Yes, your wedding day is a job, for me. One of the responsibilities is to make sure you are happy and comfortable and not stressed about planning your day. Your wedding is also my passion. I love what I do.
My fee isn’t set by a randum number or amount. My fee is calculated by the time/hours it takes me to create your wedding celebration and getting the key players (wedding professionals) together. My fee includes being there for you for your wedding rehearsal, on-site at your ceremony location and being there thru your reception.
‘It’ shouldn’t be about price. ‘It’ should focus on your comfort level, confidence in the person to do what you ask them to do and it should be about trust. Trusting someone that you hired to explain the pro and con of every decision, give honest answers to your questions and to be there on your wedding day implementing your decisions while stopping any family drama that develops.
Now, Jean from WeddingsFromTheHeart.net writes about her experiences and response to her clients questions…
How much do you charge?” That is usually the first question I get from a newly engaged bride or groom.
And it’s definitely a valid question. However, my answer is “It depends.”
Now you’re probably thinking, “why does she give a vague ‘it depends’ answer when other planners can tell us a dollar amount?”
How can I (or they, for that matter) tell you the price without knowing any details of your wedding, without knowing what you want me/us to do for you?
There way too many variables from one wedding to the next that affect the level of service I can provide for any couple, and in turn, affects ‘how much I charge.’
Do you want to end up paying too much because you’re getting things you really don’t want, or end up paying too little and miss things that are truly important to you? Of course not.
Some things (but not all) that affect price are:
– A wedding for 40-50 people is different than one for 250-300 people.
- How traditional or non-traditional your event will be
– Although traditional is in no way “cookie cutter,” non-traditional events can require more time and effort.
- How hands on or hands off you want me to be
– Do you want me to schedule vendor appointments for you, and join you at these appointments? Or do you just want me to provide you with names and contact information of vendors that would be a good fit for you?
– Do you want help with DIY projects?
– Do you need help locating unique resources and products to enhance your wedding?
The main services I provide are planning (partial to full-service), wedding weekend coordination, and hourly consulting. But (other than the hourly consults, because well, an hour is an hour, no one couple’s planning or coordination needs are the same as another couple’s.
Unlike so many other wedding planners, I do not have a price list to hand out, and am really surprised that others do.
So please don’t think I’m trying to be secretive when I don’t immediately answer the “How much do you charge” question. Instead, let’s get together (in person, or by phone-chat), and talk a bit about your wedding needs. That way we can develop service programs specifically for you (with pricing), based on you and the wedding you want.
The decision to have LKE as your wedding planner shouldn’t be solely decided upon due to price. It’s not always about price. Your decision to contract with me should be about the value of my services – knowledge, experience, education – a trusted professional that will guide you and help you have the wedding day that you envision.
Call me, let’s chat so I can answer your question, how much do you charge?
For more ideas and tips, follow me on my Facebook page! Lisa Kenward Events
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