Last Updated on December 16, 2022
Table of Contents
Extremely Organized
It certainly goes without saying than any wedding planner worth his/her salt is highly organized and detail-oriented. Unfortunately, not all are. Some of the more creative, dreamy types are very talented when it comes to design but severely lacking in their ability to prioritize, delegate and organize. When interviewing planners, pay very close attention to the speed of response to your messages, how polished and prepared their materials appear and whether they seem to be on the ball or not. Trust your gut and never enlist the help of a planner who doesn’t have a professional level of organization. Otherwise, your entire wedding could be a mess.
Fully Staffed
This one is critical because with a destination wedding the couple and their guests usually have no other local resources to help if the planner gets sick or decides to bail at the last minute. Most local wedding planners are one-person operations and this puts a huge risk on the couple. It’s best to find a small boutique planning agent that has several planners and coordinators, including a “floater” or backup person who can swoop in to save the day if a lead planner has an emergency.
As local Cabo wedding planners, we understand first-hand the importance of always having a backup plan for every event. No one, not the couple nor the suppliers nor the planners, have control over who gets sick when, if a family member is suddenly lost, if a disaster strikes a home. When an emergency strikes, who will step in to help and ensure the wedding goes off without a hitch? Our team has prepared for this scenario and we highly recommend that you find a destination planning team that is ready with a Plan B as well.
Locally Connected
Being connected to an “it” network of elite, highly qualified suppliers is essential to getting the best service and best experience. When you don’t live in the location where you’re getting married, you don’t know which wedding vendors are the cream of the crop and which ones will be reliable – a good planner will connect you with the finest professionals in the area.
Extensive Venue Experience
When a planner has never coordinated a wedding at a specific venue before, this causes all sorts of complications because they don’t truly understand the logistics, challenges and limitations of the property from past experience. You want to find a destination wedding planner that has planned events at your venue before so nothing comes as a surprise for them and they can be fully prepared for everything from day one of planning. In addition, they should have a wealth of recommendations available for you to consider based on your style, taste and the experience you want to have. For instance, if you’re looking for wedding venues in Cabo San Lucas as an active couple, your planner should instantly know several that are a fit for people who love to spend time outdoors and doing activities.
Problem Solver
Even the best laid plans will get hijacked at least once during your destination wedding, just plan on it. Whether it’s the restaurant running out of the ingredients for the appetizer you chose or the band falling ill 2 days before your wedding. The fact is, when humans, weather and supply chains are involved, nothing can be guaranteed. That’s why it is paramount to have a wedding planner who is highly skilled at coming up with creative solutions and alternative options quickly so that minor setbacks never take hold of your plans. Things happen and they are almost always unpredictable. A destination wedding planner should be ready and willing to pivot at a moment’s notice to respond positively to bumps in the road.
Exquisite Designer
These days, many couples want that magazine-worthy look; especially when you’re splurging on a wedding from afar. In order to achieve that, you need to align yourself with a destination planner who is not only fully current on all the latest trends but who is a trend-setter themself! A talented designer with a keen eye for layouts and stylish accents will create an atmosphere that has all your guests enamored. The most reliable way to ensure you find a design savvy planner whose style complements yours is to ask to review their recent portfolio. Tell them plainly the type of design you’re attracted to and let them hand-select recent weddings they’ve designed that would fit the bill. Even though your design plan will be unique from other past weddings they’ve done, this will still give you a strong idea of their level of ability and how well they understand your specific aesthetic.
Fun
Who said planning a wedding should feel like a job? That’s the worst way to experience the most exciting time of your life! Having a team that is fun, cheerful and easy going will help make the entire planning process a joy to go through together. The memories should start the day you said “yes”, not the day you make it official.