WORKING WITH A WEDDING PLANNER IN TAHITI
Whether you are eloping to the Islands of Tahiti, or having a Destination Wedding in Tahiti, there will come a time to consider getting some outside help, aka looking at working with a Wedding Planner in Tahiti. I see couples trying to plan it all by themselves, only to realize that the logistics that come with traveling overseas and/or a destination wedding afar from home are just harder than with a hometown wedding.
Just like you wouldn’t rely on your neighbor’s cousin’s former roommate who says she can “plan your wedding,” you shouldn’t rely on anyone’s capabilities to handle it without doing some research first. A “Wedding Planner” or “Wedding Coordinator” tag does not mean the person you’re talking to is a wedding professional.
4 Things You Should Look At When In The Process Of Working With A Wedding Planner In Tahiti (Or Anywhere Else)
1. Does he/she have a comprehensive website?
As in all sectors, we see some self-proclaimed wedding planners, who often will not have a website, or at the very least will have a free website that you can easily spot if they don’t own their domain name (i.e. companyname.com) or if you see adds showing up all around their web pages or a powered by [a third party company]. A professional who invests in a comprehensive website is a good indication of how serious he/she is about what he/she’s doing, but it’s not just that, especially these days when literally ANYONE can build a great-looking website with drag-and-drop solutions, for free… so if you did not search your wedding planner any further, thinking that you’ve found the perfect Moorea-based wedding planner for your special day, keep reading!
2. Can you find verified testimonials of past couples namely referring to this person (not just to a venue)?
Verified testimonials (showing either on trusted wedding review sites, or along with wedding photos) are a great way to get a sense of what past couples’ experience was with your planner. If reviewing a resort or venue coordinator, look for reviews specifically referring to the person you’ll be working with, as a resort or venue staffing evolves on a year-round basis, and a staff member who’s been amazing but no longer works at the resort/venue will not help in your own personal experience at this resort/venue. Also make sure that the person who will be overseeing your wedding planning all along will actually be present on the wedding day.
The above comment from a bride who was let down by her wedding planner has of course been removed from the page so that it now looks super polished – the real question is, how many couples have been let down over time that you would never suspect by just looking at their social medias ? The above linked article talks about one couple whose cancelled wedding – same planner – we rescued and made happen in the course of just a few days.
So you want to look at places where reviews cannot be hidden from viewing : no online reviews to look at? It might very well be that either your wedding planner is a newbie and does not have much experience under her belt just yet, which is totally okay if you feel confident about his/her abilities to deliver an experience that will be on par with your expectations for the day, or it might very well be that reviews or recommandations were deactivated because they were not all so good…
3. Can you browse photos of past events he/she organized?
Talking about experience, you hear it all the time but photos speak a thousand words. Can you find photos of past events either on his/her website, in wedding listings, on wedding blogs or other wedding-related online features? Can you see a range of several different weddings photographed, and not just one same wedding showing up across all places? Can you actually see a full gallery for each wedding, and not just a single or a handful photos? This can give you a lead to how much experience he/she has in planning weddings. Stock photos everywhere? That’s not good, read #2 again. The lines are blurred on your wedding planner’s website about whether or not the featured photos are of past weddings he/she actually planned, and not just photographed? Hint: a photographer adding planning services to his/her toolkit has all the photos he/she needs to fool you. Read #2 again.
4. How long has he/she been in the wedding business?
Whether considering an independent wedding planner in Tahiti or a resort/venue coordinator, the more experience the more trust. A person who has worked many weddings will better anticipate possible mishaps. Also the better he/she knows the venue, the better the advice will be. A note on resort/venue coordinators: although a couple of very high-end resorts have highly specialized staff to oversee weddings (especially in Bora Bora), most will have their sales staff or onsite tour desk staff handle weddings, which means that they’ll work in the best interest of the resort/venue and not as much with your own vision of the wedding as an independent wedding planner will. An independent wedding planner in Tahiti will come to the table with no agenda, and will work his/her socks off, or should I say flip-flops? – to make your vision of a perfect destination wedding in Tahiti come true.
If any of the above information is missing, or is unclear… stay clear, it may very much be that you’re talking to a hobbyist.
** last updated on March 22, 2019 **