Considering a Wedding Planner: With Katie O Weddings & Events

Your big day is around the corner…Or maybe you just started planning a year or two out…?  Either way, planning one of the biggest days of your life can be extremely stressful with every day worries in any stage of the process!   

We got in touch with our Couple of the Year, Asi and Chenique, to see how planning their big bash was a breath of fresh air with their wedding planner, Katie O’Malley with Katie O Weddings & Events. 

Asi and Chenique had a lot to say about hiring someone to help along the way…

Over the last 8 months, we have worked closest with Katie O and her team, staying in constant communication throughout every phase of planning our wedding. This whole wedding planning thing is completely new to us and it’s been so helpful having Katie O and her team as such an invaluable support. She’s been extremely helpful coordinating between vendors, preparing us for meetings, keeping us on a timeline, and most importantly, making sure that we are enjoying this process! We’re both extremely busy juggling work, school, and other obligations, that many days we barely have time to even have a sit down meal together let alone trying to discuss and coordinate all of the components that go into planning our big day. During our initial planning consultation, Katie asked us questions about our love story to get to know us and to learn what’s most important to us when it comes down to our wedding day. High on the list is having a stress-free and enjoyable day that our loved ones; and of course that we, will always fondly look back on. In hearing about other couple’s experiences with KOWE and our own experiences over the course of these last 8 months, we’re confident that this will be the case!

Here are some Q & A that we had with Katie and her team in regards to hiring a full time planner or just a day of coordination!

1) Should I plan my wedding on my own, or do I need a planner?

Having a wedding planner is such a huge help to so many couples who want a stress-free and enjoyable planning process. There are so many couples who are busy with full-time careers, maybe live at a distance or are still in school so having the help of a wedding planner to manage all of the pre-wedding details is invaluable.  If you do not have a full-service wedding planner allocated for in your budget you can certainly plan your own wedding (with the help of family & friends!) and still do a fantastic job.  However, when the wedding weekend arrives you should definitely turn over all the details to a coordinator.  Consider hiring a “day of” coordinator to help keep you calm, on time and able to be present and enjoy every moment with your family and friends.  While a wedding planner can be considered a “luxury” it is always one the most praised vendors and services to have on your wedding day.

2) What services does Katie O’ provide?

Katie O Weddings & Events provides various levels of service from a la carte consultations, full-service planning and coordination, custom coordination and our “One Special Day” day-of service for couples.  In addition to weddings we assist with bridal showers, bachelorette planning, rehearsal dinner, brunch and other non-wedding events for clients.

3) Are there different levels of wedding planning, (a little help vs. the whole package)

Yes, we offer 3 levels of service for our couples:

Full Service Planning & Coordination

This is our most comprehensive level of service for clients who want to eliminate the stress of planning their special celebration. KOWE will act as your project manager, handling the planning, timeline, budget, vendor relations, meetings and details surrounding your day.  Full service planning and coordination makes your experience easy and stress free producing a flawless event from start to finish.

One Special Day Coordination

The perfect level of service for the client who has time and wishes to do all of the planning but would love to have a professional to consult with through the planning process.  Two months prior to your event you meet with your KOWE Senior Coordinator to work through the details and overall timeline of your day. At this time the KOWE team starts to complete the coordination process with final detail confirmations and will ensure that everything is in place for your special day.

Custom Coordination

This level of  includes our One Special Day service with the option to customize.  You will be able to add tasks to our to-do list so you do not have to worry about them. This hybrid approach to full service planning and day of coordination is fun, sparkly and just what is needed to make your day special.

4) What were the main questions/concerns from Asi and Chenique and from most couples in general

Couples want to make sure that they can enjoy the day and that their guests have fun!  We love it when couples say that this is their top priority, since this is what we are experts at providing our KOWE couples.  Having the KOWE team as part of your wedding day allows everyone to really enjoy the celebration and not be worried about all the little details.

In addition couples want to make sure they can stay within a budget and still have the wedding they dream of.  Having a planner or consultant can definitely help get you set up for success when figuring out how much everything this going to cost and helping you stick within your set budget.

Provided by Katie O Weddings & Events
Photo Credit: Elario Photography