The Difference Between a Manager and a Planner

Planning a wedding can be a stressful time if you don't have the time to fully commit to it. This is why many couples hire a wedding planner to help with the overall structure, design, and plan for their special day. If you decide to have your wedding in a hotel they will sometimes tell you they have their own planner who will help you plan your big day. Although the role of the manager in a hotel is a very important job there is a difference between a manager and a planner. The word planner is often used quite loosely and when we came across Preston Bailey's, one of the top wedding planners in America, blog entry on clarifying the differences between a Manager and a Planner we thought it would be an interesting topic to share with you as we feel it is important for you to know what kind of service you are paying for. After all it is the happiest day of your life!

A big mis-understanding that occurs in this business is the responsibilities of a wedding planner versus a manager.

• Mangers are responsible for the over all running of the event in the hotel such as the catering and and waiters, keeping track of time during the day such as ensuring the dinner is served at a particular time to ensure the band and DJ start and finish on time. Most of the duties assigned to the manager are venue related tasks.

• Planners on the other hand are with you from the first initial meeting to the moment you walk down the aisle. A planner is there to support and guide you throughout the entire process and are on hand to help with any detail of your wedding. Planners help you organise all details of a wedding from finding your dream venue, creating and managing budgets, to finding vendors to suit your every desire and many more.

Another mis understanding which occurs in this industry is that people believe that managers work for you. In reality managers are hired by the venue to perform tasks which allow them to make sure the event runs smoothly. They are not there to assist you with your overall wedding decision making process where as planners are there from the very start to ensure all your wedding dreams come true in the run up to your wedding day and on the day itself.

We would like to ensure our readers know we are in no way deameaning the role of mangers in hotels we understand it is clearly an important role with a lot of responsibilities we just wanted to clarify the differences between the roles as this can sometimes lead to confusion to many couples when planning a wedding. We hope this blog has helped to clarify the main differences between a manager and a wedding planner.

Here is a link to Preston's website.  He is a top wedding planner in America.
http://blog.prestonbailey.com/

Summer Wedding Trends

We all know Ireland is not exactly known for our hot summers but we hope to heat things up with some summer wedding trends and ideas for 2013!

Marquee Weddings and Draping

Have the atmosphere of an outdoor wedding while protecting your guests from the Irish weather! Marquee weddings are popular this summer and are easily dressed with drapery to add a sophisticated look to the room.

Add hanging lanterns to the draping to create a romantic atmosphere 



Colour Trends

Mixing colours can help create a summer atmosphere even if its raining outside. Colours such as blue and white or blue and yellow can give that fresh summer look to any wedding no matter the weather! It also means you will probably have your "something blue" sorted which will be one less thing to worry about.

Mini Menus

Why not consider having mini appetizers and desserts at your wedding. This also saves the hassle of having lots of left over wedding cake. Impress your guests by presenting them in an original way.

Mismatched Bridesmaid dresses 

As no two women are the same the same style of dress may not suit all your bridesmaids so why not mismatch them to give a trendy vibe to your wedding but also keep the ladies happy with their favourite style of dress.

Place cards with a twist!

 Surprise your guests with an original place card which include a little treat for them too! They will be impressed with the idea and enjoy their treat too!

Balloon theme

Couples often like to have an overall theme for their wedding and balloon themes are becoming a fun idea to incorporate into your day! You can include the theme as much or as little into your day as you like.

Here are some ideas you could consider:

We hope we have inspired you with these Summer Wedding trends and ideas!