Wedding planning can be overwhelming to know where to start. My suggestion? Start interviewing wedding planners to find a great fit for you, your fiancé, and the wedding day style you’re dreaming of. However, as easy as that sounds in Houston alone there are hundreds of wedding planners, wedding designers, and wedding coordinators. So it might seem overwhelming to even decide who to reach out to.

That’s why I’ve teamed with Skylar at Chancey Charm to debunk some common topics on wedding planning. This Q&A will give you an idea of where to truly start and how to go about finding the right wedding planner for you and yours.

Skylar specializes in full-service wedding planning for the nationwide planning firm, Chancy Charm. She’s been in the industry for nearly a decade planning too many to count stunning weddings. Skylar is a true professional at marrying carefully curated design based on her couples’ desires and relationship with the logistics and communication of planning a wedding. No ‘t’ is left uncrossed and no ‘i’ left undotted! Not only does she do a wonderful job for her couples Skylar also teaches wedding planners her processes and systems.

When I was brainstorming who to work with on answers these questions I knew that Skylar was the perfect planner for the job. Her extensive experience in not only logistics, but wedding design as well, makes her the right person to answer any and all questions related to Houston wedding planning- and beyond!

Q&A with Houston Wedding Planner & Designer, Skylar

What is the difference between wedding planning and wedding coordination (or management)? And where does wedding design fit into it all?

Wedding planners guide couples through the process of planning their wedding, usually from beginning to end but the time/level of involvement can vary depending on client needs. 

Wedding coordinators take what a couple has already planned and handle finalizing the logistics and details to ensure a smooth wedding weekend. 

There has been an industry-driven shift to use the term “wedding management” in place of “wedding coordination” because they feel it better depicts their job title. It also serves to distance themselves from the misconceptions around “day-of” coordination. 

Some Houston wedding planners offer design guidance to help couples refine and effectively communicate their vision to their wedding day team. These can be a part of a larger planning service or a stand-alone like our Virtual Design offering. 

What do you find is the most stressful thing to a bride while planning her wedding day and how do you alleviate that stress?

Each couple has their own pressure points, if you will, that can become more stressful during wedding planning. Here are some examples:

Time & Workload

Many of our couples work high-demanding jobs (medical field, project management, etc.) and find that they do not have the time to dedicate to properly planning a wedding on their own. We streamline the process for these clients through regular touchpoints, professional vendor selection guidance, and our detailed online planning program. 

Lack of Confidence in Vision

I’ve been on countless inquiry calls with potential couples who freeze when I ask about their wedding vision. They usually have a general idea of what they want, but they lack confidence that they can communicate it clearly or the confidence that it will come together in real life. As a planning and design firm, our team often hears feedback from our couples like “you read my mind!” and use key information brought up during our questionnaires and meetings to create a beautiful, personal wedding design. Our signature design boards build our couples’ confidence in their plan and give them a visual of what all their elements will look like together. 

Interpersonal Relationships

Weddings create unique stressors for everyone involved, and I do mean everyone. The couple, their families, their friends… Everyone has feelings about the wedding and they can manifest quite differently than you expect. A usually laid-back mom can become irritable about her child growing up and lash out by giving unwanted negative feedback. A typically decisive individual can find themselves overwhelmed by the options. A groomsman might see this weekend as a chance to relive their “glory days” and end up drunk before the ceremony even starts. As planners, we often get the good, the bad, and the ugly from you, your family, and your friends. We provide support to our couples throughout the process and sometimes act as buffers day-of to help ease tensions as best we can.

What are some behind-the-scenes things you do leading up to a wedding day, and/or on a wedding day, that isn’t visible but are essential for a smooth wedding?

Our team members are information junkies. We touch base with your wedding day team at a minimum 4 times in the final two months to reconfirm timelines, layout, and work orders for each of your vendors. Our timelines can top over 8 pages for a single day and are chock full of vital information that we use to keep your day running smoothly. I personally have a spiral-bound booklet at every wedding with timelines, layouts, design plans, printed contracts, seating charts, contact files, and scores of notes for myself and other vendors to utilize. 

For the actual day, I think our couples would be shocked what we’ll do to ensure their day runs as smoothly as possible. Obviously, there are things we cannot do – make it stop raining, make food cook faster, make time slow down. But we’re often putting out fires and adjusting to meet whatever we face, be it a bridesmaid who spilled red wine down her dress right before introductions or a drunk guest who vomited on their table or a cake that was delivered destroyed and needed to be remade on-site. We’ve been there and handled that – often without our couple ever knowing! 

When do you suggest couples book their Houston wedding planner?

This depends on what level of service you’re looking for. For full-service planning & design, I recommend 10-12 months out here in Houston. For partial planning 8-10 months out would be sufficient. And for coordination 6 months out is a common time to book (although we love booking our coordination clients closer to 12 months so we can provide them with our online planning guide and personalized vendor recommendations). 

Keep in mind, though, that every wedding market is different. If you’re looking at getting married outside of Texas, you might find that you need to reach out earlier to secure your top pick team members. 

How much should couples allocate in their budget for a wedding planner?

Again, this will depend on the level of service you are looking for. Usually, coordinators take up 5-10% of your budget and can cost anywhere from $1,800 – $4,500 based on their experience, services included, etc. You can expect to allocate 10-15% for a partial or full-service planner and can vary greatly ($3,000 – $15,000+) based on your unique wedding needs. 

What should I look for in a wedding planner?

Your priorities will dictate what level of service and type of planner will be best for you. But in general, I can recommend two key elements to look at when interviewing Houston wedding planners. 

1. Ensure you have complementary communication styles
2. Review their portfolio & testimonials for consistency & quality

Photo by Fulleylove Photography

Work with Skylar

There’s a reason why Skylar is on my Houston preferred wedding vendors list! She knows her stuff and is so fantastic to work with. To work with Skylar for full wedding planning and design or virtual design services inquire through Chancey Charm.

Work with Alicia Yarrish Photography

If you’re a stylish couple planning a classic wedding day and even better marriage use the form below to chat. I’ll get in touch with you within 24 hours and give you next steps on reserving your wedding date so you can have the AYP Wedding Photography Experience!