The first thing to look for is experience.  Do they have experience with weddings and other events?  Are they organized? Do they work with reputable vendors?  Are they knowledgeable on current and past trends?  Most important of all, do you feel comfortable with this person because you will work very closely together over the course of planning your event.

Sure you can do the planning yourself.  You can have fun coming up with ideas and having a vision.  The professional is available to assist you in the process to execute your vision.  You want the professional to keep your stress level down, help alleviate a good portion of the footwork, help save money, and refer reputable vendors.  One of the most important things is to have your professional on-site the day of your wedding or special event managing all the details.  Allow your planner to work with the vendors, setup, return rental items, and handle the myriad of questions that come up on that day.  On your wedding day or event day you want your memories to be of the great time you had instead of remembering the stress of dealing with event day details.

Advisor-A Professional consultant is able to offer advice on etiquette, invitations, and other details involved in planning an event, they have the experience because it is likely they have seen it all. Also, they are aware of the current and past trends.

Supervisor-There a number of vendors involved in an event anywhere up to 20+ and your professional consultant is capable of working with many vendors and likely has a relationship with them.  In addition to the vendors involved in the event, there are the guests, volunteers, and assistants that need to be managed.

Financial Planner-One of the keys to the event planning process is establishing a budget.  A professional event consultant works with you to make sure your event is on budget and if they are really skilled they can help to make sure your event comes under budget.

Mediator–Because a professional event consultant is a third-party consultant, they have the ability to hear all parties involved and come up with solutions where everyone meets in the middle.  In addition, you have someone to talk to when the planning process has you stressed instead of joyous.

There are on-site wedding planners at hotels and various other venues.  These individuals are very helpful and a great asset at the venue.  They know all the ins and outs of their venue and  are very knowledgeable with vendors they work with, but their duties end at the venue. 

For instance, they will not handle your RSVP’s, they will not setup and attend vendor appointments with you, they will not return or pick-up any rental items, they will not correspond with vendors prior to the day of the event, they will not ensure that your budget is on track, they will not mediate with family members before, during, and after the event, they will not come to your home to make sure you are relaxed before your big day. 

Your personal wedding/event planner picks-up where the on-site person leaves off and both work very closely together to make sure your special event is handled with care.