The Sunday Mail
The forte of a multi-storey building is not in the look but in the foundation —likewise, the pleasantness of a wedding is not on the big day itself but in the planning.
Tendai Mbirimi – Bridal Writer
What people see on the occasion of a wedding are berries of good planning, organisation and coordination. Poor planning means a direct flop of the wedding and as a result those involved may end up blaming one another.
Recently, a former “Studio 263” actor, wedding and events planner Tafadzwa Chingono, better known as “Hillary Indi”, was dragged before the courts by paediatrician Dr Alexander Guni.
Dr Guni accused Indi of misappropriating more than US$20 000 he had been given to plan a wedding.
At the courts, it emerged that the two parties had a binding contract in which Indi was supposed to organise Dr Guni’s wedding.
In passing sentence, the presiding magistrate, Mr Elijah Makomo observed that Dr Guni was bound by a contract and poor performance by Indi did not amount to misrepresentation or violation of the contract.
It therefore, implies that the setting and whatever transpired at the wedding is blamed on Dr Guni’s ignorance, not Indi. Contacted for comment, Dr Guni said Indi was yet to apologise to him though the court made its ruling. Though the writing is on the wall, he still expects Indi to revisit his trades’ etiquette notes and do the honourable thing, apologise!
A wedding is a lifetime event. If spoiled, there is no room for amendments. It is worthwhile to know the strengths of your wedding planner and see if they match your expectations.
If you decide to settle for a particular planner do so in utmost good faith but make sure you are involved somehow so that you remain in touch with the entire planning processes. Remember, wedding planners have expertise, but feelings and expectations are enshrined within you. In settling for a particular planner, consider the following:
Eye for design
Communicate your theme and expectations to the planner and see if they have the eye for designing. Aesthetics are critical in the wedding planning business, so the bride must be able to have a design/theme in mind and be able to communicate it to the planner.
Wedding planning is all about making someone else’s dream come true, so planners must be able to listen well and understand what their clients want. Each event has thousands of details, and a good planner must be able to process them and track them all because one lost detail can ruin a day.
Budget masters
Best wedding planners must be good budgeting masters not money mongers. Couples constantly press planners to save money but then go out of their way to make requests that add expenses. So a good planner must always be aware of where they are with the budget and keep their clients on course, otherwise after the wedding they end up being blamed for being too pricey.
Brides count on their planners to be bastions of strength, energy and positive vibes.
Diplomats
Good planners need a bit of tough skin and be good diplomats. Sometimes brides may require planners to negotiate for them on some issues with a vendor. Sometimes they may feel like they are paying more than if they had just gone direct. At times they end up not sure if you are entirely on their side or have other interests. But good coordinators are great diplomats.
Good advisor
Planners are expected to be helping brides make good decisions based on their vision and planners’ years of experience. They have got to be logical. Due to excitement, most brides are crazy emotional beings with crazy ideas. Therefore, wise planners should be the ones that hold the ship steady.
Lastly, good planners do not take kickbacks and commission. If they do – they should be open to the client about it. Brides are not dumb. They will begin questioning why the planner pushes for certain expensive vendors. If not told, upon realising it, they will be hurt and as a result hate the planner.
