Portland Wedding Planners

Whether you are having a large wedding or a small intimate one with just your person, I can not stress enough how much I recommend having a wedding planner! These incredible humans are here to make your life easier so that on your special day, you aren’t worried about the logistics and instead are present in the magic!! Even more so, hiring a wedding planner ensures that you get to actually enjoy the engagement season in your life. You don’t have to put your relationship on hold to plan your wedding – you can continue deepening your love for each other AND accomplish quite a bit if you partner with someone who can handle the nitty-gritty for you!
I reached out to some of my favorite planners in the Portland Wedding community to answer some questions I know that most couples have when it comes to the ins and outs of hiring a wedding planner.

Planner #1: Keen Events

Do you prefer long-term coordinating or day of? How does a couple decide what they need?

I love both for different reasons. Some couples book a year in advance which allows us to really get to know each other and and exactly what you want, while others book 3 months in advance when the stress kicks in and things get real. When you book so far in advance we can help right off the bat starting on what to do when you first get engaged or with guidance on picking your venue and wedding date. When you book a Coordinator 3-4 months prior, we can come in and help you tie up loose ends, help point out things you may not have thought of, and give suggestions and advice to put your mind at ease. Whether you book months or a year in advance, we’re going to get to know you the best we can in the time we have.

Before reaching out to a Coordinator, I recommend you sit down with your fiance and be realistic with yourselves about how much time and energy you have to dedicate to your planning and how organized you are as people. Quite a few components of wedding planning are time sensitive so if you’re not great at that kind of thing, you should reach out sooner than later and hire a planner for partial planning or more.

What is your approach as an eco friendly vendor?

I’m so glad you asked! The average wedding produces 400- 600 lbs of garbage and when I saw the bags and bags of trash at the end of the night I just couldn’t stand it. Keen Events is Oregon’s first certified eco – friendly planner. While some couples may assume this means all DIY, forest elopements, I want to express how luxurious events can and should still incorporate sustainable practices even if it is just in one element of your day. Keen Events offers consultations on green practices and this is included in all our packages.

Coordinators, Florists, and Photographers will often ask to see your Pinterest board if you have one started. From there, we can help create a Mood Board so that you, your coordinator, and vendors all have the same design and vision in mind. We can also help you with sourcing materials such as rentals and decor, and quite a few of us have our own stash of inventory. Also, it’s important to be realistic with your Pinterest – some couples will show their florist work they love from a $100k budget when their budget is $10k. If you’ve been mindlessly growing your dream wedding Pinterest board since high school, clean it up with a more refined focus before sending it off.

Any other advice you would give to your couples?

One thing I’d love to call out is that couples who don’t hire a planner almost always say it’s because they have friends or family who can help them. Couples who hire a coordinator always say they want their family and friends to enjoy themselves. Whichever side you’re on, I truly believe hiring a coordinator also takes a massive burden off of your vendors which allows them to do their best work. Your Coordinator is handling vendor communication, so if your wedding party let’s us in on a surprise they have planned, we can make sure your photographer catches it all!

And lastly- Shit happens. Try to roll with it – we’re going to do our best to always have your back but some things are out of our control. At the end of the day, you’re happily married and a small stain on the back of your dress won’t ruin your day (although we’ve got a Tide pen for that).

Planner #2: Kamea Events

How much should I budget for myself for a coordinator? Does it vary if I need help with both coordinating and design planning?

For an experienced wedding coordinator, I recommend setting aside a budget of about $1500-$1800. To be clear, a wedding coordinator usually just coordinates plans that have already been made. If you’d like someone to assist with wedding planning, make sure the person you hire offers that, as well, but it will change your expected budget for a wedding planner to $2000-$5000. Design planning is an additional cost, either purchased a la carte, or usually included in a higher tier package. There are a few different hats that a wedding planner wears: planner, coordinator, designer, & stylist. Some planners include all aspects, some focus on just one or two. To clarify, a planner assists with planning the wedding – communicating with vendors, working on layouts, and making sure all of your details are covered. A coordinator usually focuses on the timelines, logistics, and ensures everything runs smoothly on the day of your wedding. A wedding designer can help your vision come to life by designing everything from place settings to the overall space. Finally, a stylist helps to make sure everything looks AMAZING on the day by creating beautiful vignettes & putting together details. I personally offer a variety of packages that can include one or all of those aspects – it really depends on what you’d like to have covered or take care of yourself.

Do you help couples get in touch with vendors? How much of that responsibility is on them?

Yes! In fact, that’s a majority of my daily work. Most of my couples lead extremely busy lives (that’s why they hire me!), so I handle about 95% of the communication. I do, however, stress that they at least set up a quick “get to know you” phone call/skype meeting with their photographer. Having a relationship with their photographer is extremely important as they need to be comfortable with each other since they will spend the most time with the couple on the wedding day.

I have a design in mind, how do I make it happen? What role do you play in this?

A lot of the time, my couples come to me with a few ideas. Together we work to narrow down what they do/don’t like. Then they give me the freedom to develop the idea, make it unique, and put together a mood/design board for them. After the design board is presented, we talk about the logistics of bringing the design to life; which vendors to hire, what items to rent, and if anything will need to be purchased.

Planner #3: Amri & Co

What are your goals as a Wedding Planner?

Every individual has a meaningful story and even the smallest details deserve a personal touch. That’s why we’re here to support you through strategically planning every detail and executing one hell of an event.

We believe celebrations should be enjoyed wholeheartedly, bringing people together in spaces that cultivate love and joy. Bringing your vision to life shouldn’t come at the expense of you being able to live in the moment. We are committed to letting you breathe at ease, take it all in, and truly enjoy every second.

The planning process can be overwhelming, but I’m here to bring you peace of mind. I can’t wait to connect and hear your story to create something truly beautiful together!

Picking the Right Portland Oregon Wedding Planner

1. Word-of-mouth speaks volumes! If you know a friend/family who’s used an amazing coordinator – reach out to them! Set up a consultation meeting (usually free!) and get to know them & their style (both aesthetic & working style). If you don’t know of anyone, then start with a Google search or by checking out Instagram. Check reviews! Ask your photographer or venue. No matter how you come across a recommendation, I cannot stress enough the importance of a consultation. Seeing as how a coordinator is there to be your day-of advocate – trust is key!
2. Above everything, you should hire a Coordinator who you like as a person and can completely trust. During the planning process you spend so many hours working together that your coordinator becomes your best friend. You should go into your wedding weekend fully trusting your Coordinator to run the show. Something couples may not consider is that when we have our consultation call, we’re also seeing if you’re a good match for us and we make sure we jive before signing anything.