Remember this wedding from Real Weddings Week?
Photos: Matt Mendelsohn; Event planned by Jodi Moraru & Associates
Fabulous, don’t you think?
Wedding planners really bring an incredible amount of knowledge and expertise to every event. They are able to bring a vision to any venue. They know how to transform a space, and truly make it shine with the style and personality of the couple.
Jodi Moraru & Associates (JMA) is one of the most sought-after, most well-known planning firms in D.C. The team at JMA loves what they to — and their passion for planning spectacular events radiates in everything they do.
I was so excited to have the opportunity to ask the Jodi Moraru a few questions about hiring a wedding planner…
How far in advance should bride start looking for a planner? How far in advance should she actually book the planner?
A bride should make the hiring of the planner her first priority when planning a wedding. We can truly make a difference in many aspects of the planning, management, and negotiation processes. It’s important that you have someone who knows and understands the venues and vendors to take you through the process step by step. There are a few big details when planning a wedding, and then millions of little details. We can really help you navigate your way around in an easy, uncomplicated and non-time consuming way.
How should a bride go about finding a good wedding planner? What should she bring with her to the first meeting?
The best way to find a wedding planner is by referral which comes in many forms — friends, colleagues, hotels, venues, caterers, photographers…people recommend people they like to work with, have had a good experience with, and who they think is a good fit for you, both your style and personality. For me, the first meeting is a chance to get to know one another, to see if we click. I think it’s so important that you feel a connection with your event planner because we are in it with you for the long haul — “until the last dance” as I always say. I find that most brides have a lot of questions and, in turn, I also ask a lot of questions, so we really get to understand and set the expectation of working together.
What types of questions should a couple ask when they first meet with a planner? What should influence their decision to hire her/him?
Again, piggybacking on the previous question — I think first and foremost it should be a connection to the person you are working with. Feeling comfortable that the planner understands what you want, what’s important to you, and the bride feeling comfortable with the planner to share information. I love what I do and I want my brides to have fun planning their weddings. That’s the most important aspect of it! In all fairness, I know that many people base their decision to hire certain planners based on economic factors. That’s why, at Jodi Moraru & Associates, we have several exceptional planners who all charge a bit differently, so we can meet many clients’ needs.
Photos: Matt Mendelsohn; Event planned by Jodi Moraru & Associates
How do you charge for your services? Do you offer packages, etc.?
We charge a flat rate for our services which include “full coordination” and “day of” (which is actually “month-of” planning when you get down to it). I feel it’s important to give each bride the time she needs to make her wedding a reality. This way, we aren’t counting hours, we are just working towards the common goal — a fabulous wedding! We are also available to create custom quotes for the bride who doesn’t need full planning, but would like a little more help along the way.
Do you help a bride create a “vision” or do you mainly just plan and execute the wedding?
A huge part of what we do is help our brides create a “vision.” I always say we have the left and right side of the brain working simultaneously. We’ve got a team of not only exceptionally organized, but also highly creative, wedding planners. A very important part of what we do is to make sure we are pairing our brides with the right vendors, as well, because that’s important for creativity, style, and pricing.
When a bride hires Jodi Moraru & Associates, will she be working exclusively with a particular planner, or will she work with everyone on the team?
Please visit our website! We have an extraordinary group of planners, each of whom bring to the table great backgrounds in event planning. I think this makes us even better event planners. Having said that, you hire an individual event planner which is based on several factors: availability, price, and of course — connecting!
A BIG thank you to Jodi of Jodi Moraru & Associates for taking the time out of her VERY busy day to answer our questions! This is such wonderful advice!
What can I say? I think hiring a wedding planner is a must — even if it is a day-of coordinator. You don’t want your cake delivery guy calling YOU on your wedding day to get directions to the reception site! Save yourself the stress and enjoy your big day.
