So what is a Wedding Co-ordinator? Forget the movie industry image of the pompous bridal consultant who browbeats clients into staging an expensive extravaganza! While wedding co-ordinators were one primarily hired by the rich and famous, consultants today are engaged by anyone who simply needs an extra set of hands and knowledge of specialist suppliers to create magic from any budget.

Wedding planning can be practically worry-free with the help of a professional co-ordinator, especially when you do not have the time or expertise to plan such an important celebration on your own.

Most engaged couples can use some extra help. The bride is often working and so is her mother; who traditionally helped with the wedding planning. On top of it all, you may be living or working in one city while trying to plan a wedding in another.

How do you find the ‘right’ venue, a cake maker with a difference, or the particular car that you have always dreamed of having? Professional consultants will have these resources at their fingertips and are highly skilled in the mechanics of party planning including choosing vendors, negotiating contracts, locating the perfect veil or table linens, booking a helicopter, or finding flowers in the exact shade which you need.

The advantage of a professional co-ordinator is that you pay for only those wedding services that you really want and need. This means that you need not feel obliged to let someone else ‘run the show’. A co-ordinator may be required for finding one or two services, such as dressing the venue, up to helping you plan the whole day and anything in between.

Alternatively, you may only employ a co-ordinator for the day of your wedding, so that you are safe in the knowledge that someone is one step ahead of you - ensuring the cars arrive to take you to the ceremony and then take you to the reception, making sure that the bridesmaids have transport to the venue and that the cake has arrived safely - just for example.

A co-ordinator’s job is also to bring the bride’s wishes to fruition, including keeping within a well defined budget, however large or small. A consultant will know resources at different price ranges and people who have proven themselves to be consistently dependable and outstanding in their fields. The co-ordinator will be recommending suppliers whom they have worked with previously and so can assure you of the very best service. Planning many weddings a year gives the co-ordinator the insider knowledge of the local suppliers available, which saves you time and money.

You use a professional to maintain your car and fix your plumbing, so why not let a professional help you plan your most important day?