Louisville Wedding Planners Louisville, KY

Louisville area wedding planning experts discuss their job

What's the advantage of hiring a wedding planner for your big day?

Ellen Shaheen Fox: "Peace of mind. The planner handles the business side of the wedding, including contracts and appointments."

Kristen Settles: "Having one point of contact throughout the entire planning process and someone that can bring your ideas to life."

Breelyn J. Bomba: "The advantage is having a stress-free day that goes smoothly."

As a wedding coordinator, what are some of your job duties?

Ellen Shaheen Fox: "We do theme development, budgets, contract negotiations, vendor referrals and appointments, etiquette, on-site coordination, and act as a liaison for brides."

Kristen Settles: ""The most important aspect is designing the wedding - making sure every element of the wedding exudes class and style."

Breelyn J. Bomba: "I help clients find vendors, work out time lines and budgets, and coordinate the day of the event."

How do you charge for your services and what's the cost?

Ellen Shaheen Fox: "I charge a flat fee. I offer month-of ceremony coordinating, starting at $2,000, and my full-service planning begins at $4,000."

Kristen Settles: ""We price each event individually. The number of guests and the wedding date are all determining price factors."

Breelyn J. Bomba: "I charge by the hour. I also have packages starting at $500 and going up to $1,500."

How do you handle difficult brides or family members?

Ellen Shaheen Fox: "My job is to plan a successful event. I remain calm and take on those challenges with a common-sense approach."

Kristen Settles: ""They just need to be listened to and presented with new options. It's our responsibility to be levelheaded at all times."

Breelyn J. Bomba: "I kill them with kindness and solve the problem."

Can you describe one funny, horrifying or memorable experience that happened at a wedding you planned?

Ellen Shaheen Fox: "My first wedding ever was a second marriage. She was 90 and he was 89. When the priest said, 'When you reach a ripe old age, may you still love one another as you do today,' everyone laughed."

Kristen Settles: ""There was a woman at a wedding who filled her daughter's stroller with flowers, baskets, vases and flatware. I had to stop her before she left with several hundred dollars' worth of decor."

Breelyn J. Bomba: "One very memorable moment was when a bride and groom laid a picture of the groom's mother on an empty chair to show that she was still there in spirit."