North Bay Woman

Why is it wise to hire a wedding planner? "It's one of those investments that people make once in their lives. You need to have someone to advocate for you…We make sure everything goes off without a hitch," says McLeskey-Dolata. She adds, however, that planners need to be involved early, because part of their job is to help clients make the right decisions. "When you come in at the eleventh hour, there's so much to do," she says, and much of that work is setting things right so everything will run smoothly. "I think the services of a wedding planner are essential," says Balatti, who points out that most couples have never planned a wedding before and don't know where to start or the pitfalls to avoid. She advises staying away from "day-of" planners. "It doesn't exist; it's a recipe for disaster," she says, explaining that a planner needs time to become familiar with the details and find out what the vendors are doing. "We save our clients a lot of money," adds Ferrell, who points out that planners have contacts and know where to go. "We're very well connected," she says, and that knowl- edge is useful in narrowing down what can fit into a couple's budget. Where do you start? Ferrell finds out a couple's budget and their ideas, but sometimes they aren't realistic, so she breaks the news that what they want is too expensive, and then, she says, "We can figure out what's most important." Balatti also starts with a budget, and then she makes a long-range timeline that shows tasks for each week. "It keeps everything on track," she says, explaining that she does it for her clients, but it's also for her own use. McLeskey-Dolata gets to know the clients, and once she knows what the budget is and what they want, she determines what's most important, sets priorities and creates a time- line. "One of the first things is to nail down the venue," she says. How can a couple get the day of their dreams and stay within their budget? "We want people to hire us to help them design a beautiful event," says McLeskey- Dolata, and she finds a venue, vendors and an aesthetic that will be appropriate for a given budget. For a couple with limited resources, she might suggest a mid-week wedding be- cause venues are less expensive Monday Left and above: Bella Celebrations in Marin offers expert advice for your North Bay wedding. Photo on left by Misti Layne, photo above by IQphoto Studio. Right top: A Savvy Event in Sonoma knows the details are the finishing touches for a unique and memorable wedding. – Photo provided by KT Merry Photography. Right lower: So Eventful located in Healdsburg plans beautiful weddings throughout the Wine Country and beyond. – Photo by Viera Photographics. >>

• Cover