Family member as wedding planner?

I'm having my mother, my two aunts, and my two cousins plan mine. So if family is a bad idea then I'm in trouble. But, all joking aside, I think as long as you trust them then go for it! The only problem I've encountered is that they still look at me like I'm the baby of the family (which I'm not), but I have to remind them sometimes that they have had their weddings and now its my turn. I trust my family more than anyone so its a perfect fit. Hope this helps.

I think it is important for everyone to have someone help them plan or organize the tasks associated with an event of this magnitude. I am not a professional either, but I helped my sister coordinate her guest list and all the accessories, helped her shop and make smart choices. She has expressed her gratitude to me many times since then, and it was something that very much interests me. I enjoyed it, and so will your cousin!

It shouldn't be a problem as long as you are confident that they will stay on tract with everything. My friend had 3 of her closest friends and her then FH's sister plan the entire wedding, everything worked out very well and she gave them credit for it in the program.

@Courtney you have a lot of help and thats great! As long as they let you give your opinion and they know what you like it should work out fine for you especially since you trust them. I trust my cousin also, I've seen her decorate her home and she is always doing some project around the house.

@Patricia I think she will enjoy it simply because her name will be in the program lol. I will also think of a nice gift to give her, I'm feeling like she will do a good job.

My FMIL is my wedding planner... She only quit once :-) because I refused to agree with her on ceremony times but I won and he took back her quitting lol

@Lindsay lol well I"m glad you guys could come to an agreement. At first I was afraid of my cousin being controlling but I have a bigger mouth so in the end she will listen to me lol

Dpends on the person. Attention to detail is great, as long as it doesn't turn into obsessing over any family issues. An unrelated professional is able to detach from family drama & similar issues and get the job done. Also, this shoudl be a person who will be OK if she misses the wedding, or parts of the reception because there was backgound stuff that needed to happen at the same time. Also, they should be willing to put in the hours beforehand to get a detailed timeline together and put it into print, get there early, and stay late. Anytime you have a family member or friend acting as a wedding pro, they should be willing to have a contract in writing. Sounds a bit harsh, I know, but there are lots of wedding pros out here that have had to pick up the slack for the friends or family member who didn't do the job. If they seriously want to help, a contract will show it.

@studio G, a contract is a good idea, but I don't want to offend her. However I will be sure to let her know she may miss a few things because of background stuff, I didn't think of that. Thanks for you advice!

Yep - its a fine line. even when I do work for friends I do a contract, though. They know I'm an experienced professional, but I tell them this is just to assure them that i am serious about what I do and I will be there to get the job done. If someone asked me for a contract, it wouldn't be offensive, but you know your family better than I do.

I am going to type one up because it does seem like a good idea, if she gets offended then maybe she's not serious?? If I were serious about something I wouldn't mind signing a contract.

My cousin is my wedding planner. Shes very creative and she talks more about my wedding than I do lol!!

@Elizabeth that is good! I have yet to find someone who is as excited about my wedding as I am lol. Have you guys started doing a lot yet?

Have you thought of a DOC? It is great that you have your cousin creating the look and feel for your wedding. However, she might miss out on part of the ceremony, or might not be able to participate in certian pictures because of a few final touches at the place of the reception. A DOC could come in and with your cousin's spec's replicate the look you both dreamed you'd have for your wedding and your cousin wouldn't miss out on anything. Typically DOC's are not that expensive, depending on the package they provide. And you can alway negotiate. Good Luck on your wedding, sounds like it's going to be beautiful.

@Shaquaya. We are looking at vases for center pieces. Shes going to do mu bouquets, center pieces and all my decor. She really is talented. I told her I would pay her but shes not expecting much. I just appreciate her help because that saves me on hiring a planner.

You could always spin the contract as something to keep you from becoming a "bridezilla" on her. Some people cringe and are offended by them, others wont tie someones shoe without one, just in case!

But explaing it as being as much for you as for her might take any sting out of it if you think she might be offended.