Having told some of our closest friends and family members about our idea, we received a recommendation for a good planner based in Oahu.

I sent her an inquiring email, and then scheduled a conference for Jared and myself to speak with her about our wedding details.

She was friendly, polite, and sweet, and we liked her immediately. She explained our options for planning and coordination and planned to send us the documents explaining the difference between full coordination and day-of, as well as pricing for both.

Don’t ask us why, but for some reason, Jared and I were expecting a huge price tag for wedding planning. And, knowing how important these upcoming decisions would be, it was never a question that we would choose full coordination.

We received the documents, with the full coordination coming in at a little under $7,000.

Not knowing any better and having nothing else to compare to, this seemed reasonable to us.

We made arrangements to meet with her when Mom and I took our first trip over. We asked that she set up some appointments to look at venues.

Then, we received the contract, which spelled out what the coordination plan would include. As we sifted through, we saw some red flags.

Then something else happened…a few of our friends visiting Hawaii started to discuss how awful the weather was in Oahu during the months of July and August. This immediately sent me into a downward spiral of doubt.

At this point, we weren’t (or, I should say, I, wasn’t) sure that we were even going to have the wedding there anymore. Since the contract didn’t have a deposit, or a clause in which we could go cancel the agreement if say, there were creative differences, or for any other reason, we would have to pay the entire cost up front. It was a huge commitment to make in such short amount of time.

During this time, Mom and Jerry asked that we consider other planners before making our decision and before our Hawaii visit. They suggested we see what others were charging for the same service. In the interest of time, knowing that we were heading to Hawaii in about a week, I needed to speak to a planner, get to know them, approve their pricing, and make a decision in a very short amount of time. The goal of this trip was to pick a venue, but that would prove very difficult without a planner scheduling venue visit appointments. Doable, yes, but stressful, and difficult.

The whole point of getting a planner was to relieve us of the stressful part of planning our wedding. We want only to focus on the fun part of the whole process.

I did a quick search for planners on Oahu. The results were so disappointing, that, discouraged, I put off the search entirely for a few days.

When I got back to it, I stumbled upon a list of planners provided by The Knot. Many of the planners were disappointing in this collection as well. I used the photos of the weddings the planners had put on as a gauge for how well they suited what Jared and I envision for ours.

Only one stood out. So, I quickly wrote an introduction email and waited. I got a reply almost immediately. The planner, Carrie, explained that she was very interested in talking to us, but that she was super swamped with several weddings coming up for Labor Day. She asked if we could wait to speak with her afterward. Since, by chance, Mom and I were going to leave that Sunday before Labor Day, I told her that I understood that she was busy, and didn’t wish to put her out. I asked if there was any way she could speak to us before we arrived. She was extremely understanding, and kind enough to call us at the end of her long work day at 7:00 PM Hawaii time. Jared and I spoke with her for about an hour and a half, and knew she was the one for us.

Her demeanor was soft, and we trusted her immediately. After telling her our story, and hearing hers, she was hired.

The best part is that her cost is way lower than the first planner we vetted!

Mom and I had the pleasure of meeting Carrie in person when we visited Hawaii in September. She met us at the venue which she was sure we would choose. She showed us around, went over some ideas, and then explained her process. We liked her, and trusted her even more after meeting her. Although very busy  planning other weddings, she has been there with answers whenever we need her.