Requesting a new planner

[iluvasoldier]

I have Meri.

The last time I had ANY kind of correspondence with her was in July. She sent me an updated BEO with some changes I had made. It's been 2 weeks since I faxed her another update of the BEO and have not received word.

Since day 1 it seems she is NEVER in the office. every time I call she has an out-of-office message; this morning was no different. Once again she is out of the office for a week.

Even more upsetting is she still hasn't said word 1 about the construction, not in an e-mail, voicemail, NOTHING! As a wedding planner I would have contacted each of my brides to see if they had questions, comments, and or concerns. I mean COME ON! If it wasn't for this site I wouldn't have even known about the construction. The only generic e-mail from DFTW was about the windows changing.

It aggrivates me. We are only 3 1/2 months away and I've NEVER even met her. The time we had to plan a last minute planning session (dh was home frmo deployment for only 2 weeks time) she had taken THE ENTIRE MONTH OFF FOR HER WEDDING! We had to meet with someone else completely.

Perhaps I am over reacting but I've expressed my concerns for budget to her many times. Most people have planners that try and help them by suggesting cheaper/cost-effective alternatives. Nope, not Meri. If I say something is too much she just says "ok we'll take it out".

So, since they opened about 5 minutes ago I am going to call and request another planner.

 

[SusieQ79]

Wow, that sucks. Have you found her assistant to be helpful?

If it makes you feel any better, I'm totally in the dark about what's going on with my planner. I have Pamela, she left for maternity leave a few weeks after I was assigned her....that was in June and I haven't heard a word from her since. Jamie has been my point of contact, and has been so helpful.

My planning session is this week, so I finally emailed asking who I'm supposed to be meeting with because I haven't heard from Pamela since June. So confusing. I've never met either of them so I don't really have a feeling one way or the other, but it's a little annoying that if Pamela is back, she hasn't reached out a single time.

 

[MrsDuck]

I'd definitely request a new planner.

 

[RubySlippers]

Oh my goodness! It doesn't sound like she is very invested in her job. Wedding planners should be going out of their way to give you as stress free of an experience as possible. I hope you get a new planner that will give you everything you need and PAYED for!
On a side note I am glad to see that you and your fiancé worked things out and your wedding is still on.

 

[mickin]

We have meri as well and so far I have no complaints. It does suck a little that they cant give you a schedule for them and when you want a random question answered you most likely get an out of office email back. I hate waiting for things like that. I have had to send a couple of "did you get this" or "just want an update" emails from time to time, but she normally gets back to me on the date she is supposed to return. As far as the BEO we do need to have things cut, and Im hoping she will be able to help us with getting some lower cost options, instead of cutting all together. She was great and such a joy to be with during our PS. Sorry to hear that your experience is not the same....hope it works out for you.

 

[Jilian]

That stinks. I hope they give you a new planner who keeps in touch better. I'd be frustrated too!

 

[iluvasoldier]

Ladies,

thanks for the support. I know I could just sit back and be all whatever about it, but I've never even attended a wedding. So planning one is way new to me. I was all excited at first that I would be going through Disney for everything except photography because I figured it'd be less stress. At this point WRONG. My photographer has been AMAZING. They can have 4 weddings in a single day and still manage to get back to me within 24 hours.

Right now I literally have 2 cylinders with candles at the ends of the aisles and that is it for the ceremony decoration because I just can't afford anything else at this point. $500 for petals sprinkled down the aisle?! $300 for an aisle runner?! (yes I understand it is hand painted but $300?). I am not a flower person and I thought that would work better wanting to use candles. Now I'm wondering if I should just suck it up, do a small flower arrangement on each table, and see if that brings cost down.

I feel so out of control I almost want to set up the reception space myself EARLY in the morning before the ceremony, just so that I know it'll look right. Right now they've got me with like 5 cylinders with candles in them for each table? Is that many really necesary?

I'm sure when my numbers come in as far as RSVPs I will relax a little because numbers wont be as high (I hope!) but still, for now I'd like to be able to figure this out. I'm not even sure we'll be able to pay half of what is currently on our BEO for the 30days out payment.

 

[jshora]

Are you having a Wishes wedding or Escape wedding? I only ask because I can only speak from the Wishes side of things.

I know for us, all floral and decorations really went through our Floral consultant. We have been working with Elizabeth and she is above and beyond amazing. We told her our budget and what we like and she gave us options and kept working with us until we were happy. I noticed that you are using Calla Lilies as well, here is a pictures of what our reception table arrangements are going to be. Except we are doing them with Mango Calla Lilies and Plum Calla Lilies (not white as pictured). They priced them at $30/each.

In order to add some "Disney" flare to it, we decided to put Mickey Confetti on our reception tables as well. That was priced at $6/bag and we only needed one bag for our 4 tables.

We are not huge flower people either, but did want to add some color to our ceremony. We're having a unity candle and some rose petals scattered on the alter for our ceremony. I couldn't justify the costs for the runner either.

For our dessert party, we're just using the gel candles with glow cubes and mickey confetti. Those were $17/each. Honestly, I think I wish I would have just used these for our reception center pieces as well. If they are standard tables of 8 people, you shouldn't need more than 3 per table. Here is a picture I found online:

I don't know if that helps with any decoration ideas?

Feel free to PM me with questions, I can see if I can help in anyway and let you know some things that we did to help us with our tight budget.

 

[kiss da girl]

Not to be a bummer, but Do-it-yourself weddings are not so easy at Disney. If your reception is in a ballroom space (not positive about private restaurant space), you can only get into the room 1 hour and a half prior to the reception start time (meaning while you are supposed to be getting married). So I have had to ask sisters of a friend in my wedding to set up all of the items I am bringing myself (ie centerpieces, votive candles, everything Disney won't touch because they are legally not allowed to). I love everything that I have been able to create and buy on my own to customize the style of my wedding, but the stress of not knowing how the setup will go is scary.

Just wanted you to have a heads up about the timing of everything if you are in that similar situation.

 

[iluvasoldier]

Are you having a Wishes wedding or Escape wedding? I only ask because I can only speak from the Wishes side of things.

I know for us, all floral and decorations really went through our Floral consultant. We have been working with Elizabeth and she is above and beyond amazing. We told her our budget and what we like and she gave us options and kept working with us until we were happy. I noticed that you are using Calla Lilies as well, here is a pictures of what our reception table arrangements are going to be. Except we are doing them with Mango Calla Lilies and Plum Calla Lilies (not white as pictured). They priced them at $30/each.

In order to add some "Disney" flare to it, we decided to put Mickey Confetti on our reception tables as well. That was priced at $6/bag and we only needed one bag for our 4 tables.

We are not huge flower people either, but did want to add some color to our ceremony. We're having a unity candle and some rose petals scattered on the alter for our ceremony. I couldn't justify the costs for the runner either.

For our dessert party, we're just using the gel candles with glow cubes and mickey confetti. Those were $17/each. Honestly, I think I wish I would have just used these for our reception center pieces as well. If they are standard tables of 8 people, you shouldn't need more than 3 per table. Here is a picture I found online:

I don't know if that helps with any decoration ideas?

Feel free to PM me with questions, I can see if I can help in anyway and let you know some things that we did to help us with our tight budget.

Thanks so much! I also am using the mango calla lillies. I have the bubble bowl things for the pre-reception priced at $5/each and $7/each for willows and a rose inside. So that isn't bad.

i have the 10 inch cylinders with a callalilly in water with a floating candle on top. With 9 tables of 10. I'm thinking of buying a 10" round mirror thing to put in the middle to help refelect some of the light.

for $35 they are gonna sprinkle petals on the head table. I think I'll nix that.

Floral is only $4k total between the ceremony, pre-reception, and reception. That isn't too bad but I'm still thinking of cutting some stuff out.

For the ceremony we're having memorial vases with special flowers in each vase (my grandmother liked daisies so hers wil have daisies. His grandma had a particular flower she liked too so hers will have those) We are providing the vases and our unity candle.

i guess i'm just upset that she isnt really involved in this planning. i'm worried about photos and times and the WP looking like we didn't do anything to it to make it "ours" (granted it doesn't need very much).

 

[maddiesdaddy]

Wow, that sucks. Have you found her assistant to be helpful?

If it makes you feel any better, I'm totally in the dark about what's going on with my planner. I have Pamela, she left for maternity leave a few weeks after I was assigned her....that was in June and I haven't heard a word from her since. Jamie has been my point of contact, and has been so helpful.

My planning session is this week, so I finally emailed asking who I'm supposed to be meeting with because I haven't heard from Pamela since June. So confusing. I've never met either of them so I don't really have a feeling one way or the other, but it's a little annoying that if Pamela is back, she hasn't reached out a single time.

I agree with the other posters who make a designation between Escape and Wishes weddings and how that may affect who is responding and when.

I will send out some positive notes on Pamela, though. A full detail will be in my trip report that I must write as I think about the day. Our wedding was 9.16 and Pamela was our planner. To say that she was amazing is an understatement. Jamie covered for Pamela when she went on maternity leave and at the same time, Pamela's assistant, Jen Flores got promoted. So, things were a little bit crazy. Pamela is back. And giving her brides (and grooms) her full service. In a way that is beyond amazing. If you are waiting for your planning session, then I can only imagine that all of the hub bub around the construction and moving weddings and actual ceremonies has had her busy. I certainly understand the issue with not hearing from her or anyone, but the planning session is where things really come together. We knew almost everything we wanted before we went to our planning session and still things took better shape, became more concrete. I am not trying to imply that things with you aren't important until your planning session. I am just trying to say that while phone contact hasn't been that great, prioritization may be a little crazy with all the other things going on.

So, knowing that you will have your planning session soon, I want to tell you about both since we have actually had experience with both. It was a little unnerving to us..at first..when Pamela left, we got Jamie and then we were told that Pamela would be back. Jamie did a great job of taking our thoughts and translating them to Disney and what it would mean and how to make it work in our budget and some other great ideas....then Laura Kidd came in and did the floral and knocked it out of the park.

Pamela jumped in close to our wedding date after she came back and we didn't know how that was going to work....but it did. She is so enthusiastic. The best thing about her is that she loved her wedding and wants all couples to have the same joy that she had. She worked her butt off to make our wedding the most magical thing that it could be..and it was...and more. She exceeded every level of expectation that I could have asked for. Our wedding was top notch, first rate, easy going, stress free. And she is super nice.

I don't want to take away from our trip report or the 'vendor' reviews we will post for our DFTW. But, try Jessical Rawlings, Pamela's assistant. She is as sweet as can be and can really get answers when you are between contact times. She was as much the glue as Pamela/Jamie.

My bottom line is that Jamie was nice, sweet, knew her stuff. And then Pamela took all of that and really made it all work.

I hope you find the same when you get your planning session booked.

Best of luck and congratulations. Now that it is all over..I wish we were back at the planning session. I want to do it all over again.

 

[MsTinkerChele]

I cannot believe Meri is STILL there.
She was my sisters planner in 2008. She just seems really uninterested in her job and never at work.
PLease keep us updated on who you get, lots of luck!

I have Meri.

The last time I had ANY kind of correspondence with her was in July. She sent me an updated BEO with some changes I had made. It's been 2 weeks since I faxed her another update of the BEO and have not received word.

Since day 1 it seems she is NEVER in the office. every time I call she has an out-of-office message; this morning was no different. Once again she is out of the office for a week.

Even more upsetting is she still hasn't said word 1 about the construction, not in an e-mail, voicemail, NOTHING! As a wedding planner I would have contacted each of my brides to see if they had questions, comments, and or concerns. I mean COME ON! If it wasn't for this site I wouldn't have even known about the construction. The only generic e-mail from DFTW was about the windows changing.

It aggrivates me. We are only 3 1/2 months away and I've NEVER even met her. The time we had to plan a last minute planning session (dh was home frmo deployment for only 2 weeks time) she had taken THE ENTIRE MONTH OFF FOR HER WEDDING! We had to meet with someone else completely.

Perhaps I am over reacting but I've expressed my concerns for budget to her many times. Most people have planners that try and help them by suggesting cheaper/cost-effective alternatives. Nope, not Meri. If I say something is too much she just says "ok we'll take it out".

So, since they opened about 5 minutes ago I am going to call and request another planner.

 

[Lorelei528]

I agree with the other posters who make a designation between Escape and Wishes weddings and how that may affect who is responding and when.

Hi. I just wanted to know if you could clarify what you meant by this? We had an Escape wedding and I never had any issues with our planner or our floral contact the whole time we were planning our wedding.

Sure, sometimes it would be almost a week before I heard from either one, but usually they were just busy or waiting on information from someone. Usually just a nudge from me or so and I'd hear within a day or so afterwards...

 

[maddiesdaddy]

Hi. I just wanted to know if you could clarify what you meant by this? We had an Escape wedding and I never had any issues with our planner or our floral contact the whole time we were planning our wedding.

Sure, sometimes it would be almost a week before I heard from either one, but usually they were just busy or waiting on information from someone. Usually just a nudge from me or so and I'd hear within a day or so afterwards...

Nothing bad I assure you. Just indicating that there sometimes is confusion with elements of the different packages. I would assume most don't have issues at all, as we didn't.

 

[SusieQ79]

I agree with the other posters who make a designation between Escape and Wishes weddings and how that may affect who is responding and when.

I will send out some positive notes on Pamela, though. A full detail will be in my trip report that I must write as I think about the day. Our wedding was 9.16 and Pamela was our planner. To say that she was amazing is an understatement. Jamie covered for Pamela when she went on maternity leave and at the same time, Pamela's assistant, Jen Flores got promoted. So, things were a little bit crazy. Pamela is back. And giving her brides (and grooms) her full service. In a way that is beyond amazing. If you are waiting for your planning session, then I can only imagine that all of the hub bub around the construction and moving weddings and actual ceremonies has had her busy. I certainly understand the issue with not hearing from her or anyone, but the planning session is where things really come together. We knew almost everything we wanted before we went to our planning session and still things took better shape, became more concrete. I am not trying to imply that things with you aren't important until your planning session. I am just trying to say that while phone contact hasn't been that great, prioritization may be a little crazy with all the other things going on.

So, knowing that you will have your planning session soon, I want to tell you about both since we have actually had experience with both. It was a little unnerving to us..at first..when Pamela left, we got Jamie and then we were told that Pamela would be back. Jamie did a great job of taking our thoughts and translating them to Disney and what it would mean and how to make it work in our budget and some other great ideas....then Laura Kidd came in and did the floral and knocked it out of the park.

Pamela jumped in close to our wedding date after she came back and we didn't know how that was going to work....but it did. She is so enthusiastic. The best thing about her is that she loved her wedding and wants all couples to have the same joy that she had. She worked her butt off to make our wedding the most magical thing that it could be..and it was...and more. She exceeded every level of expectation that I could have asked for. Our wedding was top notch, first rate, easy going, stress free. And she is super nice.

I don't want to take away from our trip report or the 'vendor' reviews we will post for our DFTW. But, try Jessical Rawlings, Pamela's assistant. She is as sweet as can be and can really get answers when you are between contact times. She was as much the glue as Pamela/Jamie.

My bottom line is that Jamie was nice, sweet, knew her stuff. And then Pamela took all of that and really made it all work.

I hope you find the same when you get your planning session booked.

Best of luck and congratulations. Now that it is all over..I wish we were back at the planning session. I want to do it all over again.

Thanks for the insights. I heard from Jamie this morning, and they opted to officially keep me paired with her at this point. Sounds like I was in good hands either way. She was getting all my paperwork and asking me questions the whole time anyway, so I think it'll be less transition since she's basically the only planner I've worked with up to this point anyhow.

 

[xxliz28xx]

I am in the Jamie/Pamela boat too. I was going to stay with Jamie but she had to send me back to Pamela because her best friend is getting married on my wedding day too. Their assistant Jessica is great! But I haven't heard anything from Pamela since we switched back over about a month ago. I finally told Jessica today that I want to schedule a call since I haven't talked to her in a month. So now we're talking tomorrow. I'm hoping for smooth sailing after tomorrow!

 

[maddiesdaddy]

Thanks for the insights. I heard from Jamie this morning, and they opted to officially keep me paired with her at this point. Sounds like I was in good hands either way. She was getting all my paperwork and asking me questions the whole time anyway, so I think it'll be less transition since she's basically the only planner I've worked with up to this point anyhow.

Awesome..that's great. I am glad you finally heard from someone. I think you will really like Jaime. We did and really clicked with her at the planning session. I feel like she captured what we wanted, kept it within the budget parameters we had set.

 

[maddiesdaddy]

I am in the Jamie/Pamela boat too. I was going to stay with Jamie but she had to send me back to Pamela because her best friend is getting married on my wedding day too. Their assistant Jessica is great! But I haven't heard anything from Pamela since we switched back over about a month ago. I finally told Jessica today that I want to schedule a call since I haven't talked to her in a month. So now we're talking tomorrow. I'm hoping for smooth sailing after tomorrow!

You should be. The in-between times when you aren't talking with someone is tricky, but I really loved our phone calls with Pamela. You can hear her energy and enthusiasm on the phone. Hope it goes as expected.

 

[xxliz28xx]

I spoke to her and Jamie on a conference call when we switched over and she sounds so nice. But Jamie always got back to me within 3-5 days and since I've barely heard anything from her since we've switched, that's why I was getting a little ticked. I'm ready for November at this point!

 

[simba51104]

Meri was our planner for our wedding this Aug, and we thought she was wonderful. She was out of the office a bit (usually due to weddings or planning sessions) and sometimes took a few days to respond, but we always found her very helpful and really knew her stuff. She often sent emails late in the evening to make sure we got a response. I can understand the delays given the number of weddings the planners are usually assigned. Any questions she wasn't sure about, she researched for us and had an answer within a few days. With over 3 months before your wedding, there is still some time. However, I found that in the last month, as we were finalizing things, she was very quick to help with any questions that came up. We were thrilled that she was able to get our custom dessert party menu exactly as requested and at budget. We had quite a few last minute changes and she kept up with all of them. I definitely understand where you're coming from, and if switching planners will make you feel better, than you definitely should. A wedding is a huge expense and you should feel at ease and happy. Meri does have more of an all-business demeanor, but we felt we had an awesome wedding because of her. Feel free to PM me if you have any questions.