Wedding planners

When Vineyard brides start to plan their special day, they’ll find no lack of professional support available. Talented wedding planners with years of experience know the tricks to pulling off a perfect day on an island miles out to sea. Download the PDF below for a chart including seven Vineyard wedding planners.

The planners we talked to handle an average of 175 to 200 guests, but most have also done weddings involving just the bride and groom, as well as big shindigs for 300 or more. Over time they’ve developed special relationships with Island vendors that help make for smooth sailing.

Planners generally recommend a year for organizing but an off-season wedding can be pulled together in a matter of months. Most offer a range of assistance options, from coordinating the whole celebration to stepping in on the wedding day to help out.

A bride who doesn’t feel she needs a planner’s services might ask a specific vendor for a little extra help. Louise Sweet of Flowers on the Vineyard says she’s happy to be involved with everything having to do with the way things look – the style and ambiance. Lynda Dandeneau of Dandeneau Flowers offers services ranging from coordination of design and colors to linen selection and tent layout.

There’s a new resource on the Island for the do-it-yourself bride. India Rose considers herself more a librarian or a wedding concierge than an event planner, and offers brides to be a wide range of information at Martha’s Vineyard Wedding Studio on Beach Road in Vineyard Haven. Her business is like an event-planning information booth representing Island vendors such as event coordinators, photographers, florists, and inns. Check out India’s offerings at www.mvweddingstudio.com.

[Originally published in the 2012 issue of Martha's Vineyard Magazine's Island Weddings.]