Wedding planner/Agent

[kay-lister]

I have always been contacted by the prospective bride or a parent in respect to doing a wedding. Yesterday, I was contacted by an Agent/Wedding Planner on behalf of the bride. I am to get back with her today with my availability and prices etc. but before I do, I was just wondering what YOUR experience has been with Wedding Planners/Agents. I am just used to meeting with the clients and basically BOTH of us interviewing the other, going over music and such. Not sure I want to go this route.

[Briggsie B. Peawiggle]

I played a wedding once with a wedding planner. It was not a pleasant experience. She kept bossing everyone around and acted quite unprofessional in my opinion. The bride’s dad had to step in on more than one occasion for various things she was doing that was driving people nuts. I didn’t have to deal with her on the music thing, as I have known the bride since birth and she just told me to “do my thing.” I hope the planner I saw was an anomaly.

[emma-graham]

I now avoid agents except for a handful of very trusted ones who I’ve worked with for years. Others usually take a large chunk of fee for doing next to nothing. I still have to liaise with the bride, fix meetings, discuss music choices etc but I then have to keep the agent updated with everything I’ve arranged. In the past I’ve just taken the booking because work is work but I’ve had several occasions where brides have contacted the agent and asked if I will play for an extra hour (for no more money) or play outside or accompany the brides sister etc. the agent has agreed without even asking me. I’ve arrived at a couple of gigs to find that the bride has requested music but I’ve not been told. I’ve also had to really chase them for fees on more than one occasion.
My duet partner recently arrived at a wedding only to find that the agent had got the date wrong. Although there was a wedding at the venue that day, not only did the bride not want a harpist, she didn’t want the magician or the disco – all booked by the same agent and who all turned up on the wrong day. My friend had done a two hour round trip to get to a non existent gig and the agent is still refusing to even pay her expenses.

Find out exactly what the agent will be doing for you before you agree to work with them.

[patricia-jaeger]

In my large city where there are many qualified harp players. through the American Federation of Musician, members can see a list of trusted agents, to whom we can send our promotional materials.. This eliminates risk of working with an unknown agent.

[stephen-vardy]

A wedding planner and an agent are not the same beast.
A wedding planner is hired by a bride to manage her wedding.
An agent is hired by you to manage YOU.
An agent goes out and finds work for you for a fee.
Some agent contracts as musician managers are both onerous and airtight.
Do not go there.
Nothing beats managing yourself.

Wedding planners on the other hand can give you a lot of work.
Your contract is with the bride possibly thru the planner.
The wedding planner/manager collects her management fee from the bride.
Much different scenario.

If the wedding planner is asking you to sign up with her as a preferred supplier then she is actually being an agent – not a planner.
Legally she could claim a % of all your wedding fees thereafter wherever as your agent unless the contract is tightly worded in your favour (as opposed to hers).
Murky.
No go area in my opinion.

S
I am not a lawyer.
caveat subscriptor
Just seen to many harpist/musicians burned.

[kay-lister]

This person contacted ME on behalf of the bride looking for a harpist for her Wedding in June. Thanks for the answers folks, and I think I’ll pass on this on. I’d prefer to deal with the clients myself.

Kay

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