Finding a local wedding planner is not as difficult as it may seem. You have many options in locating the perfect wedding planner for your wedding. The following is a list of places to start, people to ask, and research methods. Feel free to use one or all of them to compile a potential list of wedding planners to sift through.

• Ask girlfriends who have gotten married recently.

• Ask girlfriends whose children have recently gotten married.

• Google "wedding planner city" or "city wedding planner" where "city" is the name of your city or neighborhood.

• Call several florists in the area.

• Call local caterers.

• Check with local churches, synagogues, or temples. Sometimes they employ wedding planners to work with couples in their own church. But they are sometimes open to speaking with people outside their membership. And even if they don't have a wedding planner on staff, they could be a good resource for knowing someone.

• Your local Yellow Pages can also serve as a resource although not as many people advertise in the Yellow Pages anymore.

• Even the classified ad section of your newspaper, whether printed or online, can give you some leads.

• Local college or university counselors have connections that they could refer you to.

• College or university religious organizations could also be helpful.

If you're in a small town and you are still finding it difficult to find a wedding planner, you might try searching on Google for a larger nearby city. Larger metropolitan areas make use of Google Maps, a list of local vendors in that specific area. From Google Maps you can visit their website, find their hours of operation, and even see reviews from past clients. This can be extremely helpful when you're just beginning your research.

No matter how you find your wedding planner, you will want to make sure you work well together, are on the same page, and have the same goal in mind. After all, your wedding day is the biggest day of your life.