What an Ex-Planner Think: Lessons From the Other Side

When a planner becomes a bride, the blind spots come into sharp focus.

@Sophia Lim for Wed&

Fresh from her Bali pre-wedding shoot, ex-planner-turned-bride Sophia Lim is discovering just how different the client side feels. Four years after leaving wedding planning behind, she’s seeing the industry with new eyes and spotting service gaps she never noticed before.

Now experiencing things as a bride, Sophia shares candid reflections that every vendor should hear: what feels like a small detail to us can carry huge emotional weight for couples.

Here’s what she wishes vendors knew.

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From Checklists to Meaning

Checkbox Mentality

"To a lot of them, they are thinking like, 'Oh, this is something that needs to be done,'" Sophia observes about couples approaching pre-wedding photography. Vendors often unintentionally reinforce this transactional mindset rather than helping clients discover deeper meaning. Planners focus on completing tasks and staying on track, so couples are often just seen as part of those tasks.

The opportunity is to guide clients in setting intentions before logistics. Whether it’s exploring what they want to feel in photos or offering prep tools like pose practice and mood boards, vendors can create experiences, not just deliverables.

Insider Takeaway: Start with intention. Help clients clarify what they want and why it matters before focusing on technical execution.

Clients Don’t Always Know What They Need

"There’s always some level of expectations, and if you don’t convey it, photographers won’t really know what you’re thinking or want," Sophia reflects.

Many couples lack clear expectations because they haven’t been guided in setting intentions. Vendors who help clients articulate their vision before logistics provide a far more meaningful experience.

Insider Takeaway: Guiding clients to define expectations early prevents miscommunication and enhances satisfaction.

Planning vs. Client Perspective

We reflected with Sophia about our approach to planning pre-wedding shoots and completing tasks in general, and we realised we might have often treated these moments as just tasks to tick off a list. Vendors can sometimes lose sight of the emotional importance of these experiences, focusing more on the tasks at hand rather than the emotions the pre-wedding events bring up.

Insider Takeaway: Consider how clients perceive your services compared to your own view. Emotional resonance matters as much as task completion.