There is a giant misconception that wedding planners are only for the rich and famous. However, that is not the case! Regardless of budget, every bride deserves to have a perfect and flawless wedding. In order to make that happen, one should seriously consider hiring a wedding planner and here are just a few of the reasons why…
1) Blood, Sweat & Tears – Should Not Be A Wedding Memory:
It takes a lot of time and hard work to pull a wedding together perfectly. We cannot stress enough how much time is needed to plan a wedding. A wedding planner is organized and planning weddings is their job, thus with practice comes perfection and allows YOU to focus on your life and not spend the hundreds of hours on planning. You don’t want to look back on your wedding and wish you had done something differently. You want to look back on your wedding and say “that was so much fun!”
2) Bargaining Is Not Always As Fun As It Seems:
Money is one of the hardest aspects of planning a wedding. Creating and sticking to a budget is much easier when you have an outsider who knows how much things should and should not cost. A wedding planner is like a financial adviser or an accountant who knows what percentage of your budget will be and should be in each area. A wedding planner will also know when and whether payments will need to be made in order to secure services, venues, or products.
3) Who Do You Know?
Sure your grandfather, cousin or close friend may have a gorgeous house to have the ceremony at, but a wedding planner has formed close and professional relationships with all different types of vendors needed for weddings. Wedding planners know the right people to talk to, how to get the best prices, what should (and shouldn’t) be in a contract, and how to ensure that every single detail is prepared for your big day.
4) You Are A Busy Bee:
Do you have a job that requires a lot of your time? A wedding planner will help you schedule meetings with vendors (or even have the meetings for you!), pick out linens and invitations, and take care of the other tasks that you just don’t have time for. Since wedding planners are professionals, they know the industry much better than the average person. With that in mind, they know exactly where to go to get the services and products that you want, which will cut down on the time you spend scouring the internet for what you like.
5) Your Wedding Is Out of Town:
Having a destination wedding? There is no better reason for hiring a wedding planner. Whether your wedding is in a different city, state or country, if you’re miles or time zones away from the location it will be extremely helpful to hire someone who’s familiar with the area as well as local vendors and venues. Not only will a wedding planner help you get more bang for your buck, but he or she will also be able to represent you at meetings with your vendors before the big day. A planner who has knowledge of the area is also handy for organizing all of the details you will need to cover for your guests, such as hotel accommodations, welcome bags, maps and a list of fun things for them to do during their downtime.
6) You Have A Small Budget:
Although it may seem counterintuitive to hire a wedding planner if you have a small budget, it will actually help you save money in the long run. Your wedding planner will help you set a budget and stick to it, helping you stretch your dollar as far as it will go. Not a big fan of monogrammed napkins but can’t do without confetti falling onto the dance floor at the end of your first dance? By understanding what is important to you, a wedding planner can also help you determine what items can be cut from the budget so you can afford to get what you want. Because most wedding planners have special relationships with vendors, they won’t just get you the best deal in town — they will also help you rest easy knowing you are working with reliable companies.
7) Day Of:
If you cannot afford to hire a wedding planner to help you during the entire process, it is acceptable and encouraged to bring one in on the day of your wedding. This way you can still benefit from the services of a wedding planner without the total expense. On the day of a wedding, your planner will make sure food comes out when it is supposed to, music is played on time and guests know where to put their coats and go to the bathroom, and more.
8) You’re Just Not That Into It, No Problem:
So, your best friend spent days picking out the perfect shade of Tiffany blue for the fondant on the wedding cake, and your sister interviewed six seamstresses before choosing one to alter her wedding dress. You just aren’t that kind of girl who is excited about spending endless hours on every little detail from the size and color of napkins to what style of chair rentals you need. That’s OK! Hire a wedding planner to take care of those things you are not interested in doing yourself to do it for you. Your planner will make an effort to get to know your tastes so the wedding is tailored around your personality from the start.
9) Crisis Mode!:
Whether we like it or not, most big events involve a some sort of crisis. Who really wants to deal on their wedding day with the bakery not delivering the cake on time or the flower girl throwing a tantrum? No one! Wedding planners are there to help and know how to handle all unforeseen circumstances. Forgot to break in your heels and know have a painful blister but did not remember to think or know to pack bandaid, your wedding planner will have one in their pocket!
10) Big Picture:
When someone chooses not to hire a wedding planner it is usually because their venue provides them with a “wedding coordinator.” However this person is NOT the same as an independent wedding planner. He or she is the venue’s catering manager and their job is to make sure that everything having to do with the facilities runs smoothly. While they are helpful, they do not cover the scope of what an independent planner does, such as all of the reasons listed above and many, many more. A wedding planner is your go to person for everything and everything!
Photographer Credit:
Robin Proctor, Jason & Gina, Chris Humphreys, Dan Bayer, Kate Holestein, Cat Mayer, Amanda Forbes, Otto Schulze
