This is the burning question that so many brides ask. "We can't afford a wedding planner" or "My Aunt is going to coordinate our wedding". I am here to tell you that you cannot afford to not hire a wedding planner and your Aunt is absolutely not going to coordinate your wedding weekend! There are numerous decisions to make when planning a wedding and it's quite daunting to handle all of these decisions yourself. If you have a stressful job that takes up much of your day, if you're having a destination wedding or getting married in a city other than your own, or if you simply are overwhelmed with all the details, hiring a wedding planner is a must. The reasons for hiring a wedding planner is a very long list & I wanted to share with you what I felt were the absolute best reasons! Here are my top five:
1. Saves You Time
Odds are, you have a full time job that requires approximately eight hours of your day and five days of your week. Let's be honest though, you probably work more hours and more days than that! Planning a wedding is a full time job in itself. Your wedding planner is a professional...this is their job. A planner will research vendors for you, schedule appointments, attend appointments (even if you can't!), organize guest lists, handle the seating charts, secure guest accommodations, create a wedding day timeline, assist in rehearsal dinner planning, and SO much more. The average couple will spend more than 200 hours planning a wedding. Let the professional handle it because they have done it many times before!
2. Saves You Money
There are two points I want to make on this topic. The first is that even though you feel you are spending more money by hiring a wedding planner, odds are your planner has some great relationships with other vendors and can negotiate a deal with them before you sign their contracts, therefore saving you money that you would have otherwise spent. Planners build great relationships with vendors they have worked with in the past, and that pays off for you. The second is that a wedding planner is going to help you avoid costly mistakes that could occur along the way. For example from personal experience, I had a bride order square Save the Date cards without knowing that postage costs extra for square shaped mail. While this mistake was only slight when it comes to cost, your planner will steer you away from other similar mistakes like this one.
3. Offers Unbiased Advice
Family members have all sorts of opinions on how your wedding should be or look. You definitely want to please your parents and your future in-laws, but you must remember that your wedding day should be a representation of you and your partner. A wedding planner is going to help with certain decisions where emotions can get involved and ultimately will help you decide what's best for you while still making everyone happy!
4. Handles Any Crisis
It always happens. Something goes wrong the day of the wedding, and a planner will make sure you never hear one word about it. Any vendor who comes across an issue while loading in or setting up, will come to your planner for answers (instead of your mother, aunt, or sister). Last minute problems do occur and because it's being handled by a professional, you can go on being a bride. That means enjoy getting pampered and sipping mimosas with your bridesmaids! Crisis averted.
5. Handles All Logistics
Wedding planners orchestrate all logistics the weekend of the wedding. Most venues recommend planners to their clients and some are even requiring them now! The reason being that so many venue managers feel that on the day of the wedding, things are getting put on their plate that isn't even part of their job. Enter wedding planner. They make sure you stick to the timeline but they also make sure your vendors stick to their timelines. They will make sure that all candles are lit thirty minutes before guests arrive so the photographer can take pictures, make sure all the chairs are straight, cue the DJ for the first dance, make sure all vendors have been fed, put your gifts safely into a vehicle before the night is over, tell you when to cut the cake, pass out sparklers to all your guests, and make sure all vendors are cleaned up and out of the venue. Your wedding planner won't sit down the entire night. Now, can you image your Aunt doing all that?
The money you spend on a wedding planner is some of the best money you'll spend out of your wedding budget. If you truly want to enjoy the planning process and ESPECIALLY enjoy your wedding weekend, you have to hire a planner. Do your research, as all planners are priced differently and offer various packages. I promise you will NOT regret it!
xoxo
