Should You Hire a Wedding Planner?

We often meet people who ask about the benefits vs. the cost of hiring a wedding planner.  Despite popular belief, a wedding planner can often be hired to help with the plans and to alleviate a ton of stress, but without adding any additional cost to your wedding.  Wedding planners have many roles that they fill, and they do so all the while keeping your wedding vision in mind.  In addition to helping turn your wedding dreams into reality, a wedding planner will save you money and time.  With today’s hectic lifestyle, many couples do not have time for the planning and the work that a beautiful wedding requires.  Here are some of our most Frequently Asked Questions to help you in your decision. 

What is a wedding planner?

A wedding planner is a professional whose training, expertise, and contacts will help make your wedding as close to perfect as it possibly can be.  A professional wedding planner will take on many roles:

 

Advisor:  As an expert, the planner knows weddings, from the socially correct invitation formats through the proper planning and organization of the reception.

 

Coordinator:  Through extensive contacts in the wedding business, the planner can match you with the right professionals to turn your wedding dreams into reality.

Supervisor:  Your planner will work with the other professionals you have chosen to help ensure everything happens just as you wish.

Financial planner:  Your planner can help you organize your dream wedding within budget, by suggesting ways to make your dollar go the farthest.

Mediator:   A bridal professional, as an independent third party, can often smooth ruffled feathers and mediate disagreements between family members.  Sometimes your planner may be nothing more than a “shoulder to cry on” to support you during the hectic days before your wedding. 

 

Why can’t I do the planning myself? 

You certainly can do the planning yourself, and that can be part of the fun.  But some parts of the planning can also be a hassle:  researching many sources for each vendor category, making sure all of the details are in place and worrying about whether you’re getting the best deal and whether everything will turn out all right.  A professional wedding planner has the training and experience to make it all come together while you relax.  

Won’t a wedding planner want to run the whole show?

A professional wedding planner will work with you to handle as much or as little of your wedding as you wish.  After all, it is your wedding.  The planner is there to help you and your family and make the day as perfect as possible.

What will a wedding planner charge?

Most professional wedding planners charge an hourly rate, a fixed fee, or a combination of both.  All of these methods are acceptable, but you should clarify in writing how and when you will compensate your wedding planner for his or her services.  A wedding planner is part of your budget, not an extra expense.  In fact, you often save money because a planner suggests affordable alternatives that still enhance your wedding.  The professional wedding planner will work with you to produce your dream wedding, including the planner’s fee, all within your budget.

Do I need a wedding planner?

A planner will be a distinct asset as you plan your wedding.  Wouldn’t it be nice to spend time with your fiancé and your families, rather than worrying about all of the details of your special day?  A planner will take care of all of those details, leaving you to have the fun.  And on your wedding day, you shine as the star, while your planner works behind the scenes to make your dreams come true!

Before you make any decisions, before you decide that you just can't afford a wedding planner, meet with a few planners to see what they offer.  You may be surprised to find that you can not only afford to hire wedding planner, but you can't afford not to hire one.