If you are planning a wedding, you may have learned by now that it can be a time consuming and stressful job. You need to visit and choose a venue, interview and hire vendors, plan what to wear, think about whom to invite, send invitations, decide what food and drinks to offer, if you want flowers and centerpieces, what music you want to dance to. The list goes on and on. Even for the “simple” weddings the time spent thinking, reviewing, choosing, and making can really add up. (And I planned a “simple” wedding of my own, so I can say that with confidence!)
Thankfully, the Universe has provided us with these fabulous people who we call Wedding Planners for when you’re ready for someone ELSE to do the interviewing, planning, deciding, and arranging. Hiring a wedding planner may not take you completely off the hook (it is your wedding, after all, so there are some things you just HAVE to do) but it does remove some of the burden from you and your sweetie. Ideally, you two get to enjoy your engagement and not get overwhelmed with the business of planning your wedding!
Of course, you may think that a Wedding Planner will be way out of your budget. But think about this: maybe hiring a Wedding Planner would actually be a super EFFICIENT way to spend your time and money. Here are some reasons why hiring a Wedding Planner is a great idea for weddings of all shapes and sizes, and some of the benefits you could realize from doing so.
- 1. Wedding Planners know the Biz
Okay, so you’re getting married. Congratulations! Now what? Who do you call? What do you do first? What do you need? What is a reasonable budget? Who are vendors that you MUST have? Do you serve chicken or beef? There are literally hundreds of questions that must be answered when planning a wedding and most of us haven’t the faintest clue about where to begin. Wedding Planners, on the other hand, do this for a living. They know who to call, where to start, how much it will cost, and how to get you to the wedding day that you are imagining. Think about it: you’ll never have to read another bride magazine again! Then, when the day comes, they know how to keep you on time, how to plan your day, what time the photographer should show up, and what to do if the Best Man gets wasted and his toast goes on too long. In short, they are the problem solvers.
- 2. Wedding Planners know the city/area where you’re getting married
Even if you’re getting married in another city, you want to hire a Wedding Planner is local to where your wedding is taking place. Not only will they understand know how to navigate the Wedding Biz, but they’ll also be familiar with the Wedding Biz in their area – they’ll have florists, DJs, venues, limo companies, and dressmakers at their fingertips. They’ll know where you can get those second hand vases you’re looking for. They’ll know a printer, a photographer, and a band. And better yet, they can meet with all of those people IN YOUR PLACE if you want them to. Wedding Planners become your representatives out in the world of wedding vendors and, if they’re local, can do a lot of the walking and talking so that you don’t have to.
- 3. Wedding Planners will help you set a budget and hold you to it
Yes, you do have to pay a Wedding Planner a fee, and some of them charge more than others. But who better to help you set and maintain a reasonable budget than someone who plans dozens of weddings a year? Don’t you think he or she will know exactly what you’ll need to do to plan that $10,000 eco-chic wedding of your dreams? Don’t you think that if you want to spend $300,000 on your wedding and feel like a princess or prince, they’ll know what luxury providers to call? Hiring a planner needs to be part of your budget, but the rest of the budget you can rest assured will be accounted for and carefully managed.
- 4. Wedding Planners will do the tasks you really don’t want to do
This is the same reason why we hire people to paint our houses, cut the trees in our yards, fix our cars, and give our pets their shots – BECAUSE WE DON’T WANT TO! I don’t know how to do any of those things and I certainly don’t have time to learn. It’s the same with wedding planning. It’s a tricky and difficult process full of decision-making and negotiating and there is a LOT to learn. So hire a Wedding Planner and let him or her do the hard stuff. Then you can just sit back and enjoy the cake tastings (because let’s be honest, that’s the best part, right?)
- 5. Wedding Planners take the pressure off of you…
…and if you don’t believe me, go back and read #1-4 all over again. It all adds up to a wedding that is unique and special to you and your sweetie and that DIDN’T cause you both to lose sleep and argue. Weddings are big, big events – maybe the biggest event you’ll ever plan. So hire a professional to help and you’ll be more relaxed so that you can actually enjoy the day when it finally arrives.
Convinced that you should hire a Wedding Planner? Well, then, please allow me to recommend some dynamite people!
Tracy Dapp, Inked Events www.inked-events.com (603) 401-9938 Tracy is based in Southern New Hampshire and plans weddings all over New England. Her special focus is working with tattooed brides and grooms J
Dorna Love, Love Wedding Planning www.plannedwithlove.com (781) 592-7038 Dorna lives on Boston’s North Shore and has planned her own children’s weddings, in addition to dozens of clients’ weddings!
Vanessa Alce, I Love My Planner www.ilovemyplanner.net (888) 202-4567 Vanessa lives in Boston, but also has contacts in Miami and Orlando, FL so she’s your go-to girl for destination weddings in those areas.
Rachael Gross, LolaGRACEevents www.lolagraceevents.com (617) 650-8823 Rachael refers to her clients as “ANTIbrides” and “ANTIgrooms” and plans weddings for those couples looking for a non-traditional and somewhat unconventional approach to their wedding.