Hiring a Wedding Planner - Are they really worth it?
Yes, they are – 100%!
Anyone who’s hired a wedding planner will tell you they’re worth every cent. But unless you’ve already been through the process, it is hard to understand how helpful a planner can be. It’s not until after the wedding that you can fully appreciate how much work goes into organising and running such a momentous day.
It can literally take hundreds of hours of your ‘spare time’ (the average is 200hrs), and if you’re too busy with work or not the organising type, a planner will save you time, stress, money and is worth the financial investment.
Here are my 5 top reasons why you should hire a wedding planner.
1. We take away your stress.
When you hire a planner, you are not just making a financial investment, you are INVESTING IN YOUR SANITY!
There are so many aspects to planning a wedding and a plethora of decisions to make - it all takes an incredible amount of time, especially if you want it done right. When you’re juggling work, your social life and family, it’s not hard to see how easy it is to become stressed and feel overwhelmed. You especially don’t want to feel like a Bridezilla who can’t work, eat or sleep properly as you’re constantly stressing about all things wedding and not knowing where to find the time to do it all!
Having a wedding planner is like having a personal assistant who is there to do all of the research, ordering and looking after all the small details that you may not have time to deal with. On the day itself, you don’t want anyone in the bridal party to end up being the main point of contact for issues and questions that will inevitably arise. Hiring a planner frees you and everyone you love to live in the moment on your wedding day.
2. We look after the big picture.
When you pick a venue they often include a “wedding coordinator” as a part of their package to help coordinate the day. This person is NOT the same as an independent planner. This is usually the venue’s F&B or Event manager and their job is to ensure that everything having to do with the venue runs smoothly. While they are helpful, they do not cover the scope of what an independent planner does and probably won’t be there on your wedding day.
An independent planner will handle every last detail over the entire spectrum of your wedding, from finding and supervising vendors, providing timelines, setting up the venue, cueing musicians, greeting late arrivals, making announcements, working with your MC, helping with the décor, and so much more. The wedding planner will often be the last one out of the building after every last piece of decor is taken down.
3. We won’t leave out any details & will help you bring your vision to life. You may already have a vision of how you want your day to be and a Pinterest board full of ideas and DIY projects or you might just have an idea or two. Planners are super organised creatives, and will collaborate with you to translate your vision into a comprehensive design filled with many unique and personalised details.
We will narrow down your ideas to a manageable and realistic amount and be able to tell you what is worth buying, renting or making yourself. We will make sure nothing is missed, we’ll do the groundwork, give you options, then you make the decisions and we implement them for you.
4. We’ll save you money!
Although it may seem counter-intuitive, a planner will actually help you save money and get more bang for your buck. By understanding and focusing on what is important to you and your fiancé we can balance your budget around YOUR priorities and help you allocate funds accordingly. A good planner will help make you savings in other areas, that they often end up playing for themselves!
We also know what is necessary and what is not, so can make sure you don’t get too side-tracked and spend a crazy amount of money on something that is good in theory but not really necessary or practical.
Sadly, it's also not uncommon for some so-called “professionals” to take advantage of unsuspecting brides and grooms which is totally wrong, but does happen. A wedding planner will ensure that you only receive well-regarded and trusted industry professionals.
When it comes down to it, the biggest reason most people hesitate in hiring a planner is because of the cost. How can you fit it in to your already tight budget? A good planner will take your budget, allocate your costs and help make you savings in other areas that they often end up playing for themselves!
5. We have vendor connections.
In addition to possessing a wealth of knowledge, planners have been in the industry long enough to know who the players are – which vendors can be trusted, and which make the most sense for your vision and your budget.
Your wedding planner can recommend suppliers they’ve worked with before and know how to get the best prices, and the best results, from them. Even if we have to use a new supplier, we know how to find the best one for your style and price.
Your planner understands how each vendor relies on the others and they’ll serves as the team captain who coordinates the complexities of the timeline with all its moving parts. The planner is also the go-to person if the vendor is lost or forgets something that was in the contract.
When it comes down to it, wedding planners are passionate about what they do and genuinely want you to have the best day of your lives! Their goal is to help you plan your wedding and have an amazing, stress-free day. Who doesn't want that?!
Nat xoxo
