So do you need a wedding planner?
It’s true, wedding planning isn’t rocket science. You’re planning a party after all. But it’s a big party. Possibly the biggest and most expensive you’ll ever throw. And there’s so many little details to consider. So many suppliers to negotiate with and book then work with. Countless decisions to be made. And all the while your normal life goes on – work, family, sport and social activities and of course, your relationship with each other, now as an engaged couple.
The weight of all of those demands leads many people to consider asking for help. You may even have people putting up their hand to help. And as an wedding planner I’m here to tell you, that’s a good thing. Most couples need help planning their wedding. But before you say yes to your best friend’s offer to take all the stress off your shoulders, I encourage you to take some time to consider what help is going to help the two of you the most.
Do You Need a Wedding Planner?
If you’re drowning in wedding planning mayhem you might be thinking, is there a difference? Isn’t any help good help? Especially after I pointed out that wedding planning isn’t rocket science. But here’s the thing – there is a difference between someone who plans weddings professionally and someone who lends you a helping hand.
Wedding planning helpers tend to fall into three main categories:
- Friend or family member
- Hobbyist
- Professional wedding planner
Let’s take a look at each of these types of ‘help’ so you can determine which is going to help you the most.
Friend/Family Member
I love seeing friends and family pitch in and help a couple plan their wedding – weddings bring people together. In my experience this type of help is ideal when it comes to things like wedding dress shopping, buying shoes, addressing envelopes and applying postage stamps. You get the picture.
What doesn’t work so well is a family member or friend acting as your wedding planner. The lack of experience, negotiation skills and understanding of how many moving parts need to come together at exactly the right moment are just some of the reasons why.
Think of it this way, your close friend Jan might have a well-stocked first aid kit in the boot of her car and some knowledge of how to secure a bandage, but if you’ve just collapsed on the netball court after hearing a loud snap in your ankle and you can’t put weight on your foot, you’re going to seek some professional help – no offence Jan.
Hobbyist
There’s nothing wrong with hobbies. And there’s no reason why someone can’t make a hobby out of being a wedding planner. Often this is the friend or family member we talked about above, signing up to do it again and even again. They don’t want to turn it into a ‘real job’. They just like helping out where they can. And that is great. But the problems start when the problems start.
A hobbyist is not invested in their business the way a professional wedding planner is. They may not actually have a business, which means they probably don’t have insurance or an extensive network of contacts in the industry (which is one of the main ways a professional wedding planner saves you money).
In my experience most hobbyists don’t have many systems and processes in place, or a contract to protect you and them throughout the course of your relationship. They tend to have limited experience and are not trained in how to budget for a wedding, read supplier contracts or understand your obligations and what it is your actually agreeing to when you book a supplier (all things that could lead to your wedding costing more than you anticipated). And they too often lack the experience to troubleshoot on the day or execute wet weather plans.
A Professional Wedding Planner
A professional wedding planner is someone who has trained as a wedding planner and has experience managing weddings and acting as the liaison between a couple, their venue, and their vendors. They can manage budgets, design timelines that work and effectively handle issues as they arise, including bad weather. Importantly a professional wedding planner has the knowledge and experience to guide you through the wedding process and on the day – it’s this knowledge and experience that ensures nothing is missed and it’s what enables you to fully enjoy the experience of planning your wedding and getting married.
And many, many couples say that engaging a wedding planner is the best investment they could have made – it saved them money and it saved their sanity.
But don’t just take our word for it. Martha Stewart, the grandmother of wedding and party planning highlights these benefits of hiring a professional wedding planner:
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They’ll take responsibilities off your plate – your planner can schedule appointments, deal with vendors and work through the minute details of planning your wedding.
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You’ll get help with budgeting and scheduling.
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They have tons of insider knowledge.
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They’ll help communication with your vendors.
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You’ll be exposed to new ideas.
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They’ll offer advice on tricky situations.
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You’ll have tons of big-day assistance.
So, there you have it. The three main types of help you may find yourself needing to choose from when it comes to your Wedding.
As a professional Wedding Planner, it’s probably no surprise that I believe that a Wedding Planner is the best option for most couples. But to be sure you do need a Wedding Planner, let’s chat. I’d love to find out more about your big day and help you to enjoy every moment of bringing your wedding day vision to life.
