Many brides these days want to take it all on! The researching, the organizing, the selecting, the contracting, the planning and the putting-it-all-together! While it often is a truly fun journey - it can also get very stressful and overwhelming - especially in the weeks leading up to the big day! Yet, when someone mentions a wedding planner to brides they may brush off the idea right away. "They are too expensive." "I don't think they will see my vision." I love the planning process and the planner would take away from that excitement." So not true!! Hiring a wedding planner could be the best money you spend on your special day. Additionally, they will allow you to truly enjoy one of the most important days of your life - all while not breaking the bank!
Melissa, the amazing photographer from Melissa Jill Photography in Arizona, sums up her top ten reasons to hire a wedding planner which I love (especially since she is not a planner, but works with brides on a regular basis!).
Top 10 Reasons to Hire a Wedding Planner (March 18th)
10. Sounding Board -- Wedding planners are a huge creative resource. They listen to your vision and dreams for your wedding and bring their creativity to the process to help your vision come alive.
9. Big Picture -- When you pick a venue they often give you a "wedding coordinator" from the venue to help coordinate the day. This person is NOT the same as an independent planner. He or she is the venue's catering manager and their job is to make sure that everything having to do with the facilities runs smoothly. While they are helpful, they do not cover the scope of what an independent planner does.
8. Budgeting -- Wedding planners have been in the industry for some time. They know what things should cost and the difference in value. They can help you navigate the often confusing waters of wedding industry price tags and balance your budget around YOUR priorities.
7. Enjoyable Process -- I've observed so many brides through the process of planning their wedding and when they do it without a professional planner, oftentimes by the time the wedding comes around, the process has been so stressful that they just can't wait for it to be over. Planning your wedding is supposed to be an enjoyable process. A good wedding planner helps you enjoy the journey.
6. Mediator -- A good planner serves as a buffer in tricky relational situations. It's a known fact that it's impossible to make everyone happy when planning a wedding. A planner is a safe neutral person to point to for direction. It's easier to tell your future mother-in-law, "My planner thinks we need to...." instead of "I think we should...."
5. Timeline -- Your wedding day will involve numerous vendors who need to work together to insure that the day goes smoothly. A planner understands how each vendor relies on the others and serves as the team captain who coordinates the complexities of the timeline with all its moving parts.
4. Knowledge Base -- This is likely your first time planning a wedding. Planners have been in the industry for years and are experts in protocol, etiquette and everything it takes to pull off an event of such magnitude. They are a HUGE and readily accessible resource for education.
3. Background -- 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 who has the best business practices. A referral from someone who has roots in the industry is GOLD when you're having to place such a high level of trust in those you previously had no knowledge of.
2. Save $ -- I have had the planners I've worked with tell me that they can actually help their clients save enough money on their wedding to cover the cost of hiring them! How unbelievable is that!?
And the #1 reason to hire a wedding planner is...
1. Stress -- The difference in the stress level of a bride who has a professional planner and one who doesn't is palpable. When it comes to the day of your wedding, the most important thing is that you are able to relax and enjoy it. You are the bride. You don't want to end up being the point person 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.
