Today's Tuesday's Topic is all about hiring a wedding planner. This is the time of year where many people got engaged over the holiday season and you just might be one of them. And...I bet you’re wondering if it’s really necessary to hire a wedding planner and if you do, if there’s an actual benefit to doing so. Well, there is! There are many benefits to hiring a wedding planner, but I’ve narrowed them to my top 5. Trust me, the right wedding planner is an asset to your wedding day; not a liability!
Image Courtesy of Michelle Davina Photography
Image Courtesy of Michelle Davina Photography
1. Directly, in the form of discounts! Everybody want to save a buck or two. That's the nature of the beast. I, like many other planners, know tons of other wedding vendors and worked hard to build and cultivate my relationships with ALL of them. Often times, we're able to get things just because of our long-time friendships or because the overall design concept is so beautiful that they just want to throw “a little something extra” in. More often than not, this is the case. However, the right wedding planner works with you to select the vendors that are perfect for you and within your specified budget. Haggling over prices or seeking vendor kickbacks isn't always good either.
2. Indirectly, in the form of long-time experience! I’ve been there and I’ve done that. I can save you money be asking questions that you may not know to ask. For example, a current bride of mine just lost her $2,500 deposit on a venue because she didn’t know that she had to pay $35 per car for each of her guests to park. This cost was not factored into her budget, nor was it a part of the food and beverage minimum that she had to meet. It helps to know venues, logistics, and the right questions to ask. It can save you lots of money in the long run.
Image Courtesy of Leslie Marie Photography
Image Courtesy of Michelle Davina Photography
3. Incidentally, in the form of the all-inclusive venue! If I’ve heard it once, I’ve heard it a million times “the venue comes with tables and chairs”. Just because the venue comes with table and chairs does NOT mean that they are the right chairs for your wedding. Another former bride of mine booked her venue before hiring me and her venue had 50 chocolate brown chairs and 50 tan chairs. Her wedding colors were black and green, which meant she had to rent 100 black and green chairs! In the end, she didn’t save money.
4. Logistically, in the form of time! Well, time is money, right? More often than not, a bride wants to DIY a good part of her wedding because she feels that she can handle it all, plus her full-time job, her family, friends, and her fiancé! Well, once the wedding draws near, she realizes that she can’t handle it all and things start to fall through the cracks! This is when your wedding planner has to step in and find an amazing vendor that's going to pull off an even bigger miracle to complete the project that you've run out of time to do, yet still needs to get done before your wedding.
Image Courtesy of Sophia Barrett Studios
Image Courtesy of Sophia Barrett Studios
5. Medically, in the form of pre-marital and family counseling! Planning a wedding should be stress free, but sometimes there are petty fights over colors, guest lists, and of course money. I’m certainly happy that I’m able to be a friend, counselor, and confidant to my brides and grooms. I definitely have been able to save them a lot in insurance co-payments. If I had to charge for all the times that I’ve had to be a psychiatrist, a counselor, and a mediator, there may not be much left in the budget for me as the wedding planner!
Image Courtesy of Leslie Marie Photography
The moral of the story: Hire a wedding planner first! If you have a stressful job, are having a wedding out of town, or simply just want it to run smoothly, hire a professional. Happy planning!