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I Should Have Hired a Wedding Planner
December 28, 2014

The decision to hire a wedding planner  – we’ve seen it time and time again. Brides, excited for a challenge, take it upon themselves to plan their own weddings. With experience in party planning and a long list of friends to help, delegating and coordinating should go down in a pinch. Right?

 

Unfortunately, this isn’t always the case. However capable and creative she may be, the bride ends up realizing that several factors – usually outside of her control – can end up compromising both the experience and the event. In a recent survey conducted by MyWedding.com, the lesson learned by several hundred brides was that they wished they had hired a wedding planner. When taking all aspects into consideration, there are many reasons why going with a professional wedding planner is the best decision to make.
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We can start with the basics – time and money. A recent post by Celebrations By Heart claims that on average, brides spends 10 – 15 hours each week planning, organizing and producing their weddings. Work, sleep, and life chores aside, it can be harder than one might think to both find the hours and do your best work with them. Working around vendors’ schedules, factoring in travel time, and doing adequate research can become increasingly difficult with limited hours in a day. Considering all of this, the blog suggests, “You may end up deciding that you really do need to have someone on your side who will take the time to help you. A wedding planner will spend the time (or has already spent the time) researching great ideas, sourcing materials and developing a list of proven vendors who can help fulfill your vision.”

 

Though it may seem like opting to not hire a wedding planner will save money, ultimately it’s the opposite. A wedding blogger at Reflective Bride had this very epiphany, and cited two realizations she learned in hindsight. Firstly, “Planners know what different services cost, and can better spot when a vendor price is exorbitantly high or too good to be true. They know most local wedding vendors, and can help you get the best value for your budget.” The fact that wedding planners have pre-existing relationships with vendors means that they will be able to provide exactly the services you want, at insider rates. Talk about connections. And the second: “As with any other wedding vendor, you will agree in advance what services you want from your planner and how much that will cost. It is not in their interest to hand you a bill at the end of the wedding that you can’t afford to pay.” Wedding planners are always on YOUR side, and know at the end of the day they are the ones being reported to. In this regard, they’ll work with you to provide the experience you want within the confines of your budget.
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Another reason that stands out is the glamour of wedding planning can often be tainted by reality. There is, of course, a magical nature to picking out cake designs and flower decorations, but keeping track of payments and proof-reading contracts can make the magic seem a bit mundane. The good news is that hiring a planner doesn’t mean giving up creative input. Reflective Bride writes, “Contrary to what I had thought, hiring a wedding planner doesn’t mean outsourcing your entire wedding; a wedding planner only handles what you want them to (support at the start to get you on the right track, on-the-day coordination only, or indeed the whole shebang) so won’t take over and choose your final bouquet design for you.” This means you can focus on the fun parts, and let the professionals handle all the rest.

 

And then, of course, there’s the big day itself. Anyone who has planned an event knows that when things come down to the wire, mistakes and mishaps can happen at the last minute. From seating arrangements to transportation issues, the day-of details can bring a whirlwind of stress to your dreamed-about day. “The day before the wedding, the baker for our cake buffet claimed they never received our order,” describes Reflective Bride. “And our dance floor provider phoned halfway through our bridal party lunch claiming they hadn’t been paid. Tiny things, but they were unnecessary and brought a general feeling of stress on a day my groom and I had planned to be lovely and relaxing.” Having someone to not only field these calls, but also handle them in the most effective and time-efficient way will be worth every penny and more.

 

When it comes down to it, being realistic is ultimately the best way to go. Hire Save the Date® to skip the stress, cut your costs, save time, and most of all – enjoy!

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