Should I Get a Wedding Planner?

Without taking anything away from how special and wonderful weddings are, there’s no denying that they can be very stressful as far as planning and organising goes. As a result, many couples consider the services of a professional wedding planner, who handles everything from planning the catering, the decor and can help you select the bridal jewellery and accessories. But is handing the responsibility over to someone that is essentially a stranger a good idea? In this article, we look at the pros and cons of hiring a wedding planner.

Pros

Less Stress

While most of the responsibility is out of your hands, you still have the final say on what happens, where it happens and how it happens. The main benefit of employing a wedding planner is to take care of all those overwhelming details when it comes to planning a wedding, leaving you to make the most important decisions and not having to worry as much about organising them. The grunt work is left to someone else – which means stressing less during the lead up – but your overall say isn’t diminished. Depending on the package your purchase, a wedding planner might be able to take care of all bookings, which can be very handy if you’re planning a wedding out of town.

Discounts

Wedding planners work closely with companies in the service industry, so most of them have built up relationships with certain venues, caterers, decorators and more. In many cases, a good relationship between a planner and other service providers can mean significant discounts for you. Service professionals offer a discount because the wedding planner consistently steers business their way. Whether or not this covers the cost of the wedding planners is debateable, but you should certainly factor in these savings.

Experience

We’re not all natural event planners and sometimes having a professional at your side to help you make decisions is invaluable. They usually know what works well, what looks good and how to make the most out of your day. You can get their counsel in regards to everything from the bridal jewellery you wear, to what you serve as a main to general etiquette.

Cons

 

Cost

The prices charged by wedding planners should not be underestimated, even with the discounts that can be gained. Especially if you’re planning a relatively small wedding, costs can make up a significant chunk of the overall amount spent on the wedding, so it’s probably best to simply organise things yourself.

Hourly Fees

We would encourage you to hire the services of a wedding planner that charges a fixed price, rather than an hourly fee. It can be difficult to estimate the number of hours spent in the planning process and you could easily end up spending far more on a wedding planner than you ever intended.

Easy Wedding Preparation

Make a To Do list

At the beginning and throughout, it can be helpful to put together a ‘To Do’ list. The list will contain the most important things that need doing before the wedding. It might not seem like much, but it can help you stay calm and keep on top of everything.

Budgeting

Any wedding comes with a lot of expenses! But you do need to consider what are the most important costs and budget for your wedding accordingly. It is a must to make a proper budget of the necessary items to avoid spending far more money than you could ever afford. You might also consider consulting with an expert to help you prepare the budget.

To Buy List

Shopping for a wedding can be the most exciting and the most difficult aspect of wedding preparation. Ask any bride, shopping for the dress in particular makes you both anxious and incredibly excited at the same time!

Prepare separate lists of items to be bought according to priority and your budget. You need to think about wedding attire for the groom, bride, bridesmaids and groomsmen, bridal jewellery, any decorations, the cake just to name a few.

Invitation List

A wedding is an event of joy and happiness. It is a special day for the couples and their near and dear ones. People in the lives of the bride and groom are invited to the wedding, but determining who is invited can also take a lot of thought and can be quite stressful.You need to allocate time to deciding who you want, even if it means you might end up offending some people.

Venue and Photographer

The wedding venue is another key factor. Try to find a suitable venue considering the season and the climate. Obviously, you need to make sure the venue can accommodate the invited guests comfortably. Your wedding photos will be viewed for years to come, and a professional photographer can catch the moments perfectly. A good photographer knows how to take wonderful photos without being noticed, so be sure you find someone that comes highly recommended.

Entertainment and Food

The appropriate food items can vary depending on the weather and the guest list. There are some common items like cake and beverages and ensure those suit your guests. There are a variety of cakes and drinks. Contract a baker or caterer to supply the food items in time. Playing a soft music or having a band/DJ during the event is an excellent idea. It will help create the proper environment and put everyone in a great mood.

Plan for Honeymoon

After planing a wedding, organising the honeymoon will feel like a breeze! It's important for a newly wed couple to get away for some quality time together. Many couples prefer isolated, relaxing destinations while others prefer happening places where they can really get out and have a good time. Whatever your preference, make sure your trip is well planned!