Wedding planners. So many people think that you can only have a wedding planner if you’re having a $50,000+ wedding. This is SO not true. Just about anyone can have a wedding planner.
“I don’t have the budget for a wedding planner. Don’t only platinum weddings have wedding planners?”
A common thought among brides is that you have to have a huge budget to have a wedding planner or coordinator. I thought the same exact thing. But think of it this way: what you spend on a wedding planner or coordinator, you could definitely make up for in what you will save by using one. (Note: There are definitely different levels of pricing and packages for wedding planners, and like photography, it’s something that you get what you pay for.)
Don’t get me wrong, a wedding planner can’t get you “discounts”, but often he or she will have connections with various vendors. These connections can possibly save you money. Some planners have various decor items that they own. If they don’t have everything, they can always rent them, and do the price shopping to get you a cheaper price than if you were renting them yourself. A planner can help you to create a budget, and throughout the planning of your wedding, he or she will listen to your budget priorities, and help you stick to the budget. If you talk about wanting something for your wedding that’s costly, your planner will tell you that it won’t work with your budget. A planner can even save you money just by recommending that you DON’T purchase certain things, like those “cake napkins” your mom wants you to get. A wedding planner can offer up great DIY ideas in place of typical “wedding purchases”, and sometimes will even be willing to help you with them, or do them for you (depending on the planner of course).
Gianna of Chic Celebrations conducting a venue walkthrough
“I’m having a DIY wedding. I’ve already booked my vendors- I don’t need someone to plan my wedding.”
So no problem, you do the planning yourself, (which most brides do, especially with all of the awesome blogs and resources out there!) but I still highly recommend having a coordinator. Planners have different packages, from planning every detail of your wedding, to only executing the details on the day of (which is more of a week/month-of for most planners). You can even have a planner provide you with recommendations of vendors, and then you contact those recommended vendors yourself. It makes your search much easier. And like I said before, the price you pay to have a coordinator could definitely be made up by the amount that you’ll save, and of course the piece of mind you will have on your wedding day! Ask just about any bride- having a day-of coordinator saves you SO MUCH stressing and worrying. He or she knows what they’re doing, knows how things are supposed to be, and knows your vision. AND they can do things like fix a broken bustle (see photo below)! There’s really no better way to make sure you will enjoy your wedding!
Aleah of Good Life Event Specialists sewing a broken bustle
{Disclaimer: I am indeed a former bride and a wedding planner. However, I would be writing this post even if I wasn’t a wedding planner- because it’s the truth.}
Lauren
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I did not feel the need to have a wedding planner because I did all the planning myself. I was able to get myself the same deals that a wedding planner got me (or in some cases even better).
I do have two coordinators though and completely understand their value. They have been excellent so far and have gone above and beyond their actual job.
I planned every detail of my wedding. But I quickly learned that for the day of – I was not going to be able to (or even WANT to) set it up myself.
I hired a day of and also had a friend assist to pull the entire event together. They set it up exactly how I had planned, and my planner was able to curtail some little “problems” that popped up (without my knowing). I didn’t spend a lot on her, but if had cost me a few hundred more, I would have paid as she was worth every penny.
Folks asked me if I would have friends or family set everything up (and therefore being “free”) But I wanted my fam and friends to enjoy their morning and not have to be running around, moving boxes, setting up details, etc either.
Great article. It is always worth it to get a wedding planner, though your ‘need’ for one may vary from another bride’s. From experience, though, some wedding planners actually *do* get discounts that brides normally wouldn’t get on their own. Some wedding professionals offer ‘kickbacks’ to wedding planners for the referral (in addition to the bride’s discount), and the truly ethical wedding planners will request that instead of the kickback, the wedding professional pass the savings on to the client. So in those cases, brides do save more through a wedding planner than they could negotiate on their own.
Yes, wedding professionals are able to sometimes get “industry” discounts. I personally pass those along to brides, as do most planners (There are only a few planners who do not pass along these discount). It’s just the right thing to do, as a planner’s job is to help the bride. :)
The beauty of having a Wedding Planner is it takes away a lot of the stress of the day.
Many couples find planning a wedding a stressful time and tend to forget that it should be one of the happiest times of their lives.
Having a wedding planner is a big help in planning a wedding.
Just like in any profession, there are simply things that you would not know unless you were in that field. This is particularly true when it comes to planners. They know exactly who is reputable, who works well together, what the vendors need to provide the best service and brides, as hardworking as they can be, don’t. Some weddings have an energy that’s indescribeable and almost 100% of the time it’s because of the hard work and knowledge that a planner put into making it stress-free for everyone. Of course you want your guests to have a great time, but what you don’t realize is that you NEED for your vendors to as well. A planner has saved you money long before the wedding day and the headaches and situations you can’t possibly anticipate. What’s that worth?
Great post Lauren. It was perfectly worded and spot on! I just met with a wonderful bride yesterday who really needs planning help but said she does not want people to think she is a “princess” for hiring a planner. I explained almost exactly what you said here, that it is not about being spoiled but rather getting the most for your money and truly getting the wedding (and planning experience) you want and deserve!! THANK YOU!!
Very true! Many individuals believe that you need a planner when you are spending lavishly on your wedding. However Gregory Atkin, a wedding planner in New York can also plan a wedding within budget. Having a professional is always a great option than managing all the tasks yourself.