Hiring a Wedding Planner

Ah! You are engaged!!! You have waited and prayed for this day and it’s finally here! You are so thankful and excited to get married!! And then comes the crazy part, planning your wedding! If you’re anything like me, then you’ve dreamed about your wedding since you were 12 years old and knew that someday this day would come! You cannot wait to get started but you also know that you will have to make so many decisions about your wedding! You’ve always wanted to plan your wedding, so you’re not sure if Hiring a Wedding Planner is right for you. But you also know that you want to enjoy your engagement and your wedding! So, let’s dive in to see if hiring a Wedding Planner is the best option for you!

What Wedding Planners Actually Do

The best place to start is to understand a little bit more about what Wedding Planners actually do! As a Snohomish Wedding Planner, I have worked with so many different couples and have seen a lot of weddings! And let’s be honest, YOU are getting married for the FIRST time! So, you are starting from scratch with planning a wedding which is why it’s SO helpful to know what Wedding Planners do so you can see if that’s something you want to invest in for your wedding!

Most Wedding Planners offer the following:

• Consultations, Communication & Vendor Management
• Suggestion & Coordination of Vendors & Contracts
• Design Inspiration & Creative Vision including Decor setup
• Creating an Event Floor Layout & Seating Chart
• Overseeing the Wedding Budget
• Creation & Distribution of a Detailed Wedding Day Timeline
• Day of Wedding Coordinating

Each Wedding Planner is different and will have different services included in their packages, but one thing is sure – They are dedicated to relieving your stress and allowing you to enjoy your wedding! When I work with couples for Wedding Planning, my first consultation is very candid and I specifically ask what they would like me to do. That allows us to be on the same page and allows me to know how involved they want to be in the Wedding Planning process.

Do I need a Wedding Planner? 7 Key Questions to Ask Yourself

• Do you have a demanding job or limited free time?
• Are you planning a destination or large wedding?
• Do you enjoy organizing details or find it overwhelming?
• Are you good at handling stress and logistics?
• Do you have a clear vision but don’t know how to execute it?
• Are you on a tight timeline?
• Is your venue all-inclusive or DIY?

Answering these questions can really help you determine if Hiring a Wedding Planner is right for you.

Why Hire a Wedding Planner: The Top Benefits

Stress reduction and peace of mind: Having a planner who is making or helping you make all the decisions for your wedding will relieve so much stress! They are also the ones communicating with vendors and your Venue which is honestly half the stress of planning your own wedding!

Vendor connections and insider knowledge: Professional Wedding Planners spend countless hours on networking and marketing, which makes their knowledge irreplaceable. They often know MANY vendors and can really help you get great deals and find vendors that will fit with your personality, vision and budget.

Budget management and cost-saving advice: Another benefit to Hiring a Wedding Planner is actually saving money. Wedding Planners have tons of experience and can often give you suggestions to help you maximize your budget. They also know how to keep you on track with your budget so you don’t end up spending more than you originally planned!

Design expertise and creative vision execution: A wedding planner can really help you define your vision and bring it to life. Sometimes bringing ideas together or filtering your ideas takes a lot of work and tact. Wedding planners have tons of experience with this and can direct you in the right path to make your dream wedding a reality! And even if you are very clear on what you want, hiring a wedding planner to just execute your vision will take so much stress off! Decorations are a huge part of wedding planning and most people that plan their own weddings underestimate the time and work it takes to decorate a wedding.

Day-of coordination to ensure everything runs smoothly: The LAST thing you are going to want to worry about on wedding day is where your vendors need to setup, where decorations go and how much food there is. Wedding Planners have seen hundreds, if not thousands of weddings and know exactly what to do so your wedding day runs smoothly. They know how to handle emergencies, direct vendors and execute timelines and I promise you, allowing them to do their job on your wedding day will allow you to enjoy your wedding day!

Pros and Cons of Hiring a Wedding Planner

Pros: They have done this before! Wedding Planners are great at handling anything that may come up on your wedding day! They will help your day run smoothly and efficiently. They are the ones handling the bulk of the communication. And you will have less stress and more free time throughout the planning process and on your wedding day!

Cons: It is an additional cost to hire a wedding planner and depending on the planner, you might not be able to be as hands on as you’d like.

Alternatives to having a Wedding Planner

If you are super excited to plan your wedding, have the time and energy to dedicate to it and know that you can be organized, planning your own wedding might be the way to go! More than likely, it will still be your first time planning a wedding, so here are some helpful tips if you decide to go this route!

Buy a Wedding Planning Guide like THIS ONE to walk you through the process step by step OR use a Wedding Planning app, CHECKLIST or resources from wedding websites like TheKnot and Zola.

Hire a Day of or Month of Wedding Coordinator: While a Day of Wedding Coordinator doesn’t help you plan your wedding, they will help you execute your wedding day! They will be the point of contact for all your vendors, will be there on the day of to help direct people and ensure the timeline is followed. Some Wedding Coordinators also include decor set-up and take-down, serving staff, and more. When I have been hired as a Wedding Coordinator, the couple will fill me in on all the details and moving parts for the wedding so they can relax on the day of and let me handle the logistics.

Rely on your Venue Coordinator: Some Venues offer a Venue Coordinator but they usually will not do all the things that a Wedding Coordinator or Wedding Planner will do. Most Venue Coordinators offer the following:

• Preferred Vendors Lists
• Assisting with Event Floor Layout & Seating Chart
• Set-up and Take down of tables, chairs, etc. (but not decor)
• Vendor Arrival Communication
• Maintaining the property

Ask Family & Friends for help: Because I am a Wedding Planner and Coordinator, I have some great suggestions for this! I share a lot of those in my Wedding Planning Guide, but I will summarize a few points here if you decide this is the route for you!

• Do not ask your Mom or Maid of Honor to Coordinate your wedding day – Of course, they can help you plan, but they are the ones that should be helping YOU on wedding day! Not, overseeing all the wedding details
• Delegate – Have clear checklists and responsibilities for people helping. One of the best ways to do this is in a GoogleDoc or Canva. Including pictures of your inspiration is a huge bonus and will help a ton!
• Create a very detailed Wedding Day Timeline – Even if you want your wedding to be more casual and laid back, having a detailed timeline will ensure that everyone is where they need to be when they need to be there. Send it to everyone that will be in photos, your whole bridal party and all of your vendors!

How to Choose the Right Wedding Planner (If You Decide to Hire One)

Finding the Right Wedding Planner for you is huge! The main thing to look for is understanding and communication. During a consultation with a Wedding Planner, you should really feel like they understand you and can see your vision! You’ll want to find a Planner that meshes well with your personality. You will probably spend more time with your planner than anyone else (except maybe your fiancee) during the Wedding Planning Process so you really want to make sure they are a good fit! Trusting your Wedding Planner is also a huge thing to look for. Have they planned weddings like yours before? Have they planned or coordinated at your venue? Have they worked with brides that have a similar personality and vision? What are they’re reviews from past brides they’ve planned for?

Making the Right Choice for Your Big Day

Your Wedding Day will be one of the most important days of your life so deciding if you want to Hire a Wedding Planner will be make or break. Really think about how much capacity you have to plan your own wedding and if you have supportive family and friends that can help you along the way. Think about what you want your wedding day to look like and how you want to spend that day. And don’t be afraid to change your mind! If you decide to plan your own wedding and then find that you don’t have the time or energy you thought you would, hire a planner for the rest of the process! And if you are still unsure about Hiring a Wedding Planner, think about if a Wedding Coordinator might be the right way to go! Reading about my top 3 reasons to hire a wedding coordinator along with this post will help clarify in your mind what is right for you and your love for your wedding!