5 Reasons to hire a Wedding Planner.
When it comes to organising the biggest day of your lives, the spectrum stretches from "I have no idea what I'm doing" to "I think wedding planning may be my calling. I’m going to quit my day job!" For couples who have absolutely no clue where to start, hiring a planner to help them along the way would feel like an obvious choice. But for couples who feel like they're organised, creative and have lots of time on their hands, or they think that extra help isn't financially feasible for them, is spending thousands on a planner really worth the investment?
If you talk to any couple after their wedding they will tell you that a good planner is like an unsung hero who works behind the scenes making things run smoothly, keeping things together and remains professional whilst you might be going just a little bit bonkers. One of my favourite testimonials really sums this up:
“From start to finish, Sally was an absolute DREAM to work with. She stood by this sleep deprived mumma (who turned up to meetings with bags under my eyes and toothpaste down my jumper), listened to what we trying to achieve, and developed our ideas even further to create a truly unique and personal wedding day. Balancing both my wishes (pretty things) and the groom’s (budget!) Sally was sensible and tactful when necessary but also an absolute HOOT, which was really appreciated and invaluable at times when wedding planning could otherwise be stressful. Frantically racking our brains to think of more parties we can plan together because we can’t deal with not having this lady in our life.”
Nice huh? And she is right. If you get the right planner, they will become your friend, your confidant, your reality check, someone who can wipe the stressy tears away and make you giggle at the same time.
The role of a wedding planner is huge, and I personally make sure that I adapt my services to suit the couple and their individual requirements - making it a bespoke and totally unique experience. A good planner knows what works and what doesn’t, how much things should realistically cost and how to dress and style the venue in the very best way. One thing I will stress to you now is that if you are considering a wedding planner or stylist then you need to make sure that it is part of your overall budget.
Still not sure? Here are a few reasons why are not just good to have but could actually save your sanity.
Handling the budget
Weddings can be expensive things. A planner will be able to keep an eye on the purse strings and be able to help you to spend money on the things that are important to you, rather than spending money on things that you think you should have. I always ask my clients at the first meeting: “Tell me three things which are most important to you on your wedding day” and then I plan for those things to be the showstoppers. For example, if you are real foodies, the catering might be a really important feature of the day; you might be really creative and the look and feel of the space might be one of your top priorities. Whatever you want to spend your budget on will be managed and stretched by a planner, helping you to actually save money and not do things just for the sake of it. We can help you avoid costly mistakes and negotiate deals with your suppliers. We should know what should and shouldn’t be in supplier contracts and how much things should cost. Basically, we should get the best prices and the best results.
We are your cheerleaders
One of the most important perks of having a planner is having someone to fight for your wedding vision from start to finish. Your planner is focused on your day and makes sure everything goes to plan. You want someone who knows what is in your head. If you want an outdoor ceremony and its cooking up a storm, we will have a Plan B. If a vendor is late to the party, we will know what to do.
From a vendor’s perspective, working with a wedding planner a few weeks before the wedding is much better than stressing out the couple. No one wants to be in conversation with a loo rental company whilst you are having a final dress fitting.
A big part of our job is negotiation and mediation. Weddings can bring out some interesting comments from family and friends: jealousy, estranged family members, crazy Aunts - you name it - we will have some tricks of the trade to help you to cope. Emotions run high when planning the best day of your lives. Knowing someone has your back makes all the difference.
We know people
Planners know a lot of people in the industry who would be perfect for your day. We will have worked with a lot of vendors and will have built up a great relationship with them. A planner will be able to recommend to you the very best of these to bring about your vision. It’s good for our reputation too. It is far better to have suppliers working with you who are known and trusted. On that note…
We can get you discounts
Discounts do not generally appear on paper and are not something which a supplier will directly discuss with a couple. However, planners are brilliant at negotiating a deal, meaning that the money you could save just might pay for the cost of hiring a planner – huzah!
We can do all the bits you might not want to do
All couples want to do things like dress shopping and cake tasting right? Well, unfortunately, there are loads of other not-quite-so-interesting things about organising a wedding which need to be taken care of. Planners will create all the schedules for the run up to the wedding and the main event itself which we make sure everyone sticks to. We organise every supplier and liaise with them every step of the way, so everything runs to time, as well as keeping a close eye on the dreaded budget.
If you want to chat about how I can help you plan and style your day, just get in touch. I would be happy to be your cheerleader.
Sally x