How Much Do You Value Your Time?

The Value of Hiring a Wedding Planner

Planning a wedding can seem like a full time job. Between making appointments to see venues, taste cakes, and try on dresses, it can feel like you have to quit your job to fit it all in, and that’s not even including the time it takes to review vendor contracts, design invitations, manage the guest list, the responsibilities go on and on. If wedding planning seems to be robbing you of your time and energy, you’re in luck: Wedding and event coordinators are trained professionals you can hire to alleviate all your wedding stresses.

Type of Packages Offered by a Wedding Planner

If money is a constraint to hiring a wedding planner, or planning your wedding gives you some major thrill, then you may only consider situations when it is absolutely necessary to get a wedding planner, this helps you determine which services you need from a wedding planner.

Full Wedding Coordination Services

A full wedding coordination package will usually include making wedding blueprints, budget planning, logistics, vendor management, coordination and design. Having someone else taking care of all of these tasks will certainly take the stress of planning your wedding off your shoulder. These packages may seem somewhat expensive but considering the deals your planner might get from vendors and the stress they take off of you, it may just be worth the investment.

Wedding Design Services

Some wedding planner might also offer design services for your wedding. Design services include creating a décor based on a specific color palette, theme and style, choosing stationary, making floral arrangements, taking care of entertainment, lighting, floor plans and favors. Some wedding designer will also create custom décor element such as backdrops, furniture’s, or candy table that match the theme of your event. Wedding planners who offer this service will do more them just referring you to florists or rental vendors. They will “help with the decisions that will give your event a cohesive, stylish and sophisticated look.” says Tracy Taylor Ward, President and Principal Designer of Tracy Taylor Ward Design. If you feel that you need help with bringing your dream wedding alive, you might consider hiring a wedding designer or a wedding planner that also offer design services. However, if you feel that you have what it takes to tackle this task, here’s an article that might help you with the design of your event.

Counselling Services

Counselling services come on board only when needed. It’s like having advisers that come on board only when you call for their help. They could plan the blueprints of the wedding for couples who want to manage the organisation of their wedding by themselves. They are also helpful in situations where conflict arise, maybe with the parents for example. In this instance they will be called in to give their expert opinions after evaluating the situation. It is like having a supervisor but for those who enjoy and want to plan their wedding by themselves.

Month-of/Day-of Coordination

This service usually starts about six to two weeks before the wedding to handle last minute details and the coordination of the event day. Wedding coordinators will direct your vendors and guests to the venue. They will ensure that vendors are paid and that everything is going as planned. When you have a coordinator you are sure to enjoy your wedding and not to worry about what details you might have forgotten.

If you are still on the fence about hiring a wedding planner versus planning the wedding on your own time, consider the pros and cons surrounding the time and dedication you or a planner can give to create the best day of your life.

The Benefits of Hiring a Wedding Planner

Time Management

A couple who organises every wedding detail from A to Z without professional support will have clocked up more than 250 hours of planning before the ceremony, and this will require more time if one partner is not interested in the planning process. Even with the help of family and friends, this is still an overwhelming amount of time. By opting to enlist an event planning service, you save valuable time and energy, especially when it comes to researching vendors, venues, and suppliers.

Budget Monitoring

Wedding planners have great experience when it comes to staying within a budget. Whether you have money to spend or are operating under tight constraints, a planner knows what services are within your budget and which ones you will have to let go of. They are also full of great alternative ideas if you find that your dream venue, wedding favor, invitation, etc. is way beyond your budget.

Stress Management

Having a wedding planner on hand, not only while planning but on the day of your wedding will be the biggest stress reliever you can have. This way, you are free to enjoy the day with loved ones, with no pressure to coordinate any details or take a bridesmaid or groomsman away from the day’s festivities to run errands or oversee tasks. From making sure the rings are in place to getting everyone to the altar on time, having a professional on hand the day of your wedding is a valuable asset.

Conflict Mediator

A wedding planner is like a bridge between the various conflicting interests that are the different stakeholders in the wedding. You could have partners with different interests and personalities, in-laws that are not so receptive of suggestions from your family or even friends that want to impose their views on you. Having a wedding planner is having someone that is able to manage these interests in a way that avoids conflict. A wedding planner is able to evaluate and take into consideration every emotion without being dragged into the conflict.

Vendor Management

Hiring a wedding planner may actually save you more money than you know. They are familiar with vendors and are able to get better deals as they patronize these vendors more often. With a wedding planner, you are able to get a variety of vendors to choose from. You are also able to have someone familiar with the industry negotiate on your behalf. In a situation where you would have been disappointed by a vendor, having a planner reassures you with a backup plan relieves a lot of stress. A planner has an idea of what percentage of your budget should go to what vendor and is able to allocate funds to cover necessary aspects of your wedding.

Hitch Free Wedding

Even if you have planned every detail of your wedding flawlessly till this point, you may still need a wedding planner on the D day. This is because you do not want to be handling last minute details on that day. Imagine being on the phone with a vendor who cannot find their way to your reception venue, instead of settling down for your makeup or get ready for photographs with your friends. You also do not want your guests, family and friends running errands instead of enjoying the party. To avoid worrying about the mishaps and last minute details on that day, you should definitely consider getting a wedding planner.

Before hiring a wedding planner, think about how much you value your time and energy. If spending free nights and weekends planning is fun and exciting to you then go for it! If you’ve decided that planning every detail of your wedding is not for you, then find a wedding planner that’s right for you.

In the long run, it is less expensive for you to hire an experienced and certified professional than to overtake the task of doing everything by yourself. Even if friends and families offer their help, it cannot compare with the expertise of a wedding professional who has already established relationships with local vendors and service providers, who knows what to look for when it comes to signing contracts, and has the ins and outs of the wedding industry down pat. Hiring a wedding coordinator is a real and profitable investment you won’t regret.

poznyakov / 123RF Banque d’images

Thanks to Emily Rochotte for her contribution to this article.