Why It’s Worth Hiring a Wedding Planner
Even if everyone keeps telling you to “Do It Yourself”…
Here in New Zealand we have a uniquely stubborn “Do It Yourself” attitude. It’s what helps us to really get up and go, create unique and innovative things, and it gives our little country way down the bottom of the earth its character. It’s in our blood, it’s something to be proud of and it’s an absolute blessing that I wouldn’t have any other way… but… it can also be a curse. Sometimes, it really is just best to bring in the professionals.
Of course, a wedding planner would tell you that you should hire a wedding planner. It’s a bit of a no-brainer statement really but hear me out here… what if I told you that hiring a wedding planner will save you money, keep the process enjoyable, lower anxiety and stress levels, ensure your wedding is uniquely you, become your new bestie, schedule your entire year of planning and your wedding day, troubleshoot all your issues, offer advice, be a shoulder to lean on in the good times and the bad, coordinate all of your other vendors AND set up and pack down the décor and furniture.
And that’s not even the entire list…
1: Ensure your money is well spent.
A corporate business wouldn’t expect an already full time employee with zero events experience to fully plan and coordinate a multi thousand dollar event – and neither should you. Chances are you’ve been doing an awful lot of saving to afford the wedding of your dreams. Thank yourself for working hard by hiring a professional to help with the budget. Even if you’re an incredible planner, if this is the first, or one of the first, events you’ve organised, you’re bound to make a mistake or two, and in the wedding industry, mistakes can cost thousands. Professional wedding planners know where you should cut corners and where you shouldn’t, they know what you can DIY and what you can’t, and they have relationships and experience that ensure they source the best possible options for you every single time.
2. Help you to enjoy the process.
You’re busy. And your previous commitments aren’t about to just stop now that you’re engaged (and nor should they!). In actual fact, dropping everything and focusing entirely on your wedding day can leave you feeling a little lost with nothing left to focus on once the day finally comes. Letting a planner handle the time consuming, less fun, and downright stressful parts of the planning will allow you to ensure your everyday life still goes on. You’ll have all your usual goals, hobbies and friends alongside the wedding planning, and you can spend time with your partner just soaking it all in – you only stay engaged for so long after all! Not only that, but you’ll find yourself genuinely excited about those wedding planning dates you’ve booked in together. None of that stressful, hanging over you kind of planning, just the epic, exciting and knowing it’s all under control kind. Plus, your wedding will be planned to perfection and you’ll still have time for that Monday kick-boxing class. I’d call that a win.
3. Help when and where you need it.
With different packages to suit everyone and every budget you’re bound to find a planner that offers exactly what you need. From simply offering advice and support through to planning every inch of the wedding and all its associated events – wedding planners really do cater to every situation. That ‘custom quote’ phrase us wedding planners seem to love is honestly a blessing, you’ll get exactly what you need, no more, no less, and the price will reflect the missing and unnecessary extras too. Don’t worry if you forgot to add something in to your contract at the start either, most wedding planners will happily make an amendment if you discover later you’re needing a little more assistance than initially predicted.
4. They’ll be dedicated to you and your unique vision.
Wedding Planners are all about you. They love new ideas, new visions and the magic that is bringing ideas to life. Telling your story through your wedding is honestly the highlight of my job and I can’t wait to meet you, learn more about you and brainstorm ideas with you before pulling them all together into one coherent plan. Wedding planners thrive on bringing out your personality and style and will ensure your guests know exactly whose wedding they’ve stepped into, all the while, making them breathe that “wow” kind of sigh.
5. Your new qualified wedding bestie
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not here to steal the thunder or take your current bestie away from you. That bestie has their purpose too – but I am here to make darn good friends and get to know you as best I can. I’m kind of like your new qualified wedding bestie. Your wedding planner will be the one who’ll be there for you to lean on when things aren’t going so well, the one who’ll be there to jump up and down with you when things are going brilliantly and the one who magically has the solutions to every one of your problems. Plus, you can count on your planner to really get stuck in with the hard work when the time comes – you’ve literally paid them to do so…
6. Scheduling, Coordination, Run Sheets and Budgeting
Starting to sound awfully logistical isn’t it…? Giving you a headache just thinking about it perhaps? Schedules, coordinating, run sheets, spreadsheets (and all the other kinds of organisational paperwork) are a wedding planners dream. We actually love them (and no, I’m not just saying that!). A wedding planner will be behind you creating checklists, and spreadsheets from the day you first meet them all the way through to the wedding day itself, and even for the pack down and week after your wedding (the chores don’t stop just because you’ve signed the paper!). Did I mention they’ll probably be there on the day too? Someone’s got to keep all the vendors on the same page and answer questions from anyone who has them.
7. On-call problem solvers
Wedding planners are brilliant problem solvers, they thrive on a challenge and think quickly on their feet. They’ve seen it all before and they know what to do about it. Shit happens. No matter how much planning, organising, scheduling and checklisting you do, there will always be something that doesn’t quite go to plan. It’s part of life, but you certainly don’t want to be the one having to deal with it on your own wedding day. A wedding planner has worked closely with you and they’ve paid attention to how you respond to issues. They know what outcomes you’d like to see and they’re pretty darn good at making those outcomes happen. You probably won’t even know there was an issue to start with.
8. Endless advice and hype
Advice, advice, advice. Chances are, this is the first time you’ve planned a wedding. No matter what it is that you’re working on, brainstorming, having issues with or simply considering, your wedding planner will have an opinion. And not just any opinion, an opinion built on experience and learnings. From dealing with a difficult family member to questioning who you should invite or what colour tablecloths you should use – your wedding planner is right there to lean on, and more than happy to help! It’s no secret that wedding planners love weddings, and chatting with you about yours is absolutely no exception.
9. And emotional support too!
Not only are they full of good, practical and actionable advice, they also make pretty good shoulders to lean on. Your wedding planner may not be a trained counsellor but they’ve seen people in many an extreme emotion, and whether you believe it or not, they care deeply about you and your wedding day (not just because you’ve paid them either!). Stressed, upset, nervous or jumping for joy – let your wedding planner join you. After all, every problem or success is best shared.
10. The manual labour
Weddings involve some serious set up. And room changes. And pack down. There’s a lot of stuff that goes into making a space look, feel and function the way it is and chances are, you’re on a time limit. Hiring a venue means you have to work around their other commitments and often get in and out with a very tight turnaround time. Let your wedding planner take care of the set up, room changes and pack down so you can enjoy your last moments as an engaged couple and your first moments married, stress free and surrounded by your closest friends and family.
I could go on all day talking about why your wedding planner is worth every cent you’ve paid them but I think you probably get the picture. If you would like to hear more though, feel free to flick me a message through the contact form on my website, I can’t wait to meet you!
Got any thoughts or questions on the role of a wedding planner? Drop ’em in the comments! I’d love to hear from you.
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Emerald and Ebony – Planning Eco-friendly weddings in Taranaki and beyond.
All of your content is just amazing 🙂
oh wow, thank you!