10 Reasons to Hire a Wedding Planner
There are many reasons to hire a wedding planner but choosing a planner can seem a little daunting – after all, you’ve probably not done it before! And people often ask me exactly what I do and how I can help them.
Planning a wedding is a significant undertaking and many people do find it stressful. Like many things in life, it’s often easier, quicker and cheaper to hire a professional.
A wedding planner will take away all the unknowns and stress and enable you to enjoy the planning and your big day.
So here are my top 10 reasons why you should hire a wedding planner. 
Saving You Time
Let’s face it – life is pretty manic isn’t it. Work, family, friends, running a home, exercising etc etc. There seem to be less hours in the day but more and more tasks to be fitted in.
On average it takes 250 hours to plan a wedding. Can you find that many spare hours in the time between now and your wedding?
Hiring a planner will save you loads of time. Jobs like sourcing suppliers, creating schedules, booking appointments, managing your invitations and RSVPs and many more can all be handed over to your planner, meaning you have time to enjoy your engagement and you don’t need to put your life on hold!
Manage your Budget
Your wedding planner will make sure you are clear up front about what your total wedding budget is. They will also help you to prioritise where you spend the most money. For example the food might be your top priority or entertainment for your guests.
Your planner will keep your spending on track too and help you to stick within your budget. They will also remind you when payments are due to suppliers.
Supplier Vetting
Sourcing the right suppliers for your wedding can be a real challenge. Where to look? Who to trust? How much should things cost?
Your planner will have their little black book of suppliers they know and trust and are happy to recommend to you. And if they don’t already know the right person they know who will. They have many contacts in the industry who they can reach out to for recommendations that they can trust. They know the questions to ask too to enable them to be confident that the supplier is right for you.
Save You Money
A wedding planner will often save you money along the way. They know how much things should cost so will ensure you don’t get overcharged.
They will also advise you on things you do and don’t need for your big day. Often a planner can negotiate a discount on your behalf and will pass that discount on to you.
Make sure you check this before you hire a planner – a planner who accepts commission from suppliers for referring couples to them probably won’t save you money. And may also suggest suppliers based on how much commission they’re being paid.
As a member of the UK Alliance of Wedding Planners, I operate within their code of conduct and never accept commission. I always pass any discounts I can secure on to you.
Attention to Detail
Wedding planners love details! We’ll check every detail several times to make sure nothing is missed. We’ll review your contracts with suppliers to ensure there are no gaps.
Your planner will check everything for you, for example, they’ll review the samples of your wedding stationery to check for typos and any other errors before it goes to print.
And when it comes to the plan for the big day, your planner will produce a meticulous schedule which covers ever detail and timing of your day.
Knowledge
We know everything there is to know about how to plan and run a wedding as well as understanding the wedding industry. We will advise you on wedding etiquette such as when to send your invitations. We are excellent at solving problems and can offer impartial advice for tricky family solutions.
We’re on hand throughout your planning to answer your questions, hold your hand and guide your through the minefield of the seating plan!
Deliver Your Vision
You may have been dreaming of your wedding day since you were at junior school. Maybe you’ve spent hours on Pinterest putting together ideas and colour schemes for the big day.
A wedding planner will help you to formulate an overall scheme and design and help you to achieve that design. We’ll help you to narrow down your choices and source the right things to make that vision happen.
We’ll also advise on any practical issues with your ideas. But we always remember that it’s your day and you always have the final say.
Handling The Stress
People often say to me that my job must be really stressful. But I don’t find it stressful at all. I’m a natural planner, it’s just who I am. So I enjoy planning & problem solving and I love seeing everything come together.
If planning doesn’t come naturally to you then hiring a planner will enable you to get rid of that stress and pass it on. You can then enjoy your engagement and the run up to your wedding.
You’re Out Of Town – Remote Weddings
If your wedding is going to be in a different city or country to where you are currently living, then hiring a planner who is local to your venue is a great idea. They will know the best local suppliers to speak to and will be able to attend supplier meetings on your behalf.
They will schedule regular catch up meetings with you and keep you up to date with their progress throughout the planning. They’ll also be able to help to secure local accommodation for you and your guests and obviously will be there on your wedding day.
Managing Your Wedding Day
After all the planning, your wedding planner will be present throughout your wedding day. If there is work to be done the day before to set everything up, then they’ll be there to manage that too.
Your planner will ensure that everything is set up correctly and in good time. She will manage all your suppliers throughout the day and answer any questions that they might have.
The day will run like clockwork thanks to your planner. They will also look after you and your family, help your guests and deal with any issues which arise (which are usually resolved without you even knowing they’ve happened!)
All of this means you will be able to completely relax and enjoy every minute of your day.
If this sounds like the right solution for you, you can see details of me planning services here. And if you’d like to chat things through, I’d love to hear from you. Drop me a line and we can arrange to skype, to meet in person or to chat on the phone – whichever is best for you.
Louise
