When most brides get engaged, they are so excited that they have to immediately start planning. This is where logic and mayhem begin. It is the most important and special day in a woman’s life after all. Why ruin it by snap decisions and uneducated guesses. The questions that immediately come up are: What style dress do I want? What colors should I pick? What about the bridesmaids dresses? Where do we hold the reception? How many people? The planning can become over-whelming very fast and this is where the stress sets in.
No bride or groom wants to be stressed during the planning process or even on what is supposed to be the beginning of their lives, their wed-ding day. This is where the wedding planner/coordinator steps in.
Most wedding planners have a great sense of respect and vow to keep the wedding that they are working on with the bride and groom exactly the way the couple envisions it to be. They prefer for any and all the stress of planning and the day of activities to be held on them. After all that is what they are hired to do. Why should the bride and groom or their friends and family have to deal with all the stresses of a wedding day? They are there to enjoy the festivities!
Now you may ask, “Why hire a wedding planner?” Is it going to cost me more to hire them than my budget? What do I need to look for when hiring a planner? How do I know they are qualified? What are they really going to do for me that I can’t handle myself? These are all valid questions and deserve honest answers.
Why hire a wedding planner?
They can make your life easier. They can do all the leg work for you if they haven’t done so already, they can be the mediator between families and the bride and groom, they can bring a creative air from an outsiders perspective. A good planner should be able to save you countless hours of vendor shopping along with saving you money (ex: helping you find a wedding DJ in Michigan). There are so many other valuable reasons to hire a planner, but I cannot fit them in this little article.
Is it going to cost me more to hire them than my budget?
No. Aside from the myths that wedding planners are unaffordable, wedding planners are actually a portion of your budget and usually cost anywhere between $500 – $4,000.00 for a quality planner. Their goal is to save you money elsewhere without losing quality to offset their fees.
What do I need to look for when hiring a planner?
Make sure they are qualified. They should be a member of an accredited association such as Association of Bridal Consultants or even a local association such as West Michigan Wedding Association. They should be trained appropriately buy a school or other professional program which most associations will provide. Ask them questions to see if their personality matches yours. It would be hard to work with someone so closely for 6 months to a year if you can’t stand them. Think of them as your new best friend. Also, you should ask the following questions to make sure they are not out for just the money:
How long have you been a planner? Is this your full time job? How many weddings do you plan a year? Do you have formal training? If I were to hire you, is all your devotion on me that week-end or do you book more than one wedding in a weekend? (This is obvious, if they are working with you, they are your personal planner and should be at the rehearsal and wedding and not someone else’s day). Do you have a backup plan if you are ill and not able to coordinate my wedding? What is the average budget that you work with? Are you willing to work with any budge? What are your fees?
Your wedding planner is there for you. They are looking out for your best interests and making sure your day is perfect and stress free! Please keep in mind that wedding planners book just as fast as any other vendor and you should hire one at least 9 months out if not longer.
I must say I purchased a book that I thought would be good but not very informative, I was wrong. It is a must read for any bride. Donnie Brown Weddings from the couture to the cake is the best book a bride could ever get to help with choosing vendors. If you have ever watched ‘Whose Wedding is it Anyway?” , you have seen Donnie Brown. He is a fabulous planner that will not lie to you to make thinks sugar coated. That is what you need in any planner. With his book, you will find answers to questions that are so vital to hiring a wedding vendor. You can find his book at any bookstore or online.
Let a wedding planner be your saving grace and peace of mind that you need to make your day perfect, elegant, and stress free. Congratulations on your engagement and live happy, love long, and cherish always!