How a Wedding Planner Can Make Your Big Day A Dream-Come-True
FEATURE PHOTO BY Tags Photography
Arranging all the place settings and making an extra one for your college roommate’s plus-one (who wasn’t even on the guest list). Checking each bathroom stall to make sure there’s enough toilet paper. Verifying that the DJ has the right electrical hookups. Sewing a button onto the best man’s suit. Driving back to the hotel to fetch the correct pair of undergarments (definitely not the polka-dot ones).
Is this how you picture your wedding morning? If your answer is “heck no!” (and who could blame you?), it’s time to hire a wedding planner. From the dress to the decorations, the venue to the catering, there are so many moving pieces that need careful attention to ensure that your big day is everything you dreamed of. A professional planner handles the details — both big and small — leaving you free to relax and actually enjoy your special day.
YOU’VE GOT OPTIONS
There are several tiers of wedding planning services available, each offering a different level of involvement, support and financial obligation. From full-service planning to day-of coordination, you’ve got options!
Before hiring a wedding planner, determine how much you’re willing to allocate from your budget and how much help you really need. Typically, comprehensive wedding planning services take up between 10-20% of your total budget. Once you understand how much planning you can take on and how much you want to outsource, start looking for a wedding planner who offers the level of assistance you need.
RELAX
One of the key perks of hiring a wedding planner is that they can help you manage stress and all the “what could go wrong?” worries. Planning a wedding is a significant ordeal, and it’s normal to feel overwhelmed. A planner will ease some of this pressure by handling all the details and particulars.
They can also help you manage any unforeseen problems that may emerge, allowing you to focus on remembering the steps to your choreographed first dance. Weddings have a lot of moving pieces, which means some minor hiccups are inevitable. Many planners have already addressed a range of crises, most of which happen without the couple even knowing what occurred. From a wedding cake melting in the sun to the bridal gown’s zipper splitting moments before walking down the aisle, wedding planners are natural problem solvers ready to hop into action. They come equipped with sewing kits and super glue and are two steps ahead of any snafu. The time your wedding planner spends serving Liquid I.V. to the best man to prevent a drunken speech is worth every penny spent.
FINANCIAL AND CONTRACTUAL
No matter how you slice it, weddings require a significant financial investment — even for small, backyard affairs. When it comes to budgeting, it can be tempting to skimp on hiring a wedding planner and allocate those funds elsewhere. However, not hiring a professional planner can actually end up costing you more in the long run. Their expertise and experience helps avoid expensive mistakes, like having to pay vendors overtime because you didn’t calculate the timeline properly or forking out for that unexpected rentals delivery fee.
A great planner can also help you negotiate better deals with vendors, making sure you get the best value. So, before deciding you don’t really need a planner, consider the savings and peace of mind they can bring to your big day.
TIME IS MONEY
Hiring a wedding planner will save you time — and time is money! Planning a wedding is an intricate juggling act, and it’s not easy to balance every detail while staying within your budget. A planner helps you manage it all with confidence, making sure nothing slips through the cracks.
They’ll also recommend vendors and services that align with your vision and budget, sparing you the hours of research and vetting guesswork. With a planner on your team, you spend less time stressing over logistics and Google reviews and more time enjoying your engagement — the way it should be.
VISION MEETS REALITY
You may have been dreaming of your wedding day since long before you even found your partner. Maybe you have a Pinterest board with years’ worth of ideas, overflowing with inspiration. Or perhaps you don’t have any specific details in mind beyond a general vibe or feeling.
While it’s fun to live in wedding dreamland, bringing that vision to life is another story. One of the greatest benefits of a seasoned wedding planner is their ability to listen to your wishes — however detailed or vague they may be — and then turn those requests into something real. Wedding inspiration can turn into an untamed beast — how do you pick a color palette that evokes the emotions you haven’t found words for yet? How do you achieve Edward and Bella’s wisteria-drenched ceremony within your budget? A wedding planner has the know-how to take your feelings and turn them into a tangible and cohesive wedding.
A planning pro also knows the difference between dreams and reality. Your budget may not line up with a replica of Madeleine White Fedyk’s Santorini nuptials. But a creative planner can help massage your budget and offer creative solutions while keeping things realistic.
All that being said, don’t expect your wedding planner to save you money when it comes to negotiating contracts. While your planner may have a working relationship with a company that could involve special pricing, a discount should never be expected. These vendors set their prices where they are for a reason!
PERSONAL MEDIATOR
Although weddings are all about a celebration of love, they also have a way of stirring up unexpected tensions. Bringing together two families is inherently tricky, and once you add logistics, budgets, and strong opinions, things can get sticky fast. That’s where a wedding planner becomes an invaluable mediator.
If you’d rather not tell your future mother-in-law that the peach dahlias she keeps insisting on are not your vibe, your wedding planner can step in with tact and diplomacy. They navigate sensitive conversations, keep everyone on the same page and help resolve potential conflicts before they snowball — ensuring the focus stays on joy, not drama, as your day approaches.
PROS KNOW BEST
Hiring a wedding planner gives you instant access to their trusted network of contacts and resources. Planners collaborate daily with a wide range of vendors, from seamstresses and photographers to catering staff and lighting technicians. They know who has the best reputations, who fits within your budget and who aligns perfectly with your vision.
Whether you’re dreaming up a distinctive theme or a specific aesthetic, your planner can pinpoint vendors who specialize in exactly that style — and have experience executing it. They’ll also keep you informed about fresh ideas and emerging trends, helping you tailor your celebration to what’s possible and truly fits your style. By tapping into a planner’s priceless relationships and expertise, you can navigate the vendor landscape with confidence.
THE DAY-OF DETAILS
Perhaps the greatest service a wedding planner provides is coordinating the actual wedding day. From keeping hair and makeup on schedule to cueing the wedding party down the aisle, a wedding planner knows how to make every moment flow seamlessly. Hiring a planner also lets your family actually enjoy the day instead of scrambling around on your behalf. Your maid-of-honor deserves to enjoy the celebration just as much as you do! And you deserve that same peace of mind, which is why you can’t be the one managing reception setup while you’re busy exchanging vows.
Although a talented planner makes it look breezy and effortless, it takes a lot of time, effort and expertise to pull off a fairytale wedding. Even the most organized of couples may struggle to relax if they’re also trying to manage the day’s logistics. That’s why hiring a wedding planner should be one of your earliest priorities. As you build your budget, make sure you’ve carved out space for the level of support you need.
Even if you’ve attended your fair share of weddings, a professional wedding planner bring an unmatched depth of knowledge. Simply put, they know more than you! From venue selection to crafting the day-of timeline, a wedding planner is the mastermind who makes the magic happen. So, are you ready to cross off some tasks on your wedding to-do list and hire a wedding planner yet?
