When it comes to planning the wedding of your dreams, it should be an exciting time for you and not leave you feeling overwhelmed. Between managing your budget, the vendors, the timelines and all the countless details, it’s easy to feel the stress. And that is where a wedding planner comes in. We know a planner costs money, but a good planner will save you more money than what you are paying them. The best part of a planner is that they have the ability to bring your vision to life. And that’s why Three16 Photography has put together 5 Reasons Why Every Bride Needs a Wedding Planner.

First of all, there are different types of wedding planners. From full-time to part-time, month-of or day-of coordinators, destination planners and those that only plan the reception. Be sure to vet your potential planner during the consultation period so that your experience is fulfilled and not leaving you feeling helpless.

 

 

1 – Executing Your Vision

This might be the biggest reason of all to hire a professional wedding planner. Yes, you can print out a checklist and do it yourself, but there is much more to it than that if you have no experience in doing this. In other words, there are things to prepare for you won’t find on a checklist.

Upon meeting potential planners, be sure that both of you are compatible with each other. That the person you’re considering is truly listening to you or are you feeling that it’s their way and they won’t listen to your wants and needs. If you are feeling that way, time to move on to someone else.

Come prepared with your wants and needs, as well as a lot of questions and if the planner has a portfolio of previous weddings they have done. Talk to them about your vision, after all this is a moment, you have thought about for many years and now you want it to come to fruition. And after sharing that vision, be sure they repeat it back to you, so you feel confident that they are on board with you.

 

2 – Finding Top-Notch Wedding Vendors

Perhaps one of the most important reasons to use a wedding planner is their knowledge in finding and/or working with the various vendors throughout the wedding industry. Very experienced planners have met and worked with many vendors over the years and know which ones to navigate to and which ones to avoid.

They know which ones make their deadlines and which ones do not. They know which ones can add that special touch to your wedding day ceremony and reception and the ones that are lackluster. For example, a DJ should leave a lasting impression on your guests. The question is, will it be a poor impression or one that just really got the party going? I think that’s a pretty easy call to make. They know which caterers or bakers provide good food, who has the freshest flowers and who can provide the best photography experiences.

They have also built up a relationship with many of these vendors and can negotiate packages and pricing on your behalf much easier than if you tried to do it yourself. Negotiating contracts can be tedious, time-consuming and if you don’t have that experience, it could cost you more than it really needs to. In addition, planners will take care of any necessary administrative tasks by hiring and working with vendors, as well as coordinating their activities, and preparing the venue for the big day.

Lastly, a good wedding planner can often resolve vendor problems much more efficiently than you can. Whether it is contract related or not, the last thing you personally want to get involved in is a spat with a vendor, because you just never know how that will turn out, if at all, at your wedding.

 

 

3 – Ensuring That Nothing is Missed or Overlooked

Often times wedding planners have that standard check sheet that they will go over with you when it comes time to plan out all aspects of your wedding and ceremony. But like the old saying, “one size doesn’t fit all” weddings are no different. Sometimes it has to do with the venue(s), where people live and of course, the wants and needs of the bride and groom.

A good planner will put together a game plan along with dates and times to ensure all items are ordered and at the venue on time on the day of the ceremony and reception. Their expertise in the wedding industry will play a big part in being sure nothing is missed or overlooked, whereas you, the bride, might miss something without the knowledge that planners possess.

 

4 – Acting the Part of a Firefighter and Extinguishing Fires Along the Way and On Your Big Day

 Wedding planners, especially the really good one, have the ability to keep an eye out for things, big or small, that can go wrong and have the forefront to take the initiative to solve all those issues before they become big or if they already escalated, they have the know how to fix any and all issues that could affect your wedding day. A safety net if you wish.

And remember, things are bound to go wrong.

But hopefully, your planner is on the ball. If the weather goes bad, a good planner will already have Plan B ready to go at a moment’s notice with the venue. Flowers dying out the day before the ceremony, they’re on it to have them replaced and on time. And of course, if the ordered items do not arrive on schedule, they will be sure they are or are replaced.

A really good planner is the type that fixes all potential problems without you knowing any of them. The less you know, the less stress you feel. And the less stress you get, the more you enjoy your wedding day.

 

 

5 – Providing You with the Ability to Relax and Enjoy Your Special Day

We know many of you think you can handle it all. But the more detailed your wedding is or the closer it gets, the more daunting it can be. It’s very easy to miss items or even the details. A wedding planner’s ultimate job is to allow you the ability to relax and take in the process and of course, the moment of your big day.

Have you ever hosted a gathering and found yourself so busy that you never got to spend time enjoying the event itself or time with your guests? If so, a wedding is just like that, but on steroids.

The best wedding planners out there will make it possible for you to enjoy your moment, and time your friends and family without worry about everything coming together.

 

Other So-Called Honorable Mentions

 Other ways wedding planners help you with your wedding process include, but are not limited to:

• Helping you stick to your budget and maximizing the value of your dollar
• Saving you valuable time
• Diverting others’ opinions on how to put your wedding together
• Helping to avoid conflict with your career

Conclusion

 A wedding planner should provide you with all the peace of mind a bride deserves leading up to and including her special day, leaving her to truly take in the moment and not have it ruined by the stress that can take a toll on you.

The wedding planner is that person.