You wouldn’t believe how many couples and families come to me even within weeks of engagement saying that exact phrase in the title – “We thought we could do this on our own.” Of course you can do this on your own!…to some extent…but it doesn’t come without it’s heartaches and stereotypical “bridezilla” moments.

The planning process for a couple and their family can range from “I have no idea where to begin!” to “I think I could be a wedding planner myself!”. It’s easy for those who don’t know where to start to see the value of hiring a wedding planner, but for brides that are feeling like they’ve got it or don’t think it’s financially possible, spending thousands on a planner may lead them to ask, “Is the investment really worth it?”

Of course, as a planner, I would say “ABSOLUTELY.” I may be biased, but we hear this from clients too! Brides, grooms, mothers, fathers, bridesmaids, and many more are saying they can’t imagine going without the value a planner brings. If you choose your planner wisely, you just might end up saving yourself money and so many other heartaches. Here’s why:

1) Planners work with your budget and legal contracts.

Often hiring a wedding planner is seen as an “extra” just for those that have large budgets, complicated expectations, or elite style. It can be intimidating to spend additional money on a planner when the rest of your event costs seem to be constantly looming, but when you look at the fact that a planner has worked with many vendors in the area and has great connections with those that specialize in what they do, a planner can get you the best value for your budget. When you have a planner who knows what they’re doing, small financial decisions can add up to big savings. We just worked with a bride during the final month of planning, and she expressed that she had spent much more than she had budgeted for her wedding flowers. In further discussion, we discovered that we could have saved her thousands just by helping match her with a florist that fit her style and budget, asking the right questions alongside her, and allowing her to cut costs by designing and choosing flowers that were just as beautiful but more cost effective.

2) Planners help create and fight for your wedding vision and experience.

Most people feel the weight of the event having to be all that they or others have dreamed it to be. Just like building or choosing your own home, an event will require you to make so many decisions that it can become easy to lose sight of what you were wanting to create in the first place. We can be a guide in creating your vision and carrying it out in a way that keeps you from having to take on all of the pressure that can come with that. Don’t think that you have no control over your wedding when you hire a planner. Working together with a planner to create the atmosphere and space that truly reflects you and your fiancé is what will help make your event what you have always hoped it would be and will allow you to truly experience the moments of the process and weekend. 

3) Planners keep you accountable, on task, and stress-free.

We flourish within the details! For most of us, planning an event on top of the rest of the demands of life and preparing for this new season together can be completely overwhelming. We relieve you of the stress of ensuring you have all the details together to make the day run smoothly from square one to the day of. Even other vendors will often prefer working with a planner in order to keep things streamlined and simple. Planners help you create a personalized planning process and experience, allowing you to breathe knowing the details that you may otherwise have forgotten or didn’t have time for will not go unnoticed.

4) Planners can coordinate the entire wedding weekend (as opposed to just one aspect).

Even if a venue or church offers an in-house coordinator, he or she will likely only be managing the specific details that a venue is responsible for such as the food, staff, and the space itself. Bringing together the details you dreamed of and worked toward for the entire day is one of the most significant advantages of hiring a planner. The last thing you, a family member or friend will want to do on the day of your wedding is be bombarded with thousands of questions and concerns as everything comes together (even though they may say they do). Part of creating an experience and atmosphere for you and your guests is allowing a professional to orchestrate all the people and details the weekend of so that you can simply be present in enjoying the moments.

5) Planners provide flexibility.

A planner helps alleviate you of the pieces of the planning that you or a family member may rather not do, like contacting all your vendors, creating the timeline, running rehearsal, handling set ups and ceremony to reception flipping, or being the contact person the day of. With a planner, you have the flexibility to do as much or as little as you would like in the process especially with customized packages. A planner enhances and brings the vision together to make the experience and event as meaningful as you would like it to be.