Deciding whether or not to hire a wedding planner can feel like a big task—especially if you and your partner are just starting to figure out what you want your wedding celebration to look like. Yes, a planner is an added cost, but working with someone who knows the ins and outs of the wedding industry can make the process of planning more efficient and a lot more fun.
The truth is, the decision to hire a wedding planner depends on a number of things. Every couple’s circumstances are different, and what might encourage one person to choose to go with a wedding planner might push someone else to go with a wedding day coordinator. To help you choose the right approach for you, we’ve put together five considerations to think about when making this decision.
Before we jump in—if you’re reading this post because you recently got engaged, congratulations! This is such a special time and we hope this and other posts on our blog will help you in the planning process.
Now, let’s dive in.
1. YOUR PLANNING SKILLS
At Alicia Keats Weddings & Events, we’re all about being organized. We have definitely had more than one conversation as a team about how much we love creating a to-do list and crossing off each item—and we’re not afraid to admit it!
The thing is, we know that’s not everyone’s cup of tea. Some people avoid planning things at all costs, and the idea of putting together a big event with multiple moving parts is really intimidating and doesn’t sound like a whole lot of fun.
You shouldn’t be afraid of your wedding day. So, if being organized isn’t your superpower, working with a wedding planner could make the process a lot less stressful. They can keep you organized, on task and ensure you are focusing on the right things at the right time so no detail is overlooked and nothing is left to the last minute. If you love being organized then maybe a wedding day coordinator might be a better fit for your needs. We will share more about the difference in a future post.
2. YOUR AVAILABILITY SAYS YOU SHOULD HIRE A WEDDING PLANNER
Planning a wedding can feel like a full-time job—especially if it’s not something you do every day. For couples that already work all week long, and have other responsibilities on top of that, adding this huge project to your schedule could be draining. The other thing to consider is that a lot of wedding vendors work business hours, so if your job isn’t particularly flexible, it may be hard to connect with them on a regular basis. By choosing to go with a wedding planner they can lighten your load, take care of the less fun tasks and let you focus on the fun parts of planning a wedding knowing you have an expert leading the way.
3. YOUR VISION FOR THE WEDDING
We know so many people that have been dreaming about their wedding day since they were really young. As they’ve grown up, that vision may have shifted and evolved, but there’s still a very clear picture they want to execute. However, not everyone knows how to translate that vision into reality or have not been dreaming of their wedding for years. Some couples don’t have any idea where to begin when it comes to the design of a wedding.
Whether you’re hoping to have the event take place in multiple locations, over many days, have various entertainment components in mind, or you want a custom dinning experience, these are all things that can be hard to execute if you haven’t done so before. As wedding planners, we’ve seen and done it all (almost!), and that means we’re really well equipped to bring your ideas to life so it doesn’t feel so overwhelming.
4. YOUR BUDGET
On the surface, hiring a wedding planner can feel like an added cost. In reality, one of the biggest benefits of working with a planner is that they can help you find strategies to reduce your spending if you are working on a tight budget. At Alicia Keats Weddings & Events, we begin our planning process by creating a personalized budget that includes all of the costs associated with a wedding so you have a clear idea of the costs before you begin hiring anyone and there will be no surprises along the way.
Wedding planners can make sure you are spending your budget in ways that reflect your priorities and can help you find and hire reputable, trusted vendors that will provide value while also providing you with their their years of experience on what’s reasonable from a price point perspective for what you are asking for.
Wedding planners are also really good at working within a specific budget. With their connections in the industry and years of experience, they’re your best shot at getting everything you’re looking for without overspending or spending on things that don’t really matter to you.
5. YOUR DESIRE TO COLLABORATE
Are you someone who has a lot of big ideas, but needs a person that can keep those ideas in check? Or someone who loves coming up with concepts and refining them by talking them through? Or know that you will have a lot of people around you during the planning process with varying opinions and need a neutral party to help everyone hear each other’s opinions and find middle ground.These are instances that lend themselves well to working with a planner. On the one hand, your wedding planner will be able to tell you what’s realistic—and what’s not. They’ll know when to push back and revisit your idea so that the end product is more aligned with the vision you and your partner have in mind.
On the other hand, having a wedding planner in the mix means you’ll have someone else there to workshop ideas and come up with the best possible event for your big day. For our team, that collaborative aspect is our favourite part. We love working together with our couples and building on their ideas to make them as wonderful as possible.
Lastly, if you’re someone that feels really comfortable with the idea of planning your wedding day, but you want to hand over the reins on the day of, you can also consider working with a wedding coordinator. Different to a wedding planner, the role of a coordinator is more executional in that they run the logistical parts of the event you’ve planned, allowing you to fully experience it without worrying about anything else.
We hope this helps to highlight some of the many reasons why hiring a wedding planner can be a good first step in the wedding planning process. We’re so excited for you and your partner as you get ready for your big day. Like we said before, this is such an exciting time, and we hope that you get to enjoy every minute of it.
Still unsure about whether you need a wedding planner? Get in touch. We’d love to chat through your needs and help you decide how to best bring your perfect wedding day to life.
