After getting engaged, one of the first things you need to decide is if you should hire a wedding planner. As a photographer, I’ve photographed many weddings with and without a planner. Weddings with planners are usually gorgeous, and the day is usually stress free. I have, however, shot several weddings that didn’t have a planner that were also gorgeous and also stress free.
This post is for all the newly engaged future brides. Here are 5 considerations to help you decide if you should or shouldn’t hire a wedding planner.
Are you hoping for a grand affair, or a small intimate gathering? The larger the wedding, the more planning and logistics involved. The more guests, the more complicated the seating chart, the more decorations and florals that will need to be set up. Creating centerpieces for 6 tables is much easier than creating centerpieces for 30 tables! If you’re planning on having a large bridal party or inviting a lot of guests, a wedding planner would definitely be helpful. If, however, you’re planning a small backyard wedding with just your closest family and friends, you might not need to hire a planner.
What is your budget? And how important is it that you stick to that budget? A wedding planner obviously cost money. But a wedding planner can also help you stick to your budget. Many wedding planners have planned both low and high budget weddings and are experts at helping you only spend the money that you’re able to. Most wedding planners also know exactly what to spend money on to create a beautiful day within your budget.
Do you know exactly what you want your day to look like? Or do you need some help reigning in your vision? Many future brides have lots of ideas on Pinterest. Pinterest is great, but it’s not super helpful when you actually begin to plan the details and hire vendors. When designing your wedding, there are SO many different elements to think about: venue, photographer, chairs, tables, linens, tableware, flatware, bouquets, boutonnieres, centerpieces, place settings, and stationary… It can be super overwhelming to coordinate ALL of these elements to create a gorgeous and cohesive wedding day. Wedding planners know how to bring your vision to life and have connections to local vendors. If you’re overwhelmed just thinking about how to create a beautiful day, and who to hire, you should definitely consider a wedding planner. If you’ve already decided on your venue, florist, photographer, DJ, caterer, rental provider, and calligrapher, then you might not need to hire a wedding planner.
Do you have a lot of free time, or are you too busy? Planning all the details and elements that I’ve mentioned above is time consuming. It takes a lot of time to research the best vendors, get in touch with them, communicate about exactly what you want and need, and coordinate logistics. Even if you’re DIYing some of your decorations to save money, you’re going to need extra time to do that. Be reasonable when considering if you’ll have enough time to plan your wedding yourself. A wedding planner will save you so much time and hassle during the planning process.
I think this is one of the most important considerations when deciding if you should hire a wedding planner! If you don’t hire a wedding planner, many responsibilities that a planner would normally take care of on the wedding day fall on you, your family, and your friends. Are you willing to spend time on your wedding day calling vendors, setting up, and making sure everything is in it’s proper place? And if not, do you have friends or family members that are willing? If the bride isn’t taking care of the details on her wedding day (and I strongly recommend that she isn’t), then her mom or friends are. Hiring a wedding planner makes the wedding day as stress free as possible for the bride. While you’re spending time relaxing in the morning, getting your hair and makeup done with your best friends, getting your pictures taken, and soaking in the day with the love of your life, your wedding planner is handling all of the set up and coordination. Your mom, future mother in law, and friends will also be free to enjoy the day, without worry. If you want to enjoy your wedding day to the fullest, I recommend hiring a wedding planner.
Hopefully these 5 considerations are helpful in deciding whether or not you should hire a wedding planner. If you’re having a small wedding, can stick to a budget, and are a highly organized person, you might not need to hire a planner. For all other situations though, hiring a wedding planner is a great decision! If you’re a bride in the Quad Cities or Iowa, I highly recommend White Ivy Events and Bright DeSigns by The Kane’s!