Ten signs you need a wedding planner

Sure, planning a wedding can start as a fun and exciting part of your life after you got engaged. But the truth is, it takes a lot of time and energy. There are numerous details to keep in mind, endless research, contracts to sign, decisions to be made… By hiring a wedding planner you`ll reduce stress and ensure that each and every detail of the wedding is perfect. Having a professional to help you plan and run the day is some of the best ways to spend the money when planning a wedding.

Good planner makes your life easier. You may think you can handle all the planning on your own. You might be right, but our experience says a professional wedding planner might be just the sparkle you`ve been missing troughtout the process.

Here are ten clear signs you need to hire a wedding planner:

1. You already have full time job and so does your fiance.

Planning a wedding is like a part-time job – except you don’t get paid. It takes a lot of time, even more if you do everything yourself. Having a wedding planner is like having a personal guide throughout the process.

2. You don’t have time to research, read blogs, look for inspiration and email all day every day.

It’s daunting to know how many suppliers are out there. Knowing who to trust and who is right for you is one of the hardest tasks of planning a wedding. Once you find a great wedding planner however, the rest is much easier. They can recommend suppliers they’ve worked with before. Furthermore, they know how to get the best prices and the best results to meet your requirements.

3. You’re planning a wedding at a place that you nor any of your willing-to-help family members live.

If you’re miles or a couple of time zones away from the location, it’ll be helpful to hire someone who’s familiar with the area as well as with local vendors and venues. Planning a destination wedding definitely has it’s pros, but it’s hard to organise suppliers that you’ve never met or imagine a space you’ve never seen in person. A planner who has knowledge of the area is also handy for helping organize all of the details you’ll need to cover for your guests, such as hotel accommodations, welcome baskets, maps and directions, and a list of fun things for them to do during their downtime.

4. You’re relying on another vendor (for example, photographer or f&b manager) to handle your wedding day – the one who is NOT a wedding planner.

You’ve already found your venue and you get on really well with the venue co-ordinator (the person who takes care of all the logistics of the venue and often is provided as part of your wedding package). They are great and it seems that everything is under control, they even gave you a recommended list of suppliers that they work with. But keep in mind, that’s generally as far as their services extend. A wedding planner goes beyond these tasks and can help you manage your budget, mediate disputes with your family, tell you what flowers are in season on your wedding date, take you to meet other suppliers, research prices, etc.

5. You’ve booked your venue and date, but it’s been a few months and you haven’t done anything else beyond that.

This hapens a lot as most couples focus on deciding the date and finding a perfect venue. It`s only a starting point! There are still all the vendors to be researched and decision process may take weeks. Time flies when you`re planning a wedding.

6. You have no clue about what amount to budget for things.

Money is one of the hardest aspects of planning your wedding. Who’s paying, how much, when is your bill due and how do you ensure you don’t spend too much of it? A wedding planner is like a financial adviser or an accountant who specializes in weddings. They know how much things should cost, roughly what percentage of your budget will be spent in each area and when payments will need to be made in order to secure services or products.

7. Family tensions are starting to develop because of the wedding (WARNING: often occurs with female family members!).

Every mother-daughter relationship is tested during the wedding planning process — even for the closest, most tight-knit families. If you’d rather not quibble with your dear old mom for 6 months straight, let the planner take that role. She can be at odds with everyone from your in-laws to your future hubby, and at the end of the day nobody will take it personally.

8. Panic sets in when you start thinking about your wedding day.

Whether your engagement is long or short, you should enjoy every moment of that special time with your dream man. Most importantly, you don’t want to turn into a neurotic Bridezilla who can’t sleep, can’t eat, can’t work and is constantly stressing about how much work there is to be done. Since it’s our job, a wedding planner has time and skills to deal with everything on your behalf. All you have to worry about is taking care of yourself and enjoying your engagement period.

9. You have too many / none ideas.

No matter whether you know exactly what you want, have a vague idea, or no idea at all, a wedding planner can help you define the look, style, mood and emotions you want to create. They know the latest trends and are inspired daily by other brides, suppliers and the industry. They can visualise what will work in your venue and know how to bring your desired mood to life. A planner helps you edit your wish-list down to something manageable.

10. You Have No Patience

This is a BIG one. It will take a boatload of patience. Trust us. Having a planner can ease the stress that you might feel through the planning process. A wedding planner will help you keep a timeline and stick to your budget. Especially, on the actual wedding day, it’s convenient to have someone on hand to fix any issues that may come up. You shouldn’t have to worry about sewing a button on the groom’s tux or finding your grandmother’s corsage — you should be having the time of your life! After all, planning your wedding (and enjoying it) is the No. 1 priority on your to-do list.

Brides, do you have one of these ten signs you need a wedding planner?