Putting together a wedding ceremony and reception can be a lot of work, and even the smallest of weddings can require some considerable advance planning. This is why many engaged couples now go the way of a professional wedding planner to assist them in putting together all the details for their big day. In the past only the wealthy could afford to hire a wedding planner, but these days many people of every income level hire wedding planners, often because a wedding planner can help you save money and pay for themselves in their ability to negotiate better rates with vendors.
So what should you think about when you're weighing the pros and cons of hiring a wedding planner as opposed to planning the whole show yourself? Here are a few questions you should consider before you make any decision or begin the planning process.
Do you have the time to spend on planning a wedding?
Massive weddings with hundreds of guests and thousands of details can often take 250 hours or much more to plan, and even small weddings can require 100 or more hours to put together all the details. If you're an active person already and have a full-time job and a busy calendar, hiring a wedding planner might save you and your spouse-to-be lots of aggravation and hassle. Even if you hire a planner for day-of wedding activities, this might take enough off your plate that you can stay sane in the months leading up to your big day.
Do you have the additional funds?
Hiring a wedding planner isn't necessarily cost prohibitive, and in many cases a planner may save you money because they know how to find and negotiate the best deals. There are a couple of methods in which wedding planners charge for their services. Some charge by the percentage of the cost of the wedding, which can fall anywhere from 10% to 20% of your total budget. Some charge by flat fee and offer a fixed number of services and time they will spend on your wedding (with any overtime charged above and beyond). Still others charge by the hour (and expect to pay north of $50/hour for most planners). If you decided you have the extra dollars to spend on a planner, make sure you get everything in writing before you forge ahead.
Are you a do-it-yourself kind of girl?
Do you do things like make your own soap or stitch your own clothes? Do you get your kicks by creating things from scratch? Do you attend craft fairs? Do you spend hours at craft stores sifting through piles of felt and bins of buttons? When it comes down to it, would you rather make something yourself than buy something at a store?
If you answered yes to at least one of the questions above, then you like to do at least some things on your own. For many brides, creating the dresses, favors, save-the-dates and dozens of other wedding-related items is truly a dream and what they would enjoy most about their wedding (aside from getting hitched to their one-and-only). So if you're the crafter or independent sort who relishes doing things yourself, then hiring a wedding planner may not fit your style. Instead, you can use a planning binder or free wedding software for assistance in organizing your many details. If you are a DIY-type person and decide to go ahead and hire a planner, just make sure you have a clearly defined division of labor so you don't step on each other's toes.
Do you have a knack for details?
Some people are detail freaks and don't mind at all (in fact, often really enjoy) managing all the little things in life. Others can't be bothered with pesky little tasks and details and would prefer the big picture perspective. How do you know which you are? Well, if you must balance your checkbook, empty the dishwasher, lay out tomorrow's outfit, answer all your emails and before you can to to sleep at night, then you're a details person and would probably not only feel at home planning your own wedding but planning weddings for a living. If you can sleep soundly and it doesn't even occur to you to think of these things, then you're probably not a details person and may want to find someone else to help you plan your wedding. This isn't saying that a details person shouldn't consider hiring a planner or that a non-deails person couldn't do it themselves; just remember that if you choose a path outside of your comfort zone, you may find yourself second-guessing yourself at one point or another.
Do you like haggling for bargains?
You should think of buying wedding services like shopping for a car. Often, the service or product in question doesn't really have a fixed cost and is definitely negotiable (even if it doesn't seem like it). So you should ask yourself this: do I like haggling and negotiating, or would I rather leave this to somebody else? If you enjoy or even relish the back-and-forth of haggling over a price and negotiating terms and services, then you may revel in doing it for your own wedding. If you'd equate haggling with doing your taxes or picking up a buddy or girlfriend at the airport, then you might want to hire a wedding planner to do it for you. A key advantage in the latter is that wedding planners are accustomed to haggling with wedding vendors, know what things should cost and can tell you if you're getting a good deal or not.
Do you like parties and planning them?
When it comes down to it, this is really the most important question (besides cost), because although a wedding in many cases has a religious component to it, in the end, what you are really planning is a party. Some people love planning parties and everything that it entails, including developing guest lists, creating invitations, planning food offerings and entrees, scouting out/arranging for venues, serving as greeter or host and the like. If you love parties and everything that they entail, then planning a wedding is right up your alley. But if you much prefer attending parties but dread planning them, then a wedding planner may be in your future.
Find a wedding planner here.