5 Top Reasons YOU Need a Wedding Planner Now More Than Ever

A proposal is a pivotal moment in life. Not only because they’re
exciting (especially if you’ve been anticipating one for a while),
but because you’re saying yes to a lifelong commitment to your
favorite person.

You’re also making a massive commitment to something else –
wedding planning. Assuming you want a more traditional event
(versus an elopement, for instance), you’re committing to ample
time and energy spent creating your dream wedding. If you’re
doing it all on your own, that is.

A wedding planner, full service or not, can ease the overwhelm
and lessen the responsibilities you’ll otherwise have to pile on
your already full plate.

And that’s not the only reason you should reach out to a professional
as soon as possible! Here are five big benefits of having a wedding
planner by your side:

1. We Save You Time

What would you guess if I asked how many hours it takes to
plan a wedding (without a wedding planner)?

If it’s hard to put a number on it, I understand. Every couple
and every wedding is different. But let’s think about it this way
– on average, couples plan their weddings over the course of
12-18 months. And planners make putting events together their
full-time job.

So, even if you don’t think about wedding planning in number
of hours, you can sense that it takes a lot of time!

The truth is, it can take up to 500+ hours to plan a wedding.
That’s three full weeks of non-stop prepping, organizing, designing,
booking, and everything else that goes along with putting your
celebration together.

As a planner, I can save you time because I’ve already done the
essential research, like knowing and working with the venues and
wedding pros you’re interested in connecting with.

Yes, you can put hours into searching the internet, but it can’t
give you all the answers. And you won’t really know who does
what, how they do it, how much they’re charging, or if it’s worth
what you’re paying for.

But I’ve already taken the time and interacted with many of these
vendors. I know if a person’s prices are legitimate and whether the
services you’re getting for that number make sense.

To further help you, I provide a tailored list of vendors based on
your spending plan and personality. You won’t even have to go
searching for anyone because I already know who’s the best fit for
you in terms of budget and character. And because I’ve worked with
these professionals before, I know you can trust them, and they’ll
take care of you.

2. We Streamline the Process

Wedding planners also provide an event management system to
help streamline the entire process. For example, I use Aisle Planner
to house your timeline, checklists, events calendar, budget, seating
list, and floor plan. Having it all in one place means you don’t have
to piecemeal it together yourself or carry around a big, bulky binder
of information.

Calendar – If you’re a full-service client, you’ll have access to an event
calendar that allows me to assign tasks and send reminders. For example,
let me know that you have a dress fitting or bridal shower coming up,
and I’ll put them in the calendar, which then sends you a reminder at
a later date. Voila! Now you don’t have to remember everything happening
for the wedding on top of your already busy life!

Budget – The budget function in Aisle Planner links to your contact
info so that when you hire a vendor, their information and invoices
go into the system and connects to the budget. We can go into a
specific category and see if we’re on track, come in under budget, or
have gone slightly over and need to make adjustments elsewhere.

Seating and Floorplan – If you’re a partial-service client, you’ll see your
seating list and floorplan in 2D. For full-service clients, I generate floor
plans in 3D. You can see your tables, what they look like in the space, and
what your colors look like together. You’ll know before the mockup if it’s
the direction you want to keep going in or if you’d like to make changes.
Seating and Floorplan – If you’re a partial-service client, you’ll see your
seating list and floorplan in 2D. For full-service clients, I generate floor plans
in 3D. You can see your tables, what they look like in the space, and what
your colors look like together. You’ll know before the mockup if it’s the
direction you want to keep going in or if you’d like to make changes.

3. We Save You Money

When I consider wedding pros that will best connect with
you, I only offer options that align with what you want to
spend.

Think about it this way: when you go dress shopping, if you
know you only want to spend 5-10K, it’s not wise to look at
the 15k dresses. Because if you fall in love with one, there
probably be a struggle and add stress to your plate. (Where
will the extra 5K come from?!)

So, instead of you falling in love with a vendor I know will be
a stretch, I’ll only give you the top 3-5 in your sweet spot, and
they will all be companies I know you’ll work with best.

Also, I have long-standing relationships with these vendors.
They know they won’t have to worry about issues popping
up like they often do with less experienced planners. So, many
offer concessions to my clients – which means more money in
your pocket.

4. We Solve Problems

As excited as I am for you and as much as I want you to have
fun, I’m constantly thinking about how to put out fires should
they happen.

This can be something as small as someone forgetting a lighter
for the unity candle and making sure I have one ready in my
emergency kit.

Or it can be a delicate situation, like handling a champagne
toast with a recovering alcoholic in the crowd. I have to ask
myself, who are they? Where are they sitting? Can I offer them
an alternative so we don’t draw attention or put pressure on
them?

I’ve experienced just about every situation. I’m prepared for
anything and I know how to navigate problems in a way that
keeps the event flowing – often without anyone being the wiser.

5. We Advocate On Your Behalf

I can’t speak for every wedding planner, but I’m all
about advocating for my couples so they feel valued.

For example, I was planning a wedding for two grooms
and told the venue to make sure they made the distinction
in the contract. But when I got the contract back, it said
bride/groom.

I returned to my couple and asked if they wanted me to
address the issue. Because as someone who knows what
it’s like to not be seen, I did not want them to experience
that feeling during the process. And I don’t want that for
any of my couples.

Regardless of your situation – whether you’re interracial,
disabled, LGBTQ, etc. – I’m always advocating. I’m not going
to put you in front of someone who makes you feel
uncomfortable because of who you are.

It may not feel like you need a wedding planner in the
beginning. The excitement of being engaged has a certain
way of clouding your judgement. But as the days pass and
the hours add up, you will quickly find that planning is
much more fun when you let someone else handle it.

There’s a lot to do, from research to booking to reviewing
and beyond. Fortunately, I’ve made it my full-time job. So
take back those three weeks, Get in touch, and use that time
to enjoy being engaged!