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.

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!