Myths About Wedding Planners

There are so many myths about hiring a wedding planner or a wedding coordinator for your wedding. Let’s face it, weddings are expensive-even the smallest of weddings can cause financial panic attacks. But true fact: if you are nervous about hiring a  professional to help plan/coordinate your wedding because its expensive, wait until you hire an amateur. I want to calm your nerves about adding one more expense to your wedding and to help you understand what a planner/coordinator really does, in terms of your wedding.

1. Hiring a Wedding Planner/Coordinator will save you money! What??? But it’s true…Everyone is on a budget. Big weddings, small weddings and the DIY weddings. But the reality is, the majority of weddings are on a tight budget. What people don’t realize is that a planner/coordinator has seen it all: all types of budgets and all types of needs. One of the most important things to do after the big engagement happens, is set a realistic budget. Let the planner/coordinator take a look at the budget and help you allocate the money to the most important things. Planners work with so many vendors (photographers, catering etc…) in your area, that the planner/coordinator can give you good insight to the quality of their work and what they cost. Not all vendors are easy to work with and you need an expert to guide you on your vendor choices.  Let the planner give you recommendations that fit your budget. For my vendor list, I have the most expensive to the least expensive vendor that I recommend. Just because you know of a great florist doesn’t mean it fits your budget-shop around. The planner/coordinator can help you scale back your vision to fit your budget and refer you to vendors that will give you the best product for your price point.
2. Hiring a Wedding Planner/Coordinator does NOT mean that your mom, grandmother, sister and best friend will not be a part of the planning. This is probably one of the biggest myths I encounter. Yes, mom can be at every vendor meeting. Yes, grandma can help with the buffet, making her famous baked beans. And of course, you want your sister(s) and your best girl friend right by your side while trying on dresses and picking out the perfect veil. The planner/coordinator adds additional guidance and knowledge to all the planning. The planner thinks about the things you may not think about or even know. Hiring a planner/coordinator will not take away the fun of planning for your family and closest friends and you still have complete control over your wedding! There are so many details that goes into planning a successful wedding, that hiring a planner/coordinator is almost a must! But, most importantly-your family and friends are a guest (and some are in the wedding) at your wedding. You don’t want your mom and grandmother running around the day of your wedding placing linens, checking on vendors and greeting guests. You want them relaxed and pampered for the wedding. Let the coordinator take care of all the day-of details.
3. Hiring a Wedding Planner/Coordinator is only good for the day-of duties. Wrong! It’s a reality that most everyone holds a full-time job and planning a wedding is like having another full-time job. Hiring a planner/coordinator is like hiring a personal assistant throughout the planning process that can handle all the details that take up so much time. A planner/coordinator knows what needs to be done for a wedding, after all this is what they do several times throughout the year. Let the planner/coordinator keep track of all the details that you don’t have time to think about.  By hiring a good planner/coordinator, you can guarantee that no detail will be forgotten or missed!
4. Hiring a Wedding Planner/Coordinator is not needed because the venue has a coordinator. True, the venue coordinator is important. They facilitate the staff needed at the venue (in house catering-if offered, having the facility open and clean for the wedding etc..) and they help you understand what packages are offered by the venue but that is really as far as many of them go. It’s very rare you find a coordinator that will do all the day-off duties, like getting you and the wedding party down the isle, that a planner/coordinator will do. In addition, a planner/coordinator will work closely with all your vendors (including the venue coordinator) throughout the planning process and the day-of to make sure everything that was planned is executed.

Bottom line, you deserve a wedding planner/coordinator. Take the pressure off of yourself and hire a professional.