There are seven types of people who will benefit from having a wedding planner. Are you one of them?
(4 minutes to read)
What does a wedding planner do?
The role of a wedding planner is to make sure your life is as calm and organised as possible, while they turn your wedding dreams and ideas into reality. They know people in the industry and excel in choosing reputable, trusted vendors. They work hard to make sure there’s no drama, no problems, and your wedding day goes off without a hitch.
There are a few different types of planners. A full-service planner will help you with everything, from start to finish. Or if you just need someone to help on and around the day, a wedding co-ordinator is more about just making the day run smoothly; they ensure all your plans work out perfectly and smoothly.
So, how do you know if you need a wedding planner?
1. You’re super busy with a relatively inflexible schedule
Can’t take calls at work? No ability to pop out to meet with your venue during work hours? Consider how much time a wedding takes to plan, and match that to your schedule. If you travel frequently, have a high-pressure or inflexible job and can’t see yourself having the time to organise your wedding, then a wedding planner might be the only way.
2. You’re getting married overseas or in a place you’re unfamiliar with
If you’re having a destination wedding or are getting married in a city or town you don’t know that well, it could spell disaster. Particularly if your overseas wedding is in a place where you don’t speak the local language, there are loads of problems that could happen.
If you’re getting married in your hometown, you probably know some venues and vendors already, ones you can trust to do a great job. If you’re not at home, you don’t know who is good and you could be risking the success of your day. A wedding planner who is based in that location will know exactly who you can trust to be a part of your day.
3. You know exactly what you want
If you have a precise vision of what you want, then a wedding planner is going to be able to tell you if it’s possible or not and can identify exactly who can deliver your dream wedding. They live and breathe the industry and will know who has the rose-gold cutlery or the rustic, timber-lined wedding hall.
4. You don’t have a clue what you want
Either you’re completely uninterested in the finer details of your wedding, or you’re completely overwhelmed with choice. Don’t panic- a wedding planner will be able to sit down with you, begin to understand what’s important to you, and plan your wedding with you.
5. You’re a hot mess
If you’re forever late and a shambolic, disorganised mess, that’s OK. Not everyone is a control freak or someone who likes lists! If you do have genuine concerns over your ability to organise a wedding- or if you really just don’t want to- then a wedding planner is a good option. You can still be in control of whatever you do want, like the dress, the flowers, whatever is important to you. But a planner will do all the boring stuff and make sure deposits are paid on time and all contracts, schedules and details are absolutely perfect.
6. You don’t have people who can help you organise
Maybe your fiancée is disinterested, or too busy to help. Maybe your families live in other towns and can’t help you when you need it. Your friends have their own lives—families, children, work and other commitments. While it’s fantastic if they can help you, they aren’t obligated to do so. If you feel like you’ve got too much on your plate and not enough people to help; a trained professional can help.
7. There are too many people involved and they all have an opinion
Everyone wants to help, and they all want you to know about what they think is best. Or, there are conflicts between people—the in-laws, your family, within families or even conflict between you and your fiancée. All is totally normal but can add stress and drama you don’t need. A wedding planner is a convenient person to make decisions without offending people. They make choices without emotion and guilt-tripping.
When should you involve a wedding planner?
If you think you need a planner, get them involved as soon as possible. They understand the wedding process from beginning to end and can do everything from help you pick a date, through to the table decorations and cake topper.
There’s no one-size-fits-all in life, and there won’t be for your wedding either. What worked for your neighbour or your cousin won’t always be the right choice for you. Do what suits you, your life and your wedding.