Is there value in hiring a wedding planner?

As the famous saying goes: time is money. It takes on average 250 hours to plan a wedding, with weddings in the luxury market often taking considerably more. I will take an educated guess and assume you and your partner are both in full-time jobs (and if you aren’t and have plenty of time on your hands, then it is still worth your time to continue reading!) and that you will be spending evenings and weekends planning your wedding. Therefore, it goes without saying that a wedding planner gives you back your time. But, there is far more value in having a wedding planner than just saving your time.

1. We know the best suppliers for your wedding

   Social media is a brilliantly powerful tool and I love it. However, there is such a thing as what I like to call ‘death by social media’ when it comes to weddings. Weddings are not ‘trendy’. They are timeless, beautiful, and reflective of the couple committing their lives to each other. Using social media as a platform for inspiration when it comes to imagining your day is critical. But it is not everything. Contacting the first photographer you find through Instagram or emailing the band in the TikTok you just saw may save you time, but are those suppliers truly the best fit for your day? As wedding planners, we know the best suppliers in the industry, but more importantly the best ones for YOU and YOUR wedding day. You don’t want to look back in regret at one of the suppliers you booked; let us take that stress and worry away.

2. We use our expertise and experience to plan meticulously

   Being a wedding planner may sound glamorous (and there are definitely some glamorous perks to the job!), but at the end of the day we are project managers (just in the wedding industry) and we spend most of our time carrying out site visits or looking at design proposals, supplier quotes, spreadsheets, spreadsheets, and more spreadsheets…but we love it. Wedding planners are the creative organisers. And organisation is absolutely what I am best at. Meticulously planning your wedding is exactly where lots of the value in hiring a wedding planner lies. Not only do we plan the day of your wedding (and the day/s before/after if you’re having a multi-day event), but we plan the week or two before to an exact timeline, too. We ensure that we know exactly when suppliers are arriving to begin set up and exactly when they are arriving for take down, so that all of the logistical issues are dealt with by us and not you. This means the weeks leading up to your wedding can be spent pampering yourselves and enjoying your engagement and wedding build-up, rather than stressing about any last minute supplier changes or wet-weather contingency plans.

3. We are creatives and can design your day

   Too often I hear couples say ‘oh, we don’t need a wedding planner, because our venue has a coordinator’. Wedding planners and venue coordinators are not the same thing. Venue coordinators are employed by the venue. There is absolute value in their role - they know the venue, they know the catering team, they know how long different stages of your day should and will last. But, they may be dealing with over 100 weddings a year. Wedding planners (if working solo) will likely plan no more than 8 weddings a year. This is because we are wedding designers, as well as organisers. I take great pride in getting to know my couples and designing a day that is utterly unique and reflective of them. This means I focus on the details - how will guests feel on your day? What atmosphere should be created? How will you and your guests move through the stages of your wedding? Will the flowers be a main design focal point? Is it all about the entertainment? Wedding planners work for you, not a venue. So your interests are continuously at the heart of everything we do.

4. We create a Plan B and Plan C (maybe even a D, E…)

   Imagine the wedding of your dreams. Go on, imagine it. Every small detail. Now imagine it is pouring with rain. Does your dream wedding still look dreamy? Now imagine there is a heatwave and it’s 40 degrees. Still the perfect wedding? Most couples will plan for their dream wedding, but that is likely dependent on weather, particularly if you are wanting an outdoor ceremony, or drinks reception, or even wedding breakfast! This means you need a Plan B (should it rain) and even a Plan C (should there be a heatwave), and maybe even a Plan D or E…as wedding planners, we are used to this and plan for every eventuality. We ensure everything has been thought through down to the nth degree.

So, is there value in hiring a wedding planner? In short, YES. Not only do we give you back your time but we can source the best suppliers for your wedding; we use our experience and expertise to plan meticulously; we are creatives that work for you to design your day; and we plan for every eventuality. It really is a no-brainer and choosing the right wedding planner for your day will be the best wedding investment you make.