Do I Need A Wedding Planner?

The wedding proposal has been done and now the preparations are starting. Actually, what starts first is the research on the internet, mothers calling their friends to find out who did this and that at that amazing wedding, endless discussions about the wedding dress, the invitations, the reception location, the ceremony, the flowers and on top of all: ‘How do I get started now’? Among the most common questions that a bride-to-be faces is surely this one: ‘Do I need a wedding planner or I could possibly do this on my own? How difficult could it be?’

Good question, especially when a bride needs to understand why she should pay for a wedding planner while she thinks that she might accomplish the procedure by herself and therefore save that money.

‘Maybe my mother, my sister, my Maid of Honor or my best friend could help me in the overall planning?’

The answer is yes, only if these people have super powers that combine the skills of a planner, an art director, a graphic designer, a florist, an administrative assistant and they are willing to dedicate an important amount of time for several months searching for suitable vendors, comparing designs, proposals & prices, join you at every meeting, make efforts to communicate with people who don’t answer the phone or your emails, keep notes & track of payments and invoices, browse on Facebook, Instagram & Pinterest for inspiration and updated wedding ideas, ask their friends’ opinions about selecting anything and of course, they must be committed that on your wedding day they will offer their services througout the day and focus exclusively on you. Hmmm, how does that sound? It’s a long and demanding list, isn’t it?

Have you asked yourself if this way the whole planning is transformed into something completely different from the wonderful scenario that you have dreamt of and that your beloved ‘helpers’ may lose the best and most fun part of your wedding? The quality time that the couple and their relatives can have to enjoy the wedding preparation with calmness & trust that everything runs smoothly is absolutely irreplaceable! Not to mention to have the privilege to participate in the joy of your son and daughter and not be there just for the obligations. It’s worth mentioning that while the planner’s fee may be an obstacle at the beginning when you have to decide whether to hire a planner or not, after the wedding and after having enjoyed not only a relaxed wedding day but also an interesting journey throughout the preparation period with the professional guidance, no couple will ever regret for their decision to have a wedding planner!

Wedding Planning is a time demanding and energy consuming procedure as it has been estimated that about 25-30 vendors are involved, a minimum of 6-12months to prepare with about 10 hours per week dedicated to wedding planning. A bride needs to devote lots of time from her already busy daily schedule and also some weekends for research, appointments, proposals, contracts, e mails, phone calls, lists, regular follow up and mainly lots of brainstorming to find ideas that will make her wedding event stand out and also remain within her budget. Not to talk about the wedding day…is everyone who received an invitation going to attend, how about those who didn’t reply, who will collect the gifts, who will gather the family for the traditional pictures, who will check that the reception venue is set and everything is ready to welcome the guests?

The role of the wedding planner and her team is very important as they do all the orchestration. A planner not only composes the whole picture and coordinates the details with a timeline but in addition gives advice & ideas, negotiates and manages the wedding budget for the best value to money options! If you have hired professionals for the catering, photography, music and wedding gown how does it differ to hire an experienced professional wedding planner securing a high end outcome in the decoration, overall concept, time management and wedding day coordination?