Do I Really Need To Hire A Planner?

By Ademola Adeyoju |

Setting up a wedding ceremony can be an insanely hectic task. Everyone who has ever been involved in planning one can readily attest to this fact, and this is probably why wedding planners have become so popular, so highly sought-after. 

 

Some couples prefer to handle all the preparations themselves, do their own research, hire their own vendors, and conduct all the negotiations, mostly because they trust no one else to do a better job. Cool. Nice. Totally understandable.

What most couples do not realize however is that they don’t have the time, energy, experience and expertise required to take care of all the annoying, stressful, boring details of planning. I mean, who wants to sit at their computer at 3am surfing the web for the best cake, flower or card options. Even menial tasks such as receiving deliveries, overseeing set up, monitoring vendors, and getting a venue (thanks to ogavenue.com, the best venues are now only a few clicks away) can quickly take the life out of a prospective couple, and consequently, out of the wedding ceremony.

No one should have to endure that kind of stress, not when it can be completely avoided. Hey, you can still directly oversee everything; you can still be the hero. Hiring a wedding planner doesn’t mean that you have to relinquish control. They are simply there to assist, and to guide you through the whole process. It is your wedding after all.

So, do you need a planner? Sure! Here are a few whys and wherefores:

Wedding Planners Exist for a Reason

Wedding planners are professional consultants who understand exactly what to do, when, and how to do it. They are seasoned, detail-oriented individuals trained to think on the spot, and handle all the serious, tiresome workload that unavoidably comes with organizing a wedding.

Unless you are truly very experienced, unless you have been involved in planning other people’s weddings, why in God’s name would you want to experiment with your own wedding?

Wedding Planners are Worth Every Penny

There’s a widespread misconception that hiring a wedding planner is a luxury, but the opposite is actually true. In the grand scheme of things, a wedding planner will save you a lot of money, and time, and energy, and drama, and disappointments. They know what is important and what is not, they have connections in the industry, and will recommend only the vendors that they absolutely trust to deliver. Their vast experience also means that they can help you make informed decisions about a lot of matters.

Wedding Planners are Highly-Experienced Personal Advisers

Hiring a wedding planner is like getting a PA. They can do your thinking for you, help you navigate difficult wedding decisions, help you avoid costly mistakes, and ensure that you get the best out of your money (for instance, planners know how much things should cost, and their expertise in this regard can make all the difference.)

Wedding Planners can take the Bullet for You

It is impossible to keep everyone happy, especially since there are so many decisions to be made, and so many people with different opinions. You don’t want to butt head with your sister or friends. You don’t want to be the bad guy. Dear, I know, it’s amazing how people tend to forget that it’s your wedding, and that you should have the ultimate say in everything. Hiring a planner is like getting insurance, it’s like walking into a battle field with a bulletproof vest. As a wedding planner once put it “wedding brings out the best, and sadly, the worst in people. Jealousy, trust issues, estranged family members, crazy mother in laws - we’ve seen it all, which is a good thing as we know how to diffuse troublesome situations and help the engaged couple deal with the emotional crap that is sometimes thrown at them.”

See? Bulletproofs!

Wedding Planners are Professional Fixers

What would you do if just hours before the wedding, the baker claimed that they never received your order, if you found out that the decorators had used the wrong linen for the altar, if you discovered that the flowers hadn’t been delivered? Where would you start?

It seems wise to have a professional bear all the burden, to have someone else fix the problems. Trust me; you don’t want to be the person everyone comes to when issues come up. And they will come up.

You can have a smooth, romantic wedding experience. You too can be a guest at your own party. Awesome, right? I know! 

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