Wedding Planners - to have or not to have?

Organising a wedding can turn into a highly specialised military manoeuvre! These days hiring a wedding planner is not just reserved for the rich and famous, everyone needs a little help sometimes and if hiring someone eases the stress and helps you enjoy your day, it may be worth it.

Some of the benefits you can hope for when hiring a wedding planner are:-

• Reduced stress levels in the planning stage and on the actual day.
• The security of knowing that a “Plan B” has always been thought of to ensure that your days runs smoothly without a hitch.
• You can sit back and enjoy the run up to your wedding by being involved in all the choices and decisions while leaving all the time consuming chores to someone else.
• You can be happy in the knowledge that you will not go over budget.
• You will save hours and hours of trawling through the internet, sending for brochures and samples, making endless phone calls and chasing up by phone and email, and confirming arrangements over and over again.
• You can relax in the knowledge that all your suppliers are tried and tested and can deliver excellent service to help make your day perfect.

Brides want their wedding  to go the way they see it in their minds eye, letting someone else take over the organising can feel daunting for some women. A good wedding planner will not take over but will listen to your ideas and support you in achieving them.

Your planner will act as a project manager, keeping to your instructions, sourcing venues and service suppliers, ensuring you get what best suits your requirements from reputable suppliers within your budget.
Nearly all wedding planners offer a free consultation of about an hour, without further obligation on your part. You can ask questions, explain how you would like your wedding to be and see the planners portfolio of weddings they have organised previously. You can get a feel for what the planner is like and see if your on the same wave length. It is important that you like the person!

Most planners are happy to provide either a full or part service. They can do all the research and phoning around for you, come to dress fittings, help source that something special for a gift (the possibilities are endless!) Or they’ll plan part of your wedding and leave the rest to you. Most are flexible and the fee for the service will reflect the hours of assistance they provide.

Make sure you get a written contract stating exactly what your wedding planner will do for you and what their terms and conditions are. It is also important to find out what protection you will have if there are any problems.
Obviously the cost depends on how much you’re asking your planner to do, but the most usual practice is either a fixed standard fee or a fee of between 10 and 15 per cent of the total expenditure on your wedding. It is normal to pay upwards of £800 for a wedding planner’s services.

It may seem expensive but often you get back the money you have paid out as many planners negotiate and haggle for discounts on your behalf, they also know  ways to cut costs without cutting quality and they can ensure you get the best possible service for your money. They have the resources that only professionals have and will help you avoid many pitfalls that come with planning that big day!