“There are so many planning websites out there now, why is it so important to hire a planner anyway? It seems like I can handle it all myself.” Are you finding yourself saying this when toying with the idea of planning your wedding with your Mom or Bridesmaids? Well if you are, please read the 3 undeniable reasons to hire a wedding planner… you will find it’s a lot harder than it use to be to plan weddings even with the wedding planning websites because you, the Bride, are requiring so much more then maybe your Mom did back in her day to pull off a personalized, unique, and unforgettable wedding day .
WHAT VENDORS ARE ACTUALLY REPUTABLE?!?!
Are you wedding planning on all of these websites, wondering: WOW there are so many vendors, who do I choose from? What is it that makes these vendors reputable? If they are ADVERTISING on these websites does it make them reputable? Well… the answer is NO, it doesn’t. At the end of the day you will find yourself becoming overwhelmed with information and confused about what vendors to choose for your big day. The wedding industry has sky rocketed, and now there are so many vendors in the industry you just don’t know who to choose from. And not to scare you, but there are a lot of BAD vendors in the industry too. Wedding planners take the time to research vendors, to know who is a good vendor and who is a vendor you want to stay away from. Wedding planners are also deeply connected in the industry, so if they don’t know a vendor you are questioning, they can ask other vendors in the industry what they have heard about these particular vendors you are asking about. At the end of the day, wedding planners know who is great to work with, who will make your day flawless, and who can put on a good website, but not a good show on your big day. In this sense – this is an undeniable reason to hire a wedding planner.
MY VENUE GAVE ME A LIST OF VENDORS THEY LIKE, NO NEED FOR A PLANNER… RIGHT?
Wrong! The venue 90% of the time is choosing vendors that they prefer… some of these vendors have been on THE LIST for over 10 years and the vendors have not changed their style to keep up with the ever changing wedding industry. You may find yourself with a vendor who is very dated if you stick with the venue choices solely. Now not to say there aren’t great vendors SOME preferred lists, 10% of the time there are – and there may be a couple wedding vendors on there that are really top notch. The only real way to know this is by researching this information or working with these vendors – the best research comes from a planner because of their deep connection in the industry. Along with that vendor list, you may find vendors that are good, but out of your price range, don’t fit your style of wedding, and just may not mesh with you two as Bride & Groom (really important). This will leave you on the hunt for more vendors and right back where you started. This is an undeniable reason to hire a wedding planner.
THE VENUE ALREADY HAS A COORDINATOR
One of the biggest mistake Brides make is thinking that the on-site planner or on-site coordinator does the same duties as a wedding planner or wedding coordinator. The keyword in your venue agreement and package is “On-Site”. Let’s break it down – on-site wedding coordinators are really great at understanding everything that goes along with their venue, making sure the venue is setup the way you envisioned, and making sure you are taken care of when you get to their venue.
What the on-site coordinator doesn’t do that a wedding planner does – review and negotiate your contracts to save you money - planners get Bride’s discounts just working with them!! so you end up getting the wedding planner and saving money – which basically pays for the much needed extra wedding help, communicate with your vendors along the way, give you vendors that fit your style, budget, and personality, give you design ideas, come to your vendor meetings with you to guide you, orchestrate transportation and accommodations for guests, make sure on wedding day that all your contracts are fulfilled, setup your centerpieces if you need them designed, transport all your wedding items to the venue or even from your ceremony site to your venue if it’s in a different location, clean-up and pack up your wedding items at the end of the night, and post wedding services – once you are done at the venue, you aren’t done – you may still have payments that need fulfilled, rental items to drop off, and a dress to be preserved. A wedding planner does this all for you – as well as any last minute design work based on your style and design that you have discussed with the planner throughout the process. Just another undeniable reason to hire a wedding planner. (That’s me below fixing flowers on a cake that just weren’t perfect enough for our Bride & Groom… to hire us check out Some Like It Classic – Wedding & Event Design by CLICKING HERE.
Keith Alstrin Photography
