According to a survey conducted by TheKnot.com, the average wedding budget in 2013 was $28,000. The Washington D.C. area ranked at the 13th most expensive city to get married in with an average wedding costing $37,500. The invitations, reception, flowers, limos, rings, THE DRESS, hair, make-up, photography – with wedding budgets pushed to the limit, why hire a wedding planner?

Many DIY brides feel perfectly capable and very excited to handle every single detail of their wedding and are great at handling all the stress of juggling vendors, schedules and budgets and successfully forgo hiring a wedding planner. But, some brides may not have the time or the know how to handle it all and find the process overwhelming. And yet other brides simply need help keeping mom happy and out of the process!   Whatever the situation you find yourself in, we have 10 reasons why you should consider making some room in your budget to hire a pro.

Connections, Connections, Connections

Just like location, location, location is the mantra for real estate, connections, connections, connections should be the mantra for wedding planners. A good planner will be able to make recommendations on reputable vendors to help create your perfect wedding day. A great planner has experience with a variety of vendors and can recommend one who bestajw_0218 suits the needs of their bride.

How Much Will That Cost??

Once you, your fiancé and/or parents settle on a budget; you need to make sure to stick to it. Your wedding planner can help you allocate a percentage of the budget to each vendor you decide upon for your nuptials.   When choosing your wedding location and vendors, your planner will keep the budget in mind to recommend vendors in your price range. Your planner can also keep track of deposits paid to your vendors and remind you of when the next payments are due so you are never late.

Ain’t Nobody Got Time for That! Oh Wait, Your Planner Does!

Have you done a Google search for florists in your area? The numerous results can be daunting. Not to mention you still need to research each potential vendor to make sure they are reputable and won’t leave you hanging! Not everybody has the time or the patience it takes to handle each and every detail of planning a wedding.

Because You Can’t Clone Yourself! A Planner Make Choices for You When You Don’t Have the Time

As you work with your wedding planner they will get to know your taste and can help make certain decisions for you to free up your time. When you are running really short on time and just can’t make a meeting with potential vendors, your wedding planner may be able to attend the meeting in your stead and make informed choices for you keeping your theme, budget and taste in mind.

Enjoy, Celebrate, Love

Your wedding day will be over before you know it – all the more reason to be fully present in the moment and celebrate to the max. However, on the day of your wedding there are so many moving parts to make your special day come together; which means there were many, many things that could go wrong! But with a wedding planner, you, your fiance and your family can sit back, relax and enjoy because the planner will handle any issues that come up and they won’t bother you with the details.

Etiquette Minder

Your wedding professional can assist you when it comes to etiquette questions and proper wording for your invitations. They can also, tactfully, handle moms and to-be mother in-laws who want to have their two cents taken into account. Your planner can not only get the moms off your back, but it can also save a lot of hurt feelings and disappointments when a pro can handle the situation with grace.

Your Best Friend Will Get Sick of Hearing Wedding Details

From card stock choices for your invitations, to the infinite choices of dresses in the bridal magazines; your best friend will eventually tire of all the wedding details. Help save your friendship by avoiding dumping all of your ideas and stresses on your bridesmaids and talk to your planner. As the bride, you need a dependable outlet for all of your wedding energy. Your wedding planner is your judgment-free partner in all of the wedding chaos.

Makes Your Dream Comes True

Some brides have had every details of their wedding planned since they were a little girl. Others need some help focusing their vision. And that’s ok! Your wedding planner can workajw_0706 with you on taking your sources of inspiration and turning them into your dream wedding.

What Did I Just Sign?

Did you hear the one of the hotels in New York charging the wedding couple $500 per each bad review guests leave on Yelp? Many vendor contracts are long and boring and tend to be glazed over by many. It’s important to read your contracts and find any ‘unusual’ terms. Your planner can not only help you navigate the contract language but also negotiate on your behalf to get extras included. Your planner will work for your best interest.

Beat the Clock

Your wedding professional can space out everything that needs to be done before your wedding day over the time so that you get the vendors you want and don’t stress out about time or have to crunch to get everything done in a few short weeks because you procrastinated.

Whether you chose to plan your whole wedding yourself, hire a professional for all the planning, or even hire a planner for the week before and day of your wedding, make sure to enjoy the process of planning your special day. Your wedding will be over in the blink of an eye.

 

Author:  Jennifer Armstrong, Blogger, Perfect Planning Events

*Photographs are real weddings of Perfect Planning Events provided by Paired Images*