I’ve stopped counting how many times I’ve started this blog post.  Honestly, I don’t even know where to begin: I could tell you all about the things that could have gone better at my wedding if I had had one, I could tell you all about the amazing things I’ve seen them do, or I could tell you about all the disasters that happen without them.  I’m referring to wedding planners, the one person at your wedding who is on your side no matter what AND will be the most honest with you.

As a past bride and as a current wedding vendor, here are some of the biggest perks I see in hiring a wedding planner:

1)      Wedding Planners save you time.

Please, please, please go visit: http://yellowumbrellaevents.com/wedding-planner-charge/, as the awesome husband & wife team of Yellow Umbrella Events talk more about the TIME planning a wedding can demand.  Really, planning a wedding is VERY, VERY different from planning a party.  More than that, you won’t want to be in “hostess” mode on your wedding day and neither will your mom.  You’ll both want to enjoy the day and not worry about who is picking up what.  Wedding planners can handle the who picks up the beer that morning, who gives the florist directions if they get lost, or who goes to pick up lunch for the bridal party.  All of these errands take time to plan and time to accomplish.

2)     Wedding Planners save you money.

Wedding Planners know what things cost and which vendors are the best for various budgets.  You may not know that you could get an equally qualified DJ for half the cost, but your wedding planner may know that this other DJ has been working with her for years under someone else’s business name, has decided to start his own business, and is just as qualified as the others, but for half the cost since he is just now trying to make a name for himself.

3)      Wedding Planners have personal relationships with local vendors.

Most wedding planners have a preferred vendors list because they’ve dealt with these vendors in the past and they have already proven themselves capable to the wedding planner.  Most wedding planners want to work with people who they know will show up for the job in body AND mind.  They also know which local vendors are most compatible with the bride and groom.  If you, the bride, are going for a certain style, your wedding planner will be able to tell you which vendors love that style, too!  (As opposed to asking someone you’ve never worked with to deliver a style they’re not familiar with…)

4)      Wedding Planners act as the tie-breaker between deciding parties and can diffuse conflicts.

Sometimes, brides and grooms don’t agree on various wedding details.  For Dylan and me, it was dinner.  He wanted to do snacks and appetizers, while I wanted a full dinner.  A wedding planner would have been a third vote (as you really don’t want to involve too many family members – their opinions will overrun you).  Not only that, they can also step in during the wedding day to act as buffers should any conflicts arise.

5)      Wedding Planners know how much you really need of what and keep you focused.

With pinterest being the inspirational go-to that it is, some brides often feel overloaded with ideas that they “must” have.  A wedding planner will reign you back in, let you know that you are on the right track with what you have, and reaffirm that you don’t really need miniature donkeys at your nautical wedding just because you saw it on pinterest.  There are a ton of great ideas out there, but they don’t all go together and you certainly do NOT have to incorporate everything you see into your wedding day.  The wedding planner will let you know what you really need to throw a great party.

6)      Wedding Planners take the burden of stress.

Planning a wedding can be quite stressful.  Trust me, I’ve been there.  I was the bride who cried at least three times in the six week planning period because I was stressed out, or was dealing with family that was stressing me out (and I’m really not a crier).  Wedding planners take the burden of stress and worry from the couple and put plans into action.  Instead of you having to work your job and remember every little detail that planning a wedding entails, a wedding planner already has the list made for you.  If you share your vision with your wedding planner, you won’t have to worry about remembering every detail.  Wedding planners are on your team and want the same thing you want.  They act as a secondary you that run errands for you, check in with other vendors, and make sure everything is going according to plan, so you don’t have to stress yourself out by worrying about it.

7)      Wedding Planners have experience.

Ever heard the phrase “Plan for the worst, hope for the best?”  If you’ve never planned a wedding before, as most brides have not, you may not really know how to plan for the worst.  Wedding planners, on the other hand, have probably already seen the worst and know how to plan for it, should it happen again.  Snakes at your reception?  DJ gets into a fight with the bartender?  Cake table gets knocked over before the cake cutting?  Venue manager won’t let your florist put up the arch for you to get married under?  Wedding dress bursts at the seams during the reception and needs to be sewn up?  All real stories.  Let the wedding planner who has already experienced these things (or has probably already at least heard of such issues) be the one to step in and make the best of the situation.  They also have an emergency bridal kit which is priceless.

8)      Wedding Planners know how much time things take.

Having never planned a wedding before,  you may not know that family portraits take longer than 10 minutes, or that 300 guests need a larger dance floor than what your venue offers, or that getting into your 50-button wedding dress shouldn’t wait until the last 5 minutes before the ceremony.  Wedding planners make the best timelines that they have already tested on other weddings.  Their timelines work because they know how much time various activities really require, instead of a best guess-timate.  They also know where to pad time, if needed, so that the entire day isn’t pushed back if make-up runs late.  Beyond the day-of timeline, they know how far in advance certain tasks need to happen, like sending out invitations and dress alterations.

9)      Wedding Planners have the uncanny ability to Organize and Prioritize.

Organizing chaos is difficult.  Prioritizing what needs to be organized first is even more difficult.  Wedding planners have this magical touch that lets them do both, at the same time!  They have already sorted through the chaos, with success, on multiple occasions at their past wedding so they know the path to get through it again.  They also understand that if one aspect of your wedding day is higher on the priority list than something else, it should get more attention and portion of the budget than the other item.  Wedding planners take your priorities into account and organize the rest accordingly.

10)   Peace of Mind.

Most importantly of all, you’ll have peace of mind not only during the planning process, but on the day of your wedding.  Knowing that someone else has everything under control is absolutely worth EVERY PENNY you spend on your wedding planner.

I have an awesome recommendation for the best wedding planner in Austin, if you need one!

To recap on this June Bride wedding blog series, please visit: why I give away engagement sessions and the one item that is most photographed on your wedding day.

– Mylah Renae

www.Eureka-Photography.com