Is a Wedding Planner Necessary?

You have the ring and you are ready to plan a wedding!  But wait, what do you need to plan first?  Do you want an outdoor wedding?  What type of food should you serve?  Should it be buffet style?  Flowers cost how much?!  Guests are already asking for hotel arrangements.  The seating chart is more complicated than you ever thought it could be.  And the list goes on and on.  Weddings can be overwhelming and often couples need help navigating the waters of the planning process.  Before even setting a budget or choosing a venue, some will hire a wedding planner to assist in the process.  Here are some reasons you do not need a wedding planner.

#1 Save money!

Oftentimes, a wedding planner can be very expensive.  Yes, they offer different packages for your budget, but planners get paid well.  Especially if you are hiring them to assist in the planning process AND be a day-of-coordinator.  After tips, it will use a good chunk of your budget. Trust me, you can use that money on so many things in your wedding that are actually on your Pinterest board.

#2 Most Venues offer Planning Services

After you set a budget and start looking at venues, you will find that most venues offer planning services and day-of coordination. The wedding industry is huge and booming and venues are in competition with each other. They offer planning services to show you that their venue provides everything. Also, will make the process simple in order to gain your business. Church Ranch Event Center in Westminster, CO offers all planning from A to Z and has preferred vendors that know the venue. The other vendors they will be working with, are familiar with the general timeline they follow and so much more. You will not have to search for your own vendors who have never been to the site or hire decorators to come in the day before. You would meet with a planner from the venue a few different times before the big day to go over linen colors, timeline, vendor selection, decor. They even provide online planning documents so they can help you adjust your seating chart and floor plan. Since they host weddings a few times a week during the busy season, they have seen what works. They will guide you through a proven plan of success. Church Ranch even offers a day-of coordinator to assist any vendors coming in. In addition, Church Ranch make sure everything is followed on the plan. Even down to the little details of getting your first drinks after the ceremony. Church Ranch ensures the best man doesn’t wander off before his speech.

#3 Adds a Middleman

When working with vendors and contracts and decisions, sometimes adding a planner often just creates an unnecessary middleman.  Ultimately it will be you who needs to make decisions and they will need your stamp of approval and the planner will often just be the person who passes along information.

#4 Complicates the Little Things

A planner can come in and have opinions on many unnecessary things.  You will then be presented with more options than what you had before hiring a planner and then it can turn into you and your planner fine tuning every detail instead of you and your fiance having a vision.  Oftentimes venues will see the couple getting frustrated because the planner is trying to prove their worth and step into situations to show what they can do.  It also will likely add to your budget because you will be getting different ideas and you will want to incorporate as much as possible to make the day great when in reality, people will enjoy the centerpieces and decor, but are not likely to remember any of it.

#5 Deligate!

Yes, weddings are overwhelming, but many hands make light work.  Once you set the budget, choose a venue and vendors, you can start to delegate.  Friends and family are so willing to help because it’s fun.  Give someone a job to pick up the cupcakes or help put together wedding favors the week before the wedding and make it a wine night.  The whole process can be more exciting if it’s an experience for more people instead of a checklist for you.

There are many benefits to having a wedding planner or day-of coordinator, but because the wedding industry is so competitive, you will likely not need one and they may over complicate things.  You will also find family is willing to help in every way.  Now, if you find an event space that offers nothing, it may be helpful to have a planner assist in finding vendors, helping with a vision of decor because they will have good ideas of how to use a space and will not be stepping on anyone’s toes in the process.  However, you see that when you start hiring vendors, they do more than you think.  If you do not know where to start, check out our guide on how to get the wedding planning started in I’m Engaged, What’s Next?

Happy planning!