Planning a wedding can be a really big job, especially if you are planning for several hundred guests. With so many details and nuances to keep track of, hiring a wedding planner may seem like a really great idea. Being able to push the bulk of the tedious work onto someone else and focusing on the things that are most important to you at the wedding may be appealing, but is it really worth hiring a wedding planner or should you suck it up and do everything yourself? Are there alternatives to hiring a wedding planner that will help you keep your sanity or are simply stuck just going it alone? While only you will know the correct answer to these questions, there are a few key pieces of information that will help you make your decision or find a way to avoid bringing hired help on board to plan your event.
Cost of Their Services
One of the most important things to consider when deciding if you should hire a wedding planner is to find out the cost of their services. Depending on where you live and what time of year you are going to get married, the prices can range from very reasonable to over-the-top expensive. If you live in Hollywood, for instance, you can expect that your local wedding planners are going to be pricier than one serving a rural community in Nebraska. Find out what planners are charging in your area and see if it fits into your wedding budget before you make a final decision.
Quality of Their Work
The quality of the planning services you receive compared to how much money you’ll spending should flat out make sense. To protect your investment, make sure you properly research you potential wedding planner before you agree to hire them. Don’t be afraid to ask for references and follow up on them. Also, if you know someone who used a professional to plan their wedding, you can always ask for a referral. The idea of hiring a wedding planner is to take the stress off your plate and ensure everything goes perfectly, so paying for anything less is just plain foolish.
Alternatives to Hiring a Planner
If you decide that you would rather plan the wedding yourself or a professional planner just doesn’t fit into your budget, there’s no need to worry. One of the best resources you can have is a simple wedding planning book that walks you through all the different steps for planning your wedding. You can find a planning book at pretty much any bookstore or bridal shop, so tracking one done should be really easy. Also, talk to your friends who have been married already to get input and ideas to make your day even better. You’ll be surprised how much easier your planning endeavors will go when you have a little guidance from someone who’s been there before to tip you off to any potential stress-points as you start closing in on the big day. Just take your time and start way in advance of your actual wedding date and you should be able to pull off your wedding beautifully without the help of a professional wedding planner.
