What Exactly Does a Wedding Planner Do?
Let’s face it, weddings take a lot of planning. Most people spend a whole year planning all the components of their once-in-a-lifetime day. From the huge decisions like choosing a venue and a photographer to the details of the day itself, so much thought and preparation goes into planning a wedding.
That’s why a wedding planner can be incredibly helpful, especially if you and your soon-to-be-spouse don’t have the time to do everything yourselves.
Not sure hiring a wedding planner should be on your to-do list? Consider some of the duties they could help with to lighten your load.
Develop a budget
One of the biggest challenges of wedding planning is developing a realistic, practical budget and sticking to it. A wedding planner can help you craft a budget that works for you and ensure you find vendors that fit within your allotted funds. Instead of looking at vendors on your own and getting persuaded to spend more than you’ve budgeted, a planner can help you stick with your budget and provide guidance on extending your budget’s buying power.
Find the right venue
When looking for a wedding venue, you may not even know where to start. A wedding planner can be a huge asset because they know all the venues in your area and price range, even ones you may have never heard of. Instead of searching online for venues, you can rely on your wedding planner to compile a list of the perfect locations to celebrate your big day.
Handle invitations and RSVPs
Addressing and sending save-the-dates and invitations can be one of the more tedious parts of wedding planning, and collecting RSVPs can quickly get complicated. A wedding planner can take that task off your plate by handling all aspects of your invitations, from creating and ordering to addressing and mailing and even keeping track of who has and has not RSVPed. Some planners even create a wedding website for you and your guests to handle some of this digitally.
Create a master plan
Instead of trying to keep track of every detail of your wedding preparations, your wedding planner can create a master plan for you that covers everything from hair and makeup to your big exit from the reception. He/she can time everything out, coordinate with vendors, and even assist with rehearsals or pre-wedding parties. A wedding planner can also help you stay organized, make sure everything is booked and going according to planned, and deal with any issues that come up along the way.
Manage your big day
Your wedding day shouldn’t be stressful, but it can be, especially if you have to handle everything yourself. Transferring the responsibility and stress to your mom, sister, or aunt isn’t ideal either. You want them to enjoy the wedding day, too. Hiring a wedding planner allows everyone to relax and enjoy the day while they supervise vendors, handle setup, and make sure everything goes as smoothly as possible. It’s your wedding planner’s job to take care of all the little details as well as the big ones, allowing you to focus on marrying the love of your life.
Act as your spokesperson
You may not want to explain what you want to your florist or have yet another conversation with your DJ. Your wedding planner can act as your go-between in these situations, conveying your wishes to vendors and taking the stress off of you. The closer you get to your wedding day, the less you may want to deal with these small issues, which is why having a wedding planner can make your life much easier!
The best part about wedding planners is that most offer varying packages with different levels of planning/ coordinating. Packages often range from assistance in hiring vendors and contract review to day-of or month-of directing to full coordination and planning. No matter which services are right for you or what you can fit in your budget, wedding planners are always a worthwhile investment.
