Hiring a Wedding Planner – The Benefits and Costs
As we known, planning a wedding is both exciting and stressful and it is by no means a simple task, even small-scale and intimate weddings require careful preparation and so in this post, we explore the idea of hiring a wedding planner or coordinator.
Generally the consideration is whether the benefits of having an experienced and knowledgeable individual to help with the tedious aspects of arranging a wedding outweigh the costs which they demand.
There are a number of big benefits of having an extra pair of hands available whenever you need them, these include;
- They save you a lot of time, particularly in the planning stages.
- They can negotiate costs with wedding venues and vendors.
- They will have ideas that help bring the who plan together.
- They will help you manage your budget and advise where cost savings can be made.
- They will also ensure that payments are made on time to ensure there are no last minute hiccups!
- They will keep you focused and manage your expectations.
- They will be on hand on your actual wedding day to liaise with the venue and vendors.
- All of the above will help you enjoy your big day without worry.
A wedding planner can be as involved or as hands-off as you like. You can even hire a wedding coordinator if you’re planning a DIY wedding. And if you feel like your planning is going off the rails, you can bring a planner on at a later stage to help get things back on track.
The wedding planner’s job is to help you feel inspired, guide your ideas and allow you to create a unique and memorable day. They’ll also help keep your expectations grounded and let you know if your ideas are not achievable within your budget. (They’ll also stop you from completely blowing your budget!) And on the day of the wedding, they take care of the finer details so the couple can focus on each other and their guests.
Do I Need a Wedding Planner?
Most couples can benefit from working with a wedding planner. The early stages of wedding planning can be pretty fun – its all cake sampling and guest lists.
But after a while, planning can become tedious and start to cause pre wedding anxiety and as your big days nears, the excitement and enjoyment is often replaced by fear and trepidation.
Unless you choose an all-inclusive wedding venue, you will likely benefit from the support of a wedding planner. And, if you do choose an all-inclusive venue, chances are the venue will include a planner in the price.
How Early Should You Get a Wedding Planner?
You can bring your wedding planner on board at any stage, but the more notice you can give them, the better. Remember that the best wedding planners get booked up well in advance.
Some couples like to get the ball rolling and then bring in a wedding planner once they have to figure out the finer details. For example, you might book your venue and your registrar and then hire a wedding planner to help you find things like caterers, photographers, florists and more. They will also have connections with wedding dress designers, tailors and a bridal seamstress.
If you want to keep costs down, you might only hire your wedding planner for the day of your wedding. They will be on hand to coordinate with wedding vendors and make sure everything is running smoothly throughout the day. They will also be responsible for decorating and coordinating the clean-up effort at the end of the night.
What is the difference between a wedding planner and a wedding coordinator?
A wedding planner will typically help to plan the entire wedding, while a coordinator will be there on the day to help make sure everything goes to plan. If you want to save money, hiring a coordinator might be cheaper. However, it’s important to remember the value that a wedding planner brings.
A wedding planner will often have great connections in the industry, so they might secure better prices on things like decor hire and catering. Many couples say that their wedding planner pays for themselves in savings. And this isn’t even factoring in the time they can save you.
How Much Does a Wedding Planner Cost?
Most wedding planners charge around 10-15% of your total wedding budget. So, if your wedding budget is the UK average of £16,000, you can expect to pay between £1,600 and £2,400 for a wedding planner.
If this sounds like an excessive extra expense, consider it this way. It takes around 250 hours for a professional to plan a wedding and much longer if you don’t have the connections.
On the day wedding coordination will typically cost under £1,000, but this will all depend on the scale of the wedding. For example, if you need an army of helpers to transform a blank canvas wedding into a winter wonderland, this might be more costly than a low-key wedding.
Does Hiring a Wedding Planner Save Money?
Absolutely! If saving money is your main goal of hiring a wedding planner, make this clear from the start. Then, they can show you tips and tricks to cut your expenses and save money on expensive extras.
Wedding planners also have access to little extras that can make your day special without spending any more money. For example, they will often have plenty of decor and staging props so you can transform your venue on a budget.
Where Can I Find Affordable Wedding Coordinators?
There are a number of ways to find someone who can plan and coordinate your wedding, many often exhibit at wedding fairs but recommendations from other bride and grooms is as good a way as any to ensure you get the right person.
Your wedding venue (if already chosen) will usually have a preferred wedding planner \ coordinator and the benefit of this is that they will know the venue as good as anyone else, plus they can often get perks from the venue that may otherwise be difficult to gain!
[ABOUT THE AUTHOR]
Nicky (boutique owner) and close friend Jess have vast experience in helping brides choose their perfect wedding dress, they love what they do, meeting brides and helping them choose the most important dress they will ever wear, they find their work (if they can call it that!) so rewarding and so much fun. Give us a call today!
