Don’t get stressed, get a wedding planner!

If you think wedding planners are just for celebrities with big budgets then think again. Couples who employ wedding planners are just like me and you. Looking at my recent clients, most have been brimming with great ideas, but haven’t got the time to put them into action. Or they start planning their wedding day only to realise the enormity of the task ahead. Some have needed help organising the whole thing; some just need a list of trusted suppliers and then get on with it themselves. Others just need help tying up loose ends in the final few weeks leading up to the big day.

Working with a professional wedding planner can be a great asset. Here are 5 good reasons to think about hiring one for your celebrations:

1) Wedding Planners know the best wedding suppliers to work with

More often than not, you’ll be planning your wedding for the first time. You may scour the internet and countless wedding magazines in search of perfect suppliers, but in the end it’s a lottery - you really have no idea whether they’ll be right for you. Wedding planners have done this before. I personally have a database of everyone I’ve worked with. I make little notes on them. The only ones that make my final short list are 100% reliable, 100% professional and 100% fun to have around! It is the best day of your life after all.

2) Wedding Planners can generate ideas you may not have thought of

Now you need to be careful here as some planners are all about the organisation, and less about creativity. But if you choose carefully, you can have both. Talk to your planner about your theme and ask them to come up with ideas. Good planners will put a fresh spin on things and you can choose unique ideas that really capture your imagination.

3) Wedding Planners do all the leg work, so you so don’t have to

Whether it’s internet research, personal visits to suppliers or simply phoning around, a wedding planner can save you huge amounts of time and energy. On average, we visit all suppliers at least twice during the planning process and send and receive literally hundreds of emails. Just think how you could spend all that saved time!

4) Wedding Planners can help your day run more smoothly

Father’s of the Bride with security tags still fastened in their suits, bands refusing to play as they’ve not been paid, feuding families, and even feuding brides and grooms. These are some of the situations I’ve faced when I’ve been hired to work purely ‘on the day’. It takes a great deal of skill to manage situations like these at short notice, but any professional wedding planner will take it in their stride and work to calmly resolve tricky situations.

5) Wedding Planners can save you money

I don’t ever like to promise that I will save you money, but I promise to always try. Most reputable wedding planners charge you a fee up front rather than taking commission from suppliers. That means you always know what you are spending in advance. Good planners will keep on top of your budget. They will also know the venues that offer reduced rates for certain days of the week, or which suppliers are likely to offer discounts on your order.

With the wedding industry crammed full of suppliers, ranging from the very best to the unspeakably bad, a professional Wedding Planner could be a big asset on your wedding day!

Pictures shown are from Nic and Nic's wedding at Bisham Abbey, Buckinghamshire which Clare Beckwith Weddings planned.  Photos used with the kind permission of http://www.lordandleverett.com/