Benefits of a Wedding Planner
“WHY SHOULD I HIRE A WEDDING PLANNER?”
Organizing a wedding can be stressful, especially for those who are working full-time or have limited knowledge of the wedding world. This is especially true if you are planning a destination wedding. It can be incredibly overwhelming to figure it all out on your own, resulting in anxiety, frustration, and tears. Who wants all this stress during what is supposed to be the most magical time of your life? Today, 29% of all couples choose to hire a wedding planner – and with our services, 100% of couples are happy that they did!
It’s not just the planning that can be stressful, but the day-of as well. Do you want to be responsible for answering vendor questions, making sure everything is being delivered as promised, and setting up place cards and signage? What about keeping the day on schedule? Someone’s got to do it. It’s not the venue’s job and trust me, you don’t want to burden friends or family with this.
If you’re faced with the decision of whether to hire a wedding planner and are asking the question, “Why should I hire a wedding planner?”, this blog is for you! We’ll discuss the benefits of hiring a wedding planner, the types of services generally offered, how to find the right wedding planner, and cover common misconceptions.
“We really could not have done our wedding without Style-Architects Weddings. We will be eternally grateful for their hard work, guidance, words of advice, and problem solving skills. From day one of contracting with Style-Architects Weddings, I never had to worry about one single detail - I knew they had it covered.”
- Megan Boulay
BENEFITS OF HIRING A FULL SERVICE WEDDING PLANNER
You save time, reduce stress, and don’t have to worry about project management
An analogy we like to use while discussing wedding services is “driving the bus.” With a full service wedding planner, you don’t need to worry about project management–aka, driving the bus! We take the wheel and help you curate your vision, scope your wedding, build a budget, ensure the planning is on track, do all the legwork, and present you with options. You are along for an amazing ride and your hands are free to focus on the fun details and decision-making with our guidance. With our Coaching & Coordination service, you’ll instead be behind the wheel driving all activity while we’ll be coaching from the backseat whenever you need direction. And without any planning service, you’ll be driving completely alone without navigation.
You get expert advice and a professionally managed wedding without having to have the answers yourself
Don’t know what you want or where to start? We know what to ask to get you to a concise, cohesive vision and we have processes that guide us through the planning process so you don’t have to worry if your planning is on schedule or what needs to happen next.
Don’t know how much your vision will cost or where to go to achieve it? Having been in this industry for so many years, we know what things cost and where to go to get nearly anything you want!
Don’t love details, or don’t know what they are? Logistics and coordination are time-consuming and confusing, especially for those new to the wedding scene. Experienced wedding planners have extensive knowledge and familiarity with exactly what is needed, not to mention a long list of trusted vendors to ensure the perfect event. Booking a vendor is just the first step; there are a million little details and interdependencies that then need to be worked through and communicated, which can make it easy to forget little details and deadlines. Planners live in the details and are skilled at ensuring all the interdependencies between vendors are worked through and nothing is missed.
Don’t know what you want in terms of decor or don’t know how to make a cohesive wedding from all the looks you do like? Wedding planners, and specifically those that also offer design services like we do, know how to pull from you the look of your wedding by asking loads of detailed questions and turning that into a cohesive wedding vision. By really getting to know you, your style, you likes and dislikes, we can see what you have a hard time visualizing. And in the end, you get a wedding that is the perfect representation of you!
Don’t know how to make your wedding unique? We do! Professionally planned weddings should stand out as not only beautiful but also as high-energy, expertly choreographed events with little to no downtime or lags. Your guests should feel like the wedding truly represents you as a couple, and it should literally be talked about for months/years to come if we’ve done our job right!
You’ll save money through budget creation and management
An experienced wedding planner will listen, help you flush out your wants and needs, and provide you with a solid, detailed budget for how much creating and executing your wedding will cost. Wedding planners know how to make the most out of your budget and how to maximize the impact of your planning dollars. And, because we have plenty of connections in the wedding industry, you will receive vetted recommendations for all the best vendors in your price range.
Your wedding will stand out
Good wedding planners focus on the guest experience and create and customize events that look like YOU, not your average cookie-cutter wedding! We know how to structure a timeline, manage vendors, and ensure that everything runs smoothly. Couples repeatedly tell us that they hear from guests that our weddings are the best weddings they have ever attended. It’s because we’ve done this many times, and we know tips and tricks that make a wedding stand- out!
You don’t need to manage wedding day details
We’ll take care of all the day-of management details with vendors and guests, so you won’t need to worry about unforeseen issues and emergencies! You and your family and friends don’t have to setup or tear down a thing, because we have it handled.
Figuring all this out on your own is too much without experience, and it will show on your wedding day!
“We cannot express enough how incredible our experience was with Style-Architects Weddings from Day 1! From the moment we met, [Style-Architects Weddings] understood our vision and went above and beyond to bring it to life. Every detail was meticulously planned, and their creativity, professionalism, and calm demeanor made the entire process stress-free and enjoyable.”
- Hannah Detra-Bustad
TYPES OF WEDDING PLANNING SERVICES
Services, of course, vary from business to business, but here is a summary of our services.
Full-Service Wedding Planning
This is the creme de la creme of wedding planning services perfect for any busy professional couple who wants to have all the fun of wedding planning with as little of the legwork as possible. We guide you through the process, taking your ideas and turning them into a gorgeous event that totally speaks of you as a couple. Full-scale design services ensure a stunning wedding with loads of little details. And three planners on the wedding day ensure everything runs to perfection.
Partial Wedding Planning (Diet Full-Service)
This service is very similar to full service, but we limit our planning hours to keep the fee at a rate that works for most. Clients may take on some responsibilities assigned to them to ensure hours are kept in check, but the planner is still running the show to ensure everything is planned to perfection. You still get to make all the fun decisions, but we take the wheel and your worries with us! Of course, all the time in the final month is included to lock down details. Two planners on the day of the wedding ensure everything runs smoothly.
Design Services
Design services are included in our full service offerings, but if you are more interested in coordination services but also want help with design, then we offer design services as well that can be added to any coordination service. We really get to know you, your style, your likes and dislikes and what defines you as a couple, and then design a look that speaks to it all. Revisions ensure that it truly hits the mark and you are always welcome to go decor shopping with us because we know how much fun it is! We ensure your wedding decor is unique and truly a reflection of the two of you!
Coaching & Coordination
Our Coordination services start with a timeline discussion early in the process which focuses on flow and energy. No boring timelines with downtime here! Then we step in one month out and work with you to ensure all the little details are nailed down with your vendors. Coaching is something we also offer if you want more assistance and someone to lean on during the planning process with questions, for advice, or to simply check in. Regardless, we are onsite the day of your wedding with two planners for unlimited time. In our minds, coordination is a must!
"[Style-Architects Weddings] was on top of every last detail of our amazing wedding. She always kept us on track and managed to pull vague ideas out of our heads and create what we couldn’t even imagine."
- Johnnie Hicks
HOW TO CHOOSE THE RIGHT WEDDING PLANNER FOR YOU
Determine your wedding planning needs and overall budget
All wedding planners are different, so the first step is determining your wedding planning needs and overall budget. Are you looking for full service planning, some design help, or just day-of coordination? List out the help you want and what your weaknesses will be when it comes to planning. Create your guest list and determine your overall budget. A planner will be able to look at this information and assess whether they have the skills, vendor relationships, and expertise to deliver for you.
Conduct research, gather referrals, and look at reviews
Research the different wedding planners in your area, and ask if there are wedding planners people recommend. Check out galleries of previous weddings they designed and check client testimonials to get a feel for how they work and what clients say about their experiences. Checking reviews is essential to ensure a positive experience with your wedding planner.
Evaluating potential wedding planners
Before immediately deciding on a wedding planner, contact several studios and have some consultations and interviews. You can communicate your needs and ideas with a potential planner, and see if you believe that they would be a good fit. Planners have many different areas of expertise, so while one planner may be highly recommended, they may not be a good fit for your personality and working style, or perhaps they are not as experienced, for example, in design. The goal is to find the right planner for your style, needs, and budget. Come to the consultation prepared with questions. Have they won awards? How long have they been in business? Do you work with the owner, or a sub-contractor? Do they make themselves available evenings and weekends? What is their business mix (i.e. are they mostly full service or mostly coordination)? If you are looking for a full service planner, how many weddings have they planned at your overall budget?
Making the final decision and signing a contract
Once you have completed all of the above, you can make a confident decision and sign that contract!
“Without an eye for design and a lack of creativity on our end, we really leaned on [Style-Architects Weddings’s] expertise in this area and wow did she deliver. Every element was spot on from the cake to the table setting to the floral, and everything in between. The design and overall vibe was better than we ever could have imagined.”
- Rishi Sen
COMMON MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT HIRING A WEDDING PLANNER
“It's too expensive!”
A wedding planner is a quality investment. You can immediately tell the difference between a wedding that is planned by a planner and one that is not. Planners eliminate your stress and months of worrying about details. In fact, a wedding planner may save you money by ensuring the most impactful use of your budget!
“But I want to plan my wedding!”
And you will, even if you have a wedding planner. Planners help you focus, help you make decisions, and remove lots of to-do’s and follow-ups from your to-list. You are still making all the decisions that decide the final outcome, without all the busy work to get there.
“It takes away from the personalization of the wedding!”
Planners actually help you figure out how to personalize your wedding. We can collaborate on ideas and give recommendations on what works best.
“It's unnecessary if you have family and friends to help!”
Do not do this to your family and friends! While it’s understandable to turn to them for help, it’s a big commitment. It provides unneeded stress for your guests to be responsible for setting everything up the day of, and no one wants mom having to tear down at midnight!
[Style-Architects Weddings & Events] is to the point and GETS THINGS DONE. Problems inevitably arrive throughout the complicated planning process which are beyond anyone's control, but before [our planner] even tells you she has solutions proposed and the problem resolved. She has great relationships with every vendor in town and she works with them seamlessly to bring your ideas to life. Planning a wedding can be stressful, but when working with [Style-Architects] you don't have to worry. What she created for us was magical, we couldn't be happier and have not stopped receiving compliments from our guests.
- Molly Ordway
So, why hire a wedding planner? We can be an invaluable part of the planning experience. The benefits are countless. From preventing stress to saving time, you’ll be intensely grateful you made the decision. If you do decide to hire a wedding planner, remember Style-Architects Weddings & Events is right here! Contact us, and let’s see if we are the right fit for you!
