Should You Plan Your Own Wedding?

Should You Plan Your Own Wedding?

Should You Plan Your Own Wedding? – Your wedding is arguably the most significant event you will ever host, and however excited you and your partner feel, the anticipation and stress of balancing so many plans, seating charts, guest lists and wedding suppliers can be overwhelming at times. Most of us have been waiting for this day our whole lives, and it makes sense to want everything to be perfect — but in striving for perfection, brides and grooms often find themselves too busy and anxious to really appreciate the day.

Fortunately, there is a way to make the most of your wedding day without having to battle against tides of stress and worry. Wedding planners are there to ensure everything is running as it should be, and that any small issues never reach you. 

If you’re wondering whether you should hire a wedding planner, then read more about what they can do — and how they can help you to pull off the day of your dreams — below.

Insurance and Legalities

When you think of your wedding day, the different types of insurance and documents you’ll need are rarely the first things that will spring to mind. While they’re certainly not as interesting as florals and menus, without having all the paperwork in order, there won’t be a wedding to plan.

You’ll need to obtain a marriage and venue licence, which can take several weeks to process. Insurance, on the other hand, is important to prevent you from losing your money if your wedding suppliers fall through. 

Grappling with legalities is stressful at the best of times, but event planners have been through this process countless times already; their advice and assistance can significantly ease the strain of getting everything in order. 

Budgeting

Unfortunately, our budgets don’t have quite the same scope as our daydreams. When wedding planning, you need to be realistic with how much money you’ll be able to invest and understand all the different expenses you’ll have to make. Read this wedding planning guide to find out more about the many bases your budget will have to cover.

Once you’ve worked out an overall budget, your planner can begin calculating and coordinating all the various factors that comprise a wedding. They will be guided by your expectations and will work on prioritising certain expenses in order to create the vision you have in mind.

Would you rather have the perfect wedding venue or invest more in the little details like decoration, catering and live music? An event planner will also highlight the hidden costs you wouldn’t have considered had you been organising the wedding by yourself. Who’d have thought that wedding flowers could be so expensive? 

Although it’s an added expense, hiring an event planner will help you to get the very most of your money.

The Venue

Finding the perfect venue sits firmly at the top of any prospective bride or groom’s To-Do list. It will comprise the backdrop to the day, set the atmosphere for your guests as they await your arrival, and create the perfect setting for your wedding photography.

There are, of course, a number of practicalities to consider when choosing a venue — but it’s all too easy to get swept away by the look of the place. A wedding planner will know exactly what to ask the venue’s management team in order to avoid any last-minute snags or setbacks. 

For instance, different wedding venues have different levels of capacity, and some are more convenient to travel to than others. If members of your family have disabilities, will they be able to access the location? An event planner will make sure you’ve accounted for all these variables when choosing a venue, plus find and coordinate wedding suppliers in the relevant area. They’ll also have connections within the industry which can help you secure the perfect wedding venue, at the perfect time of year.

Wedding Suppliers

As if the legalities and location weren’t enough to deal with, balancing a long list of wedding suppliers can make the process of planning a wedding that much more complicated. 

Once again, your wedding planner will be available to step in as-and-when they are needed. They can visit their long list of trusted suppliers, and take on the time-consuming task of confirming dates and availability. Then, they will consult you on what packages to get from the suppliers. You do all the fun decision-making without any of the hassles. 

Below are some of the wedding suppliers an event planner will be able to coordinate:

Florists

Would you rather have roses or carnations? How about their arrangement across the venue? And what about the bouquet you’ll carry down the aisle? Don’t forget that flowers will wilt within a few days, so they must be delivered at the right time — and there needs to be someone on the other end to collect and arrange them around the venue. Wedding planners will account for all these factors and ensure you stay within budget when doing so. 

Cake and Caterers

The main spectacle of a wedding reception is the cake. Your planner will help you choose one that’s perfect for your wedding theme, within budget, and the right size for all the guests in attendance. Meanwhile, they’ll coordinate caterers to prepare food at the right time for the proceedings. If your friends and family have specific allergies or dietary requirements, a wedding planner will make sure the caterers accommodate for that.

Hair and Makeup Artists

It goes without saying that you want to make sure you look your very best on the wedding day — not to mention the mothers, groomsmen and bridal party, too. A planner will make this process less stressful by organising beauty teams for you, whilst keeping everything tied into your wedding theme.

Entertainment and Photographers

Once the wedding reception begins, you and your family should be ready to party long into the night, Your wedding planner will ensure you have appropriate entertainment to last the whole time, and a professional photographer to capture these moments and turn them into memories. Relax and smile for the camera, knowing all this organisation has been done for you.

The Table Plan

Sorting out the tables is a notoriously tricky part of wedding planning. You want everything to be arranged correctly within the space, and to ensure that the people you love the most are close by. It’s also difficult to navigate different family dynamics when doing your table plan, so a wedding planner is a perfect confidant. They will simplify a complicated process, and lift the worry off your shoulders on the day.

Weddings are a complicated business, but you needn’t bury yourself under long To-Do lists and last-minute errands. A wedding planner will ensure that you and your partner have the time and space to enjoy your special day as much as you deserve. 

Poppy Watt

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