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One question that seems to be at the top of every bride-to-be’s list is whether or not she should enlist the services of a wedding planner. Unfortunately, there is no cut and dried answer, for it is going to depend on your own personal preferences when it comes to the planning and details of your wedding as well as how much money you have to work with for your wedding budget.
On one hand, a wedding planner can be a godsend in that you don’t have to worry about all of the details, but can sit back and relax and let someone else do the work. They are also an excellent choice if you know exactly what you want, but are not sure as to how to go about arranging it. This is their job, and most of them are very good at it. On the other hand, wedding planners tend to be a bit pricey. You will also not have a great deal of say as to what vendors you choose for your wedding since the details will be up to the planner. Because of this, the value of a wedding planner will vary from couple to couple and from wedding to wedding. But what is it that wedding planners do?
It used to be that wedding planners worked up all the details of the wedding. You would give them a budget and your preferences (regarding style, location etc.) and they would take care of all the details; everything from the wedding cake to the honeymoon limo. These full-wedding wedding planner services usually worked for 10-20% of the wedding budget. Today, however, it is becoming the norm for wedding planners to offer packages that include certain services for certain set prices.
Wedding planners do not come cheap, and in part, your decision as to whether or not to hire a wedding planner will depend on how much you have budgeted for your wedding. When looking at wedding planner packages such as “day of service,” “consulting” and “full-service planning.” The day of service packages usually run about $1,500 and will cover the cost of a planner who will help you draw up your timeline, confirm with the vendors (that you have selected) and basically, handle the details of the wedding day. They do not make all the previous arrangements, but they take the weight off your shoulders for your big day.
For about $3,000-$4,000 you can get the services of a wedding planner who will not only handle the details of the wedding day, but will offer advice and counseling as to what vendors to choose and where to find the best deals. You still do the footwork for all the arrangements, but you get to tap into the planner’s knowledge base.
For $5,00-$10,000 you can receive a full-service wedding planner package, where the planner will take care of most of the wedding details so that you don’t have to worry about anything but the guest list and showing up for the service.
As you can see, there are a variety of packages for you to choose from, and it will be up to you to determine which (if any) of the services is for you. If you like to micro-manage the details of a project, then you would probably not be very comfortable with allowing a virtual stranger to make all of your arrangements. However, if you are pressed for time, or simply do not have a clue where to start with the planning, then a wedding planner may be just what you need.
This article was written by Sarah Rigos, founder of Starlight Registry, a leading wedding gift registry.
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