Your friends think you can do everything to plan your dream wedding, right?  

Well, maybe. But also, maybe not… If you simply enlist your pals, you might be in for a rude awakening, with months of frustration and sleepless nights.  

You can save yourself, though — if you’ve never planned a wedding in the past and have recently become engaged to be married, I want to take this time to suggest that you strongly consider hiring a professional wedding planner.

here are the top ten reasons why you need to hire a Wedding Planner today:

1. They have the credentials.

Wedding Planners can be certified through another organization in how to properly plan events and understands how to prepare for various aspects in planning a successful event.  They will also have expertise in planning events in the past to understand what is most likely to go wrong and they are trained to know what to do if that happens.

2. Wedding Planners are generally well-connected in the community.

This experience matters to you because they will know the best venues for and event of your size and can save you considerable time, money and stress in planning.  They will also have vendors that they have worked with in the past and will be able to suggest the ideal partners for your needs.

3. It’s more expensive to go without one.

Often people think that they cannot afford a professional planner and opt to do it all themselves but the costs of doing it this way far outweighs the benefit.  The average wedding planner will charge 10 -15% of the total cost of your event if you ask them to assist with everything from start to finish. Remember that by having a planner, you will not have to spend time on the phone negotiating with vendors, nor will you have to make unnecessary trips to service providers just to rule them out.  Think about the gas, hours of time, expenses and suddenly the planner seems like a much better option in the midst of an already busy life. The planner should be able to save you enough money on your other costs that their fee becomes invisible in the final budget.

In short, wedding planners can be more affordable than you might think.

4. They will do only as little or as much as you need done.

It’s important to note that you can have the wedding planner do as much or as little as you need.  So if you only want to spend $1,500 or a few hundred, talk with the planner about what services they are willing to provide to accommodate your budget.  Perhaps you just need to consult with them once a month or only need them to be onsite on the big day. They can work with you as needed and you can still have a professionally planned event with less stress.

5. They can help you save money for other parts of your wedding.

Wedding Planners are professionals and are therefore skilled at negotiating contracts.  Even simple things like working with the wedding party are often more artfully done when you have a wedding planner.  Once you have communicated what your preferences are to the planner, they can get the wedding party to cooperate at the rehearsal dinner and the families together for the group photos on the day of the wedding.  All of these things become easier tasks with help especially when you have large wedding parties or large families.

6. Experience talks.

No two brides are the same so an experienced Wedding Planner will have created a variety of wedding and receptions over the years.  This give them an advantage in knowing and being able to explain what is traditionally done and what is not. They will also have the ability to offer you suggestions and options to create the types of experiences you are looking for your guests to have when attending your event.

7. Planners can do many of the logistical tasks you’d prefer not to.

If you send out 200 invitations and only get back 50 RSVP’s, do you really want to have to call everyone that didn’t respond to see if they are coming?  No? Well these are the types of things that the Wedding Planner can help with. Part of the service that they can provide is to do all of the initial contacts as well as the follow-ups on your behalf.  They will make all of the arrangements for deliveries, pick-ups and can provide you with a complete timeline of what to expect and when. It is like having a personal assistant to make all of your wishes come true for the wedding and reception of your dreams.

8. Planners help you to enjoy your wedding day.

The big day is finally here! Now all that you want to do is wake up, get dressed, walk down the aisle, remember your vows and get to the reception.  Having a Wedding Planner will ensure that this is all that you do on that day which means you will be enjoying the celebration and festivities. By having a professional there on the day of, they will deal with anything that comes up and you will not have to stop the fun.  You and the love of your life will be able to enjoy every moment in bliss.

Convinced?

Although you may have experience in planning small events at home for the baby’s first birthday or for your niece’s send-off to prom, a wedding is an entirely different matter.

Don’t bite off more than you can chew.

Wedding consultants are trained professionals who specialize in the wedding industry and have the ability to make your wedding and reception amazing.  

Take advantage of the assistance that exists and get the help you need.