Do You Need a Wedding Planner?

Some people need to have control of every little detail of their wedding days. That makes sense, since it is one of those days you’ll remember (at least parts of) for the rest of your life.

Other people just don’t want to have to deal with all those details on the day of the wedding, instead handing over a bit of control to a professional known as a wedding planner.

A wedding planner can be a big help. She or he takes a lot of stress off the bride and the wedding party by coordinating with vendors, making sure everyone is where they need to be when they need to be there and dealing with any last-minute problems that might crop up. Getting a wedding planner involved in the early stages can help you stick to a budget, ensure that all aspects of your wedding fit together into a cohesive whole, and help you form and carry out a vision for the wedding of your dreams.
But having a planner adds an expense that not all couples are willing or able to pay. The cost for a wedding planner varies widely depending on where you live and what kind of services are being provided, but a good rule of thumb is that it will cost 10 to 15 percent of the total cost of the wedding to have a planner.

Having a wedding planner is certainly not a necessity if you are having a small wedding or have a friend or family member who is not in the wedding party who can help you with the details. Ask at your ceremony and reception location if they have wedding coordinator services. You may be able to use someone who is familiar with the site to direct vendors where they need to go and accept deliveries, so at least you don’t have to think about that.

Having a wedding planner or coordinator can take some stress off the wedding party on the wedding day, but if you’re willing to handle a little stage management on your big day, it’s a cost you can definitely do without.