Thinking about tackling your big day all on your own?
Throughout my career in weddings & events I've heard people {potential clients or a member of the potential client's "planning party"} say: I just don't think it's worth it to spend money on a planner.
To which I have a list of reasons why that person is just plain wrong... {keep reading}.
Not to toot my own horn, but I have, on numerous occasions, heard the doubts or hesitation from contracting clients on the first day of planning... only on the wedding day to hear (after big hugs, high fives and thank you's), that the money spent on hiring me as a planner was "the best money spent on the wedding."
I totally understand why some couples and families are hesitant to spend the money on a planner - your mom is totally organized, your brother plays violin, your Aunt Linda ties amazing bows, your Cousin Joe is a running back at his college and can lift any number of tables and chairs you could imagine and you already know you want pink flowers.
But here's a list of why a professional is going to help you do it better, with less stress, more fun and why no one who is a guest at the wedding should be worrying about doing a job:
- A wedding planner can save you money. | A professional wedding planner is going to know how to properly budget for your wedding. They will save you from making costly mistakes. They create a breakdown of your budget and manage that budget to ensure you stay on track. They will make sure your vendors are charging appropriately and that you choose vendors that fit your budget. They know what is money well spent and what is a waste.
- They allow you to have a life outside of wedding planning. | Planning a wedding can be a full time job - people to coordinate, emails, phone calls, follow up, reminders, payments and deposits, proofing, correcting, placing, designing, coordinating... Your wedding planner handles all of this for you and organizes it to present to you in a pretty little package from one person - and they do all of this based on a proper timeline so you don't waste any time.
- They know the industry & good people to work with. | They know vendors who will go above and beyond and who are worth the fees they are charging. An event planner will be able to negotiate your contracts for you, speak the lingo and get you vendors and products that are top-notch and in line with your vision. They also know who you should not work with and will make sure you don't end up with a dud DJ or a flakey photographer.
- Wedding planners LIVE for timelines and schedules. | Professional wedding planners know the order in which to plan, the time that is needed to accomplish each task and how to execute the plan, manage vendors, bridal parties and families the day-of a wedding. There's a lot that needs to be done at a certain time during the planning process and then there's a lot you want to squeeze into the wedding day - let your wedding planner be the one responsible for making sure it all gets done. Logistics should be the last thing on your mind on your wedding day. That's MY job.
- They have solutions and they clean up. | Things go wrong. Maybe it's a broken zipper or a missing button. Maybe it's that your cake didn't show up. Let your wedding planner be the one to help fix these issues. If something goes wrong, your wedding planner will fix it {or make the best of it} and chances are, you'll never know it was an issue in the first place. But that's not the only cleaning up they'll do - after you leave to go to your after party or pass out in a hotel room or jet off on your honeymoon, your wedding planner will pack up your gifts, make sure your marriage license is safe, grab your heels from under the cake table and clean up all the other things that need to be resolved at the end of a long day.
Your wedding day can't be repeated.
Having a pro on hand to help is truly priceless.
A wedding planner is an investment, not an expense.
*Are you recently engaged, planning a wedding or know someone who could use a planner?
Contact me today!**
About Sincerely Pete
Sincerely Pete Events is an equality-minded, lesbian-owned, full service and coordination wedding planning and design company in Washington, D.C. with over 13 years of experience. We believe in a personal, curated & customized approach to each wedding couple we work with taking their values & personalities into account and keeping the relationship as the focus of the wedding. We plan Washington DC weddings, Virginia weddings, Maryland weddings and destination weddings all over the world. Contact us today for more information!