Why Couples Should Hire a Wedding Planner First

One of the biggest mistakes that engaged couples make in their wedding planning process is booking their wedding planner after the venue and other vendors. Hiring a professional planner should be the first step for every couple as they start to plan their big day. You may be asking yourself ... why? We've put together some of our top reasons why hiring a planner first can not only save you time and stress but help you make the right (and best) decision for your event.

Planners are incredibly important in your venue search. There are so many variables to think about when pricing out venues and couples do not always realize the additional fees and upgrades they may have to add on for what they want. If you have a planner on your team that knows what you are envisioning, they can provide suggestions upfront on how to make each venue work for your style, as well as those associated costs. Some venues are all-inclusive, some are not. Some have rentals included, while others do not. Planners break down the pricing of each venue to give you the full picture for cost comparisons of all the venues on your list.

Photo by Walters and Walters

Not only will a seasoned planner have a network of trusted vendors to recommend in making your day run smoothly, we source vendors within this network that best fit both your budget and style. Sometimes planners are even able to get slightly better rates with these preferred vendors, as most creditable wedding vendors want to work with expert planners as much as we prefer working with them! Established planning companies often have exclusive partnerships with local companies, such as rentals and stationery, that help couples save a bit on these services as well. 

Photo by Mina von Feilitzsch Photography

Besides helping vet the right venue and vendors for our couples, we also review contracts to ensure that our couples are protected. This is more pertinent than ever with the pandemic in mind. It happens far too often that couples have booked a venue and/or vendors before us to realize their choices weren’t the best fit, and now they are stuck in a contract and already having regrets early in the process. Of course, a good wedding planner can also help clean up these tricky situations, but it’s better to avoid them altogether by hiring the planner first! 

Photo by Mina von Feilitzsch Photography

The earlier a newly-engaged couple can book a wedding planner, the better for their budget. Through our budget management services, we are able to breakdown a couple’s overall wedding budget in relation to their guest count to offer guidance on what range they should stay in for each vendor and service. This becomes especially important to couples that want more extensive design details, in that they have recommendations at the beginning of the process to make more informed decisions about their wedding design and how they can get the best bang for their buck. 

We have had many conversations with couples that tried to plan on their own and realized that they needed more help than they originally believed, as wedding planning had become their full-time job. Most couples do not have the time it *really* takes to devote to a thoughtfully and extensively planned wedding...so why not hire the people whose job itis to plan your wedding?!

Photo by Walters and Walters

Besides the fact that your wedding planning should be an enjoyable, stress-free experience, seasoned wedding planners will save you both money and valuable time, all while bringing your vision to life. Couples should make it their first priority to fully take advantage of all the benefits of working with a professional, experienced wedding planner.

Photo by F8 Photo Studios

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