A wedding planner wears many hats and manages quite a juggling act throughout the wedding planning process. This master of many trades is more than just the day of event coordinator. A wedding planner is a consultant of wedding etiquette and designs that manages a budget, timeline and vendors to create your flawless wedding day at the lowest cost possible. Only about 30% of brides hire them, but most brides wonder if they need them. Let’s review some important questions to decide whether you need a wedding planner.
Do You Need a Financial Advisor and Deal Negotiator?
Wedding planners are more than personal assistants for the happy couple planning a wedding. We might think of a wedding planner as the person that synthesizes our creative vision and brings it to life, but there is so more to the process. They must organize the ideas and create a budget. They are like experts in wedding finance. If you want to turn your ideas into a creative reality on a dime, you might need a professional to make it possible. If you are well organized and good with creating and managing budgets, you might be able to handle the spending alone. Some of us need a little help with the creation and the management of the budget. A wedding planner does not just work with a budget, but relies on master negotiation skills to work with a network of venues and vendors to produce the fairy tale within the limits. Sometimes the savings can pay for the cost of the planner. The question to ask yourself is whether you need a financial advisor and deal negotiator.
Are You Too Busy?
Couples feel overwhelmed with planning and their busy schedules make the task intimidating. If you feel like your schedule will not allow you to do it all, you might want the help of a planner. There are different levels of service to match your needs. A consultant wedding planner usually charges an hourly rate to help create a budget and a plan that includes the theme, colors, venue and vendors. They might provide a blueprint and a guide, rather than putting the event together for you. A limited service wedding planner will help you with the services that a consultant will, and will do a little more. They might help you negotiate contracts and plan portions of the wedding without taking over the entire show. A full-service wedding planner will do it all. They will also arrange day of event coordination services to oversee your wedding day. Many couples are simply too busy to plan a wedding on their own. Think about the available time you can dedicate to planning, and decide what level of service you require.
Do You Need the Guidance of a Wedding Planner?
Some people hire a wedding planner because they want a fairy that they just do not know how to create. Most couples are planning their first wedding and have no idea where to begin. They seek out a wedding planner to save them all the research about traditions, the processional, recessional, cocktail hour, catering, entertainment, officiant, flowers, the wedding party, invitations, favors and all the fine details. Even if you have the basics and have read all the books, you might not have any well-developed ideas to put the plan into action. Whether you need someone to plan it all or just need help getting through the big details, a wedding planner could be the level of guidance you need.
How Much Does A Wedding Planner Cost?
Before we go any further, let’s delve right into the cost. If you are considering hiring a wedding planner, you need to know how much it will cost. It is important to note that some wedding planners offer free services. It is difficult to find this well kept secret, but there are actually planners that have a network and offer limited services for free. However, the average wedding planner chargers about 15% of your entire wedding budget. Wedding planners offer different levels of service with different fees for each level of service. If you really want to save money, choose a wedding venue that has a complimentary concierge wedding planning service for booked clients. An all-inclusive wedding venue with in-house wedding designers, planners, vendor connections and day of event coordination services can be the most affordable solution for the entire event. If all you require is limited service, such as help choosing your vendors and designing your venue, this might be the best option. All-inclusive wedding venues with in-house designers and day of event coordination services can help you save on the cost of hiring a wedding planner.
Wedding Planner Vs. Day of Event Coordinator
Wedding planners consult with you and help you create a budget, choose a venue, design your entire wedding, build your wedding vendor team, plan your timeline with you and assist with contract negotiations to save you money. Wedding planners usually offer day of event coordination services, either at an extra cost or built into a package. Day of event coordinators put the wedding plan that you create with the wedding planner into motion. They manage the guests, vendors and all of the logistics within the venue on your wedding day. Some day of event coordinators will assist with the rehearsal dinner and smaller events. A wedding venue with day of event coordination services can be the most affordable solution.
Crystal Ballroom on Lake Melva
Crystal Ballroom on Lake Melva is an all-inclusive wedding venue with an in-house design team, planners and a complimentary concierge service. Beyond making the picturesque venue and elegant designs affordable, Crystal Ballroom offers additional day of event coordinator services to make every wedding a happily ever after memory. The all-inclusive concept provides the venue and services bundled into one affordable price. Every wedding package includes all of the furnishings, décor, bartender services, banquet staff and an in-house design team to decorate the entire ceremony space and reception ballroom. The ability to bundle all of the services, designs and décor creates the affordable fairy tale. The concierge service can help you build your entire vendor team with extraordinary talent at reduced rates to save you even more. Bring imagination to Crystal Ballroom on Lake Melva and plan your entire wedding day at one location.
