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Why Hire a Wedding Planner?!

I have photographed many-many weddings in the past years and wanted to give some advice/direction to Brides out there that are engaged and starting the wedding planning process. Trust me, it’s a lot work.. and sometimes, you need the help! I asked Chelsea with iLove Wedding and Event Design to be a guest writer for today’s blog. She’s pretty awesome…!

Why Hire a Wedding Planner?!

Hiring a wedding planner is a big decision and one that many brides contemplate once they decide to start planning their wedding. Many questions arise such as…. Do I really need a planner? Do I want to spend the extra money when I could just plan this by myself? What can a planner do for me if I already know what I want? All of these questions and others are completely normal to ask and something every bride should fully understand before hiring a professional to entrust with their big day!

A little background on me… I graduated from Texas Lutheran University with a degree in Business Administration with a specialization in Marketing and a minor in Public Relations. After graduating from college, I decided to further my education at the QC School of Event Planning where I received my certification as an International Wedding & Event Planning Professional (IEWP). Once I finished my course, iLove Wedding & Event Design was created! With a passion and love for designing beautiful weddings and events in the Central Texas area, I wanted to create a business that specialized in helping brides plan, prepare, and “bring to life” the wedding of their dreams. Since this wonderful journey started in 2010, we have expanded and now offer destination wedding planning as well as wedding and event planning in New York City!

I have seen so many brides worn out, crying, and ultimately wanting their wedding day to “finally” be over with because they couldn’t handle all the extra stress, tough decisions, budgeting, missed details, etc. that goes into planning a wedding. Sound familiar? Maybe you’ve had a family member or friend have these experiences or maybe you’ve been there yourself.

Planning a wedding should be a fun, enjoyable and stress free time in your life. It should be a time where you can soak up all of the wonderful memories on your journey to marry the love of your life, and on your wedding day, you should be able to be fully present and take in every moment possible.

Questions about hiring a Wedding Planner:

Q: What does a planner do?

A: A planner is a professional in the wedding industry who is hired to plan, coordinate, and organize their clients wedding day and guide them through their planning process. A planner offers wedding advice, help with vendor contracts, provides a vendor referral list with other professionals whom they have personally approved, help with budget prep, acts as the “main” point of contact on the wedding day (and throughout the planning process if the bride chooses), creates a wedding day timeline, runs rehearsal and runs the Day Of wedding events among many other things.

Q: Do I want to spend the extra money when I could just plan this by myself?

A: A planner is an investment just like your photographer, caterer, and venue are an investment on your wedding day. Planners are able to offer unbiased advice throughout your planning process, make sure you do not forget any of the details (big or small) and they help you stay on budget. They are also the point of contact on the wedding day so that you and/or your family and friends can relax and enjoy the day without having to be “the one in charge”…. This in and of itself is a HUGE advantage to hiring a planner! There are so many things happening on the day of your wedding. If you are caught up in all the To Do’s and being the point of contact, how are you going to enjoy your wedding day that you’ve spent so long planning?

Q: What can a planner do for me if I already know what I want?

A: Most brides either know or have an idea of what they want for their wedding long before they become engaged. The first part is knowing what you want, but the second part is putting it all together and in the budget you have to do it in…. This is where a planner comes in! It is our job to guide you through this process and help you plan and design a wedding that fits your vision and also your budget. We bring an abundance of knowledge and ideas on how to plan your big day, a list of preferred vendors that we have personally approved and 

advice on how to stay within your budget among so many other things that would take up an entire page to list!

Once you have decided to hire a planner, it is time to choose the perfect one for you. Here’s the advice I always give to brides searching for the perfect planner:

• Research: Research your area for qualified and experienced planners. Visit their website, social media and places they advertise. Read through their website material, look at pictures and read their reviews. Come up with your list of favorites!
• Meet: Once you have found your favorites, it is time to set up a meeting. Meeting with your future planner is extremely important! This is the time to see how they are in person and ask them questions about how they handle their planning process, packages they offer, what the packages entail and anything else that is significant to you. This is your time to interview!
• Connect: The last and most important… who do you CONNECT with! Every time I meet with a couple for the first time, I make sure to mention that the most important thing is to be very comfortable with who you choose. This is the person who you will be in contact with and your vendors will be in contact with quite a bit through the planning process. It is also the person who will be giving you advice, answering questions and running your wedding on the Day Of… It is very crucial to have that trust, dependability and positive connection with them!

Once you choose the perfect planner, it is time to pick the perfect planning package to fit you. At iLove, we offer a variety of different planning packages because every bride is different and has her own budget and set of needs. As experienced and certified professionals, we are here to make your day as seamless as possible. That is our promise to you!

Here is a look at a few of the most popular packages we offer and advice on choosing the right one for you:

• iLove Guidance: For the bride who needs help getting started!
  • Advice: This package is the perfect choice for you if you wish to do all the planning yourself but would like some help getting started in the right direction.
• iLove the Month Of: For the bride who wants to do all the planning but wishes to be stress free the month before!
  • Advice: This package is great for the bride who wants to plan her own wedding but would like someone to come in the Month Of and handle creating the timeline, contacting vendors, running rehearsal, and running the events on the Day Of the wedding.
• iLove Everything: For the bride who would like to be completely stress free throughout the whole planning process!
  • Advice: This is the perfect package for you if you would like full service help throughout your entire planning process. This is a great option for brides who want to be involved in planning their whole wedding or for the bride who may not have time to plan her wedding. With this package, you can be as involved in the planning as you want but still have the professional help and guidance you need.
• iLove Destinations: For the bride who wishes to have a change in scenery for her big day!
  • Advice: This package is perfect for any bride wishing to get married in a destination location (usually out-of-state or out of the country). There is a whole new set of challenges that come with planning a wedding from afar so hiring a planner is a great investment!
• iLove to be Unique: For the bride who would like to create her own package!
  • Advice: If you’ve looked through the packages and A La Carte options and see a little bit here and there that you want but there isn’t one package that “has it all” then we will create the perfect package for you!

When choosing a package to fit your needs, make sure you ask your planner any questions you may have to make sure that you fully understand what each package entails. For example: If you choose a Month Of package, then your services will start one month out from the wedding. If you need to meet two months out or have your planner involved before one month out from the wedding day, that is something that you will need to discuss with your planner and fees may need to be added to compensate for the extra time. If you wait until the last minute and then try to start your services earlier than expected, extra fees may occur that you did not budget for in the beginning.

Once you have your planner and your package, you are all set to plan your dream wedding! This is an extremely special time in your life and one that you will cherish forever. Enjoy this time, relax and take everything in…. You are in great hands!

If you are looking for a wedding planner in the Central Texas area or New York City area, please feel free to contact us! Along with wedding planning, we also offer proposal planning, floral services and honeymoon planning. We absolutely love what we do and would love to help you bring your vision to life!

You can contact iLove Wedding & Event Design by email: info@iloveweddingdesign.com and Phone: 512-557-0394

I hope this post has been helpful to the many brides out there that are staring the wedding planning process! Thank you, xoxo Monica Roberts Photography | info@monicarphotograhy.com | 856.278.1310

– To photograph is to hold one’s breath, when all faculties converge to capture fleeting reality. It’s at that precise moment that mastering an image becomes a great physical and intellectual joy. – Henri Cartier-Bresson