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As we enter a new year of weddings and events, I'm sharing a few myths and truths of hiring and working with a planner. There are SO many misconceptions about wedding and event planners. Most couples are surprised at how much value they get from working with one. When hindsight is 20/20, I often hear "We wish we had hired you sooner!" or "We wish we had just hired you to plan the entire thing." So let's dispel those myths for all the newly engaged couples and celebrants out there.
MYTH: A planner will blow my budget.
TRUTH: OK, maybe a bad planner would do this. But don't let one bad apple spoil the bunch. An experienced, skilled, and conscientious planner is going to address budget concerns early on, monitor expenses, and keep everything on track. They will offer budget-friendly solutions and raise red flags about potential costs. They'll also be 100% transparent with you at all times.
Planners care more about your budget than any other wedding professional. Venues do not care about your total wedding budget. Neither do photographers, DJs, or florists. They're also not as equipped to help you determine what your budget is and how to allocate properly. The key to maximizing your budget is to engage with a planner as early as possible and be completely transparent about budget expectations from the start.
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MYTH: Planners only work with their exclusive vendor list.
TRUTH: I can't speak for other planners (though I think most would agree), but I do not work off of an exclusive or closed vendor list. How unrealistic would that be? My aim is to always match you with the best vendor for you. All of my clients have completely unique personalities, budgets, and styles. Though, I do have really high standards in terms of customer service and professionalism, so will never recommend someone who doesn't match that standard, regardless of budget and style.
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MYTH: If I hire a planner, I won't feel in control of my event.
TRUTH: If the planner is doing their job right, you should feel more in control with them there. They'll educate you, empower you, guide you, and cheer you on. Although I'm a planner by profession, more than anything I understand that these are not my events. They're my clients' events. I'm there to advise, relieve stress, problem solve, and give them the best possible foundation to plan their event from. But the vision, priorities, and decisions are ultimately their own. I simply provide insight, help refine the vision, and execute on it.
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MYTH: A wedding planner is a luxury service.
TRUTH: It can be, but doesn't have to be. As weddings have evolved over the years, so has the wedding industry. While there are luxury wedding planners, there are also mid-level and budget ones too. If you are short on time, overwhelmed by the idea of wedding planning, budget conscious, love to stick to a plan, concerned about overall quality of experience... you NEED a wedding planner at some level of involvement. It's absolutely more of a necessity than a luxury these days.
What other wedding planner myths can I dispel? Let me know!