I love this blog written by Jen Wooster-McBride, a wedding planner in Columbus, Ohio. I perfectly describes some of the hesitations and assumptions that some people have about what, exactly, we do. You can find Jen’s original post HERE.
I recently set up a booth at a local bridal show. As I talked with the brides and grooms I began to realize there are many misconceptions about what a wedding planner (or bridal consultant) can do for you. I then asked a few of my Twitter friends and got some additional feedback. So without further ado here are some of the most common myths about wedding planners and the wedding planning process.
- I don’t want someone planning my wedding for me– Let’s put it this way, when searching for your first home a real estate agent facilitates the process, guides you and offers advice. They don’t choose which house you buy. That’s your job. Well, wedding planning works the same way. It’s your wedding and every decision is yours to make. A wedding planner acts as your agent. They facilitate the process, take care of the technical aspects and offer advice. It is still and will always be YOUR day.
- I can’t afford a wedding planner– Did you know it takes 400 hours for the average bride to plan a wedding. That is 10- 40 hour work weeks! Can you really afford to spend that kind of time? Not to mention a wedding planner can save you money through discounts, negotiation and by helping you eliminate unnecessary expenditures.
- Day of coordination (or weekend) is just the wedding day– Quite simply- No. It depends on the package you purchase but a professional will not just show up on the day with no idea what is going on! A day of coordinator will work with you several months before the wedding to ensure all the details are wrapped up, create a detailed timeline, confirm your vendors, attend the rehearsal and be there on your wedding day to take care of any issues that arise.
- There isn’t that much to do– My husband volunteered when I was in need of an extra set of hands for a recent wedding. Let’s just say the manual labor was more than he expected. After a full 12 hours he said it was one of the most exhausting work days he ever had. Did I mention he works in construction?
- I am supposed to want to do this– For some brides, the wedding planning process is heaven. Pretty things they have dreamed about for years. For others it’s hell. Yes hell. It is OK if you don’t like doing the planning but still want to have a rockin’ wedding. A bridal consultant can ease the pain.
- My friends and family are going to help me– Of course they are! That is what friends are for right? But on that day wouldn’t you rather they enjoy all the little details you have painstakingly picked out? As one of my twitter friends said, “Friends don’t let friends set up”. Or teardown. Leave that to the professionals so you can celebrate with your loved ones. After all isn’t that what weddings are really about?
