The Investment of Hiring a Wedding Planner+ Designer

To hire a wedding planner, or not to hire a wedding planner. That is the question of most brides once their men pop the big Q. And I can understand a couple's hesitation.

1. What does a wedding planner actually do?
2. Will it benefit me?
3. Don't I want my wedding to be my own style, not someone else's?
4. With the costs of weddings these days, do I really need to add another expense?

These are all totally normal questions that could run through a couple's brains when deciding to hire a planner or not. So today, we're here to dispel any myths you might believe about hiring a wedding designer, to take a look at what us, as wedding planners, really do, and to hear from a few of our previous clients to see what they thought of having a planner throughout their planning process.

MYTH #1: We Completely Style Your Wedding

One of the most important jobs of a wedding planner is to find out what the couple has in mind for their wedding and turn it into a reality. We don't take over or ignore a couple's requests and design something to our own liking ... instead, it's all about YOU as a couple. We take a couple's authentic selves, their unique ideas, and find ways to bring that to a cohesivley branded event. You've always dreamed of Gatsby, art deco-inspired nuptials? We help you find the perfect mansion setting. Beachy decor is more your taste? We'll assist in finding you the most perfect ocean-blue linen rentals. We try to become your very own improved Pinterest, taking your decor ideas and helping you not only organize them, but focus them into a well-blended "theme", if you will.

"Having a wedding designer allows you to have a million ideas, and questions, and options and focus them in to what is realistic, what venue really would suit your vision, if that raw bar will not work aesthetically, the amazing things a little candle light can do." - Katie O.

"I love style and design, but I had no idea how to incorporate my personal style into a wedding theme. Having a wedding designer helped me figure out which ideas would translate well. Looking at wedding magazines and Pinterest can be overwhelming, so I’m glad I had someone with experience to help me focus my ideas." ​​- Nichole W.

photography credit :: Julie Paisley Photogaphy

MYTH #2: We Do ALL Of The Work

People take this one of two ways; the first - they like this, because they want to be actively involved in planning their wedding. The second - they don't like this, because they were hoping to hire a planner then simply show up on the big day. Fortunately, hiring a wedding planner is kind of like getting the best of both worlds. We take the chaos and turn it into something super manageable for our couples.

Hiring each vendor: venue, caterer, deejay, band, ceremony band, officiant, decor rentals, photographer, cinematographer, floral designers, tent rentals, glam squad ... the list goes on and on. We know just what you'll need for your big day and since we've worked with preeeeettttttyyyy much everyone in the area, we can help set you up with the vendor who is perfect for you. No time wasted on your end searching through endless photographers online, sitting through meeting after meeting with caterers, or trying to decide which deejay would be perfect to get your crowd up and moving. We've got you covered. We deliver to you who we think you'll like the best, and you can take it from there. Trust me, it takes the amount of time you spend searching down by about triple. Or maybe quadruple! The point is - it's a lot. Plus, you won't have to worry about the quality of the vendors, since we've most likely already worked with them and know what they're like!

We also help you keep everything organized. We keep all of your contracts, all of your vendor contacts and phone numbers, your guest list, your vendor's payment due dates, and much more all neatly organized so it's easy to see exactly what is what and when. If you're anything like me, having everything organized in one spot for me is HUGE.

"I learned through my wedding planner that ‘day of’ wedding planning was a misnomer, as my planner floated into the process like an angel two weeks before, and allowed me to dump a zillion contracts and contacts into her lap. She actually looked excited! It was a HUGE relief to do that, as I realized a few weeks before that I was the only one who knew the details, and if anything were to go wrong during any of the wedding events, I would be busy getting married and wouldn’t be able to do anything about it! Before I knew what happened, my wedding planner had already reached out to every vendor, confirmed the details and put it all into a perfectly organized plan. From then on, I didn’t worry about a thing." - Erika J.

"A wedding planner has worked with the whole gamut of vendors and knows who to choose for what you are looking for, who works for your budget, what your timeline needs to be, orchestrates setup, breakdown, floor plans, interaction with other vendors, etc. Trust me, you will learn a DJ is one of a long list of vendors you will need to get for your big day!"  - Katie O.

photography credit :: Silk Studios NYC

MYTH #3: Hiring A Wedding Planner Is Totally Out Of Your Budget

I get it, with everything else involved, those dollar signs are starting to grow in your head. For some, a budget isn't a worry for their wedding day, but for most it's a decision maker. One of the best parts about hiring a wedding planner is that we take your budget, and with our knowledge of what each part of a wedding costs, from vendors, to invitation suites, to transportation and lodging, we figure out exactly the best ways in which you should allocate your money. We will set you up with vendors who fit into your budget. We know the best ways to cut unnecessary costs. We sometimes even work with vendors who will give us a discount for working with them, which we then pass on straight to our clients.

"They were very helpful in helping us to figure out where we should spend money and where we should save money. We were extremely impressed and happy with the vendors that they recommended. I also appreciated that if I suggested a vendor, our planner took the time to research them and told me her honest opinion on whether or not she thought they would be able to deliver on the big day." - Patricia P.

"Having a wedding planner definitely helped when it came to getting an expert opinion on exactly what extras were worth going over that budget and what things were not.  A wedding planner also helped me think out of the box when it came to adding in details that were cost effective but that had a big impact on the overall look of the wedding!" - Sarah K.

MYTH #4: We Disappear On Your Big Day

Yes, we work with you a bunch leading up to your wedding. We get all the details straightened out, the vendors chosen, and the decor and flowers stylized with you. But the whole POINT is to make your wedding day run smoothly. Our most important job is to make sure you not only get to truly enjoy your big day, but that everything runs as smooth as butter. You don't want to be worrying about if the floral arrangements are being put in the right places, or if the deejay is setting up in the correct spot, or wondering who will be lighting all the gorgeous burgundy candlesticks you bought for dinner ambiance. We've got it covered. We make sure your dress is bustled properly, that everything runs on time and that each couple gets to live it up the whole day and night with their friends and family.

"Being able to enjoy myself was amazing! One the day of my wedding I didn’t have to worry about chasing around vendors or giving directions. Our team of planners handled everything, even handing out payments. I am so grateful because I was able to spend all of my time with family, friends and most importantly my husband. - Nichole W.

"For me the most beneficial part of having a wedding planner on the big day was knowing that there would be a team of people that I could trust to get everything done just right!  As a bride, there are things during the day of that you have little to no control over as you spend most of your day primping!  As a self-confessed “control freak” I had a lot of worry going into wedding planning specifically about the actual wedding day.  Would the flowers be placed correctly?  Would the favors be at the right table? Would guests have water to drink when they arrived? These were just some of the questions running thru my mind.  Having been in emails and phone and Skype chats with my wedding planner, beginning three months prior, I realized right away that I could trust her and her team with all of those questions and concerns. I was also lucky because the wedding planner I worked with had amazing style and attention to detail, which reassured me that not only would everything go smoothly but it would look perfect." - Sarah K.

photography credit :: Esteban Gil Photography

Overall, we're in the business of making sure not only planning and designing your wedding goes as smoothly and effortlessly as possible, but that you actually get to enjoy your day to its fullest potential. We want your day to be about you and the love of your life, not about the little details...we'll take care of that so that all you have to do is put on that dress and tux, show up, and have the best damn day of your lives.