Planning a wedding is VERY stressful, and depending on your situation, you may or may not need the help of a wedding planner. Here are some questions to ask yourself before making the decision.
How busy are you?
What kind of job do you have? Do you work a lot of hours?
Mary and James hired Nicole from Emerald Event Planning because they were having a full-on wedding, including hair and makeup on site, a cocktail hour and full dinner at The Century in Modesto. They both regularly work overtime, so they didn’t have time to plan a wedding. Details were also very important to them, and they didn’t want the stress of searching for vendors, looking at tons of different flowers, and setting up tastings and consultations. Nicole had a list of vendors she’s worked with and therefore knows are amazing, and she scheduled the meetings. She also kept track of contracts and what was due to whom and when. She was there to help set up and coordinate absolutely everything on the wedding day, and things went smoothly and remained on time! If you’re looking for a coordinator, I highly recommend her.
How big of a wedding are you having?
If you’re having a simple backyard wedding with less than 100 guests, you probably don’t need a wedding planner. Amanda and Erik opted to do their own planning. Their wedding was in her parents’ back yard and had a taco truck for food (which was AMAZEBALLS, BTW!). She didn’t have as much to do when planning. She purchased her wedding gown at Bianca’s in Modesto, went to a salon for hair and makeup, hired a florist, bakers, taco truck, TNG DJ, and us. They DIYed most of the decor and favors. It was a small, simple affair that turned out beautiful!
If you’re having a large wedding with over 200 people, I highly suggest you hire a wedding planner. With a large wedding, there are so many moving parts, and if one thing goes wrong, it can start a domino affect. I’ve heard of cray things happening, like food being an hour behind, or the parent dances being forgotten. Not cool.
Where will your wedding take place?
If you’re getting married at a site like Vintage Gardens in Modesto, where everything is at one site and they have two on-site wedding coordinators, you really don’t need a wedding planner. Lorna and her staff are WONDERFUL. She helps you though everything leading up to the wedding, has a fabulous list of preferred vendors, then there is always a coordinator that stays the entire duration of the event. They also provide all the food (which is AMAZEBALLS!!!). We work there regularly as their preferred photographers, and we’re very familiar with the site, the way they do things, and their staff.
On the other hand, if you’re renting a wedding site or reception hall that doesn’t provide a coordinator, and you have to bring in all your own rentals (tables, chairs, linens, plates, etc), hire a caterer, baker, florist, decor, etc… See how fast that To Do list adds up? A wedding planner would take a LOT of the stress off your shoulders, help you choose vendors, set up meetings, break down and work with your budget, and keep things running smoothly the day of. BAM. You just dodged grey hairs and premature wrinkles.
Is there a chance of inclement weather?
Shoshana and Travis had their wedding at The Hacienta Don Pedro in September. Thank GOD they had Rae from Silver Leaf Events, because it rained, and the wedding was JUST as beautiful as if it had been sunny and clear. Rae is so organized, professional, creative, and optimistic! I just love her. She enlisted the help of the groomsmen with moving chairs inside for the ceremony in front of a beautiful fire place, then went to work on decorating the room with gorgeous candlelight. She coordinated all the vendors that had to move inside, got tables and chairs set up, and did a fabulous job at the decor in the reception room as well. Shoshana and Travis didn’t have to worry about a thing, and therefore had a WONDERFUL time at their gorgeous wedding. I mean really, the last thing you want is to hate your wedding day because you have to deal with every little thing or problem.
Do you handle stress well?
Are your friends telling you to quit acting like a Bridezilla? Does your favorite word start with ‘F’? Is your hair falling out? Are you binge-eating? Stop it. Stop. It. Just hire a wedding planner. I understand it costs money, but stress will affect your health, and what is your health worth? Even if your budget is tight, you can find a planner that will give you “Day-Of” coverage and be at your wedding to facilitate everything and take that stress away from you. The most important thing is to enjoy your wedding day, and a wedding planner will help you do that! Enjoy this day, because it’s only ONE day. It’s the beginning of your lifelong journey with your partner, and a very special day to spend with your family. Don’t give up time with your parents or grandparents to go deal with vendors and/or problems. They won’t live forever, and if you skimp on time with them on your wedding day, you’ll regret it when they pass away.
That’s my two cents! If you have questions about wedding planners or tips you’d like to add, comment below!