Do you think Wedding Planners are useful?

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Permalink Reply by Lorie Collins, WPICC, DWC on July 16, 2009 at 3:57am

I do find that being a wedding planner, I can go to vendors and see about getting a discount....some vendors may not offer a bride that but if you are working with someone on an ongoing basis, the vendor may be more inclined to give a discount to someone they work with on a regular basis...

For me, I can't see why a bride would want to have her day and then have to deal with any problems that arise....the day is meant to be stress free and to enjoy....planners take your headache and make it theirs....that is my opinion....

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Permalink Reply by Inspirations by Gina on July 16, 2009 at 10:16am

I agree there is the beginning of a trend in which brides are being told through certain media outlets that they can be a diy bride. In addition to that we as wedding planners need to keep educating the public the valuable services that we provide. I have met some brides who think that the venue will take care of everything. Not knocking the venues at all, but who is going to track down the flowers or the dj when they are a no show? A venue can only do so much and this were we step in.

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Permalink Reply by Society Weddings on July 16, 2009 at 7:07am

For some brides, planning a wedding is somewhat of their idea of a nosedive into the wedding business as I've read many success stories of brides becoming entrepreneurs after planning their own wedding.

For me, as a planner, I wouldn't have my own personal event without the services of a professional planner, especially on the day, because although I would probably have input during the planning stages, I would most certainly want to ENJOY my event along with my guests. As a planner, I know the amount of legwork that goes on during the day of the event, so why would I want to work my own event -- it would certainly take the fun out of it. So absolutely, wedding planners are useful, not only in this particular example, but so many other ways -- I could write a book :)!

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Permalink Reply by WeddingMediator on July 18, 2009 at 1:31pm

I absolutely see the value of a planner, especially on the day of. Here's a twist to your question, though. Do planners see the value of having guidance from a mediator as a sounding board or as a partner to resolve issues?

It's interesting to me that planners have told me that they do dispute resolution for their clients but many don't have training or experience with the field. It's kinda like a bride saying 'yeah, I can do that', don't you think?

For planners who prefer to focus on the wedding and not deal with interpersonal drama or who wants to be more skillful, guidance from a wedding facilitator can be a godsend. Guess, it's an education issue, as you say.

Thanks for the great question and conversation, ladies

Dina

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Permalink Reply by Heart and Soul Events on July 19, 2009 at 8:22am

I am a wedding planner, and I encourage brides that even though we do charge for our services, we can offer them resources that will save them cost. We have the opportunity to work within their budget and have contacts in a lot of areas. Wedding planners can save brides time, money, and stress. Brides rely on our expertise to find them the best deals on everything from invitations to hotel accommodations for family to venue search to menu to deejay or bands, and much more. Hiring a wedding planner is definitely an area of the budget that brides can be assured a good investment.

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Permalink Reply by Pomela on July 19, 2009 at 10:45pm

For legit planners, I see real no effect on the business, in some cases it is the ones that have just planed there wedding who are now planners, and trying to rip off brides, or some that do the up charge, I take great pride as well as each & everyone on this board who are legit business, Who are honest, fair with there clients, So the few bad apples make it hard for the real ones.

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Permalink Reply by Marie Glodt Travel to Maui on July 20, 2009 at 4:14pm

Why would a bride to be add to her stress by trying to plan her wedding on her own?

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Permalink Reply by Inspirations by Gina on July 20, 2009 at 4:18pm

Many feel that they cannot afford a consultant or want to save money by being a DIY bride.

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Permalink Reply by Peggy Wiltz on July 21, 2009 at 1:18pm

I am a wedding photographer and my daughter got married 3 years ago. If I had it to do all over again, I would have found the most expensive wedding planner I could find. Even if she didn't get discounts for you (which that is their goal) it would still be worth the money in stress releif on the bride and the entire wedding party (familiy and non-family members). At the end instead of saying, "Thank God that is over!", you will be saying, "What a wonderful time was had by all." My opinion is not influenced by a wedding coordinator. I don't know any. I'm just speaking from experience from planning one and shooting at them, with and without coordinators. It is a huge difference! If they weren't so importrant then when there is a problem, why does everyone say, "Go to the coordinator!"? When there isn't one, the answer is, "Go to the bride" or "Go to the mother of the bride." STRESS at the end keeps you from enjoying those precious moments and that is when you realize how important a coordinator is, when it is too late.

Peggy Wiltz
Peggy Wiltz Photography

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Permalink Reply by Wendi Hroncich on January 21, 2010 at 4:45am

Great post Peggy! Congratulations on your daughter 2006 wedding!

It is really unfortunate that many Brides, Grooms and family members feel the same way AFTER their/the wedding. I find that 40 to 50% of a wedding coordinator's job is education about how much stress relief and time saving we actually provide. It is so nice to hear a first hand account of the value a wedding coordinator provides. We just need to continue spreading the word to everyone until a planner is not considered a luxury item, but a necessity! Thank you for helping us planners do that!

- Wendi
ethereal events

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Permalink Reply by Jennifer Lewis on July 22, 2009 at 3:14pm

As a wedding photographer planning my own wedding next year, I know all too well what it takes to throw the kind of wedding I envision (simple & elegant!) - hiring a wedding planner was the second thing I did, after booking my venue. Being in the industry, there's a lot of stuff I can do myself, and am enjoying, however, there's also a lot of stuff I don't want to deal with! I also know that I don't want to deal with any issues on the day itself! I'd rather hire a professional so I can really enjoy the day, and maximize my energy with my family and friends, instead of worrying about why the flowers are late etc etc etc ...

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Permalink Reply by Panache Event Group on July 22, 2009 at 9:57pm

I can understand the mentality of scrapping the wedding planner if budget is tight. After all, a wedding can be pulled off without a planner, but not a photographer, caterer, baker or officiant. So in the bride's mind, the planner is perceived as more of a luxury than a necessity.

However, the job of a wedding planner is not just to help the day of. A good planner will identify money saving areas, as well as let the bride know when she is paying too much. Recently, I met with a mother of the bride who is considering hiring me. I took one look at her catering contract and noticed that she was being charged twice as much on the rentals than she should have. That savings alone paid for my services. So in reality, brides can actually save more money in the end by hiring a planner versus not hiring one.

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