Why you should use a wedding planner

Once the euphoria of the engagement settles down bridal couples start to realise how extensive the planning of a wedding can actual be, and quickly encounter feelings that are very overwhelming. As couples begin to think about their wedding they can become confused as to how much money to spend, where to obtain professional, specialised services and how to choose vendors; feeling generally shocked at how many preparation and organisation goes into a wedding. Couples have to think about everything from the wording of the invitations, a colour lint, an opening dance to planning a honeymoon. This is way couples seek the help of a professional: a wedding planner.

It was not that long ago that having a wedding planner was considered a luxury only appointed by the wealthy. But these days a wedding planner is the key to a well-planned wedding. The trend has move from being a luxury to being a commodity. Because a wedding planner is more experienced when it comes to negotiating with vendors and service providers like florists, caterers, photographers, and many other wedding suppliers; having a wedding planner can save you a lot of valuable time and money. A wedding planner already has a credible database of service providers and suppliers, providing top quality products and services at a better rate than you would be able to negotiate, and an already established working relationship.

The average wedding can take more than 250 hours to plan, making it near impossible to fit these types of hours into an already hectic lifestyle and limited amount of time available; making it difficult to find the time to compare different prices and to see the suppliers. But a wedding planner will ensure that you get the best deal and have all the details in place to make the right decision.

Wedding planners are not there to make your decisions, but to guide and assist you to make informed decisions. Their expertise, experience and credible contact database will turn your dream wedding and expectations into a reality.

How do you know you’re hiring the right wedding planner?

• Just like any other relationships, trust is the key element;
• You should feel comfortable with the wedding planner, and that he or she understands your needs, expectations and the emotional implication attached to planning a wedding;
• Your personalities should match;
• Experience and credibility are of the essence. Find out how long the wedding planner has been in the business and try to contact some references to determine the success ratio of the wedding planner’s weddings; and
• Be careful for wedding planners who are not part of a professional business for e.g. a freelance wedding planner;

How does a wedding planner charge for a wedding?

• 10 – 15% of the overall budget;
• A fee based on the number of guests;
• Flat rate based on the amount of work needed;
• Hourly rate;

Have any other queries?