Wedding planning requires a lot more time and energy than most people expect. Hiring a wedding planner is a great way to take some of the pressure away from yourself and your partner on your wedding day. But that’s not all! A planner wears many hats, such as a designer, budget manager, coordinator, negotiator, and so much more.
I met with Aneesa Glines, the owner and lead planner at Harmony Weddings and Events, to discuss why it is important to hire a wedding planner. Harmony Weddings is a successful planning company serving the Raleigh-Durham area and beyond. The company was founded in 2015, employs 12 planners, and planned and coordinated over 400 weddings! They pride themselves on the deep connection they build with their clients, creating personalized weddings and strong relationships with fellow wedding vendors.
Let’s dive in and find out what other key benefits of hiring a planner for your big day are!
Wedding Planning Is A Full-Time Job
“You already have a full-time job. Do you have the time to take on another one?” – says Aneesa. Wedding planning is a huge project that involves hiring and communicating with all the vendors, budget planning and execution; helping with the design, creating a timeline, and coordinating the day of the wedding. All this requires expertise and experience in order to make the day seamless and stress-free.
Most wedding planning companies offer a day of services, partial planning, and full wedding planning. Not sure which one is best for you?! Schedule a consultation to find out! Even if you are a planner at heart having a professional by your side during months (or years) of wedding planning is a must! “Wedding planners have all the resources and connections you could possibly need,” says Aneesa, “why to do it yourself?!” “Plus you ( and your parents, siblings, best friends, etc) want to be guests at your wedding, enjoy the day and not worry about every little detail!” she adds.
Neutral Third Party
A bride and her mom can have different ideas of a perfect wedding day, not to mention mom and future mom-in-law! Especially when it comes to multicultural weddings. Using the words “my planner recommends..” can bury a conflict before it even emerges. “I’m not at your Thanksgiving table, you can blame it on me!” says Aneesa. When it comes to keeping peace among family members she doesn’t mind if the bride and groom put it on her.
Planners can serve as a mediator and their expertise comes from the experience of planning and executing hundreds of events! For example, if you and your future spouse want to do a first look, but the moms are against it because it breaks tradition; the planner can explain the perks of having it that benefit everyone, that the moms might not have thought of.
Couples’ Advocate
The planner is a repeat client for all the other vendors. They have worked together before and they want to keep the good relationship going. That being said they will be more responsive and more accommodating than if they worked directly with the couple. Also, the planners understand each vendor’s role and serve as a middle person between the couple and vendors. “We want to work as a united team to get the couple best day possible,” adds Aneesa.
On top of that, a good wedding planner helps manage the expectations of their clients. It is important to know what is possible and what is not “just because something looks amazing on Pinterest it doesn’t mean it will always work for your wedding or within your set budget,” says Aneesa.
Wedding Planner Is A Must!
There are so many more reasons to hire a wedding planner than the 3 we focused on. From the photographer‘s perspective, I love having a professional wedding planner at every wedding I photograph! It makes my job easier since there’s that one person in charge who is making sure the event goes as planned. In addition, planners often help with organizing formal family photos which allow us more time for those precious couple’s portraits. In my experience brides and grooms who are in great hands of an experienced wedding planner tend to be more relaxed, enjoy their day more, and look better in photos! Win-win if you ask me! I hope this blog has convinced you that hiring a wedding planner to help you plan and coordinate your big day is a must!
For more wedding planning advice click here.
