I think that many people are under the impression that hiring a wedding planner is an unnecessary luxury or additional cost to their wedding. After all they might perhaps feel that it is a cost in their budget that they do not need. I think there is a genuine belief that some couples, especially the brides, feel that they should be doing it all themselves and that they do not need any help. However, there are several reasons why a couple will contact me for help.
Marquee Wedding
Marquee weddings are lovely especially if you are holding it at home, in fact, they are my favourite kind of wedding reception. That is all well and good but the logistics of a marquee wedding need careful attention and can be time-consuming. A number of suppliers will need co-ordinating, such as marquee company, furniture, loos, generator, caterers, florist to name a few. Most of these suppliers will need to have a site visit to ensure that everything is checked such as access, ground condition and utilities such as water supply. The marquee build will take place approximately three days before the wedding and there will be suppliers on and off site all that time. Everything will need checking and signing off and any problems dealt with. I firmly believe that a couple have other priorities and just wish for a smooth running day feeling relaxed and not run ragged will all the arrangements before the day itself. Of course there is the de-rig of the marquee to oversee and that will take place a day or so after the wedding, when perhaps the couple will be enjoying a mini-moon or honeymoon. Help with a marquee wedding is worth it’s weight in gold.
Dry Hire
So dry hire is very similar to the requirements of a marquee wedding and more often than not are a marquee wedding. Again, the sourcing and co-ordination of the suppliers is time-consuming. A wedding planner will have a whole wealth of suppliers at their disposal and will match them to your requirements and budget, saving a great deal of time and money. Often there will just be a caretaker or maybe a member of event staff at the dry hire venue. They will be on duty but will not be able to give you the level of help you are looking for, as their role is consigned to just the venue, which does not include the co-ordination of suppliers.
Lack of time
A couple will quite often start the process of wedding planning and have booked a couple of suppliers but then realised that it can be very time-consuming with work and other pressures beginning to build. This is where a Partial Planning Service can be most beneficial and help relieve the couple of lengthy research and wedding minutiae, giving them freedom and time to enjoy certain elements of the wedding planning, but also being able to prioritise work.
Getting married outside the area
Again the majority of my clients will be getting married outside the area they currently live in. In fact most of my clients live and work in London but wish to get married in the countryside – Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire or Berkshire. It can be difficult to organise from afar and especially for couples who live and work overseas but have a UK connection. You need someone close at hand to carry out the planning. If you are overseas and there is a considerable time difference, scheduling meetings with suppliers can be a bit of a headache. For those couples based outside the UK I always recommend investing in my Full Planning Service.
Not sure where to start
Indeed there are couples who have busy, high powered jobs but feel creativity is not their speciality, so wish to enlist the help and guidance of a wedding planner to plan their special day. I always recommend Full Planning in this instance. Please click on the link to see what to expect from a full planning service. I think it is a very worthwhile investment.
Overwhelmed half-way through
These couples tend to look for Partial Planning help as they have started planning, which goes very smoothly at first, but after a while stalls and it all becomes a bit much, with time constraints playing a big part. It is never too late to ask for help and a wedding planner can step in and pull all the pieces together and help and advise with the rest of the planning. Partial Planning can be taken on at any stage and a couple should never be worried about seeking help if they have started planning themselves, and then found it to be a bit too much of a task.
I firmly believe that a wedding planner is not a luxury but in fact an invaluable supplier who can save you both time and money. As a wedding planner I always consider my role is very similar to a P.A. for the duration and also someone to discuss wedding details with and help with any decisions to make. Sometimes different opinions from well-intentioned family members and friends can just get a bit much and you are not able to see clearly. I will always be your counsel and be there to guide you through the planning and lead up to your wedding day.
Wishing you all the best for your planning and remember I am always available for a chat or to help.
Joanna
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