Many brides ask why they need to hire a wedding planner, they believe that they are very organized, they know what they want and they know where to get it. But it is often a case of, you don’t know what you don’t know and sometimes by the time they realize the wheels have fallen off, it is too late to change without spending a large amount of time or money, either of which is often in short supply.

There is a process to planning a wedding and most brides don’t realize this. They get very excited and rush out trying to get everything organized immediately, they then get so overwhelmed by the scale of work that needs to be done and they get stressed out over everything. This becomes a cycle of emotions that so many brides experience. A good wedding planner understands the wedding planning process and they are able to control the planning, which means the bride can slow down and enjoy the planning part of her wedding as well as the actual day itself.

To put this into perspective…

If you have ever hosted a dinner party at your house for 30 or 40 guests, you will know how much work and planning went into it. Now, think how it will be on your wedding day when you could have 100 or 200 or even more guests to look after, feed and entertain, all the while being the centre of attention. You certainly don’t want to be running around telling the caterers when to serve the starters or cuing the DJ for the first dance. No, that is what a wedding planner will do for you, so that you can do what you are supposed to be doing – spending time with your family and fiends, enjoying every moment and being 100 percent engaged in your dream day with your groom.

All part of the planning…

Often, one of the most stressful elements of a wedding is dealing with each other and dealing with your families. Normal communication often goes out of the window (along with reason) and emotions start running very high, this is when we start seeing the bridzilla in a bride come out.

So, it is really good to have a person who is a neutral party, someone to bounce ideas off and someone who can keep you calm and focused.

There is no doubt that you have to have a great amount of trust in your wedding planner.

A wedding planner needs to be a very good manager, not only does she have to manage the wedding planning process, but also motivate suppliers, so that you get the very best out of your wedding day. There is also a big element of risk management that a wedding planner is responsible for, they need to be able to identify, where possible mitigate and manage any risks that could adversely effect your wedding.

The cost…

No doubt about it, weddings are very expensive and in any situation where large amounts of money being spent, there is a high level of stress.

A wedding planner will help you stick to your budget, reign you in if you start going over board and suggest ways in which you can cut costs. They can also keep you on track with paying deposits and final payments, which means that you are aware of what you are going to have to pay. This will also mean that the suppliers are happy, because they are being paid on time.

Couples often fall into the trap of saying “oh, it’s only an extra $50” but if you do that 100 times, the next thing you know, you have a total budget blowout – this is the part where the wedding planner reigns you in.

So, the extra money that you spend on a planner becomes a good investment, because not only will they help you stick to your budget, but can often get you better deals with suppliers. Couples often end up spending money on items or services that they don’t actually need or change their minds about later on and then end up losing their deposits, This is really because the proper wedding planning process wasn’t followed, a wedding planner can help stop that from happening.

Final stages…

The last week before a wedding is an incredibly busy period. The list of details that need to be addressed is huge, with couples often not realizing just how much running around needs to be done during that time.

The last thing you want is to stress yourselves and your family and friends, by having to run around trying to get everything sorted. One of the things a wedding planner does is to relieve you of that stress, so that you can focus on you.

You may even find that you are able to work up to a few days before the wedding, because everything has been taken care of.

It allows you to carry on with your day to day lives, like work and family - for many brides this is very helpful.

Having a wedding planner also means that your family and friends get to relax and enjoy the day, instead of running around sorting things out. It also means that you can totally relax and enjoy every moment of your day, without having to constantly think of whether everything is going ok.

Being a wedding planner…

I can honestly say that I love my job – it really is something I was born to do. I love the fact that I get to help couples create one of the most special days of their lives. I love sharing in their excitement and to be honest, so many of my clients are now my friends – that’s the kind of relationship that I have with my brides.

I love the team I work with and I love the teams of suppliers I work with, it is so satisfying to know that collectively we have pulled off an incredible event.

There is nothing more rewarding than, when at the end of a wedding and I look at the bride and groom, as they climb in the car to leave for their hotel, I know that I have helped turn their dream into a reality – it really is a dream job!

For more information about Nicky and her wedding planning services visit The Wedding Coach website