Wedding planning

I think a lot depends on how hands on you want to be with your wedding and talking to vendors etc. And if it’s in the budget. It can be very expensive. I personally only hired a month of/ day of coordinator. But it has been the most stressful thing I’ve done planning myself. If you’re someone who can handle stress well I say don’t hire one but if you have it in budget and don’t want the hassle a planner would help a lot

Agree with Taylor. If planning is your forte and you’re willing to handle the stress, planning can be done on your own. I would also highly recommend the month of/day of coordinator at least though. That ensures your families and wedding party aren’t the ones running around making sure everything goes smoothly on the actual day. They’re cheaper than the full-on planner.

It all depends on you. Some couples want to be completely hands off during planning and attend their wedding as a guest. Other couples want to pick all of their vendors with a specific vision but they need someone to tie up loose ends during the last month and run the wedding day smoothly behind the scenes. If you are on a strict budget, a month of coordinator is a better option than a full wedding planner. Browse Instagram for your area to get a feel for who is available and what their options are.

If you're happy to find your own vendors and create your own theme, I'd say a planner is overkill. But! A month of or day of coordinate can be extremely useful! We have one and she's going to make sure everything wraps up smoothly with the planning and that the day itself runs smoothly. Then I can be left in peace to enjoy my day. 😍

If your budget allows for one a full wedding planner can take a LOT of stress off you. They’ll be able to recommend reputable vendors that provide the type of service you want and are in your budget so you’re not having to research a dozen different DJs or photographers. They’ll help you come up with your theme and overall look. They’ll ask questions about details you never would have thought of. They’ll be someone you can talk to about the wedding who will be excited about it while not making you feel bad about your decisions or change it into something you don’t want. That said, they are expensive, and you can totally plan a wedding without one. You will need someone other than yourself to be the day of contact/coordinator, that can be someone you hire or trusted friend/family.

I have a forte for planning. But my lifestyle which basically means my professional life does not allow me the time to plan intentionally. I hired a planner and it was well worth the expense. They catch so so many details.

The necessity of hiring a planner depends a lot on your personality, vision, and time. If you're someone who enjoys planning and organizing then a planner may not be necessary, whereas if you're more hands-off and just want to get it "done," then a planner may make sense to you. Likewise if you have a specific vision or want to use a specific vendor for something vs wanting someone else to make your ideas come to life. Finally if you have enough time to vet your vendors, pick and choose different things, etc. then a planner may not be needed vs having limited free time or a short timeline when one would be an asset. I agree with others about a month-of/ day-of coordinator being a good idea regardless though so you or your family/ friends aren't trying to coordinate everything during the day.