The period following your engagement is divine. It’s one of life’s little sweet spots, a time when you should be basking in love, champagne and congratulatory messages. But how, pray tell, can one bask when there is a looming list of decisions to make?

Between choosing a location and venue, booking vendors, working full-time and maintaining your social life, organizing a wedding can become an enormous task. It takes more time than you think, and for some, it can put a major damper on the entire wedding experience. Hiring a pro can take a huge weight off you and your partner, leaving more time to enjoy the process, sans stress.

Why hire a planner?

Time is money

A wedding planner can help you stay in your budget, negotiate contracts on your behalf, but best of all, spare you months of painstaking research. Ultimately, this saves you money in the long run. The key is to think about what your time is worth. In my experience, the seemingly simple task of choosing my wedding venue cost me over 60 hours of my precious pre-wedding time, and a handful of grey hairs!

They have connections you can trust

Your planner will have relationships in the wedding community that you would not be able to access on your own. This gets you a) the top talent in your area, b) insider pricing and, c) the comfort of knowing that these vendors are trustworthy and dependable.

They’ll keep you on track

Many couples run out of time and money when planning their own weddings. A professional will project manage your event seamlessly, ensuring nothing is missed and everything is on budget! They have the right package for you. Packages can range depending on the person you hire, but most planners have a great range of services catered to most couple’s needs. Most planners charge a flat rate, others hourly, and some a percentage of the overall wedding budget.

Avoid the drama

Refer to #1. You will require help, and lots of it. If you don’t employ a professional, you’ll have to lean on your fiancée, friends and family for assistance. This can put a lot of strain on your most important relationships, so if you don’t feel comfortable delegating to your besties and in-laws, save yourself the drama and hire a pro!

Most brides feel they get a great return on their investment when hiring a planner because of the staggering amount of hours it takes, and of course, because of the planner’s design and aesthetic skill. If you choose to forgo a planner, you won’t die. But you will spend all your free time on the wedding, which comes with a healthy dose of anxiety and pressure.

Do you have a wedding coming up? Planning questions for us? We’re here to help! Email us at info@jacquelinerae.ca.