Your wedding is obviously a very personal occasion that’s close to your heart – so it’s totally understandable if you want to plan it all yourself.  However, it is a huge undertaking that takes up a lot of time and inevitably involves a certain amount of stress.  Many couples, keen to focus on the fun and romance, with less of the work and the worry, therefore enlist the services of a wedding planner.

If you hold your wedding at Clevedon Hall the team here will give you a lot of help and support.  Having said that some of our brides who have especially demanding jobs, or whose circumstances may be particularly complicated (lots of guests flying in from abroad, for instance), bring in a wedding planner as well.

In this post we cover the main benefits of hiring a professional wedding planner.

Helping you get the most out of your budget 

Wedding planners cost money.  But in strict financial terms they are generally worth it – they can actually save more than they cost.  How come?  Because they are experts, they know the right people, they understand how the wedding industry works, and are skilled at getting the best deals.  If you let them take care of all the negotiations, decisions and purchases you’ll get better value for money.

Wedding suppliers want repeat business.  Planners can give it to them but you can’t (unless you are planning on getting married multiple times!).  So wedding planners usually get lower quotes and better rates than brides. 

What’s more, wedding planners are used to managing wedding budgets, contacts and all the administrative details.  You are not – so they will usually do a much better job of keeping all the finances properly managed and buttoned down.

Freeing up your time

Most brides have a full time job, a busy social life and plenty of other commitments (including their relationship with their husband to be).  Finding the time to plan and organise a wedding on top of all that is a big ask.  You can do it, but at what cost?  The effort can really take the fun, excitement and romance out of what should be some of the most joyous months of your life. 

Do the maths. The average couple is engaged for about 12 months, which only gives you 48 weekends in which to get everything sorted.  You’ll find yourself missing out other social events or family gatherings because you have a fitting, tasting or some other wedding related task that requires your time.  Your inbox is also going to fill up with correspondence from suppliers asking questions, requiring discussion or needing payment.   

A wedding planner can take much of this off the hassle off your shoulders, leaving you free to enjoy more of the fun stuff – and that’s incredibly valuable. 

Helping you achieve your wedding vision

You have a picture in your mind of your dream wedding.  But it can be easy to lose sight of that when you start talking to different vendors and your family and friends keep adding their personal ideas, suggestions and requests.  Your planner is focused only on your special day (unlike vendors who may be involved in several weddings every weekend) and will push to make sure everything goes according to your unique plan. 

There are so many little details to keep track of, and so many different people putting subtle (or not so subtle!) pressure on you, that it’s all too easy to end up with an event that’s not quite what you had in mind.  Your wedding planner is a professional project manager whose job it is to make sure the client (you) gets what they wanted at the very beginning.  Also, because they are not so personally involved they are much better placed to have difficult conversations on your behalf!

Inspiration ideas and practical advice

You might spend hours on Pinterest, flipping through bridal magazines and surfing various wedding blogs gathering information, ideas and advice.  But that doesn’t make you a pro.  A wedding planner organises events ranging from 20 to 300 guests on a regular basis.  They know what the issues are and have great relationships with the best vendors.  They understand the legalities, they are familiar with the problems that often arise and are practiced at coming up with solutions.  For instance, your mum and mother-in-law disagree about bridal shower details.  You’re not sure how much should you ask your bridesmaids to pay for their dresses.  When should you send out your save-the-dates.  A seasoned wedding planner has seen it all, and she'll be able to guide you through any tricky situations that arise during big-day preparations - the benefit of their knowledge and experience is priceless.

At the very least your planner is going to come up with brilliant and original ideas for your ceremony and reception, many of which can't be found online. Whether you want a unique centre piece or a totally wow cake design, she'll brainstorm something that will knock your socks off.

On the other hand you may come up with some super creative idea that you are not sure how to turn into reality.  Your wedding planner will be able to give you a practical way of achieving it or maybe suggest something similar that will work better.

Peace of mind

For all these reasons, and more, a wedding planner will save you tons of stress and worry.  They are like a PA, walking diary, confidant and best friend all rolled into one.  There comes a point, usually just before the big day, when it can all get too much – that’s when you wish you had paid for a wedding planner!  Do you really want to be worrying about the florist finding your venue on the day.   Or stressing over whether the DJ will have the correct cables and connections for the venue’s sound system?  Without a planner you’ll be tackling those issues yourself, when you least need it!

Your planner can make your life so much calmer by responding to emails when you are really short of time, take phone calls that you don’t want to deal with and.  They can attend venue viewings, menu tastings and supplier meetings with or without you, and can also be present on the day should you need extra tissues, extra wine or help with an unruly guest or difficult supplier.  

A planner makes sure you get your wedding your way - with the minimum stress and work, the maximum fun and pleasure.   

Let’s make it happen

The team at Clevedon Hall can give you lots of advice and assistance but we’re very happy to work with a planner if you decide you’d like one.  Together we’ll ensure your big day is as magical and enjoyable as in your dreams.