Hiring a wedding planner - the facts! From Suffolk's The Wedding Planners

Image credit: York Place Studios

Here at Your East Anglian Wedding magazine, we think there are a few misconceptions about hiring a wedding planner.

So if you're thinking of hiring one for your wedding – or perhaps you might after reading this – then Suffolk-based The Wedding Planners have put together a handy guide to dispel the myths and share some actual facts with you.

• Planners are only for the rich and famous. 
• They're super expensive. 
• A wedding planner will take over everything! 
• Wedding planners are bossy, I won't get the wedding I want. 
• Frankly, I don't need one, that's what the bridesmaids and groomsmen are for! 
• I'm really organised, why do I need someone else there? 

These have all been said by UK couples. Maybe you've said one of the above or similar before? But did you know that 78% of couples say, post wedding, that they wished they had hired a wedding planner. And that's a sentence that we really don't want you to say after your wedding, when it's too late for us to help! 

So, let's tackle some of these myths, starting with the expense. No, planners are not 'just for the rich and famous', how outrageous to think that only they deserve the best wedding possible! We are here to support all couples and all weddings of any shape or size! We planners are not one size fits all, so that means there is a planner to fit your budget and your personality. We actually work in many different ways with our couples - for some we are involved from day one, others it's a part-way-through-panic that brings us on board, and for some awesome, organised DIY-ers, we jump in at the final stages to ensure all their amazing plans come to life without any of their friends or family having to work on what should be a really special day. So we know there are planners out there to suit exactly what you need, whether that's us or one of our fabulous colleagues in this ever-growing industry.

Image credit: Georgia Rachael Photography

Next up, 'a wedding planner will take over and be bossy!'
We most certainly do not want the responsibility of completely taking over and planning a wedding for a couple that we don't know well.  A huge part of being a wedding planner is getting to know our clients really well so that we can plan together with them. Our number one goal is to give a couple the wedding that they want. And honestly, we're not that bossy (just don't ask our families)! But all joking aside, having an assertive planner on your side can be a huge help; we can find you the best of the best, create the vision that currently exists only in your mind, and support you in making some of the tough decisions. 

'That's what bridesmaids and groomsmen are for.' 
It's great to get some support from the bridal and grooms parties and the majority are very happy to lend a hand, but much like the couple, their role on the day should be 'bridesmaid' or 'best man', or 'groomsman' - you want them to be able to fulfil the role of assisting the bride getting ready, or helping the groom greet guests at the church, and they can't do that job if they are setting up table decorations and managing the arrival of the cake at the reception venue! Plus, there's certain jobs in life that really ought to be handed over to the professionals. Yes you can get the paint brushes out and a very large ladder to repaint your home, but wouldn't you prefer the guidance and expertise of a professional decorator, who will get it done in half the time and use much less frog tape!? It's just the same for your wedding. It's often coined the most important day of your life, so why risk having an usher set up your tables, but forgetting to lock the legs out correctly due to their lack of experience. No-one wants a collapsing table mid-dinner! 

As for the 'I'm really organised, why do I need someone else.'
These are often our favourite clients! They know exactly what they want and are completely on top of the planning.  However, on the day (much like the bridal and grooms parties mentioned above), they need to play the role of 'bride' or 'groom' and certainly not 'wedding planner'. So, these couples often need a 'wedding management' service from a wedding planner, getting involved in the final weeks and co-ordinating all of your plans on the day so that you can relax and enjoy the day you have so carefully planned.

So you may be the most organised, or indeed the least, perhaps you don't think your budget will reach the services of a planner, but let us be the first to say there is most definitely a planner out there for you.

Check out thewedplanners.co.uk