Is a wedding planner worth the extra cost?

Hi Tarni,

Congratulations on your engagement this is an exciting time for you. Normally a bride should be excited about planning her big day, but does she really know what planning a wedding is all about? The amount of hours/days/weeks and months that go into  planning a wedding, even longer if you are working full time, can be very stressful and time consuming. So my answer to your question is Yes wedding planners are worth the cost.  I can give you 10 reasons why hiring a wedding planner is well worth the cost, contact me anytime day or night if you would like to talk.

It’s surprising how many couples on a small budget hire a planner or coordinator. Apart being able to help you to stay on budget, negotiate better prices and make your precious dollars go further, we can help to ensure that all that time, money and effort you have put into your wedding is worth it. A wedding is a huge investment, and when you think that you could spend anywhere from $20,000-$100,000+ on your day, it seems a little illogical not make sure that everything you have been working on and saving for actually turns out the way you want it.

Compared to most wedding budgets, a planner is a relatively small investment and arguably one of the most important. If planning or styling isn’t for you, then an on the day coordinator is indispensable and very affordable, particularly if you are having a wedding in a marquee or non-licensed venue.

If you want to wing it, that’s totally ok. Lots of couples go it alone. You just need to consider whether or not you want to maximise the opportunity for you to enjoy every moment of your day, have the wedding you really want and minimise potential for issues or hiccups. Remember, there’s no second chances when it comes to your wedding day. 

The simple answer to this YES!!! To eliviate stress. Planning a wedding is time consuming and can be stress filled. Hiring a wedding planner doesn't mean you will loose all choice over your big day. You can still take charge with any element of your day. It's your day after all. Hiring me will simply mean you have someone to bounce ideas off and someone else to take over when it all get's too much. Most importantly someone to make sure your plans on the day come together just how you dreamed. Spend your day being pampered and treated like a princess rather than running around like headless chook making sure every last details is just right.   

Hi Tarni,

completely understand and it can be daunting. We planned over 11,000 weddings and we know what it takes to plan the wedding of your dreams.

Having a planner to take care of the details allows you to enjoy the event planning journey from start to finish without all the stress. We work with tried and trusted vendors and event specialists that will provide their very best for you - saving you time, hassle and money.

If you answer Yes! to any of the questions below, then we are here to help. 

• Do you know exactly what you want for your event but don't have the time to source quotes, manage vendors, tie up all the loose ends and make it perfect?
• Are you recently engaged and not sure where to start?
• Have you looked at a zillion magazines and blogs and would like assistance to find your unique style and then entwine this through all your wedding details?
• Would you like an experienced professional to double check your hard work, make sure nothing is missed and ensure your event is coordinated perfectly on the day?
• Are you running out of time, with a multitude of plans and tasks and feel like it's slipping out of control?

Just as every bride is different, so is every event - we can do as much or as little as you need. 

here's 2 popular packages we have;

Wedding Planner 20 Hour Package includes;

• Certified experience wedding planner at your call
• Free on line planning advice, unlimited emails and phone calls
• 2 consultative meetings - 3 hours plus travel
• Wedding ceremony site visit and rehearsal - 2 hours plus travel
• Co ordination with all suppliers and vendors - 2 hours
• Vendor Supplier recommendations - 1 hour
• Detailed timelines and work flow summaries to all vendors - 2 hours
• Attendance at your wedding ceremony and reception till the conclusion of formalities - 10 hours allocated
• Online Wedding Planning Portal
• Online Guest Request System
• 2 x FREE Dance Lessons with Arthur Murray Dance Studios valued at $180.00
• Complimentary Facials, skin analysis plus 2 x FREE express microdermabrasions valued at $126.00 at Australian Skin Clinics Marion
• $500 of add on Vouchers and much more.......
• Price does not include Travel and Accommodation for events more than 75kms outside the Adelaide CBD
• Fee quoted includes up to 20 hours. Additional hours can be charged at a rate of $88 per hour inc GST.

Wedding Planner On Day Set Up 6 Hour Package includes;

• Initial consultation to discuss your vision and compile full listing of items for the setup on the day
• Collection of items at a mutually agreed location the week before the wedding
• Four hours of setup included in this package
• Early arrival at set up location/s
• Ceremony setup may include chairs, arch or arbour decorations, pew and aisle decorations, welcome sign, signing table and Order of Service programs
• Reception setup may include chairs, chair covers and sashes, linen, napkins, place cards, menus, bonbonniere, table centrepieces, seating chart, photo displays
• Pack up any items from ceremony, if needed, and returned to couple
• 2 FREE Dance Lessons with Arthur Murray Dance Studios valued at $180.00
• Complimentary Facials, skin analysis plus 2 x FREE express microdermabrasions valued at $126.00 at Australian Skin Clinics Marion
• $500 of add on Vouchers and much more.......
• Price does not include Travel and Accommodation for events more than 75kms outside the Adelaide CBD
• Fee quoted includes up to 6 hours. Additional hours can be charged at a rate of $110 per hour inc GST.

Hi Tarni 

yes wedding planners can be worth the extra cost and it comes down to how you would like to ultise them. Some wedding planners have packages available for their full services or have partial services were you can get in contact with them for advice about to plan a wedding. It sounds like you might need a wedding planners full service package to take away some of your workload and stress. 
Monique (Meeki)

Hi Tarnijarvis,

Sounds like you are a very busy person with a large family too. I do believe that hiring a wedding planner is absolutely worth the extra cost becuase of the fact that wedding planners help you save lots of time and also money because they source the best prices and help you stick to your wedding budget which puts less pressure on you financially. A wedding planner will work along side you and your fiance to help you make decisions and also perform all those task that may be very time consuming for you at the moment but more imporantly a wedding planner will help to give you peace of mind knowing that all the details will be planned for you.

Wedding Planners may seem like an expensive ‘nice to have’, but there are a number of important reasons why they should be a ‘must have’ for your big day:

• Time & Stress. Do you want to spend the months leading up to your big day creating runsheets, haggling over costs and being pestered about things like how many bags of ice you need to chill your drinks? How can you be sure that the supplier you found on google with a handful of good reviews will actually show up on the day? Wedding Planners save you months of stress between researching, negotiating and most importantly managing suppliers. 

• $$$. A good Wedding Planner will leverage a wealth of relationships with suppliers, venues & contacts. This means they know which suppliers will fit your vision and what they should cost. Crucially, as they work with the suppliers time and time again, more often than not they can secure you a rate far cheaper than you would be quoted directly from the supplier. Often the discounts your Wedding Planner secures for you more than cover their fees. 

• Enjoy your day, don’t co-ordinate it. Do you really want to be constantly interrupted from enjoying your special day for questions like “where is the photobooth going?”, “the ceremony ran 15 minutes late, what time should we start speeches?”, or heaven forbid, “the celebrant isn’t here yet, what do we do?” The day before your wedding, do you want to be relaxing and spending time with your bridal party, or calling suppliers to triple-confirm they know where to set up and when by? 

Hi Tarni,

Firstly, huge congrats on your engagement!!

To answer your question - ABSOLUTELY.  

Being a Wedding Planner, I can say, without a doubt, that it is money well invested. Especially since you have such a large wedding - it's no wonder it is becoming a job in itself!  It takes on average 250 hours to plan a wedding and I bet you don't have that time given all that you have going on in your life already!  The role of the Wedding Planner is to take over the details of planning your wedding, to sit down and discuss budgets and your wants & needs for your BIG day.

I like to treat my Clients as friends, so that they feel comfortable with me and trust me to plan all the details to take the pressure off.  That in a nutshell is why hiring a Wedding Planner is worth the money. I love creating an individual and unique wedding. I also have qualifications in Travel so it is no issue for me to arrange travel & accommodation as well.

I am a Wedding Planner & Stylist - my business is Meraki Unique Celebrations.

You can check out my website https://www.merakiuniquecelebrations.com.au & Insta @meraki_unique_celebrations

Would LOVE to have a further chat with you Tarni, my email is hello@merakiuniquecelebrations.com.au or get in touch via Easy Weddings.

I hope that helps answer your question!!!

Congrats again & I look forward to having a chat with you - I am happy to shoot you off all my price list etc.

Have a great day Tarni & look forward to having the opportunity to chat and get to know you & your fiance

Lauren xxx

Hi Tarni,

Wow, you really have a lot on your plate haven't you?  And I think you've answered your own question really.  Hiring a planner will give you back the time you speak of.  Planning a wedding takes around 70-100 hours IF things fall into place, that's a lot of time..  Some couples have the time and strength but a lot find it stressful and beyond difficult.  It's generally agreed that a wedding planner is worth her weight in gold.  Also a planner can suss out the cheapest prices and deals so overall you could well come out even-ish.

I can offer you 3 different levels of service, one of which will suit your budget.  The other option you have is my FREE service which is to give you the contact details of our Melbourne wedding professionals which will cost you no more if you went directly to them.  Really, it's a win win situation, we are a one stop shop.

I'd love to assist you, send me a message and I'll send off a price list for you.

Talk Soon, Kim 

Hi Tarni, Wedding Planners are a must with the busy lifestyles we all lead.  As you said you are working full time so it makes it difficult to contact vendors during business hours. To answer your question, yes, a Wedding Planner is a must.  Choosing the right planner is important.  One who you will trust with your wedding, one who will listen and work with your busy lifestyle, coordinating everything from making appointments for you at a time that will suit you, to the styling and finally the big day.  Weddings in the Tropics, is based in Darwin, NT.  If you have any further questions, about my services, you can contact me through the suppliers on the Easy Weddings website.  Cheers Lynne