10 Reasons to Hire a Wedding Planner, from the photog's point of view!

1. Hire a professional! 99.6% of the time, you, the bride, are not a professional event planner. This is the biggest party you’ll ever throw, you wouldn’t leave another job of that caliber to an amateur, would you? That’s almost as silly as letting Uncle Bob take all your wedding photos…

2. It will save you time, LOTS of time. On average, you brides spend 37 hours per week working on your wedding, that’s almost a full-time job! Odds are, a lot of that is done while on the clock at that full-time job that’s help PAY for the wedding. Don’t get caught by the boss and lose that wedding-money train, hire a planner instead. I guarantee you it’s worth the money to keep your job.

3. They can save you money, too! Often, wedding planners can end up paying for themselves in the money they save you. They not only help keep you on budget and tell you where to splurge and where to save, but they can often help negotiate with your vendors. The wedding industry is tight, everyone knows everyone, and people, myself included, are much more willing to negotiate with people they know and trust and who regularly bring them happy new customers than they are with strangers.


4. You want to enjoy your day, right? There’s not much that’s as fun for me as photographing a radiant, beautiful bride on her wedding day. Frazzled is NOT beautiful!


5. Your mom and best friend want to enjoy your big day too. Most moms and bridesmaids are happy and honored to help out on your wedding day, but don’t push it. They want to have happy memories of your nuptials, too. When the sh*t hits the fan, make sure they’re only having to clean up little portions. After all, they’re not professionals, they don’t know what the heck to do either!

6. They will keep you on schedule. As a photographer, I know first-hand the difference in the way a wedding day schedule runs when a planner is involved, and when one isn’t. Every time I’ve worked with a good planner, the groomsmen have their boutonnieres on in advance, we’re not running around looking for the bouquets when it’s time to start photos and we always finish on time. Without their help, we’re often hunting for the stuff we need.

7. They will put out fires. Flowergirls have meltdowns, it’s just a fact of life. An experienced planner has seen it all, many times, and not only does she not panic because no problem is new to her, she also knows how to fix it, and quickly. She’ll have that little muffin smiling pretty for her pictures in no time, without the snot bubbles.

8. You are her first priority. A professional planner is working for you. The venue’s on-staff coordinator is not. While often very knowledgeable and helpful, they may only focus on assisting you in areas that the club or reception hall is liable, like the food. As long as the cocktail shrimp don’t poison anyone, they’ve done their job. Good luck finding them when your hairdryer blows and you need to fine a new one STAT!

9. She’s full of ideas. You haven’t seen a thousand weddings, so maybe there are some things out there you haven’t thought of. A planner can be an extension of you. Spend time with your planner, let her get to know you and your fiancé, and your styles. When it comes time to research décor and call vendors, she’ll know what you’re looking for, what your budget is AND may be able to offer some new ideas you may not have known were out there.


10. The morning after. Our brides like to get down and the first thing they want to think about on the first day of their honeymoon is how quickly room service can deliver mimosas, NOT who’s going to get the tuxes back to the rental store. Consider investing in a planner who offers service AFTER the wedding date to do things like get your dress to the cleaners so that you have less to do when you get back to the real world.