des moines, iowa and beyond

workflow & systems strategist

Sweet Beginnings: Why Hire a Wedding Planner?

For Brides

After a few weeks away, we are back with our Sweet Beginnings series and today’s topic is all about why you need a wedding planner. More importantly, why you deserve a wedding planner!

I know, your friends and family can help and you are hyper-organized, right? Planners just cost more money and offer nothing tangible, so it’s not an important budget item, right? Not necessarily. Planners have so much to offer that you likely haven’t even thought of. I was on your side as a bride. I didn’t want to spend my money on a planner, I had it under control, but guess what, that is my biggest regret….

Sweet Beginnings Why a Planner

Do not get me wrong, friends and family are wonderful and it is amazing that they are willing to help in those capacities. However, speaking from experience, if you are honest with yourself, that is not really how you want them spending their day, right? This is one of the first reasons I started HHE. I’ve said it many times, but I missed out on precious time and memories with my mom because she was being my superwoman and running our day. No one should ever have to miss their wedding day with their loved ones.

On top of that personal note, do you know how long it takes to plan a wedding on average? Even a small and intimate affair takes between 200-300 hours!!!  According to Huffington Post a year ago, that averaged out to 10-15 hours per week. Do you have that kind of extra time in your schedule? On top of that, you’ll want to be building strong foundations in your relationships. Your engagement should be a time that you enjoy. A time when you truly get to know your new family. Focus on strengthening your relationship with your fiancé and prepare for your marriage, not just your wedding. Again, I missed out on social calls, family time, weekend trips and so much more because I was so busy planning. Wedding planners save you time.

Do you recall the age old mantra “time is money”? Well, yes. We can also save you money. This is not to say that we can get you magical discounts left and right, but we have the experience and industry knowledge to guide you to the right vendors and resources for your day. One of the first things I have my clients do is to determine their budget and then list their top three priorities for where to spend it. Each couple’s priorities differ, but that allows me to ensure that what is truly important to them gets the proper attention. It also helps to allocate the remainder of the budget creatively to still bring their dream day to life.

I bet you’re thinking, “yeah, Jenn, but planners take away from my budget”. No, sweet bride, planners are an investment in your wedding, not an expense. We have planned many more weddings than you and have the experience to make suggestions and to offer insights. Each planner will have different service offerings, but all of us are here to help take your stress away and make your dreams a reality. Here’s where your argument goes to defending your control. I know, I was that girl. Fear not. You will have as much input and access to planning every detail that you desire.

A common misconception is that when you hire a planner, you no longer have any say or control over anything. While it is true that you have to let go a little bit to let us do our jobs to our best ability, it is still YOUR wedding! We work with you and love your input, ideas and excitement. I adore becoming friends with my clients, having brainstorm sessions and coffee dates. You can be as involved or removed as your personality dictates. That will often also have an impact on the service level that you agree upon. Honestly, would you rather get to look at colors, dresses and pretty little details or budgets, spreadsheets, layouts and to do lists for who to call next? I’m guessing the latter. That’s what a planner allows you to do.

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{ photo via Robyn Photography }

So far, we have touched on time, money, relationships and lessening stress. Those all sounds like things you’d like to invest in, right? But wait, there’s more! (said in my best Bob Barker voice) We also love logistics, checklists, timelines and coordinating everything. This often includes design ideas, managing various projects and vendors, and making sure your day is set up to run as smoothly as possible. While there may be a few hiccups, our job is to be like a duck- smooth sailing on the surface and working a mile a minute to keep everything flawless for you behind the scenes.

Speaking of which, you likely have a very specific vision for your day. As a partner and friend throughout the planning process, we often know the details and ins and outs of your day as much, if not more than you. We take all of that off your plate and will ensure that staff and vendors do everything to your expectations. We are your advocate, help navigate rough waters and want your day to be exactly what you envision. We have your back and love being your support system and biggest cheerleader!

While this post has focused heavily on the practical side of hiring a planner, I will soon be discussing my design process and what it is like to work with Harper Hadley. In that series, we will touch on added bonuses of design as part of your planning package. Yes, we can help there too and might even have a few ideas you did not know you wanted!

I send out surveys after every wedding and event I do. There is one comment I get, un-promted, every time: “I wish I had hired you sooner. You were the best decision in our planning process.” So, lovelies, please at least meet with a planner to chat through things sooner than later. The more of the process we can help with, the smoother your planning will go and the more time you will have to focus on what truly matters- your marriage and future.

xoxo, Jenn

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