"Does hiring a wedding planner save you money?" Bridey, this is probably one of the most asked questions in the entire wedding industry. "Does hiring a wedding planner save you money?" Well, and this one, "Why are wedding planners so expensive?" And, you know what? There really isn't a "clean" answer to these burning questions. Just a bunch of industry professionals feeling like they have to justify why they are 100% necessary in the grand scheme of your wedding. So, I thought I would jump in and explain it. No bullshit. No smoke and mirrors. Just plain 'ol facts. Ready?
Quite honestly, asking if a wedding planner will save you money is somewhat of a loaded question. Do wedding planners know all the right people in a world that you don't? Yes. Will that save you tons of time, and anguish as you narrow down your wedding vendors? Absolutely! Think about it... We have spent years cultivating relationships with our vendors, which should make you (bridey) more comfortable with our referrals. Because not only do "our" vendors not want to disappoint you, but they definitely don't want to disappoint us. Sounds so badass, right? But, it's true. Personally, I have vendors who I LOVE LOVE LOVE, and who LOVE LOVE LOVE me back. And it's not because of the money, it's because of our history and relationship.
Think about it like this... A wedding planner will bring the right vendors, to you, as opposed to you having to do extensive research, and find them on your own. You will choose from a short, tried and true, list of vendors, instead of a long, quite possibly, shitty, list of vendors that you found from several different websites. Right there? That's time back in your life. Time that you didn't waste looking for the right fit because it was delivered to you. Plus, your planner will then sweat the nitty gritty and make sure you're not getting taken for a ride. Ted Bauer said perfectly, "It's no longer 'time is money.' Now time is literally the new money." I couldn't have said it better myself (so I didn't!).
But, here's the thing that really gets me upset. Accountants, realtors, and even used car dealers do shit for people all of the time without justification. But, wedding planners? We always seem to have to justify our professional existence. What the fuck? Right? I mean, for years, I did my taxes myself, and you know what? For years, I fucked them up! (Seriously, I don't know who I thought I was to be responsible for my taxes!!) And, that was something that was annual, not a once in a lifetime event!! But, when I hired an accountant, not only did he fix all of my previous mistakes, he showed me where else I could be doing better. Same goes for realtors... I could sell my house by myself, but why would I, when I could pay somebody who knows what the hell they're doing, to do it for me? And you know what? No justification necessary. Just get 'er done! Sell it!
So, will a wedding planner save you money? Yes! But, probably not the total cost of their fee. But, they will save you a tremendous amount of time (the new money), and all of your sanity... How can you put a price tag on that?