Do I Really Need A Wedding Planner?

First of all, what IS a wedding planner?

Put simply, they are professionals who plan weddings.

Okay, you probably want the longer version too. The longer version is that wedding planners help you develop timelines and milestones for your wedding plans, come up with to-do lists, draw up budgets, and book all the venues and equipment necessary for the wedding day.

Being professionals, many wedding planners are well connected to those in the wedding industry. They have a wealth of contacts they can tap on to help you negotiate the best rates for items such as make-up, photography, florist, bridal studio, car rental, hotel rental, entertainment, IT equipment, cakes, catering, wedding favours, and everything else that is related.

If the mere thought of logistics for the dozens or hundreds of people you will be inviting daunts you, or you have no idea where to even start planning a wedding, engaging a wedding planner may be a good idea. If you're sure you want to plan your wedding yourself (it's YOUR wedding after all!), but have work to deal with on top of other responsibilities, then it may still be a good idea to get a wedding planner to assist you for a few of the more tedious tasks in your list.

No matter how good you are at multi-tasking, however, being the director of your wedding banquet and the one getting married at the same time may be a bit of a stretch. For good reason, many who choose to plan their own weddings may still employ a wedding planner - just to help oversee the banquet. After all, why should the dinner of your big day be nothing but a blurry rush in your memories?

Does Engaging a Wedding Planner Mean More Cost for the Wedding?

Not necessarily. As mentioned, wedding planners may be able to strike special bargains with those in the industry due to their familiarity. In fact, you may end up paying less than you budgeted with their help, while benefiting from their expertise in planning as well.

It may cost anywhere between $1,500 to $4,000 (or sometimes even higher) to engage a wedding planner. This price is often dependent on the amount of services you require from the planner.

The newlyweds should meet up with the planner beforehand to ensure that they are comfortable with the way the planner does things, before choosing to employ them.

How Much Does One Usually Pay For A Wedding Planner?

Again, it depends on what the planner is engaged to do. A friend's mother paid less than S$1,380 for a wedding planner to coordinate hotel, videographing, and the actual wedding day itself. There was only a banquet, but no ceremony, though.

Still, it was a pretty sweet deal, since the wedding planner's rapport with the vendors saved them a whopping S$1,500 at least! What's more, the wedding planner did all the necessary research. Come to think about it, it kind of looks like the vendors are subsidising the couple for their wedding planner, doesn't it? Considering how much they saved and how relatively little the planner had cost them, the professional advice they had received was practically free.

An overseas friend made a comment about the benefit of having a wedding planner around which is very true. When disputes arise about karaoke, alcohol and etc, the planner can be an avenue for ranting and letting off steam, as they are not emotionally connected to their clients' wedding plans.

Again, since close contact with the planner is going to be inevitable, choose a planner whom you are comfortable talking with and can address all the needs and questions you have in mind. Don't be afraid of meeting up and talking to a few to find out which one you prefer! The wedding is a personal affair, and anyone helping you will have to understand your personal preferences. The planner has to be someone you can trust to count on during your special day.

Planner's Role at the Wedding Banquet

Many friends and relatives will likely have volunteered their services during the banquet. Having an experienced planner take charge of the whole event as the manager, however, will be of great help management-wise, and for stress relief too!

After you have discussed with the planner what the plans for dinner are, they will be able to arrange for a meeting with all the volunteers to brief them on their individual roles for the day. This ensures that the volunteers understand their job, and know that they can refer back to the planner should any problems arise, instead of the couple getting wed, whose schedule for the day may be jam-packed already!

Getting someone experienced, like wedding planners Singapore, to be in charge is most probably better than putting someone inexperienced at the helm. The former can solve issues independently, whereas the latter will still need to seek advice from the bride or groom before making any decisions. Communicating with your planner beforehand will likely ensure that any hiccups will be solved by them before it even reaches your ears.

If you have a trustworthy friend who has coordinated wedding banquets before and is willing to help you with yours, by all means, entrust this one with the task of overseeing the banquet. Be sure to let the volunteers know who to turn to when they need help, though. Otherwise, you might just be dealing with frantic queries about one problem or another instead of cheerful congratulations about your wedding ceremony!

In view of how most modern weddings are planned nowadays, choosing to engage a wedding planner may be the wise thing to do. What you pay to enlist their professional help may come back to you in the form of discounts that can exceed what you've paid out. So do consider this option carefully with your future spouse, but of course, the final decision about anything regarding your wedding still lies with yourselves!