I have a special guest post to bring to you today from the wonderful Olivia from Host Events. A fabulous wedding planner, Olivia and I have worked together on some pretty special weddings over the years and I really wanted to use this opportunity to delve a lot deeper into why working with a wedding planner is invaluable for both you as the couple and us as the supplier. From a wedding florist point of view, I find working with a wedding planner ensures that your wedding is guaranteed to run smoothly, without a glitch in sight. I understand that couples lead busy lives and so having a wedding planner that is contactable and able to divulge the required information that suppliers need, results in saving so much time and making sure the desired outcomes are reached at all times.
Often my clients hold their wedding celebrations at home and so having the help of a wedding planner is crucial in the months leading up to your big day, on the wedding itself, and of course the clear down afterwards. Olivia and I have worked on some fantastic marquee weddings and the amount of hard work, logistics and organisation that planners are involved in always amazes me! They are your go to wedding contact, which enables you as a couple to fully switch off from the day to day runnings of your wedding and focus on the important and enjoyable aspects.
Without further ado I will hand over to Olivia who has generously explained hoe she works and summarised 8 compelling reasons why you should hire a wedding planner.
Countless times I’ve heard married couples tell me that they should have hired a wedding planner. Hindsight is a wonderful thing – right? However, foresight is better…so said the 18th century English poet William Blake. It’s common knowledge that planning a wedding is up there as one of life’s biggest (and potentially stressful) occasions. This is a life event that you’ve likely never planned before so, where on earth do you start? How do you do this? It can all feel a little overwhelming when all you want do is enjoy the process. Well, I’m here to tell you why hiring a wedding planner will be one of the best decisions you’ll make during your wedding planning journey.
They gift you time
Life is busier than ever. You’re juggling all the balls from work to homelife and all that’s inbetween, throw in planning the best day of your life and wow, your free time is starting to diminish before your eyes. Wedding planning can be super fun and exciting but who wants to plan 24/7? Well, that’s where a planner can jump in and rescue you! From everything from venue finding to supplier sourcing and ALL that falls inbetween – the relief to know you can free up your weekends and evenings again is magic. A little caveat to this….you will need to put in some hours as your planner will need you to make key decisions throughout the process and there will likely to be many emails flying back and forth.
They share their little white book of contacts
The wedding industry is a booming sector, with hundreds if not thousands of suppliers to choose from. It can feel a bit daunting to know where to even start on the shortlisting front.
Over the years I have worked with such an amazing bunch of wedding suppliers who all go above and beyond to make their couples day magical. I’ve seen first-hand the lengths they will go to ensure the lead up and day itself are truly wonderful, personal experiences and I have great pride in advising my couples who I feel would work well with them as individuals. There’s nothing better than a personal recommendation for your wedding a-team!
Planners will also work with your chosen suppliers on your behalf, scheduling in meetings, asking questions, obtaining information, scheduling payments and coordinating details so you don’t have to.
More often than not, planners will know the suppliers selected very well and will manage the team on the day to ensure an utterly smooth delivery, set up and execution.
If you live overseas and you’ve chosen a planner who covers the area you’re getting married in, this will be super helpful as they can be your eyes on the ground for sure.
They’ve got your back when tricky situations arise
It sounds cheesy but I call myself a ‘wedding friend’! On average I work with my couples for 12 months or more and in that time we really get to know each other and become firm friends.
Weddings can bring out the best and worst in people, it has to be said. I’ve seen it all. Most couples will experience tricky situations along the way. This is totally normal as emotions are heightened.
Ultimately as planners, we have your back. We’re happy to deal with awkward or challenging situations which could cause you undue stress or worry. We’re happy to be a friendly, listening ear when there’s been a family situation or be the middle person between you and a vendor.
We’re here to advise and guide through the good the bad and the ugly. Less of the latter we hope!
Assistance with budgeting and scheduling
Two massive factors when planning a wedding and areas that planners are experts at organising.
I use a budget planner which I gift my clients so at every stage of the process you know where you stand, what’s due when and what (if any) funds are remaining. I will also advise on the most important elements, how you can rebalance your budget to suit your needs and suggest alternatives if need be.
I also help you to understand the timings and logistics of the day so you can completely visualise your guests experience and how the wedding will flow from start to finish. All packaged into a neat scheduling document which is fully editable right up until a few weeks before the special occasion.
Provide ideas and take on your vision to make it a reality
Chances are a wedding planner will provide you with ideas and solutions that haven’t even crossed your mind. From design elements to colour schemes, what’s possible and what really isn’t. Where to source items and how to make things work. They will be honest and tell you if something isn’t logically possible or not a sensible option. They will also help you to visualise the design elements by producing a design plan and sourcing list.
Help to reduce stress levels
Booking appointments, booking suppliers, researching, sorting payments – the list goes on. Leaving these ‘wedmin’ jobs to your planner means you feel less overwhelmed and taken care of, every step of the way. You can enjoy your engagement, knowing that everything is under control.
On the day they will deal with any eventuality discretely
At any event, things happen behind the scenes – it’s a normal occurrence and wedding planners are trained to have several contingency plans in place. They think on their feet and can literally get things done quickly and discreetly, that you and your guests are none the wiser on. I remember a countryside marquee wedding I was planning, the water source stopped so we had no fresh water. During the ceremony, I drove to the supermarket and picked up litres of still water to cover the rest of the day. The client had no idea I did this but I knew it was important and needed to be sorted. I love being that person to positively creates solutions that may crop up on the day.
Allow you to fully immerse yourself in the day and be truly present
All that planning leads to that one magical day, the day you’ve been dreaming about for so long. The biggest gift a planner can give you is your wedding day. By that I mean, they completely free you up so you can be utterly present and in the moment with your partner and your loved ones. This is the pièce de résistance, the icing on the cake (so to speak!).
The day goes by in a joyous flash, so each second is massively important. You won’t need to check in with suppliers, organise the caterers or answer questions. It’s all taken care of so you can relax and enjoy this incredible celebration filled with love and happiness.
That all sounds pretty dreamy right?! Don’t be one of those married couples who wished they’d brought in help, bring on board a planner early on to ensure your day goes without a hitch.
Olivia Riddiford is a professional wedding planner with over 14 years experience covering South West England. Providing romantic, heartfelt and unforgettable English countryside weddings.
The biggest thank you to Olivia for generously sharing her knowledge, I am so looking forward to a super beautiful wedding that we are working together on very soon at the stunning Pynes House. The happy couple are flying over from America and are looking to host their quintessential english country garden wedding day... let's just say there will be florals everywhere and I cannot wait!
Photo Credits: 1: Camilla Arnhold 2: Kristin Sautter 3&6: Emily & Steve 4&5 Irena K