This one goes out to the brides and grooms who have landed on my website and are curious about whether or not they should hire a wedding planner. Planning a wedding is a unique experience to most people, but to wedding planners, it is what we do every single day. I have compiled 7 warning signs that it might be time to bring a planner in to help. Side note: if you are engaged and you don't even have time to read this blog post, that itself is a sign that you probably need a planner, and you can go ahead and contact me for a consultation by clicking the link below.

1. You and your fiancé have never planned a wedding before.

If you are getting married, chances are you have never planned a wedding before. Even if you have been married previously, the industry is ever evolving and changing, with new vendors and venues popping up constantly. Lucky for you, there are professionals who plan weddings for a living that you can call to help (Hi! We should be friends!). Planning a wedding without a wedding planner is kind of like painting your living room on your own - you are capable of painting it, but it will probably take you more time and there is a higher chance that you will make a mistake than if you hire a professional to take care of it for you. And even if you have helped your sister/cousin/best friend plan your wedding before, it won't be the same when it is your wedding. At the very least, everyone deserves a professional event manager (a.k.a. wedding coordinator).

2. You have no idea how much a wedding costs.

If you don't know how much it actually costs to host a wedding, I wouldn't recommend relying on a quick Google search to inform you. It is very beneficial to hire a person who can tell you exactly what the industry norms are and how much you can expect to spend based on the style, guest count, and location of your wedding. Often, couples who hire us are able to save money and/or better stick to their budgets because of our expertise and experience.

3. You and your fiancé have full time jobs.

For full service planning, the average planner spends 200+ hours communicating with and managing your vendors, designing your event, scheduling appointments for you, etc. (this doesn't even come close to scratching the surface of what a planner will do for you). Let's break that down: 200+ hours is equivalent to 5 40-hour work weeks, 200+ Netflix Shows, 200+ barre classes, 100+ dinner dates... you get the picture. Do you want to sacrifice that valuable time over the course of your engagement, especially when you have to use time outside of your normal work schedule?

4. You reserved your date at the venue, but you haven't had a chance to plan anything else yet.

If you saved your date at the venue, but haven't been able to get started with the rest of your plans, it is probably time to bring in a planner to help you kick start the process. A planner will help you hone in on your priorities, your vision, and your budget to get you started on the right foot. Sometimes getting started is the hardest part (especially when you want to be intentional about each aspect of your day), and a planner can alleviate that stress and clear away whatever is blocking you from tackling the hard stuff.

5. You want to maintain a happy and healthy relationship with your fiancé, as well as the rest of your family members, during your engagement.

Your wedding is an important, emotionally-charged milestone for you and your honey, and your wedding is also a monumental occasion for your family members. Because of its significance, everyone will have their own, often strong, opinions about the day and how it should unfold. Although we are extremely invested in your relationship and in everyone's happiness and satisfaction on the wedding day, we also are impartial when it comes to couple and family dynamics. In other words, we can be the voice of reason when there is a disagreement, helping everyone stay focused on what is important and come to a decision that is best for the couple and for the logistics of the wedding.

6. You have either just gotten engaged or have started to plan, and the stress over planning is really getting to you.

You can't do this alone! Planning a wedding is a huge undertaking, and if you are already losing sleep over the mile-long to do list, hiring a wedding planner is a great way to take the stress off of your shoulders. We break down the process into manageable steps so that you can feel accomplished, excited, and in control of your planning experience. Don't pull your hair out trying to plan it all on your own.

7. You have either dreamed about your day for years and know exactly what you want your wedding to look like, or you have no clue what you want your wedding to look like.

At either end of the spectrum, there is a lot of value in hiring a wedding planner to design your event. If you know exactly what you want and can convey that vision to us, we can source the perfect vendors who will be able to accomplish your vision. If your Pinterest board is all over the place or you never thought about what your wedding would look like until after the ring was on your finger, we can also design a look that compliments your style and story perfectly.

I could go on for days, but if you managed to make it to the end of this article and found yourself nodding in agreement to any of these warning signs, chances are it is time to find your planner. We would love to chat with you! Click the button below to reach out.

I see the warning signs!