Did you use a wedding planner?

[Anonymous]

For your wedding. How much did you pay?

Was it worth it?

[Anonymous]

Yes, I forget exactly but I think $5-10k like 8 years ago? Totally worth it. The wedding was more my parents’ party (although we had an awesome time) and I certainly didn’t want to manage it all. The vendors work together all the time so if you have good planner, it’s much easier to hire all the vendors than if you were just googling into the dark. Then the week and day of she was so valuable. There are a lot of moving parts. It was zero stress and we had a great time.

Like just this week, a friend told me about how she needed to find a place to pump during the wedding and the planner got with the venue to get her access to an office. That kind of thing. Plus the obvious coordinating the vendors, making/managing a schedule, etc etc.

I think it would be madness to have a big wedding without a planner and I would prioritize one for a smaller wedding if it were me.

[Anonymous]

The venue we used had a planner that helped with that part of it. Our photographer kept things rolling for the first part of the reception.

I think you need one if you are going to do something kind of out of the box. I have been to a few weddings at unusual venues where everything was disorganized, and they clearly could have used a planner. It sucks to spend $15k on a party and then having the food cold because you didn’t have the timing right and not enough chairs because you forgot about yourself, your spouse, and the string quartet when you were counting.

[Anonymous]

No. Our venue included one, and the wedding was small — 70-80 people — so it was fine. I designed the invitations, made the place cards, and did the flowers with my sister. We put the money into an amazing photographer and that was worth it. When it’s over all you have are the photographs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No. Our venue included one, and the wedding was small — 70-80 people — so it was fine. I designed the invitations, made the place cards, and did the flowers with my sister. We put the money into an amazing photographer and that was worth it. When it’s over all you have are the photographs.

Um, and the memories? The memories are kind of important!

[Anonymous]

No

[Anonymous]

Yes - 2021 bride and it was the best money spent. Our planner was so helpful and diplomatic. Her relationships were key in getting a few things done toward the end of the line. It also helped to have a neutral third party when looking for a tie breaker between me and my mom.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes, I forget exactly but I think $5-10k like 8 years ago? Totally worth it. The wedding was more my parents’ party (although we had an awesome time) and I certainly didn’t want to manage it all. The vendors work together all the time so if you have good planner, it’s much easier to hire all the vendors than if you were just googling into the dark. Then the week and day of she was so valuable. There are a lot of moving parts. It was zero stress and we had a great time.

Like just this week, a friend told me about how she needed to find a place to pump during the wedding and the planner got with the venue to get her access to an office. That kind of thing. Plus the obvious coordinating the vendors, making/managing a schedule, etc etc.

I think it would be madness to have a big wedding without a planner and I would prioritize one for a smaller wedding if it were me.

How big was your wedding?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No. Our venue included one, and the wedding was small — 70-80 people — so it was fine. I designed the invitations, made the place cards, and did the flowers with my sister. We put the money into an amazing photographer and that was worth it. When it’s over all you have are the photographs.

Um, and the memories? The memories are kind of important!

Memories are free!

[Anonymous]

Yes, roughly $4k back in 2014 (in VA, not in NOVA area). I don’t think every wedding needs a full planner, but I do think almost all weddings could benefit from a day-of or week-of planner. Our venue had no tables, chairs, decor, or food in-house, so we had lots of moving parts to coordinate. A good planner was the best money we spent for the wedding.

If the venue provides a planner and most of the moving parts are in-house (food and beverage, no need for rented tables/linens/decor) you can definitely manage without one. But I would grill them a bit to make sure they are involved in coordinating the external vendors, will keep everything on schedule all night, and just give you the sense that they will take care of the stressful loose ends that day so you don’t have to.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, I forget exactly but I think $5-10k like 8 years ago? Totally worth it. The wedding was more my parents’ party (although we had an awesome time) and I certainly didn’t want to manage it all. The vendors work together all the time so if you have good planner, it’s much easier to hire all the vendors than if you were just googling into the dark. Then the week and day of she was so valuable. There are a lot of moving parts. It was zero stress and we had a great time.

Like just this week, a friend told me about how she needed to find a place to pump during the wedding and the planner got with the venue to get her access to an office. That kind of thing. Plus the obvious coordinating the vendors, making/managing a schedule, etc etc.

I think it would be madness to have a big wedding without a planner and I would prioritize one for a smaller wedding if it were me.

How big was your wedding?

I wanna say 230 people? Something like that.

[Anonymous]

Yes...at about a 10%fee..money well spent, mainly on the ability to secure quality vendors at competitive prices. She just made everything better...her experience made our 'experience' so much better.

[Anonymous]

No, but my venue came with one and a bridal attendant. Large expensive wedding (mostly parents friends.) however I know people who have truly outrageous weddings (like in the half million ballpark) and they all have wedding planners and it shows- they all look coordinated like a Pinterest board.

[Anonymous]

No, but our venue provided catering and chairs/tables, so there were fewer moving pieces. It helped that they routinely handle weddings, so we had no doubts that they knew what they were doing.

[Anonymous]

I think the common thread here makes sense - if you pick a wedding venue that does them all the time and has an established team, and a dedicated coordinator for you, you might not need a planner.

But if your ceremony is somewhere else or you are doing anything outside the norm, a planner is a good idea.