What to know before planning your own wedding
It’s super common to want to plan your own wedding, but there are a few things to know first.
Wedding planning can be challenging or downright painful for some people. Not everyone loves the planning process like I do.
While you consider hiring a planner, take into consideration a few key things:
Your time
Your budget
Your organizational skills
It’s very common for folks to feel like they have the time to research, and then they find out they’re behind. Or they miss something on the budget and find out later that they’re going to have to spend $1-$2k to fix a mistake they didn’t budget for.
Getting a little professional help can mean a lot less stress. In general, if you can afford it, I recommend hiring someone to help.
I strongly recommend that you budget for a coordinator for your wedding day instead of hiring a friend or family member (friendor). Your aunt Susie might be organized: maybe she’s planned a lot of parties, but consider this: 1) Has she coordinated a wedding before? 2) Is it fair to her to make her coordinate instead of relax? Always consider these questions before hiring a friendor instead of a vendor.
For a reference, here is what a wedding planner typically does (and full disclosure, not every planner does the same thing):
Helping with design elements, like selecting color palettes, suggesting decor, rentals, lighting, and creating floor plans.
Facilitating compromise & clarifying situations for those with heightened emotions
Managing unruly guests - have someone you’re worried about who might give you a reason to write an AITA story on Reddit? Your planner/coordinator can keep an eye on them.
Overseeing sound checks
Vetting vendors and providing recommendations - Your wedding planner will know the best in your area for your budget.
Managing your budget - In fact, a wedding planner usually knows ways to help you save money.
Keeping vendors & parties on schedule - after all, you don’t want to worry about this on your wedding day.
Scheduling meetings & deadlines - a planner can curate the perfect timeline for you
Planning the guest experience - From travel, transportation, hotel room blocks, and keeping the guests informed on the day-of, a planner can help with all of that.
Ensuring no detail is lost, no moment is missed - Your planner makes sure small details don’t turn into big problems (no surprises that your venue can’t support X amount of power on the day-of!), and makes sure no one misses the most special moments by helping guide attention where it needs to go.
Coordinating setup, flow, grand exit, and tear down - A good wedding planner keeps everyone on track and will even make sure your overnight bags are already at the hotel!
Giving etiquette advice - From invitation wording to how much to tip your vendors
So many other things! From tracking RSVPs to offering fashion input, your planner can help you navigate all of that
So here’s the thing. If you read that and thought:
“Heck yeah, I can do that! I have the time, organization skills, and patience to learn all of it.” Then that’s great, sounds like you know what you’re doing next (learning & planning).
“Oh gosh, but I can’t afford not to plan my own wedding. What do I do? -Screams-” Then I’d highly recommend asking friends & family for help and checking out other free resources like this blog or the Engage podcast with Jamie Wolfer (she’s awesome!).
“No no no, this is not for me! I don’t have time to do that,” or “I don’t want to do that,” then budgeting for a wedding planner is your best bet for a stress-free and easy time in this wild and wonderful journey.
Regardless of what you do next, remember you aren’t alone! Countless others have done this exact same thing. And honestly? You aren’t supposed to know what you’re doing— you’ve never done this before.
If you need a little help figuring out where to start, click here to check out our free planning timeline. If you want a more comprehensive guide, we also have an e-book: check it out here!
If you’re interested in our services, Let’s Chat!
We also have some of our favorite Amazon decor on this page, if you’re interested! We keep this updated.
With love,
Katie Sautter
