Depending on who you talk to you will get different advice on whether or not to hire a wedding planner. On one side you have the people saying “Plan it yourself and use the money you save to plan a better wedding”. On the other side you will have people saying “A wedding planner is the only way to ensure that what should be a lasting memory doesn’t turn out to be a disaster you’ll never forget”. In this article I will reveal the true cost of hiring a wedding planner and weigh both sides to help you make a better decision.

It’s been said that planning a wedding is second only to planning an Olympic event, there are so many factors to consider. In both cases budgets are tight and success is crucial. What the organizer wants (for lack of a better phrase) is the biggest bang for the buck. What the concern is, is whether or not hiring a middle man justifies the expense.

A wedding planner is an experienced professional, usually with years of experience and hundreds of weddings behind them. Like anyone else, even after extensive training, they have probably made decisions they regret, but they have learned from from their mistakes and have acquired the knowledge and skills to avoid most of the mistakes so commonly made.

Part of being a wedding planner is networking, and that involves making connections with the various resources required for a wedding. While someone on their own planning a wedding could look through the yellow pages or on-line to find these resources, an experienced wedding planner has already done your homework. In most cases they can tell you where to go to get what, with the best selection and at the lowest prices. Furthermore, in most cases wedding planners get better prices than you can because the suppliers give them trade rates on their products or services.

Probably the greatest advantage of hiring an experienced wedding planner is that you gain their knowledge and experience. They can offer suggestions for alternatives that you haven’t even considered to make your wedding a more enjoyable experience and save money.

Does it end up costing more? Well, it may but surprisingly, in many cases it actually ends up costing less and either way it becomes a more memorable occasion.

Whether you choose to hire a wedding planner or not, my advice to you is; call one and invite them over to discuss your wedding. An initial consultation is usually free and even if you choose not to hire them, the information you learned from them may prove to be valuable.