Is hiring a wedding planner really necessary?

I completely disagree that a wedding planner is needed at all. That being said, I'm a project manager by trade as is my FW and I am a big time planner so for me planning the wedding is just another thing that I'm planning and easy to do!

That being said, you know yourself better than anyone, if you feel overwhelmed at any point it's a good idea to hire one.

I am not having one... I don't have the money. I would rather have a photobooth then have someone do stuff I can do by myself. What I do have is a wedding cordinator that came with my venue... she just makes sure the place is set up and that the food is set out on time. maybe just chose a venue with that a cordinator.

Not only am I a bride, but I am also a wedding planner. Your mom is right, with a schedule that includes school, work and needing to spend time with your FH a WP can be a huge help. They take all the stress from you (at least that is what they are paid to do) and you should have no worries. Every decision is finalized by you, they don't just create your wedding for you without your input, but they take the stress off helping you find the right venue, dj, photographer etc. . . all to fit your budget. I would consider it.

Your profile doesn't say where you are located, but there are lots of consultants all over the country that are members of the Association of Bridal Consultants. Try to give yourself peace of mind by seeing if you can find one that is a member, we have very high standards to uphold, also make sure you check with other brides, ie: references not only for your consultant but for vendors as well.

Good luck!

I have a full time job, go to school pt and I have two kids at home. While it can get a bit overwhelming at times, it hasn't been to the point that I want to pull my hair out. For me the trick was doing as much as I could early on. I did alot of DIY which can be time consuming .. if its in your budget to have everything done for you it should be even easier. You seem to have quite a bit of time before the wedding I did mine in under a year and took the two weeks before christmas and week after new years off from wedding planning. I'm on track to have everything done and I love the fact that I did it! So to answer your question is a wedding planner really necessary I'd say no, I think a wedding planner is a luxury and if you can afford it and want to have one then I say go for it... If you will be pinchin pennies months after the wedding if you have one I'd skip it.. Good luck!!

Omg, I definitely at least recommend a wedding coordinator for day of if you don't want a wedding planner! I was absolutely refusing one until my mom said "no you need one"....it will really really benefit you and lift weight off your shoulders..and the day of...the wedding coordinator can make sure your vendors arrive by calling etc..without you having to stress over that on your "big day"

I don't think a planner is necessary. We are both very organized, and we set the date a year in advance. We enjoy every detail of the process.

I do feel a Day of Coordinator is necessary,especially in our case, as we have to transform a biker's residence into something with just a touch of casual elegance. It will be a great deal of work. Having said that, since we are also both Type A, we will both be overseeing the decorating, etc. I could never just walk in the room and smile without seeing everything first.

Good luck on your decision!

I disagree. I work full time and planned my whole wedding in six months on my own. I think it is manageable but you need to be a very organized and detail oriented person. I think you also need to have a clear idea of what you want. If you have trouble making a decision and sticking to it the next few months of wedding planning can drive you crazy.

I work full time, go to school full time, and have a 1 year old and am planning my wedding myself. I dont feel like I am all that stressed. You just have to manage your time well. I am spending $350 on a day of coordinator to help make sure that everything runs smoothly on the wedding day. It will keep me from having to deal with any issues that may arise. I am too much of a control freak to have someone plan my entire weddign for me.

I work full time, go to school full time, and have a 1 year old and am planning my wedding myself. I dont feel like I am all that stressed. You just have to manage your time well. I am spending $350 on a day of coordinator to help make sure that everything runs smoothly on the wedding day. It will keep me from having to deal with any issues that may arise. I am too much of a control freak to have someone plan my entire weddign for me.

Not Really but a day of coordinator is necessary, if you have a person thats close to you that doesnt mind coordinate for you on the day of your wedding ask them to help you. this just pointers on a easy way out. i'm going to ask my sister since shes the one with FH and i doing the whole wedding planning process. she knows what we want and how we wants it. thats why we always invite her when its wedding related.

Thank you all for the advice. I will keep a "day of" planner in mind. I already have a lot of the stuff planned. Our venue is mostly "all-inclusive" so that takes a lot of pressure of shopping around for cakes, centerpieces, and dj's..etc.

At first we thought a wedding planner would be an unnecessary expense but now that we have one she is awesome. Since our wedding is a little over 2 years away right now she's creating our profile such as budget, location, guest, and etc...I think it's a great start to my perfect wedding! Since I am a fulltime student and mommy and I work part time she's a great addition to our family

For me it was one of he most helpful purchases that I could have made. I am out of state and have a pretty demanding schedule and life. it was beneficial for me to hire a planner and glad I did. it is personal preference though and what you want.

It really just depends on how big your wedding is and how much money you have to spend. The good thing is your wedding isn't until 2012 so you have plenty of time to do everything well in advance. If you have an all-inclusive venue then you really are good to go. My venue is ALL inclusive and includes an onsite coordinator so I litterally didnt have to do anything. Time will roll up on you fast so just stay on top of it. Just make sure as it gets closer to your wedding that most of your ends are tied because you don't want the stress too close to your wedding. Delegate family and friends to do some things. The key is staying in budget. it will be easy to over spend if you don't keep good records. Little things add up fast!

I don't think its necessary to have a wedding planner. I also agree with some of the ladies if you can find a close friend to help with DOC you will be fine. Now if your mom is suggesting and paying for a wedding planner why not go for it. But you have a little time to really decide what works best for you

We had neither a wedding planner nor a DOC. And we got married in a place we never even saw until we arrived there for the wedding. We found our ceremony and reception venues, accommodations, officiant, florist, hair and make-up person, and photographer online. In fact, at one point we had someone volunteer to be our DOC for free, and we turned the offer down.

However, a lot depends on what kind of wedding you are having. We kept things simple. For example, we had our reception in a restaurant. That way, the venue, food, alcohol, linens, and reception decorations were all handled by one vendor. And we kept our ceremony decorations simple enough that we could get them done ourselves.

If you are planning a reception for 400 people, with 20 attendants, and complicated decorations that have to be done just so, a wedding planner or at least a DOC can be helpful. However, if you can keep it relatively small and simple, you can manage without one.

A couple of things that were pointed out before.

You don't need a planner if:

You're exteremly organized

You can make decisions and stick to them

You have the time

You can manage several details at the same time

And you aren't concerned with things not working out the way you planned.

Honestly BUDGET is the word on every bride's mind. And $350-$$$ is money that can always be spent elsewhere. However. What if your venue doesn't set up the room the way you wanted it, and worked so hard to design? While you're busy getting your hair and make up done and drinking a mimosa, you shouldn't have to be running out to check if your vendors are doing their jobs.

Some times a bride has a very helpful family member that can assist them, but most of the time family members are just as stressed out as the bride.

If budget is the bottom line, and your venue doesn't have a personal coordinator (not a head waiter or caterer - they don't set up the room's details) then seriously consider

A day of coordinator. So at least after all your hard work, you can 100% be present for your wedding and enjoy your guests.

If you find you are struggling towards the 6 month mark, consider taking your m-i-l up on her advice and get help. You're already spending a lot of money, is it really not worth the peace of mind?

I just had a bride that is getting married May 21st, a very "helpful" family member said they would do the food because they are in culinary school. I just got the call two days ago that the family member backed out because they got a paying gig on the same date... So now 2 weeks before the wedding this bride and student about to start finals would be scrambling for a caterer. But instead she called me.

Problem solved, studing for finals can continue as planned and we're going to eat, drink and get married on May 21st.

Food for thought!

A planner for me was necessary but it sure did help. FH and I have busy schedules so we at least needed someone for the last couple of months of things. But when we met the planner we loved her and hired her full-time. I would least get a Day of Coordinator or Weekend of so you can relax and enjoy the moment!

I have a planner/coordinator..I worry about the wedding day not flowing smoothly she will be there to make sure everything does! She's been with me for a whole year we meet at least once a month and talk on the phone often..So she knows exactly what I want. My planner is charging me $800 but that also includes an annoucer during the reception and 5 hotestess...I don't have any family here that I could have asked to help and I didn't want to burden or put any extra responsibility on my friends. If you have friends and family that will help then you don't need a planner otherwise I would say you do.