• To bring your vision to life
o Translating all those ideas into a real-life event, is no easy task. A common myth is that a planner will force their vision on a couple. As a planner, I find it so fun to help accomplish what a couple’s vision brings to me. A great planner listens and offers practical ways to make your dreams a reality.

• To review vendor contracts and negotiate pricing
o A wedding planner has seen a TON of contracts and knows immediately if there is cause for concern. [The planners] are repeat business. Couples are not. [The vendors] aim to please us so we bring them more business. [The vendors] will go that extra mile to please a planner that might send them 10 weddings in the coming years.

• To create a realistic timeline and keep you on track
o We can take an overarching view, and vendor experience and combine it with a detail-oriented perspective. Things never go quite according to plan – but your planner already knows that and is prepared!

• To be the point person on the day (set up, take deliveries, oversee all vendors, tear down)
o I’ve seen weddings where the couple has had to lug boxes around, or has spent all morning on the phone! A wedding planner is the one that everyone will be addressing. Your planner will welcome in the cake maker, florist, DJ and guests without disturbing you. Yes, even those guests that randomly arrive two hours early at every wedding. Whatever your style of wedding, you’ll appreciate the chance to stay in the moment.

• To act as mediator whether between family members or your vendors.
o A planner can help as a mediator – a neutral party that goes between parties to smooth things out. Drama can develop out of nowhere if your family is anything like mine. Having a non-family member there can in a strange way prevent some of those pent-up feelings from ever erupting.

• To offer solutions to problems (and execute on those solutions!)
o Things will never go 100% according to plan on your wedding day! Even the best planning cannot predict everything. Small weddings are still weddings – emotional events full of complexity and unpredictable elements. This is why wedding planners work so hard to get to know you, your style, your expectations, and your non-negotiables. These elements can give us the perfect nudge in the right direction when faced with making a split second decision on your behalf!

• To work with your venue coordinator
o If your venue has a coordinator or events person, that’s great. But they are usually limited to what effects their venue. A great planner pays many times over for the time, stress and money they save!

• To help you enjoy your day and bring peace of mind.
o When you’re enjoying the best day of our life, don’t also be the decision-maker/ manager/ greeter/ person-in-charge. You will fail trying to multi-task it all! You could entrust a friend, but should they not be celebrating with you too? After all, this is a massive undertaking, it’s work (HARD work!).