Do you really need a wedding planner? Even if you are having a small wedding that doesn't seem too complicated, you might be thinking about hiring one. So, why should you pay someone to do something you could do yourself? Wedding planners can help you during various stages of the wedding planning, not just on that big day lone. So let's weight the options.

You might just be in the early planning stages of your wedding. Maybe you just became engaged and suddenly everyone is giving you opinions and ideas and you're starting to feel overwhelmed. Some brides choose, at this point, to hire a wedding planner. Wedding planners, or consultants, as they also like to be called, can help you focus on exactly what you want. You might have ideas, or maybe you really have no direction at all. Remember, a wedding planner has planned many weddings and will have great ideas, as well as lists of reliable vendors, venues and much more. They are able to take even the smallest of ideas and start building a vision, if they are really talented, and steer you in the right direction. This is a great place to start with a wedding planner as they can save you quite a bit of running around, not to mention money, when you are just beginning to plan.

You might choose only to use a wedding planner at this stage, to help you focus and give you some lists to help you find a wonderful baker, florist and photographer. Then, if you are comfortable, you can go ahead and do the rest from here. This will be a cheap option, of course, and will undoubtedly save you money in the long run. However, you might want to go one step further.

Maybe you are not comfortable with the idea of working through and negotiating contracts with your vendors. A wedding planner will have done this many times, will know the average costs, and will be able to go with you to work out your contracts so that you get exactly what you want without overspending. They are good at working within budgets also, so if you've never planned something with such a large budget (and who really has?), your planner will be of great service to you.

Once you have your contracts negotiated and everything booked, you might feel as though the wedding planner's services are no longer needed. But maybe you'd like some help doing all of the little things? Your planner can be your best friend during this time period. She'll help you get everyone organized to put together your favors, or maybe you just need someone to keep

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