Congratulations! You’re engaged. And now the questions start rolling in: When is the wedding? How many guests will you have? What’s your budget? Should you hire a wedding planner?
It might seem like hiring a professional to help you plan your wedding is very chic and extravagant… and while I work hard to make sure my clients feel like working with me is super luxurious, the truth is, I save them a ton of money. Here’s how:
1. We know what things really cost
Whether or not you’re on a budget – and frankly, everyone is, whether it’s $15,000 or $150,000 – you work hard for your money, and you want to make sure that you’re spending it wisely. But when you start calling around to price out photographers, caterers, and florists, it can be really frustrating to get a straight answer from them without answering a ton of questions. Your planner will make sure you pay the right price for the value of the item or service, and that you won't get screwed over by paying more than you need to for something that isn't essential to you, or ending up with less than you want for something that is super important.
I coordinated the wedding day for a couple last year who were planning their wedding, and when I saw the menu a few weeks before the day, I knew right away that they hadn’t planned enough hors d’oeuvres for the cocktail. But having already agreed on a menu with the caterer, to go from two canapés per guest to six would have cost them way more than they had budgeted. We found a solution – a massive grazing table that some close friends arrived early to set up – but if I hadn’t noticed that, it would have been a major gaffe. Hungry guests and an open bar can kill a party before it even gets started.
2. We’ll help you decide what it’s really worth it to spend on
You might think you need a plated dessert and a sweet table, but if you and your partner are more into savoury, and you want your party to go late, you’ll be better off having the caterer pass around grilled cheeses and poutines at midnight versus paying a fortune for a cake that nobody will eat. And what about your A/V crew? Depending on the size of the venue and the time of year, lighting and sound needs vary widely. And what are all those line items on your bill? Where is it safe to cut an expense, and where is it going to affect the flow of your event? Without professional eyes on your contracts, you risk paying for stuff you simply don’t need, like subwoofers at a 50-person affair. (No need to blow out your guests’ eardrums!)
3. Your day-of coordinator is your insurance policy
Like I mentioned above, and write about in detail in this post, I never start working with my clients on the day of the wedding – I’m looking over your wedding plan at least one month before the day to make sure that everything jives. How crappy would it be to pay a videographer, only to find out they didn’t get your vows because no one considered the audio system for the ceremony? Or if your florist only made twelve centerpieces but you have thirteen tables? Or, a personal pet-peeve – your tablecloths are all wonky because they are not the right size for your tables? I’ve witnessed all of these avoidable errors in my fifteen years in the wedding industry, and they always happen because the couple thought they had everything under control, and they are costly to fix last minute.
Even more important, though, is the fact that you have spent a ton of time, energy, and money on planning a really memorable day. It would be a damn shame to miss out on a single minute of it putting out the inevitable fires that always spark up. Your coordinator should be able to handle any and every issue that arises without you even noticing.
4. Stress takes a financial toll
Ever heard the expression “throwing money at a problem?” That’s exactly how you’re going to react when you find out about any last-minute issue or once you’re burnt out from planning. You’ll end up saying “yes” to things that aren’t the right fit, and be disappointed when they turn out lackluster. You’ll be saying “fuck it” so much, you’ll ask yourself why you didn’t elope.
BUT, if you spend a fraction of the total cost of your wedding on professional help, you will actually get to enjoy planning your wedding. You’ll be making decisions that align with your values and desires. You’ll get access to your planner’s wealth of knowledge and likely contacts in the industry so that you’re getting the best bang for each buck you spend. And you’ll feel blissfully happy on your wedding day, because it will be exactly what you wanted, and you won’t have regrets about how you spent your money.
If you’re here, I know you want this to be you. This is how you get your dream wedding. You focus on your relationship and what truly matters to you, let me worry about interpreting your vision into reality, and start off your marriage without any lingering regrets or ill will.
And right now, I’m making it crazy affordable for you to hire me to work with you from a distance. For the next few weeks, you’ll be able to get your first call with me at a super reduced rate, and if you buy it before August 15th, you’ll also get a crazy discount on my upcoming offer, The Journey – a guided wedding planning experience with four one-hour Zoom sessions with me plus (and I can’t believe I’m giving you this, too) six months of Voxer access starting from the time you schedule your first call.
Because it’s such a steal, I’m only selling three offers at this price. The Jumpstart is the first call of The Journey, so you can try before you buy, and when you do, you’ll get $300 off the full coaching package, which is already reduced for its launch from $1200 to $750. That means you’ll pay $450 + $147 (the reduced price for The Jumpstart) for everything-but-the-day wedding coaching. Want to know more? Book a free 20-minute session with me and we’ll figure out how I can solve all your wedding woes, or book your Jumpstart right now!