How to Plan a Wedding: The Truth About Wedding Planners – And Why You Need Them

When it comes to how to plan a wedding, there’s a very real question of whether you really can do it yourself. Since we know that planning your wedding starts with discovering an amazing event space, PeerSpace makes it easy to find and secure an amazing and unique wedding location. However, there’s a lot more that goes into creating an unforgettable wedding after you’ve found the perfect place to host it. That’s where the debate of whether you need a wedding planner or not is really called into question. The truth is that while DIY and alternative weddings have become buzzwords, at the end of the day, it’s hard to replace the convenience and expertise of using a wedding planner.

Photo, Nick Kova

For those looking to cut costs and add personal elements to their wedding, a DIY wedding can seem appealing. But one of the biggest misconceptions regarding DIY weddings is that they are always less expensive than using traditional vendors. DIY projects allow couples to share a piece of themselves with all of their wedding guests and their community. Unfortunately, that doesn’t mean they always offer a less expensive wedding option. There are a number of ways you can save money by doing things yourself for your event, but there are also ways you can save time, money, and your sanity by hiring professionals. We’ve talked with experts in the industry and some of the top planners around to find out how to plan a wedding and how to work with a wedding planner to get the best of both worlds.

Photo, Nick Kova

Set Expectations

The best way to address this challenge of how to plan a wedding and whether a DIY-inspired wedding is the right fit is to discuss expectations from the very beginning. If a bride has extra free time in the months before the wedding and enjoys art projects, it’s okay to take on some of the fun, crafty elements of the wedding. First, determine a budget for the wedding. Next, settle on the top three priorities to help decide what items should be handled by pros and what can be DIY’ed.

Find Balance

Event planners and homespun weddings can and should go hand-in-hand. Wedding planners should always have a client’s best interest in mind and should help come up with creative, budget-friendly ways to achieve the client’s vision. The best wedding planners seek friendship with their clients beyond just facilitating their planning process. Wedding planners not only help with the planning process by acting as a liaison between clients and vendors, but they ultimately support the client’s vision and help bring it to life. They need to make sure that couples, families, and friends are all guests at the wedding, not worker bees.

Perfect Planning

In return, clients should hire a planner they trust. Understanding how to plan a wedding takes time and expertise from a planner, but it also requires trust from the clients. The planning process is a collaboration and planners will guide clients and give professional advice before couples get overwhelmed by the DIY projects they decided to take on. For the best of both worlds, find ways to bring your essence into your wedding, but if you can afford it, hire an event planner or third-party service to help you tackle the work in a more streamlined, stress-free process.

Outro

Regardless of whether you use a wedding planner – and to what extent – there are a number of ways you can take control of certain aspects of the wedding yourself. After all, the end goal is for you to balance the reality of logistics while still ensuring you have the wedding you’ve always wanted. There’s no better way to set the stage for a personalized wedding than with a meaningful location you love, that you can choose and book yourself. As for the rest, let professionals take care of the decor and dining to manage costs and alleviate stress while achieving the wedding of your dreams.

From choosing a dream location on the PeerSpace marketplace to making sure all of your friends and family are able to eat, drink and dance the night away, our Concierge Team can show you any of our wedding venues and help you achieve an intimate feel regardless of wedding size.

Cover photo courtesy of Nick Kova.