Why use a Wedding Planner...?

'Do I really need a Wedding Planner? Like, really?'

This is a question that comes up time and time again, and here at Whitewed, we’re super lucky to be able to hear from Whitewed’s creator, leading Wedding Planner, Natalie Lovett of Love to Plan Ltd on why a Wedding Planner could be beneficial to your planning journey, and sanity!

Nobody knows this industry better – Natalie has worked on hundreds of weddings and with thousands of venues and suppliers over the years - and teamed with her perfectionist ways and incredible eye for detail, her weddings are just the best!

Here are her thoughts on whether a Wedding Planner is for you…

Are you short of time?

Are you planning your wedding in a short space of time?

Are you holding your wedding at home, in a marquee, tipi or dry-hire barn?

Are you finding it all very overwhelming?

If you answer ‘yes’ to at least one of these questions, then a Wedding Planner could be just the thing for you!

Photo Credit: Alexandra Jane Photography

So many believe that a Wedding Planner is a very ‘American thing’, that it’s not necessary as they have plenty of time and plenty of offers of help from family and friends - but by the time you’ve juggled work, family, friends and life in general, spare time is pretty sparse. In fact, according to a new survey, a modern wedding takes 528 hours, or 22 full days, to plan – that’s a lot of spare time to find!

So, other than the amount of time that you will save on the run-up to your wedding, why is a Wedding Planner a worthwhile investment…?

Consider your venue – Wedding Planners come into their own if you’re planning a wedding away from a permanent venue.If you’ve booked a hotel there is generally a whole team of people employed and dedicated to ensuring your wedding day runs perfectly…but a wedding at home, in a dry-hire barn or a field is a completely different story. Consider who will finalise and oversee supplier set up and clear down, who will set up and style your wedding, who will ensure all the suppliers have arrived and are carrying out their roles, who will ensure that you’re not the one clock-watching, questioning if everything is OK and managing your day. Trust me, you do not want to be up a set of ladders adding foliage to tipi poles at 7pm the night before your wedding – nor do you want to be craning your neck round to the catering tent to see if the food is coming out on time!

Consider your experience – are you an organised person? Have you organised events before? Events can be a science, and weddings are of course a big deal to get right as there are so many elements and details to bring together – and the final stages of any wedding always mean give and take, creative timings and last-minute changes! It’s so common for me to receive a number of panic calls or emails across the year from couples who have been planning their wedding and have become unstuck – it might be because their offers of help at the beginning have now disappeared, some realise that actually they don’t want to be in charge on their wedding day, and others realise that creating the floral arrangements for an entire wedding the day before the big day isn’t realistic… I can jump in at any stage, take the pressure away and restore faith in your plans – no problem! Seriously, you shouldn’t be torn between finishing off your table styling and chilling out with your bridal party with a celebratory glass of bubbles the night before your wedding because time is not on your side.

Finally, consider what will remain after your wedding day. Put simply; great memories.

Great memories will be captured by your fabulous photographer / videographer – but great memories only come from a wedding day that’s perfectly organised and one where you’re able to simply enjoy it and cherish every moment with your partner, nearest and dearest as it unfolds.A Wedding Planner ensures great memories…and your sanity!

Photo Credit: Alexandra Jane Photography

The beauty of a Wedding Planner is that their service is bespoke to you and your wedding. The amount of time required is based on the timings of your wedding, how many guests you have, the number of suppliers involved and how much assistance you need, or want on the run-up…and don’t be scared off by the title: Wedding Planner. Whilst I plan weddings, I plan it to your ideals and not mine, but offer you my experience and expertise at every stage.

As a guide, I offer two main services which are totally flexible depending on your requirements: Wedding Day Management (commonly known as on the day co-ordination) or Full Planning.

Wedding Day Management is my signature service and typically costs around £1000 depending on your plans, and it’s just perfect for a wedding away from a permanent venue. It allows you to get all your suppliers in place and the main organisation underway. I come in at about 8 weeks prior and pick up the final organisation, prep and stress at the end, and included within this service is the wedding set up and styling, and the management of your day to ensure everything is perfectly organised and all the behind the scenes nitty-gritty is taken off your hands.

Full Planning is the pièce de résistance! Starting at around £3000, I will be involved in the planning of your wedding from soon after your engagement right through to being one of the last people at your wedding itself! A full brief of your requirements, budget, loves and ideals enable me to curate a perfect wedding for you, and run it right through to the very end meaning all the stress and time-consuming planning is taken off your hands allowing you to enjoy the run-up to your wedding.

Photo credit: Teri Vincent

I’ve worked on over 250 weddings since Love to Plan Ltd launched in 2007 and I love them all for different reasons.Every couple I work with have different ideas and ideals, budgets and locations – and they’re all very special weddings days that we create together. Above all, I absolutely love to connect couples with the right suppliers and vice versa – it’s so important to me that you have a fantastic team around you. I love setting up and seeing your vision come together. I love the anticipation before your wedding ceremony, but mostly, I have a big eye for detail and I’m a perfectionist, so I love ensuring that everything runs perfectly smoothly on the day itself.

Above all, a Wedding Planner has your back. They will make it their priority to ensure that you and your partner are relaxed and stress-free and that everything is just was you want it to be. They will be your go-between, your backup – and actually, your PA for a little while. In the words of my recent client, a Wedding Planner ‘is worth their weight in gold’!

Photo Credit: Teri Vincent

Well, here’s a couple of thoughts from my clients…

“Thank you so so much for all your hard work in bringing our big day together. It was fantastic that you were able to help so significantly with some of the final preparations and providing wise council and advice in the final few weeks when we encountered the odd bump in the road. I can’t tell you how much it reduced our anxiety and that meant we were really able to enjoy the whole process something which we will never forget! I really can’t underestimate how grateful we are as I just don’t think we could have pulled it all off otherwise given the scale of logistics required for everything to fall into place.

In summary we couldn’t have been happier with respect to how it went! The timings were pretty much faultless throughout (which I know is rare!). Thank you so much for helping to make everything run so smoothly behind the scenes and contributing so significantly to the success of the day. We loved it and had the best time.” Mr & Mrs Evans: Wedding Day Management

“One of our best wedding decisions was asking Natalie to plan our wedding. We were concerned after speaking to friends that by using a wedding planner we might end up with an identikit wedding – however it proved to be the exact opposite. With Natalie’s assistance we were able to spend time concentrating on the little details that personalised our wedding and made it extra special. The day itself was incredible and one of the best things was that I felt like a guest at my own wedding, Natalie ran the day like a pro and I can’t imagine having done it without her!” Mr & Mrs Thompson: Full Planning

Love Letters: Burnt Orange

No matter the stage you’re at in your wedding planning, your journey with a Wedding Planner will normally begin with a phone / video call where you will chat through wedding ideas and plans to date, and the journey will simply begin from there – easy, stress-free and a relief! Having a professional wedding planner on your team when planning your big day, really is worth its weight in gold. They can save you time, money and provide a fabulous inspiration source to help you create the dream wedding, perfect for you.

Main image credit: PJ Phillips Photography