GUEST BLOGGER: CHRISTINE BOULTON

Today I bow to the amazing expertise and inspiration of Christine Boulton.  Christine has her finger on the pulse of the wedding industry at all times.  And, today she makes a brilliant analogy that ALL brides should read and heed!  Thanks, Christine!     

Do You Need a Wedding Planner? Would You Remodel Your Home Without a General Contractor?

I don’t get it. Why would you take on a project that can cost you anywhere from $10,000 to, well, as high as you want to go without having a professional by your side?
Here is the thing, would you take on a major home remodeling project without hiring a general contractor? Of course not. I know, you are asking how are those even remotely the same. Let me ask you,
“How are they different?”

• Both have budgets in at least the 5 figure range. That is a LOT of money.
• In both instances you want a high degree of personalization. In short, you want YOUR dream to be executed.
• Both will require a long list of sub-contractors that you have most likely never dealt with before.
• Both require tight scheduling to make sure everything comes together on time and on budget.
• Both are going to have glitches and unexpected issues pop up that someone is going to have to deal with.
• The results of both are going to be with you for a long, long time.

Am I beginning to make some sense here?

All those things listed above are what a wedding planner does.

• They know which vendors are reliable and match your style.
• They help you translate your dreams to the people who are going to make them come true.
• They know all about how your venue works in terms of timing and convenience for load in.
• It is their job to keep that timeline on track so, for example, the flowers show up after the tables are set up, dinner is served hot and the MC know when to do the first dance.
• It is their job to keep all those sub-contractors working together on the right plan.
• They are there to look you right in the eye and say “Yes you can have that, but you are going to have to give up XYZ”
• They are there to handle those last-minute glitches and issues in a way that you don’t even know they happened.

There is a wealth of information online today on how to plan a wedding, but until you actually do it, you have no idea of everything involved.
Seriously, when you look at it in this light, why would you even think of not hiring a wedding planner for one of the days you are going to remember for the rest of your life.
Sure, I could watch HGTV, DIY Network, House Crashers and This Old House until my eyes bleed but one episode of Holmes on Homes or DIY Disaster will cure my ass of thinking I can remodel my kitchen on my own!