Hiring a Wedding Planner or decorator VS. DIY

When you first get engaged you have about a million different things running through your head about what all needs to be done: Who's gonna be in your party? What colors do you want? Where is it going to be held at? Outside wedding vs. inside wedding? How do you want the ceremony & reception places to look & feel? What is your budget...the lists go on & on. Planning a wedding is A LOT of work even if you want a small, quaint wedding. 

Here are a few things you should consider when thinking about whether you want to hire a planner & decorator or attempt to DIY.

Do you have the time, patience & energy?

Planning a wedding takes A LOT of time, patience, phone calls & e-mails.

I can't even tell you how many bride's I meet with each week that always tell me "I just want it (their wedding decorations) to be simple, but beautiful." My response, "That is great to hear since we take pride in every event that we do & we specialize in having the event look like it was simple, and at the same time taking their breath away with all the beauty of it". We do decorating for many weddings in our area & we spend at a minimal of 70 - 90 hours + just planning, prepping, & actual decorating our large elaborate weddings accommodating 300-400 guests & the fabulous decor that goes with them. Even the smaller weddings we spend a minimal of  45-55+ hours on the planning, prepping & customizing their decor....& that is just the time that is put into the decor.

Do you enjoy being crafty, doing things yourself?

If you are a crafty person & enjoy to take on projects yourself & can get them done in a timely matter without loosing your sanity, then great! If you live for the craft store deals & rummage through the aisles at all the craft stores with your wheels turning about "how can I use this?" or think "this would be perfect for....." then you may be able to take on some DIY projects for your wedding. For the rest of the world well a planner or decorator would be most to your liking. 

Maybe you are right on the line & want to have a hand in your planning & decorating of your wedding, but not too big of a hand. Then make a few personalized DIY items that the planner & decorator can work together to work into your fabulous event.

Does it fit into your budget?

We all understand that most couples have an allotted budget that they need to stay in & when you say wedding planner or wedding decorator, people assume it will cost them in the five to six digit range. Let me tell you that this is not necessarily true - yes there are planners & decorators who do cost that much, but the average planner or decorator does not.

Are you an attention to detail kind of person or it's good enough for who it's for type of person?

Via Summit Hill Florist NJ

Do details matter to you, meaning do you notice if the chairs are not lined up perfectly straight, if the glasses aren't all in a row, if something is out of place? Or if you have a very strict routine in your everyday life & if it does not go as planned then your whole day is ruined -YOU my friend ARE a details person. And that may mean that you may be very comfortable in planning your own wedding & running the show.

On the other hand if you hit snooze on your alarm clock 2-3 times before you wake up, tend to forget where you car keys are at & fly by the seat of your pants, then YOU are probably NOT a details person. If this is you are this type of person then it would be in your best interest to hire a professional that can & will ensure that your day goes smoothly & on a timely matter.

Do you get big excitement when planning parties or other events?

Via Doiy Design

Do you look for an excuse to host a party, or plan a baby shower for you friend just so you can have the excitement & joy of being able to plan? Do you wake up thinking about all the great aspects that go into planning, making sure the event goes off tip top? Is your brain always rushing with ideas for other people's events?

 This is what it really comes down to - can you plan every aspect of your "party"? You have to LOVE planning & everything it entails - creating the guest list, getting all the vendors lined up & met with, the invitations, the food, the music, the entertainment, the decorations. If you LIVE for planning & it is actually relaxing for you, then you will probably be alright to plan your wedding. If you would rather attend the party then having to deal with all the headache of the planning then please hire a professional.

Do you have room?

Via Shutter Stock

So you want to take a try at this planning & decorating your own wedding,I mean how can it be right??? You have to take many things into consideration when doing it yourself, with one of them being do you have the room to store all your decorations before & after the wedding? You have now bought all the decorations, taken the time to customize them to your liking, and now where to store them until your wedding? Your living room, bedrooms, office, kitchen, even your mother's house is now over taken by wedding decorations. 

What to do at the end of the night?

At the end of the night you have 3 options the way I see it - You can either tear down & clean up all your decorations, Go to your room, take your shoes off & crawl into bed, or you can join the after party. Let me assure you that at the end of a very long, fun, eventful day after having a few cocktails & entertaining all your guests, the last thing you are going to want to do is spend 2-4+ hours tearing everything down & cleaning up after everyone. TRUST ME!

How well do you handle stress?

Via Fitness & Health

God for bid something should go slightly wrong the day of your wedding - Can you handle it? If the person delivering the cake accidentally drops it, or smudges it up when trying to place it down, or if your caterer does not show up on time, if someone needs directions as to what they are suppose to do,or  if your venue looses power or blows a breaker - do you know what to do & more importantly do you want them contacting you for everything on the day when you are suppose to be relaxing & getting ready for the day - of course you don't! So hire a professional who can take care of these things for you.